look. “You know how unreliable friends can be.”
She started pantomiming strangling Jane and slitting her throat so only I could see. “I know it was very last minute, but I had nowhere else to turn, and Simon was gentleman enough to give me his sofa to crash on for a couple of nights.”
I could see Jane’s face fall, but I wasn’t about to contradict Mina. I needed to get Jane out of here safely.
I turned to Jane.
“Hope you don’t mind,” I said, giving her a weak smile. I didn’t know what else to say. I’m sorry one of the psychos from my past is extorting me into helping her and I’m just trying to keep her from killing you didn’t seem to fit. Plus, I hadn’t told Jane much at all about my criminal past, and now didn’t seem like the time to start.
“You can stay,” Mina said with a sweet smile. “I don’t want to be an intrusion. Don’t mind me.”
Jane stood up, gathered up her bag of books, and moved toward the door before turning to face us. She looped the bag over her shoulder, cradling the books protectively close to her chest.
“No, thanks,” she said, her face showing signs of agitation. “I’ve got a lot of reading to do, and it sounds like you two have some catching up in store.”
It didn’t surprise me that she wasn’t taking it so well. I put the shoe on the other foot. If I had shown up at her apartment to find a hunky old coworker of hers, I didn’t think I’d be taking it so well either. Still, a relationship like ours was new to me and I found myself at a real loss as to what to do.
“Nice meeting you,” Mina said with a sweet smile, waving.
Jane nodded. “Same to you.” She walked over to me and gave me deep, territorial-marking kind of kiss. When she pulled away, her eyes were cold. “Talk to you tomorrow?”
“Sure,” I said, nodding.
Jane headed out the door, closing it behind her as she went. None of this sat right with me. The monkey wrench that was Mina just added to my problems with Jane. I had to do something.
“Give me a second,” I said to Mina. “I’ll be right back.”
I headed for the door.
Mina cleared her throat and I looked at her. She put a finger to her lips.
Shhh.
She lowered her finger away from her mouth and waggled it at me slowly.
Don’t tell Jane anything, it said.
As I ran out into the hall, I watched Mina slide herself behind the door and I heard the sound of the knife coming out of her jacket again.
“Janey, wait,” I called out.
I caught up with her halfway to the elevator.
She turned and her face was a blank slate. I couldn’t get a read off her about this whole situation, and if I couldn’t warn her about the dangerous woman I was dealing with, I at least wanted a chance to apologize for Mina being here. The demons of my past were mine to bear, and I couldn’t hold Jane responsible for having a negative reaction to them.
“I just want to say I’m sorry,” I said, trying to take her hands in mine. She reluctantly let go of the bag of books and gave me her hands. I lowered my voice. “You know, about earlier, at the bookshop …”
I was trying to avoid specifics, just in case Mina could hear us.
“Okay,” Jane said, and then just stood there. I squeezed her hand, but she didn’t really squeeze back.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said. She let go of one of my hands and rubbed her eyes. She looked over my shoulder to make sure we were alone, but lowered her voice as well. “Just worn down from doing that … rat thing … over the phone earlier. Wesker wants me to stop inventorying the Stacks and read more about … technomancy.”
“But you’re not mad?” I asked suspiciously.
Jane smiled and shook her head, the darkness on her face vanishing in an instant.
“Just go and make sure your friend is okay,” she said with sincerity. “I know what it’s like to be in this city and not have anyone to turn to. It’s okay.”
Jane and I still had our issues to iron out after the
She started pantomiming strangling Jane and slitting her throat so only I could see. “I know it was very last minute, but I had nowhere else to turn, and Simon was gentleman enough to give me his sofa to crash on for a couple of nights.”
I could see Jane’s face fall, but I wasn’t about to contradict Mina. I needed to get Jane out of here safely.
I turned to Jane.
“Hope you don’t mind,” I said, giving her a weak smile. I didn’t know what else to say. I’m sorry one of the psychos from my past is extorting me into helping her and I’m just trying to keep her from killing you didn’t seem to fit. Plus, I hadn’t told Jane much at all about my criminal past, and now didn’t seem like the time to start.
“You can stay,” Mina said with a sweet smile. “I don’t want to be an intrusion. Don’t mind me.”
Jane stood up, gathered up her bag of books, and moved toward the door before turning to face us. She looped the bag over her shoulder, cradling the books protectively close to her chest.
“No, thanks,” she said, her face showing signs of agitation. “I’ve got a lot of reading to do, and it sounds like you two have some catching up in store.”
It didn’t surprise me that she wasn’t taking it so well. I put the shoe on the other foot. If I had shown up at her apartment to find a hunky old coworker of hers, I didn’t think I’d be taking it so well either. Still, a relationship like ours was new to me and I found myself at a real loss as to what to do.
“Nice meeting you,” Mina said with a sweet smile, waving.
Jane nodded. “Same to you.” She walked over to me and gave me deep, territorial-marking kind of kiss. When she pulled away, her eyes were cold. “Talk to you tomorrow?”
“Sure,” I said, nodding.
Jane headed out the door, closing it behind her as she went. None of this sat right with me. The monkey wrench that was Mina just added to my problems with Jane. I had to do something.
“Give me a second,” I said to Mina. “I’ll be right back.”
I headed for the door.
Mina cleared her throat and I looked at her. She put a finger to her lips.
Shhh.
She lowered her finger away from her mouth and waggled it at me slowly.
Don’t tell Jane anything, it said.
As I ran out into the hall, I watched Mina slide herself behind the door and I heard the sound of the knife coming out of her jacket again.
“Janey, wait,” I called out.
I caught up with her halfway to the elevator.
She turned and her face was a blank slate. I couldn’t get a read off her about this whole situation, and if I couldn’t warn her about the dangerous woman I was dealing with, I at least wanted a chance to apologize for Mina being here. The demons of my past were mine to bear, and I couldn’t hold Jane responsible for having a negative reaction to them.
“I just want to say I’m sorry,” I said, trying to take her hands in mine. She reluctantly let go of the bag of books and gave me her hands. I lowered my voice. “You know, about earlier, at the bookshop …”
I was trying to avoid specifics, just in case Mina could hear us.
“Okay,” Jane said, and then just stood there. I squeezed her hand, but she didn’t really squeeze back.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said. She let go of one of my hands and rubbed her eyes. She looked over my shoulder to make sure we were alone, but lowered her voice as well. “Just worn down from doing that … rat thing … over the phone earlier. Wesker wants me to stop inventorying the Stacks and read more about … technomancy.”
“But you’re not mad?” I asked suspiciously.
Jane smiled and shook her head, the darkness on her face vanishing in an instant.
“Just go and make sure your friend is okay,” she said with sincerity. “I know what it’s like to be in this city and not have anyone to turn to. It’s okay.”
Jane and I still had our issues to iron out after the
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