Going Under by Lauren Dane Page A

was far from everything. From Chicago, from the road signs and rooftops she knew
     best. Far from the way her mother’s front walk curved ever so slightly before it reached
     the front steps. Far from Rosa’s porch swing and roses.
    She had no one to talk to. No one who could understand her. Her life in Chicago was
     hours ahead. Too late to call. Too late to be listened to.
    Molly was not a wallower, but it seemed like it was all she could do to try to scrub
     the day from her skin as she wept like an idiot.
    * * *
    GAGE heard the thump and then another and then a crash. He pounded on her door. “Are you
     all right, Molly?”
    There was no sound and then the tiniest intake of breath. Admittedly he used some
     magick to boost his hearing. She was on the edge, that much had been clear by the
     way she’d held herself on the way to the hotel.
    When she answered with a terse “Fine,” it was threaded with anguish. He put a palm
     against the door, not knowing what to do.
    “Leave her be.” Faine jerked his head toward his door.
    “She’s clearly upset. We can’t just leave her be.” He stayed at her door until he
     heard the rush of the shower and then headed to Faine’s room.
    “We have to let her decide if she wants to share or not.” Faine shrugged as Gage locked
     up.
    “She needs friends right now.”
    “She does. And they’re a thousand miles away. Or maybe two. Whatever, it’s far from
     here to Chicago. This is all new to her. She’s essentially lived as a human.
Nothing
is the same for her now.”
    Gage’s stomach hurt. “Which is why we need to go to her now.”
    “No. It’s why we need to let her decide when to let us in. Dude, I know a control
     freak when I see one and the lovely lady next door is the biggest control freak I’ve
     ever met. She’s precise in nearly every way.”
    Gage remembered the way she’d laid her napkin out, the way she’d cut her burrito up
     into equally sized pieces. “And your point?”
    “My point is, when people like Molly lose their shit, they may not want to do it in
     front of a total stranger. She might see it as a weakness, being affected by all this
     crazy. If we push our way in, she’s going to be embarrassed. Or worse, feel like she
     has to keep holding it together when I’m going to venture a guess that she needs this
     little breakdown more than even she understands.”
    “You went into the wrong field. Should have been a psychologist.”
    Faine lifted a shoulder. “I have many talents. Anyway, go on home. I’ve got things
     covered here. I’ll check in with her tomorrow morning to make sure she’s all right.
     I doubt she takes days off. Then again, neither do you.”
    “Too much to do.” Gage headed to the door again. “I told her I’d take her to the police
     station tomorrow to report the death threat so I’ll be by at ten or so. I can take
     tomorrow with her so you can have the day off. Hell, take the weekend. Spend some
     time with Simon and Lark.”
    “I got it. She’s not that much work and when she’s at the office I have plenty of
     time to finish my other work.”
    “No arguing. It’ll be good for her too. I’m going to give her some training on Sunday
     anyway. Defensive magick. She should know more about how to take care of herself in
     this new world she finds herself in. Probably give her some sense of control too.”
    “All right then. I’ll talk to you later.”
    Gage didn’t go straight home. Instead he headed to Heart of Darkness. He needed something.
     Company maybe. A drink definitely. Chances were Meriel and Dom would be there so he
     could brief them on the situation.
    And maybe to keep from being alone.

Chapter 9
    “YOU sure you want to do this?” Gage looked her up and down when she opened the door to
     her room the following morning.
    “Where’s Faine?”
    “You’re going to give me a complex, Molly. What am I, chopped liver?”
    “Liver’s gross.”
    “I suppose that may have been a