Page 68 of Ravage
“Wait,” I hiss and move in front of her. “I have an idea of who it might be, but in case I’m wrong, go hide in your bedroom.”
“I’ll be your backup.” She picks up a fork from the coffee table and nods seriously at me like she believes she will take this person on with only a kitchen utensil.
“At least go behind the couch so they can’t see you.”
Her mouth opens like she realized something, and then she nods. “Got it. Sneak attack.”
“CINDERELLLLLLA!!!” His voice continues back down the hall in our direction.
I turn, blocking Portia’s view of the door, and take both of her hands, and fork, in mine. “No attacking unless I give a signal, okay? I’m just going to check this out. If it’s GE, I need you to escape out a window. Otherwise, just stay behind the couch until I say it’s okay to come out.”
“A window?” she squeaks. “There aren’t any fire escapes out of our windows.”
I start moving her behind the couch. “Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that point then.”
She kneels, and when I bring a finger to my lips to remind her to be quiet, she mimics me and nods.
“CinderELLLLA!!”
I snag one of my knives from the table and move to the door to peek through the peephole. It’s too small to make anything out other than a dark figure stomping up and down the hallway.
Knife at the ready by my side, I open the door and shift into the doorway so that the apartment is blocked.
Kellan grins at me as he walks back down the hallway toward me. Two fingers lift up the strap of the missing heel that had been left behind at the congressman’s house. His blue-green eyes rake over me, and it’s only then that I remember what I’m wearing. A sexy navy-blue romper that Portia let me borrow while my dress and regular clothes are getting washed.
I cross my arms over my chest, keeping my knife in the grip of my hand. “What are you doing?”
He stops with his arm leaning against the side of the doorframe above me so he can cover me in his shadow. “I’m doing the bit from that movie. The girl loses her shoe. Then the guy shouts her name over and over again for her to come out so he can bring it to her.”
I burst out laughing. Then his face scrunches like he missed the punchline, and I laugh even harder. He thinks that’s the movie.
“Look, beautiful, I’m glad seeing me has made you so happy—”
I put a hand up. “Hold up. I’m laughing because you’re an idiot. Who mixes up Cinderella and A Streetcar Named Desire?”
Kellan doesn’t even look upset or embarrassed. His grin stays put even as I call him out. “My mistake. I forgot you were such a movie buff.”
“Me too.”
There’s a long pause where we both stare at each other, getting lost in the past, when his eyes suddenly dart behind me. I turn to look just as Portia walks up behind me with her fork.
“Hello! Are you the Kellan one? Can I stab you with my fork? Pretty please?”
“Portia!”
Kellan bursts into laughter. “Absolutely…”
Her face glows with excitement, and she steps forward.
“…not,” he finishes sternly, but with his lips still spread wide. He looks back at me. “I’d be surprised that you have friends like this, but…no. This seems about right.”
Portia blows air out, sending her stray hairs into the air. “Worth a shot.”
I turn my body at an angle to slightly face her without putting my back to Kellan. “You don’t just stab him to see his scales. It still hurts him.”
“Aw, beautiful. I didn’t know you cared,” he murmurs into my ear, and his long beard tickles my shoulder.
I swat him back, and he moves out of reach, but maintains his position against the door.
