Page 130 of The Shade of Things
“Yes, Miriam.” The artist waved off my addendum. “We know.”
“Regardless.” I tossed my hair off my shoulder. “I don’t work for you anymore. Destroy it yourself. I’ll get you the means to do so.”
Tatiana’s nostrils flared. “I can no longer cavort about engaging in such high-risk activities. So despite the fact that you look a good thirty years older than me, due to your refusal to hydrate, it’s on you to finish the job.”
“Laugh and you’re a dead man,” I muttered to Laurent.
He clamped his lips together.
I crossed my legs and draped an arm along the back of my chair, coolly regarding my ex-boss. “You’ll have to pay my freelance rate. It’s very expensive.” I could finish this one job for the homicidal maniac. For the good of humanity.
“I’ll pay your current monthly salary, and as someone in my employ, you’ll treat me with the respect I deserve.”
“Respect? You impaled me with a tree and threatened my daughter’s life. You’re lucky I simply want to move on from my entire experience of working for you.” Otherwise, I would so sue her ass. I knew plenty of good lawyers and statistically one of them had to be an Ohrist.
Laurent growled, his fingers morphing to claws. “You didn’t mention that’s what she’d done,” he said to Emmett.
“I didn’t know that part. Duuuude.” The golem shook his head at Tatiana.
“It was one tiny root.” Still, she tugged on her collar, avoiding his gaze. “I concede that the attempted homicide was too far.”
“Too far?” I gave an incredulous laugh. “It’s a miracle I survived.”
Tatiana crossed her arms. “I came back for you. Happy?”
“What?”
She waved a hand at Laurent and Emmett. “The grief these two would have given me if I’d let you die. You were gone from the tree, so I left.”
I put my hand to my heart. “I’m so touched. For all you knew, they’d taken away my mangled corpse. Out of sight, out of mind, huh?”
Tatiana slammed her palm against the table. “Let me remind you that you attacked first. Remember?”
Oh yeah. I twisted my old engagement ring around my finger. “Then I will concede that is a fair point.”
“Very generous,” Laurent murmured with a straight face.
Emmett shook his head. “You women are whack.”
“Also, the gargoyle assured me you were fine,” Tatiana said.
“Pyotr?” I frowned. “You spoke to him?”
“Yes. It was nice to speak Russian again.”
I snorted. So glad she had a pleasant après-murder visit.
“As for Sadie,” Tatiana continued, “I wouldn’t ever hurt her. I swear on my love for Delphine.”
Laurent didn’t tense up at her name. In fact, he gave his aunt a fond smile, which she returned. “Je t’aime, Tatiana.”
Her mouth fell open, then she blinked rapidly, turning away so we didn’t see her dab at her eyes. “Je t’aime, Laurent.”
Holy shit. I gaped at the two of them. Was Laurent truly ready to move on with his life?
He nudged me. “Mitzi?”
“Huh?” I fit my old engagement ring back on my finger because I’d twisted it right off.
