Page 70 of Nine

“You should probably hurry up and eat that,” he says.

“Why?”

“That camera isn’t going to take pictures by itself.”

I frown and then put the cone up to my mouth; I slowly lick at it while I make eye contact with Trig. My tongue is working small circles now, and he seems to be entertained.

“Are you teasing me?”

“I’m just eating my ice cream.” I shrug and take another slow lick, but this time I moan.

“Liar. You’re trying to seduce me with that tongue of yours, and it’s not working. If you think you’re going to get out of taking pictures and that we’re going to go back to the hotel and have dirty, nasty, sweaty sex then you’re wrong.” He pauses. “You’re going to go shoot pictures first, and then we’re going to go back to the hotel to have dirty, nasty, sweaty sex. Get your priorities in order.”

I grin.

“I’m not getting out of this today, am I?” I ask.

He shakes his head.

“I’m about to make you into one of the world’s best photographers. Don’t miss this train. Jump on it and ride it out with me. We got this, babe.”

I playfully squint my eyes at him.

“What is it about you that makes me do things out of my comfort zone?”

“I took you to buy ice cream. Things like that have a heavy impact on girls. You never had a chance.” He then gives me an evil laugh.

“The ice cream is good, but not that damn good.”

We both finish eating just as we stumble upon a skate park.

“Oh look. Bodies in motion.” He makes a funny face and points to the skaters. “Isn’t that crazy timing?”

I sigh, knit my eyebrows together, and then I pull the camera up from my arm

“Go on, my little angry squirrel. I want to see some bad-ass pictures, and we’re not leaving here until we get some.”

This is going to be the longest day of my life. Look at Trig standing there smiling like a fool.

Chapter 11. Trig

She calls me, breathing hard. Immediately my breath locks within my chest. I haven’t heard her sound like this since we left Las Vegas several months ago. She’s been happy, almost like a new woman. The panic attacks she used to have are gone, and she doesn’t cry anymore over Jenny. Nine has been in a really good place up until now. Something is seriously wrong. She’s crying and talking fast and I can’t hear her over the music in the background.

“Baby, I can’t understand you. Repeat it again,” I say, as I place one hand over my ear.

“He’s here,” she yells. “He’s here, and he’s sitting four tables away from me.”

Her voice is shaky.

“Who is he?”

For a moment, I don’t hear her. The noise in the background becomes muffled, and it sounds like she’s dragging the phone across her chest.

“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god,” I hear her say.

“Who is he?” I repeat.

“My uncle,” she shouts.

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