Page 47 of Guarded By the Phantom

I laughed under my breath at his goofy antics and waved back, cringing a bit when I realized he must have known I’d stared at him every night for the past week.

My embarrassment was short lived, though. Phantom flicked his cigarette away, gripped the flashlight between his teeth, and started climbing the tree that grew the closest to my window. I kneeled on the padded bench, giggling as he climbed fast, the white light marking his progress.

Soon, he was on the same level as my window. I opened it a crack to hear. The tree rustled, branches creaking, and Phantom crept closer, hanging on to a thick branch.

“Why aren’t you in bed, doll?” he asked. “Any mosquitoes bothering you?”

I smiled, shaking my head. “Guess I’m just wired. There’s a lot to think about.”

Like you. You and your weird jokes. Are they only jokes, Phantom? Could they maybe, possibly, have a bit of truth in them? Please.

I didn’t say any of that. Instead, I opened the window wider, shivering when the cold air swooped into the room. I wore a long-sleeved top, but it was still cold.

“Why do you keep climbing trees?” I asked to change the topic.

“It’s the only way I can get a ballerina to flash me,” he answered, his voice growing husky. “Your nipples are cold, by the way.”

“Oh.” I winced, folding my arms on my chest. “Well, thank you. Have you seen your suit, by the way? For the gala tomorrow. My mother said she had one ordered for you.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I saw it. I’m hoping to make a little arts and crafts project tomorrow when I’m off patrol duty.”

“I knew you wouldn’t wear it. I even told my mother not to bother, but she was under the impression you’d have a good reason to dress up for the gala.”

He dropped suddenly. I shrieked in fear before I realized his thick thighs still hugged the branch. He hung upside down, grinning up at me.

“I could drop on my head right now and still be perfectly fine,” he said with a laugh. “Don’t scream on my account. And yes, your mother offered to pay me ten grand if I wore appropriate attire.”

He scoffed, grabbing the branch. He pulled himself up without effort and straddled it, swinging his legs cheerfully.

“To tell you the truth, I would have folded for twenty-five grand.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “There is that obscenely expensive set of artisanal knives I want to get, and that’s how much more I need. But since I’m not getting twenty-five grand, I’ll accompany you as my ordinary self.”

He spread his arms wide, showing off his black combat clothes, belt heavy with weapons, and his grinning skull. My chest heaved with something warm and wanting.

“I wouldn’t have you any other way,” I said solemnly.

“I saw your dress, too, by the way.” He whistled. “It’s a nice little number, eh? Very elegant, of course. Demure, but also slutty.”

I pursed my lips. I saw the dress as well. It was backless, made of sizzling black silk, and completely at odds with the image my team had promoted for me for years.

In the past, I always had the clean, good girl look. Heels just high enough but never too provocative, dresses that were pretty rather than sexy, lots of pinks and creams.

Yet now, I was expected to wear a dress with a thigh slit so high, it would reach my hip, and six-inch strappy heels that gave me vertigo. When I’d asked my mother about it, she only raised her eyebrow and huffed, letting me understand I wasn’t supposed to ask questions.

“I won’t wear it,” I said softly, trying the words out.

My heart hammered anxiously. I knew logically Phantom wasn’t going to attack me for refusing to wear that outfit, and yet, I was still nervous simply testing out the words I’d have to say to my mother tomorrow.

“Why?” he asked, reaching for his cigarette case. “You don’t like it? I wouldn’t mind seeing this dress on you, doll.”

I frowned, looking away. “It’s not that I don’t like it. It just isn’t what I want to wear. Maybe some other time. When it’smychoice.”

“Ah.” He nodded, letting out a puff of smoke. “Well, if you want, I can sneak in there and screw it up. They won’t tell you to wear a torn up dress, yeah? And we can say… We can say mice got it. Some mutant ninja mice.”

I laughed despite myself, some of my tension easing. “No, I need to do this on my own. But thank you.”

“So you’re going to rebel? Good girl wants to be bad?” he asked, his eyes flashing silver.

Unease churned in my belly when I nodded. In all truth, I dreaded making my stand tomorrow, and it seemed utterly ridiculous. It was just adress,but I knew my mother would make a big fuss about my disobedience.

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