Page 16 of Beyond the Cottage

As if she was likely to forget it, asshole.

“If you mean that,” she said tightly, “return what you stole from me.”

Ansel brushed his thumb over the vial in his pocket. Like an addict, he’d been carrying her dust with him, occasionally succumbing to the heady pleasure of its scent. It was lunacy, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.

“We can discuss that,” he hedged. “But there are other things we need to talk about first.”

“Oh, I agree. How about we start with why I spent the night in a dark prison cell?”

“I gave you a lantern.”

The look she gave him could freeze sunlight.

He sighed. “I’d have offered more conventional quarters, but your inclination toward violence made that impractical.” His balls still ached from their first encounter.

“Can you blame me for defending myself?”

“No, but I have other peoples’ safety to consider.”

“How many of you are there?”

He hesitated. Sharing details was risky until he secured her cooperation, but perhaps a bit of information would make her more compliant?

“You’ve met all three of us,” he said. “I’m prepared to answer any other reasonable questions you have.”

“What’s your name?”

“I saidreasonablequestions. I won’t divulge personal information of myself or anyone who works here.”

She touched the needle hole at her neck. “When will my dust replenish?”

“It’s different for everyone. A week is average.”

If that relieved her, she didn’t show it. “You say you don’t usually kidnap pixies. Why am I the exception?”

Ansel’s gaze lowered to her volatus. It hadn’t faded with his tapping. In fact, it looked more luscious than before.

Will she ever willingly give me access to it?

“Your volatus gland is unique,” he said. “My associate noticed.”

The calm he suspected she’d been forcing melted from her face. “Hold on—you’re saying I ended up here because I left my collar open at abar?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

She tipped her face to the ceiling and laughed dryly. “Unbelievable. Alright, you didn’t target me specifically, you freaks have a hard-on for my dust. You got what you wanted, when are you going to let me go?”

Ansel dragged Seven’s book across the desk and opened it. “Miss…Hacker, is it?”

“Just Hacker.”

“You’ve gathered the nature of our industry, and I’ve explained how you came to be embroiled in it. Before you decide this episode was a stroke of bad luck, consider what I offer in return for your voluntary cooperation.”

She gaped at him. “Are you delusional? Your dumbshit minion kidnapped me off the street and carted me to this hellhole. You stole my dust while I was unconscious then locked me in a filthy cell. Do you really think I’d consider helping you?”

“You’d be helping yourself. My offer is generous.”

“I already have a job.”

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