Page 28 of Exposing Adonis

“Well, you poisoned me. So … with friends like you,” he teased, “Who needs enemies?”

“What’s your question?” I said, lightly punching him in the rib.

He dropped his arm and looked at me, his hands coming to his hips. His face was suddenly serious as he looked me up and down.

“I can’t quite figure you out,” he admitted. “I did your background check with Geordie. I’ve combed through everything we could find on you. Your net worth is comparable to any of ours. Frankly, yours is better than Hugo’s, but he’s incredibly irresponsible with his salary.”

I waited patiently for him to get to his question. He pursed his lips to one side, pensively.

“Why is it, then, that you choose tosharea very old car with your brother? Why are you averse to luxury? It’s not because the price is too high, obviously. So do you simply just disdain people like us?”

“Ah, why would I eat the rich?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.

“Exactly. When you, yourself, are one of us.” He leaned over with a sly grin. “You hide it well, but you’re a one percenter too.”

“Our cover is being nurses.” I reminded him. “If we displayed our wealth, and suddenly started buying expensive things, and traveling on chartered jets, living well above the means of a couple of travel nurses, don’t you think that maybe it would pop some red flags?”

“You can always work past some red flags, and grease a few palms.” Alastair said, as if that was a completely normal thing to think.

I needed to word the next few things carefully, so as not to offend my only ally out here. Unless I could count Geordie as an ally, but he did threaten to kill me, so the jury was out on that one.

“If I looked like you guys out there, instead of like me,” I said, slowly, “and maybe if I was born to parents who weren’t from a certain part of the world that people immigrate from, and not immigrate to … Then that would be a more viable option.” I grabbed his hand, and placed the back of it next to mine to show the difference in our pigment. “There are certain luxuries that aren’t available to me and my brother, and it’s not because of the price tag.”

Alastair narrowed his eyes as if trying to ascertain what I was saying. It was hard for people like Alastair to understand, maybe, because they didn’t have those problems themselves. Equality was, honestly, a reality available only in the minds of those who could afford it.

“There are things about me that made Pippa think I worked here, instead of …”

Alastair’s eyes and mouth went wide.

“Ah,” he said, nodding his head.

“It’s not always pigment, of course, especially if you travel a lot, but there are some things that separate me from the rest of you,” I jumped on his understanding to explain more. “And certain avenues are just not easily greased by the likes of us.” I thought back to my parents, and smiled. “When I amretiredfrom the business, I want to make sure I have things in a safe place for the ones I leave behind.”

“When you’re retired?” He tilted that head of his again. “You mean …” He made a pistol gesture with his two fingers and put it to his forehead.

“That’s the typical end for people in my line of work.”

“You seem to be taking that quite well.”

“Once my brother is out of the business, it won’t matter what happens to me.”

He regarded me for a second. Whatever conclusion he came to must have been favorable, as he smiled.

“That’s likely to change now that you’re Callum’s …” he paused, then looked outside at Geordie, “How did he put it? Hisspecial friend?”

“Yeah, I think Geordie was exaggerating just a bit there.”

“I don’t think he was.” Alastair paused to look at me, with a smile. “He’s quite taken by you. Talks about you all the time. It’s sickening.”

“Either way,” I said with a tease. “I hate people like you.”

“It shows.” He nodded with a grin. “Shame really, since we’ll be seeing a lot of more of each other as time goes on.”

Chapter 13

Callum

Leodrovelikeabat out of hell, a wake of dust following the Toyota Hilux as he came to a screeching halt beside me. He stopped just long enough for me to jump in. His acceleration slammed the door shut.

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