Page 23 of Play Me
She probably knows I’m starving, so she sent me poisoned food. Pretty brilliant.
“Astrid?” the kid asks again. “Do you know her or not?”
“Unfortunately.” I consider sending him back with the bags and refusing the delivery, but the look in his eye tells me he has no interest in hauling this shit back to his car. As much as I don’t want anything from Satan’s daughter, it’s not this boy’s fault—and there’s no sense in bringing another victim into her madness. “Follow me and let me get you some cash.”
“It’s paid for.”
“I meant for you.”
He lights up. “Hey, that’d be great. Thanks, man.”
I head to the kitchen and set the bags and phone down on the countertop. Then I find my wallet in the bedroom and pull out a couple of twenties.
“Here you go,” I say, coming into the living room and handing him the money. “For your troubles.”
He tries to hand one back to me. “There are two.”
“There are two because I gave you two.”
His eyes are as big as saucers behind his glasses. “No joke?”
“No joke.”
“You’re the best.” He nods appreciatively. “Thanks. I thought you were gonna be a dick. Good save.”
What?He doesn’t wait for a response before turning on his heel and hightailing it out of my apartment.
I wait until the door closes before I exhale.
My stomach wails, begging for food, but my brain can’t let this go. I told her to stay out of my way and things would be fine—and I know damn good and well she doesn’t want to be doing this. So either she doesn’t understand plain English, or she’s doing this to be a pain in the ass.
The woman has a firm grasp on the English language.
I grab my phone and unlock the screen, saving her name with a witch emoji. Then I tap out a response.
Me: Show Renn your receipt like a good little girl and then stop it.
Astrid : Are you upset? I’ll send tissues next time.
Me: There won’t be a next time.
Astrid : Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart. I’m doing my job, just like you said you wanted. If that’s not true, you can always give Renn a call.
My fingers pound against the keys.
Me: You really don’t want to play this game with me.
Astrid : We agree. I don’t. I really don’t want to do ANYTHING with you.
I pace the apartment, trying to dispel some of the energy building inside me. It’s like she’s throwing it in my face that Renn thinks I’mthisincapable. This inept.
This is not how I saw this going. Even when I was walking out of Renn’s office and she acted like a suck-up, I thought it was because he was sitting there. I didn’t think she’d keep the ruse going once he wasn’t around.
My eyes slide up the text chain again until they hit on a particular line.If you didn’t want this, you should have done something about it.
“You’re playing right into her hand, Adler,” I say aloud. “She’s winding you up, and you’re letting her.”
I take a long, deep breath and blow it out. My chest shakes as my lungs deflate, but I feel myself finding a balance again.
