Page 72 of Liar & Champion
She smiled fiercely. “Scary ones that can take care of more than themselves. So, are you okay seeing Nix so he doesn’t have to worry, or do you want him to stew a little in the juices of his guilt? There’s no wrong answer, just whatever you’re in the mood for.”
“I don’t want to hurt him. Ever.” I knew that much.
“But you don’t want him to hurt you, or worse, talk you into doing something you’re not ready for. Why don’t I let him in here, and you two can have a conversation while I work on my engine, in case you need someone to step in.”
“But he’s your boss. Why would you step in for me?”
She scowled. “Because it’s right. He lied to you, and when you left after you found out, he was worried, but you weren’t wrong to leave, not like it was wrong for him to mislead you, particularly with marriage on the line.”
I stared at the powerful woman who waited patiently for my answer. What did I want? I didn’t put off uncomfortable things. Better to rip the band-aid off quick. “Okay. If you don’t mind being my chaperone, I’d appreciate it.”
She walked over to the door and opened it, but held up her hand, stopping Nix from lunging into the room. “Hi. I’m the chaperone, so what’s going to happen, is you’re going to sit in the chair across from the couch where Sunshine will stay. You’re not going to attempt to seduce her, or guilt her, or any other kind of manipulation to get her wherever it is you want. You’re going to clear the air, establish the rules of your relationship, and I am going to make sure everything is on the level.”
Nix looked almost hurt, but he nodded slowly while his eyes skipped from her to me. He looked me over, but it didn’t feel sexual, just like he was examining me to make sure I was all in one piece.
“I agree to your terms,” he said in a low voice that was gentle, so gentle, and the timber of it sent a shiver down my spine.
Chapter Twenty-Three
LIAR
Trix sighed and lowered her arm so Nix could come in. He did, walking slowly towards me, studying me the whole way while I sat with my white plate and tried not to look like a delicate flower.
“Hey, Kitten, it’s good to see you,” he said, sitting down on the upholstered chair opposite me.
I glanced at Trix, and she nodded back at me before she sat on the floor on the side and started sorting bolts or something. “I’m not sure if I like you calling me Kitten,” I said. Didn’t I? I wasn’t sure. I could be unsure, right? I was only sure about being unsure, so I hoped so.
“Good to know. What do you want me to call you, Sunshine?”
“I don’t know.”
He nodded like that was acceptable. “You’re sure you’re all right? You have some bruising on your arms that look like restraints. Zip ties specifically.”
Trix whistled. “Is that what those are?”
I looked down at my arms and felt betrayed by the mottled green and purple flesh. “I was kidnapped by two of my old friends who heard I got married and wanted to celebrate. It tookme a few minutes to talk them out of it, but the stripper…” I shivered. “I won’t ever get those images out of my head.”
“So, you were taken against your will. What are their names?”
“This and that. Enough about me. How about you? Looks like you took a solid punch right across the face. Not to mention your ribs. They took quite a beating. Any internal bleeding? Did you get checked out by the overly friendly medic? He’d love to show you the town once he gets off.”
His eyes brightened with something hard and dangerous. “What I do really bothers you. All right. Let’s do something else. Where do you want to go? Do you like mountain, sea, lake, city? What are you in the mood for?”
I stared at him. “Let’s do something else? You’re a superstar here at the top of your game and the season is just starting.”
Trix said, “Actually last year was better, because we hadn’t just lost the Three-Hundred.”
Nix looked at her and then shrugged. “You have a good point. I’m already waning in this career. Where do you want to go, Kit—that is, Sunshine?”
I shook my head. “I’m not interested in changing you. That’s the last thing I want to do.”
“You wanted to change Daniel.”
I blinked at him. He knew that I knew Beastie? Did he know that I was dying? I licked my lips then gulped another drink of water before I took a deep breath. “I’ve known him a long time. My habit is to lecture him and try to set him on the right path, ever since the first time he got in a fight and used me as an excuse for it. Your course is set.”
He smiled, and the dimple in his cheek showed making me kind of distracted for a second. “Ah, I’m an old dog who can’t learn new tricks. Except that I am always evolving, which is why I’m at the top of my game.”
“I thought we established that you were waning,” Trix mumbled, but Nix didn’t pay her any mind, not when he was looking at me like I was challenging him, and he always rose to a challenge.
