Page 134 of Dating Goals
“It’s the future. While governments squabble over borders and resources, we’re building something that transcends those outdated concepts. The FIS manipulated you, just as the NHL manipulated its players,” she continues. “But OMBRA offers something different. True autonomy.”
“What is this? A job interview?”
“Perhaps.” Her eyes glitter with amusement.
“Thanks, but I’m not interested in joining your supervillain club.”
Nero laughs. “Supervillain? You truly are adorable. Yes, the word Ombra means ‘shadow,’ but we’re not lurking in dark corners. OMBRA is what the light can’t touch.”
“Very poetic,” I mutter. “Now where’s Anika?”
“So single minded, Griffin. It’s not very becoming.”
“I want to see Anika,” I repeat. “Now.”
Nero studies me for a long moment, then taps her bracelet. “Bring Miss Gisler to my office,” she says. Turning back to me, she smiles, and I see a flicker in her eyes before I feel a large presence behind me followed by a sharp pain in my skull. Then everything goes dark.
27
ANIKA
Two goons march me into what appears to be a luxury hotel lobby, even though it’s probably just where my kidnappers like to play video games. It’s all gleaming marble floors, floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views, and modern art pieces that dot the walls. Some kind of avant-garde water feature trickles softly in the background.
And there, slumped in a chair unconscious, is Griffin. His wrists are zip-tied to the arm rests. His head lolls to one side, a trickle of blood running from his temple down his jawline.
“Griffin!” I lunge forward, but the two men clamp down on my shoulders. “Let me go!”
Griffin’s eyelids flutter at the sound of my voice. He looks disoriented for a moment before his gaze locks onto mine. Recognition floods his face, followed by panic. He immediately strains against whatever binds him to the chair.
“Anika? Are you okay?”
“AmIokay? You’re bleeding!”
He blinks, seeming to register the situation fully. “Only a little. Hockey players bleed all the time.”
Even concussed, he manages to make me roll my eyes.
“What a touching reunion.”
I turn to see Nero, or Elodie, or whatever her name actually is sitting behind an enormous glass desk. She wears an immaculate white suit and severe stilettos.
“What did you do to him?” I demand.
“Nothing permanent.” She waves dismissively. “Please, sit.”
The goons push me into a chair across from Griffin.
Griffin wiggles against his zip ties. “Why are we here? What do you want?”
“Nothing from you, actually.” Nero smiles. “You two were simply…in the way.”
“Let Anika go,” Griffin demands, his voice gaining strength. “She has nothing to do with this.”
Nero ignores him and presses a button on her desk. The room’s lighting dims as a holographic display activates in the center of the room, displaying the Davos World Economic Forum logo.
“Next month,” she announces like she’s giving a TED talk, “the most powerful people in the world will gather in Davos. Presidents, prime ministers, CEOs. All in one place.”
Griffin and I exchange glances. Here comes the villain monologue.
