Page 18 of The Love Scam
“Literally,” the kid added, holding up a card identical to the one in Rake’s pocket.
He laughed. “I’m pretty sure she’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. And I’ve met Blake Tarbell.”
“Fair enough. We’re finished here, so.” She spoke briefly with the three remaining women, hugged one of them, then turned back to Rake and Lillith. He was morbidly awarethat Delaney’s—friends? coworkers? sisters?—were staring at him. “C’mon with me.”
They fell into step beside her as she left the loading area and headed to the front of the hotel. “You don’t seem surprised to see me,” Rake pointed out. “Us.”
“Nope.”
Now that he was under her steady gray-eyed gaze, he was having trouble finding the words to explain how his day had gone after she’d run off.Am I seriously trying not to sound pathetic? After throwing up on the woman? Twice?“This is going to sound incredible—”
“Try me.”
“—but I’ve been robbed.”
“We’ve been over this. You threw your own wallet into Lake Como. You mugged yourself.”
“Not that!” he snapped over Lillith’s giggles, then had to grin because, yeah, the whole thing was absurd, but he could see the humor in it. Sort of.
“Listen, my bank accounts are empty. I don’t know if it’s an online snafu or an accounting screwup or just a mistake, but technically, I’m broke.”
“And he won’t borrow from me,” Lillith put in. “Out of a misguided notion of—uh—actually, I don’t know why he won’t borrow.”
Because, among other things, you couldn’t go anywhere or do anything in Venice for less than twenty euros. He wouldn’t embarrass her by asking for money she didn’t have. “Keep your snow-shoveling money.” To Delaney: “Like I said, technically, I’m broke.”
“Technically, that must suck.”
“It does suck,” he agreed. “I’m sure it’ll get straightened out in a day or two, but in the meantime I can’t reach myfamily and… I… we…” He glanced at Lillith, the hotel, and Delaney. The sun was setting, turning the canal gorgeous shades of orange and pink and cream, and tourists rushed around and past them, intent on dinner and, later, the night life. He wanted to be one of them very, very badly.
Come on, Delaney. Pick up on the hint. It’s been the most humbling day of my life, and that’s counting the time I fell asleep in Bio and fell face-first into my dissected frog. I had frog kidneys stuck to my cheek until lunch! Nobody told me!
Nope. No joy. She was opening the lobby door now, and walking toward the elevators. He hesitated, having no clue what to do next, and nearly wept in relief when Lillith said, “He hates borrowing and he’s too proud to ask if we can stay with you tonight. He doesn’t know you’ll say yes.”
“Oh my God I love you,” he muttered under his breath, earning another giggle from Lillith the Great and Powerful.
Delaney glanced back and said, “Well, come on, then.”
“Nice work,” he whispered, and Lillith smiled at him, then let out a yelp as he practically lifted her off her feet as he galloped to Delaney.
Yessssss! She was leading him to her room! Her bed! Oh dear God, hershower! He might never come out. He might sleep in the shower, eat in the shower. He might vacation in the shower, grow old and die in the shower.
Of course, if Delaney wanted him in her bed, that was completely fine. Yes, she spent an annoying amount of time laughing at his troubles, but she was also the only real help he’d had since he woke up (besides the homeless teenager who’d lent him a phone). And he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like the look of her: those long legs, those clear gray eyes, that wide, pretty mouth, that… um… thatmouth…
Oh, but… Lillith.
Right. No nooky with a kid looking on. Noanythingwith a kid looking on.
First things first. He’d beg a shower, they’d figure out sleeping arrangements, he’d eat something, and he’d get the scoop on the kid and finally hear about the sequence of events that led to three strangers bunking in a Venetian Best Western for the night.
Then: He’d get his life back.
Y’know, eventually.
Twelve
“What the hell is all this?” he asked, staring so hard that he thought his eyeballs might dry out.
“Cover,” Delaney said shortly. She had brought them up to her room and, while Lillith used the bathroom, had gone straight to a safe underneath the coffeepot. She keyed in the combo, checked to make sure something was in there
