Page 57 of Never Quiet

“Illogical.” Amanda shook her head. “That’s an illogical position because the bounty is back up. Isn’t it?”

“Yes. Five times what it was originally.” Stepping back, Noel removed her phone, entered the passcode, and held it out.

Taking it, Amanda stared at Noel’s face. “Why is it so high?”

“You’re eighteen, a virgin, and extraordinarily beautiful. You’re also brilliant. There was a market for you as a child to a specific niche of monsters. The way you are now, it appeals to a much broader group of monsters. Men who desire the most beautiful things at any cost. The photos they took, someone went to great effort to get them. There’s information about your education, your talents, and your physical stats.”

Staring at the screen, the images of her swimming, riding her horse, at the gallery, running…so many moments she was being watched, photographed.

Amanda released a bitter laugh. “For the bargain price of fifteen million, you can purchase your very own hot blonde virgin who’s really good at science, cooking, and the goddamn waltz.” She tossed Noel her phone. “Fuck them, Noel! I’m not a goddamn horse to be auctioned to the highest bidder!”

“Listen…”

“I will not listen! For once, I’m going to be the one talking.” She paced the room, filled with rage. “Every person in this room needs to recognize that none of you decide. I decide. This is my goddamn life that’s being derailed in the most fucked up way possible.” She angrily secured her hair in a messy bun on top of her head.

Amanda looked at Zoe. “I love you, Mom. Of everyone here, you’re the gentlest and I wish I could reassure you, tell you it’s going to be okay, and that I’ll do whatever all these trained soldiers and mercenaries tell me to do. I can’t do that.”

She knelt in front of the chair where her mom sat trembling and put her hands over her knees. “I need you to trust my brain. There’s only one person in this room as smart as me but he has a penis so it gives me an edge.” Zoe put her hand over her mouth to cover her nervous laughter. “Tell me you trust me, Mom. That you know I can think my way through this and win. Even if you hate my methods, and you will, I need you to trust me.”

Cupping her cheeks, her mother said, “There’s no one I trust more to do what you think is best. Stop worrying about how your family will consider your actions and decisions, Amanda. You worry more about us than yourself. It’s the real reason you’ve been delaying leaving home.” Leaning forward, she kissed her cheeks. “I’ve known you weren’t going to college for a year. I’ve just been waiting for you to talk to me.”

Tears slipped instantly from Amanda’s eyes as several people in the room stepped forward and started talking.

Zoe glanced around the room and demanded, “All of you will be quiet! I can’t hear you but Amanda can and you won’t make this harder on her than it has to be.”

She turned back and said, “I know you. I know the path you thought you’d follow is closed to you now. You feel guilty and embarrassed that you’re not going to spend the next dozen years getting an education, going out and changing the world. I’m sorry your choices are being systematically taken from you but I also know that whatever you choose to do, you’re never going to shut this lovely brain off.”

“Never,” she whispered tearfully.

“I trust you, Amanda. Don’t worry about your sister, me, your father, your aunt, grandmother, or the dozen other people you try so hard to be everything to all the time. I want you to think about yourself and what you want. I support every decision you make unconditionally, before I know what it is, because I support you unconditionally.”

Amanda nodded. “Thank you.” Hugging her mother tightly, she stood and looked at Nate. “Dad?”

He lowered to the arm of Zoe’s chair and pulled Amanda between his knees. “You’ve been in chaos, haven’t you?”

“Yeah.” She swallowed hard. “I know we always planned on college and…”

“No. No, Amanda.” He cupped the side of her neck. “I don’t give a shit about any of that. Just because your brain works like it does doesn’t mean you have to do what everyone assumes super smart people are supposed to do. Fuck that, honey. I’m a contractor, your aunt is a mercenary, your grandmother is a gun-toting artist. To hell with assumptions. Do what you want. If you’re safe, if you’re happy, I honestly don’t give a damn.” He frowned. “You were afraid?”

“I spotted the guys tailing me months ago. I knew college would be almost impossible to manage. It’s not remotely realistic. Plus, in my field of study, I need intense focus. It should come as no surprise that, in my current mental state, focusing on chemical compositions and my grade point average would be nearly impossible.”

He nodded. “I get that. Even though we just had the thing yesterday, you’ve known for a while then?”

“I have.”

“That means you already have a plan.”

“You are going to hate it, Dad.”

With a shrug, he said, “So what? It’s not my life.” Kissing her forehead, he set her back and stood. “I love you. Tell us what we’re doing. You call the shots.”

Hands on her hips, she said, “I’m trained better than the average girl but I need more.” She looked at Noel. “I want to go to Washington…”

“No fucking way, Amanda!”

Walking to her aunt, she got close. At the same height, they were eye to eye. “Listen to me, Noel. I love you, idolize you. That will never change.” She paused. “Either help me or stay out of my way. Those are your only two options.”

“You don’t know…”

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