Page 67 of Caged By the Ruthless Thief

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ANNABELLE

Iwonder if buying anomadais like buying a car at home. I still remember the dread of going to the used car dealership with my dad. The way he haggled for hours.

Holter opens the back door of our loaner for me.

“Wait, can’t I ride in the front seat?” I glance up at Holter.

“Sure.” His blue eyes sparkle. Somehow, he’s become the de facto driver of our pod. Neither Eros nor Holter want Nico to drive, and the skin on his ankles is still dry and red. I don’t think he should drive either. Or pilot, as they call it.

I slide into the front seat, but Holter doesn’t close the door. Instead, he reaches over my lap and buckles me in.

The traffic is heavy with lots of differentomadasandsoloszipping through. There are other styles of vehicles too.Omadaspulling cargo containers zip lower to the ground. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to drive—pilot—here. Changing my way of thinking from two dimensional to three is going to take a lot of work. Although before, I couldn’t handle one human boyfriend and now I have three mates. It’s a lot to keep up with.

“Do you want me to point out parts of the city?”

“I’d love that. Thank you.”

Holter’s eyes twinkle at me, and I shiver. My angel does something to me.

“What are you thinking about? Whatever it is, keep it up,” Eros whispers into my ear. “I’ll just be back here with Mister Crabs-in-his-Pants.”

“I don’t have crabs in my pants,” Nico barks.

“That’s what he used to say before going to Calypso’s Depth.”

“I never had to go to Calypso’s.”

“That’s what they all say.”

The two of them bicker in the backseat like children.

“What is Calypso’s Depth?” Although I already have a good idea what it is, I didn’t think they had those here. But I suppose they don’t call it the oldest profession in the world for nothing. I turn to Holter and wink. “Maybe you should take me there?”

That shuts them both up.

“We are never talking about Calypso’s Depth again,” Eros says.

“Agreed,” Nico grunts.

I smirk. They’re both pouting in the back, but at least they’re on the same page. I’ll take unity any day. “So, what type ofomadaare we looking for?”

Our borrowedomadaerupts in commotion, each of them spouting off things. I don’t know what they mean. I know a little about engines. You don’t grow up on a farm that is held together with spit and bailing wire without knowing the basics, but as easy as it is to forget these aren’t cars, they’re not even boats. They’re subs with crazy amounts of tech in even the simple small ones.

The arguing goes on for five minutes.

“Stop, stop!” I yell. “What can we agree upon?”

They’re quiet.

“How about it should have doors and a motor, and we at least start there?”

“That’s a good place to start, Sunshine.” Eros leans forward.

I turn and wiggle my eyebrows at him. He gives me one of his charming smiles, and I melt a little. I want to reach for him. But I’m not doing anything in this borrowedomada. I’m going to have to sit on my hands. And then I’m thinking about sitting not on my hands but him... My inner mermaid is turning into a huge hussy.

Nico scents the air and growls. “Little Krill. You need to behave.”

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