Page 29 (1/2)

He was right about that Without resources, she’d be delaying the inevitable, and very messy, end Pharmadene wouldn’t even have to chase her, unless they really wanted to They could just literally let her rot

Sucks to be el in silence, and by the time she was finished, Lia and loaded it in McCallister’s car He even included a new dog bed for Mr French to travel in comfort Lunch was in modular little boxes "I think he is Alfred," she said to McCallister, as downing the last of his coffee as he watched

"Actually, I often wonder if he’s Batman" McCallister handed Liaer door for her "Tio"

She let Mr French ju in herself McCallister got behind the wheel, and in ten seconds or less they were heading down the gravel path Bryn let the crunch of the tires fill the silence for another five seconds before she said, "Your family has a shitload of money"

"That’s one way to put it"

"But it’s not your money?"

"I told you I’m the trust administrator I decide where the money is spent, but I’m not allowed to touch it personally"

"Is that why you took the job at Pharmadene?"

"Even ex-rich people need salaries"

"But why there?"

He didn’t glance at her His focus stayed on the long, winding road down to the gates "I don’t think we need to discusstoo deep into the details"

"But back at Joe’s you said--"

"Bryn" He cut her off, cold as a guillotine blade "Change the subject Now"

She hadn’t been going to spill anything top-secret, daht she would "Fine Tellelse" He finally reached the estate’s gates, which silently opened for them, and they hit the open road She could sense his frustration in the way he edged the accelerator up past legal speed

"Oh, no, you already warned ot itsothers? Yes, there was a lot of opportunity for that around the early industrial age, and they took full advantage Great-Granddad was a rival of Rockefeller for a while, only he lacked the civic responsibility It’s not a glaest family celebrity was a cousin who oing to mention the Davises in the saood thing"

She laughed "And you really don’t have a clue what it’s like to grow up poor, McCallister"

"I knohat it’s like to grow up--" He stopped himself, shook his head, and said, "Let’s not talk about this"

"Why not?"

"Because it’s not germane to the problems you face"

"I didn’t think you wanted to talk about my problehed It was a strange, alh, but closer than she’d ever heard froht; did anyone ever tell you that?"

"I can safely say it’s not a probleht then," he said There were crinkles at the corners of his eyes, and a ghost of a smile on his lips "You tell "

"No"

"You probably know everything about all of them"

"I know facts Tell me what they’re actually like"

So she did, as the miles hummed by under the tires: Annie, her sweet but financially incohanistan; her older sister Grace, the know-it-all, working as a departe, the asshole Bryn never spoke to, as still the apple of her mother’s eye because he ran his own business; and, last, Kyle "But you know about Kyle," she said

"Do I?"

She sighed "He’s serving fifteen years for ar brother I barely know hih He took off when he was fifteen years old, and I was just a kid He was sot in with bad people after he left houy?"