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A car passed them and Wes watched as it drove away

"Yeah? Well, then, where the hell is Kingsley going?"

21

THE QUEEN

Nora spent the entire day in Søren’s childhood bedrooainst her kidnappers Apart fro else hidden away and for that she was alrateful Søren had ine, what had transpired between him and his sister She wanted no reason to break that proh if Nora could keep it, save it, use it, if and when the ti slowness She knew Marie-Laure aiting forsosleyor perhaps even Nora herself Marie-Laure had put the pieces into play Now she sat back and waited for sohtfall, Nora heard footsteps outside her roo theht creak of leather soles She knew one of Marie-Laure’s boys was out therenoise to scare her It worked With every sound she sat up straight as her heart hah Every sound the house ht es of adrenaline exhausted her She wanted nothing more than to be at home in Søren’s bed and to sleep for weeks, sleep until everymore than the absurdity of a dream, and when she woke up, she would tell Søren, "I had the craziest dreaht--your as still alive and she ca Cajun food before bed By noon the last embers of the drea of the dreaht as the door opened and Da down at her on the floor

This was no dream

"Story time," he said Nora stood up and reluctantly joined hiht hand in his pocket, his left hand resting like a silent threat on the back of her neck

Deciding to test the waters, Nora cleared her throat and opened her et a word out

"Don’t what?"

"Don’t even bother You can threaten me, flirt with me, bribe me all you want, it won’t work"

"True love, then, is it? You and her?"

"Not even close"

"Do I get a hint?"

"Threaten h Her dead husband uns I used to work for hiot bored and he died a billionaire No one you know is scarier than he was No one you know is richer than she is And as for the flirting, I’ve heard all about you I’ve fked Eastern European prostitutes with fewer miles on them than you No thank you"