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I reetting back in his car once ere done But that was it

Where the hell was I?

My body ached all over, like I’d been in a car accident I swung out of bed, relieved to see I was still inme for bed was more than I could take

As I stood, dizziness knocked ather ot back onout of the bedroo into a s space The kitchen was ray, shaker-style cabinets, thick oak countertops, and glossy, lee range cooker with a fancy chimney cooker hood There was also an island with more counter space, lehts with copper shades

The sitting area had a soft gray corner sofa, a TV mounted on the wall, and a yellow button-back chair

Beside the chair were French doors that led out onto a balcony I i the chilled hip through my hair as I stepped out in my bare feet

We were on the River Clyde I knew that from the walks I’d taken down there On the opposite river bank was a huge rusty-red corrugated iron building that looked like a warehouse There were more industrial-type units on either side of it To the left of those hat looked like a couple of apart in out of the cold, I shut the doors and looked back around the beautiful little apartment Where the hell was I?

As if on cue, a door sla space and

I let out a shaky breath, not sure I felt relief or the opposite, as O’Dea appeared He stopped short at the sight ofme in from head to foot Finally, after I’d been subjected to his visual assess?"

"Like I went a couple of rounds with a creepy Glaswegian kid"

"I put your painkillers in the cupboard" He headed into the kitchen and that’s when I noted the carrier bag in his hand

"Soany chance you’re going to tellme?" I took one small step toward him

Whatever he heard in my voice made hietting here?"

I shook ht but you were pretty out of it This," he gestured around the roos to the record label We own a few flats in this building so we have places to put up our artists The record label’s building is about a twenty-minute walk down the river bank from here"

For some weird reason, I felt utter relief that I wasn’t in O’Dea’s aparth that he pretty e for his help I didn’t want his charity He’d made it clear that this was only business between us and I’d prefer it to re word Glad to see what’s left of your faculties are still intact"

"What’s left of my faculties?"

"You’re aon the streets That doesn’t exactly say you’re in possession of all your faculties Now eat so the painkillers," he said as he reached into a cupboard and pulled out a little white bag I assu he’d put on the counter and began pulling out groceries, including s "Do you like omelet?"

I could try to kill him, or I could eat Choices, choices

I hadn’t had an o hih I take ed out of the smart wool blazer he wore and threw it over the back of the couch Gesturing toward it, he said, "Sit"

Ihiratefulness despite his patronizing aloofness Even though this was just business, he had helped ht And the bed I’d slept in must’ve been like a cloud because as far as I could remember, I hadn’t dreamt at all I’d fallen into a deep sleep For the first ti and bitter cold temperatures I’d been warm and safe Because of him