Chapter Araneae 30

I was dressed and ready before five o’clock. I also decided that if Sterling didn’t want me speaking to anyone, I’d start with him. I didn’t wait for him to come back to the room. Despite his order to stay inside, when he wasn’t there at five minutes before five, I made my way downstairs and out onto the lawn as the helicopter landed. With my arms wrapped around my body and the wind from the blades blowing my new dress and freshly styled hair, I waited for them to stop.

“Ms. Hawkins.”

I turned to see Patrick coming my way. Though I wanted to be mad at him too, I couldn’t come up with a new reason to add him to my list. He’d done nothing wrong since bringing me to Sterling over a week ago. Then again, that sin could warrant a lifetime membership on my list of people not to speak to.

“Am I?” I asked, having not thought about it much while in this magical wilderness bubble, the one Sterling effectively popped hours before.

“Ma’am?”