The Fate of the Muse - By Derrolyn Anderson Page 0,121
meet his benefactor. I was surprised to find Cruz as resilient as the mermaids, seemingly unaffected by his ordeal. I suppose love really did conquer all.
I felt like I was a million years older, with the weight of the entire world bearing down on my shoulders. I told Cruz I’d be on my way up to the city soon, hanging up the phone with a sigh.
Ethan appeared in the doorway, “Who was that?”
“Cruz,” I told him. “I guess him and Brad are going to Evie’s too.”
Ethan made a sour face, “I’m curious to see what Evie thinks about Brad. They should keep an eye on him.”
“They?”
“Evie and Boris. You should tell her everything you know about his father. They can help watch over you too.”
I cringed, for it was annoying, the thought that I needed to be “watched over” like a child. I was on the verge of adulthood and being made to feel more helpless than ever. My father would be home soon, and I wondered how much he needed to know. As much as I missed him, the last thing I wanted was him hovering over me too.
Ethan bent down and kissed my cheek, “There’s a lot of work at Lue’s today. I have to get going.”
“Me too,” I said glumly, looking at the clock on the wall. I grudgingly got up to go.
Ethan pulled up at Abby’s, killing the engine and scooting over on the seat. He wrapped himself around me with a happy look on his face, “I can’t wait until my Dad clears out for good, so we can start moving your stuff in.”
“I’ll have to leave some things here… to keep up appearances,” I said with a twinge of guilt.
He smiled slyly, “How will you get by without all your clothes?”
I opened the door, slipping out of his arms and turning to glare at him, “Am I going to have to put up with your sarcasm every day?”
“Yes,” he said, smiling even bigger. He pulled me back by my fingertips and kissed me goodbye, “Call me when you get back?”
“Okay, I’ll see you later,”
Evie would expect me to dress for lunch, so I rummaged through my rack of clothes, finally settling on a stunning new dress that I’d never worn, biting the tags off with my teeth. An image of Lorelei biting a writhing fish popped into my mind, and I grimaced. I smoothed my hair and put on some make-up, admiring the way the silver threads in the dress looked a bit like scales. Did everything in the world have to remind me of mermaids?
I slipped on a pretty pair of silver sandals and set out to deal with Evie. As much as I wished I could avoid the whole topic, I was curious to hear her plans for dealing with Edwards and Olivia. Evie always had a plan.
The drive to San Francisco was over too soon, and I pulled up to Evie’s building to find the garage attended by a strange man. I tensed up, instantly on guard. I lowered the window a tiny crack, locking the doors as he approached me. He was tall, with close cropped hair and eyes covered with mirrored lenses. He wasn’t nearly as wide as Boris, but he had the same sort of stance. Ramrod straight spine, coupled with an economy of movement; it was a military bearing.
He leaned in towards the window, “Marina Vanderpool? I’m the new valet, Paul. Evelyn expects you… please allow me.” He held out his hand for my keys.
“Where’s Boris?” I asked suspiciously, looking over his shoulder. I put the car into reverse, poised to escape.
The man smiled broadly and nodded, “Very good.” He pulled out a phone and dialed, snapping it shut immediately and standing back with his arms folded across his chest. The phone in my purse rang, and I jumped. It was Evie.
“I’m sorry to have to frighten you sweetheart, but we’ve added a few new security measures. Boris wanted to test you– and I’m very happy to say that you passed with flying colors!”
“Whoopee,” I said dryly.
“Let Paul park the car and come up. We have a lot of ground to go over before lunch.”
When the elevator doors opened I stepped out into Evie’s open arms. Her familiar perfume enveloped me, giving rise to a big lump in my throat. As much as I tried to fight it, Evie had the power to make me feel like I was a small child again.