I disliked when my lion worried, and I expected the CDC would need to either sedate him or let him loose on the Loureni brothers to keep him contained. And if there was a woman working with them, my lion wouldn’t be getting anywhere near her, as I enjoyed being jealous now that I had someone worth being jealous over.
“Our first stop will be the parking garage, where I can retrieve my chariot to show you the best Chicago has to offer.”
“How many horses does your chariot have?”
“I have an Audi. My model has just under three hundred horses, but it’s a really nice ride and great for showing people the sights. It’s comfortable, so I hope you’ll like it.”
My car could eat his car for lunch, but rather than say that, I smiled for him. “I can’t wait. This is just what I needed after a long week of work.”
“I’m so pleased my timing was fortuitous for the both of us.”
If only he knew.
I gave Loureni credit; he played the game well, and if I hadn’t known of his connection with the disappearances and murders of numerous women, I would have assumed he meant well and wanted to show me a good time. He took me around Chicago to make me comfortable, bought me another doctored coffee, took me out to dinner and doctored that, too, and even made certain I took all of my medications on time.
It amused me he kept upping the grade of pixie dust, capping out one step below the highest grade. Even with the prescription medications the CDC had tossed my way, I got a good hit of it, although I stayed on the right side of coherent. It made my job easier, as I played the role of happy well.
Being happy even before he’d shoveled a ridiculous amount of illegal drugs down my throat helped with that.
At eight in the evening, after dinner and while he believed his drugs would keep me higher than a kite for possibly all of eternity, he got on with the kidnapping portion of our day, heading for the outskirts of Chicago rather than back to his office building.
Perfect.
“You’re right. This car is really nice.” It was, too. When Sebastian wanted to go look for a new vehicle, I’d tell him about Loureni’s Audi, except I wanted ours to be bigger, better, and capable of seating at least six. I was my mother’s daughter, and we’d eventually have litters upon litters of children, and we’d both be to blame for it, as I loved children, he loved children, and I loved everything involved with making children with him.
Apparently, pixie dust transformed me into a Sebastian-hunting fiend, and I would need to inquire with the CDC if I could pretty please have some illegal substances for recreational purposes. And procreational purposes.
I somehow remembered I couldn’t purr where Loureni might hear me.
“This is one of my conceits. When I first got into business, I swore I’d have a nice car, and I wanted an Audi. When I earned enough to get one, I picked this model line; I couldn’t yet afford a bigger model, but this one was good enough. Then I started driving it, and I never changed model lines. I get a new one every year or two, depending on how fond I am of it. This one is two years old, and I’ll keep it even when I upgrade. I like it that much.”
I could understand why. “I don’t actually have a car.” Technically, I didn’t, not until my uncle signed it over to me and Sebastian, and I would force the lion to be a co-owner with me. “If I really need one, I rent one. I don’t really need a car, though. I live close to work, and the times my work requires me to drive somewhere, they provide the vehicle.”
The vehicle came with my lion, and I wanted to get my job done so I could get my paws on him.
“Yet they won’t provide you with a company car permanently?”
“I live right next to work. Where would I put a car? Real estate in New York isn’t cheap. And I like the exercise. Keeps me fit, although winters can be tough. I don’t mind not having a car. I’m usually at home when I’m not working anyway. I have a lot of hobbies to keep myself amused with.”
“Like what?”
“I crochet, I knit sometimes, and I sew quilts. It’s time consuming, so I usually watch tv or read a book while doing it. I go out sometimes, just not often. I make baby blankets and things for family and friends.”
“Do you like children?”
“I love them. I’m a go-to among my family and friends for watching the little ones. I make no promises the little one doesn’t go home wanting to knit or crochet and having the basic skills to do so, and if they’re older, I teach them to sew, too. I’ve found kids love being creative, and they love attention, so it works well for me.”
I loved I lied without actually lying, as I would watch the kittens whenever my parents let me, which was not as often as I liked, as there were many other people around to help watch the kittens. For some reason, my parents rightfully believed I might create chaos if I were given full rein and authority over the kittens.
“Have you thought about becoming a teacher?”
I sighed, gesturing to my face. “Why this face? I make kids cry until they get to know me, Stefan. I’ve accepted it’s just not happening for me. Or having a kid, either. Men run from this face.”
“I didn’t run.”
“You are a rare exception.”
“That’s a shame. You’re a sweet woman.”
I almost laughed in his face. Instead, I thanked him. I wondered if he would still think I was nice when I ripped his throat out, one of my few options for a clean kill without the benefit of a weapon. “Why don’t you tell me more about yourself, Stefan?”
He smiled, and in the manner of selfish men who believed themselves entitled to all of the attention in the world, told me his dull, dry, and unimpressive history from the day he entered school and realized he deserved to be the best.
So much for Mr. Considerate, but because he believed he had me dosed with some of the world’s best pixie dust, I pretended to enjoy his story and that I actually cared about him and the tiny details of his life.
It took almost three hours for him to take me to the secondary location, a rather large two-storied cabin in the woods. The lights illuminating the building gave it top marks for being creepy. Go me. Not only had I gotten kidnapped by a probable serial killer, he’d delved into the depths of every damned serial killer stereotype on the planet.
What an idiotic, shallow man.
“This is my vacation home. I spend my weekends here, and I often come out whenever I have any time off work. It lets me get away and enjoy privacy.”
“I bet it’s really quiet here.”
“The closest neighbor is five miles away.”
Damn. I wanted a cabin like his, and I wondered if Sebastian would be game. Five miles of empty space between us and our neighbors would help mitigate some of the problems associated with vocal lynxes hunting stubborn lions.
Stupid pixie dust, revving my engine while my damned lion was inaccessible for my enjoyment. I kept from hissing, although it disappointed me even the higher grades couldn’t mitigate my annoyance over being separated from Sebastian.
Nobody had warned me separation anxiety was an issue in lynx lycanthropes. Then again, I couldn’t remember a time when my mother strayed far from my father.
I needed to have a few words with my mother about my overabundance of inherited traits.