–Me: Thanks. I appreciate it.
The lie couldn’t have been easy for her. She was close to Ben. They actually dated during our senior year.
–Courtney: So everything’s good in L.A.?
–Me: Yeah.
Then I hesitate for a second. Should I tell her about Tolyan? The fact that the universe has given me a positive sign after eight years means so much that I’m bursting with the need to tell someone.
Well, it’s probably okay to share a little with Courtney. I’ll leave out the details that could put Tolyan in a bad situation.
–Me: I think things could work out.
–Courtney: What things?
–Me: I found somebody who I think can help me with Roy.
–Courtney: Wow. That’s great! So the cops there are taking you seriously?
–Me: Not a cop. Somebody I met.
–Courtney: Somebody you met? Are you sure he’s legit?
–Me: I’m pretty sure.
–Courtney: He could be a scammer. Just out to take your money and not do what he promised.
–Me: No, he isn’t taking money or anything. Actually, he’s been helping me with security.
Ambiguous enough that she can’t find out who he is, but basically honest, I decide.
–Courtney: Did he say what he wants from you?
–Me: No, nothing. I wish he would. If there’s something I can do for him, I’d like to do it.
–Courtney: Okay, you’re scaring me. Just who is this guy?
She’s so freaked out. I understand her concern. I would be too if the situation were reversed. On the other hand, I don’t want to tell her exactly who Tolyan is or how we met.
–Me: Like I said, just somebody I met. He’s totally aboveboard.
–Courtney: Well, be careful. He could be doing it for his own reasons. Ask you to traffic drugs, sell you into sex slavery. Anything. I read about that stuff, you know.
I shake my head. I wish I could tell her more, but at the moment, I can’t.
Before I can respond, another text comes in.
–Courtney: I mean, maybe he’s not a criminal. But he might make you owe him one, and want you to pay him back in a way you aren’t comfortable with. Just saying you should figure out what’s in it for him.
I don’t think he’s going to ask me to pay him back, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to find out why he’s helping me. It sure isn’t because I tried to blackmail him. He could’ve killed me and dumped my body many times over since I met him in the parking garage yesterday.
My gosh. Now that I think back on it, we’ve only known each other for three days. But somehow it feels like a lot longer. And my gut says I can trust him to keep me safe. But how do you explain that to a freaked-out friend? She isn’t going to understand what I’m feeling. She hasn’t met him and is basing her fears on assumptions.
After a moment of consideration, I type my reply.
–Me: Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Maybe we can talk more after Roy’s taken care of.
–Courtney: Okay. You owe me all the stories!
–Me: Deal.
Chapter Nineteen
Tolyan
I spin a knife while reading the texts that arrived on Angelika’s phone.
Courtney Young. She’s contacting awfully fast. Her previous contacts were more spaced apart—at least four weeks or longer. This time? Only a few days.
I pull up information on Ben Gibson. The name is common, so it requires some cross-referencing to ensure he’s crossed paths with both the little fawn and Courtney.
But soon I have him. Twenty-six years old. Working for Amazon in Seattle. Parents retired and living in Hawaii. One sister, married and living in Vancouver. He has no reason to be in Philadelphia to see Courtney, unless he has a thing for hanging out with petty criminals.
But I doubt that. He’s clean-cut. A good Catholic boy who never misses Sunday mass.
He probably wasn’t in Philadelphia to attend a mass with Courtney.
She appears to be Angelika’s friend. But something about her bugs me. Not the way Angelika does, like a small pearl underneath a mattress. But more like a splinter that’s managed to push its way under my thumbnail.
My phone rings, and I glance at the screen. Antoine Boucher. The head of Dominic King’s security.
What does he want? We don’t have a “call each other on Sunday to shoot the shit” kind of relationship.
“Tolyan.”
“You’re dating?” His incredulous voice booms from the speaker. That annoyingly pretentious British accent of his is slightly less pronounced, though.
Is that the official story about me and Angelika? Not that I object. It’s more palatable than the truth—that she’s a desperate damsel in distress, and I’m using her as bait without her knowledge. I imagine she’s grateful for it, actually. So long as she’s my bait, she’s protected.
“I don’t know why you’re showing such an interest in my personal life,” I say. “Aren’t you supposed to be working today? Or are you too busy licking the feet of your pregnant wife?”
He ignores me. “I’m never too busy to work. Elizabeth asked me to stay home, since Kristen’s been feeling sick recently.”
“And you listened to Lizochka.” That’s the difference between us. He listens to Lizochka’s wishes. Not me. I don’t compromise on her security.
“She said you’d be joining her,” he informs me.
“And what does that have to do with you calling and asking me about my personal life?” Antoine and I speak to each other and cooperate when Lizochka and Dominic are together, as there is a need to coordinate security teams. But otherwise, I prefer not to interact or work with him. Not because he’s bad at his job. He just isn’t as good as me.
“I need to create a dossier on your girlfriend,” he says.
“Says who?”
“Dominic.”
“Tell him I don’t work for him and he needs to mind his own business.” Just because he’s one of the Four doesn’t mean I need to tolerate him. I still haven’t forgiven him for hurting Lizochka. I don’t give a damn if there was a misunderstanding. It is his fault for misunderstanding without gathering all the facts. If he crosses the line—or does anything to make Lizochka unhappy—I’m going to go with my first gut feeling when he reappeared in Lizochka’s life and make sure nobody ever finds his body.
“Normally, I would, but Elizabeth seems fond of her. He’s worried.”
Ungrateful, ignorant little asshole. “Does he think I’m as sloppy as him? That I would let someone get close to Lizochka without vetting them first?”
“You don’t have to be insulting.” Antoine sounds offended, but he should be more selective about whom he becomes friends with.
“Facts aren’t insults. His underestimating me is.”
“Look, I’m not asking for your permission. This is just a courtesy notification. So you don’t get upset when you see that people are digging into her past.” His tone is as conciliatory as he can make it, given the circumstances.
He’s lucky he’s a colleague of sorts. Otherwise… I study the edge of my knife. It’s sharp enough to cut through leather. Unlike Rick Owen, I take good care of my tools. “Lizochka already has a background check—a thorough one—on the new girl because she applied for an internship position at the Pryce Family Foundation. You can tell Dominic that, and he can ask Lizochka to share what I sent her.”