Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
"Ahh!" I laugh because he is not wrong. I can stare down a man with a gun, but a spider and I'm out. It's every man and woman for themselves.
I’m so overwhelmed at the sight in front of me I press my hands to my cheeks, in a very Tova fashion.
“Do you control the world from in here?”
“Mostly yours.” I elbow him. He grunts, making a show like I could actually hurt him. “Come on.” His hand goes to my back, guiding me into the giant room.
“How did you do this?” I ask. It’s not the giant display of computer screens that takes up one area, like a command center, that I’m talking about. Or even the area next to it with a pearly white desk that’s decorated in my style, like in my bedroom.
No, it’s all the small knick-knacks that are the same as the ones I’d bought over the past few weeks to decorate his desk he has placed here.
“You bought everything online.”
“Do you track everything I do?”
“Yes.” I roll my eyes at him, even though it doesn’t shock me in the least. It would have pissed me off in the past, thinking he was trying to control me, but now I find it really hot.
“Hey!” I point to one of the screens. “Is that like tracking me?”
“Of course.” He scoffs like my question is a stupid one. Okay, it might be.
“You have me lojacked?”
“Yes.” I turn my head, hiding my smirk.
“No hiding, I already know it turns you on. You’d be pissed if you found out I wasn’t tracking you.”
“Maybe.” I roll my eyes again, making him laugh.
“Brat.”
“Jerk!”
He kisses me until I’m breathless.
“This place is pretty badass,” I tell him. His hand slips under my dress to my ass, giving it a squeeze. “Bet Marks would love it.”
“Sure she has her own setup.”
“I don’t know. She travels.”
“It can be safer to move around for her.”
“Really?” I scrunch my nose. “Why? You don’t move around.”
“We don’t really engage in the same shit. Marks can be…” He trails off.
“What?”
“Trying to think of the right word. A little Robin Hood at times. Petty?”
“A petty Robin Hood!” I laugh hard. “Oh, that’s amazing.” I can totally see her being that. Now that’s something to aspire to.
“Bold, highlight, and underline the petty part, and people are really keen when you not only steal from them or out from under them and let it be known it was you but also blast them to others.”
“Okay, it’s not so funny now.” I say now that I’m really thinking about it. “I haven’t heard from her in a few days, and before that she’s been flighty.” I stare up at Z, worry filling me that something has happened to Marks.
“Sweetness, you just have to ask what you want to know or have me find.”
“Can you just tell me she’s okay? That would make me feel better.”
“All right, let’s have a look.” Z steps over to his computer, sitting down in his chair. I grab mine, rolling it over.
“Wait, I’m not ready.” I rush back over to my desk. Damn, he really did make sure he got everything. I find my faux glasses and put them on before rushing back over. “Okay, now I’m ready.”
“Perfect.” He kisses my cheek. “You look the part and everything.” I nod because, obviously. Z clicks away at his computer. I’ve got no clue what the hell he is doing. “Come here.” He lifts me, sitting me in his lap, my back to his chest. “I shouldn’t have gotten you a chair.”
“Anything?” I ask after a few seconds.
“Hang on.” I peek over my shoulder at him. His brows are pulled together.
“Z?” I don’t care for that expression.
“I can’t find anything at the moment.”
“Z?” I whisper, a knot forming in my stomach.
“It could be nothing. I’ll have to keep checking, but it’s not abnormal not to be able to find her. She could be dark right now.”
“Dark?”
“Just all the way off the grid. I’m sure she does that whenever she goes home or wants to lay low. But I’ll ding her.”
“Ding her?” I know he doesn’t mean a text.
“I’m making it clear I’m trying to find her, and I’m not doing it subtly, so she’ll know that. Which in turn she’ll know I need to talk to her.”
“Because if you were trying to be sneaky, she wouldn’t know?”
“Yeah, for now.” He shakes his head.
“For now?”
“I’d be ignorant not to think Marks has the potential, drive, and—"
“Pettiness.” I slip in.
“Pettiness, to not be better than me one day.” He shakes his head, a smirk on his lips. I turn in his lap to straddle him.
“A lot of men would be annoyed that a girl beat them, but not you.”
“My whole world centers around you, Cosima. I know and understand the power a woman can possess. Wars are created and fought over them. I’d lay down my life for my family, but I'd burn down this whole world before I ever gave you yours.”