Silvia appears out of nowhere. “Taking down another bad guy?”
“Yeah, Silv,” I say, without slowing. “I'm a regular Vin Diesel.”
She catches up to me. “Can I go with you?”
I scoff. “Lay off the blow.”
She matches my pace as we cross the yard and says, “Come on, Dim. Daddy won't let me go into the city alone.”
“Take the infirmary doctor and bring some mouthwash,” I say.
She wrinkles her nose. “You're nasty.”
“You have no idea.” I glance at her, then sigh. She's just going to whine until I either cave to shut her up, or Eileena goes Amazonian on me. “Get in.”
She claps, then bustles into the passenger seat.
“Don't smoke.” I back the car out and turn to head toward the big city.
She pulls down the visor, flips up the mirror, and starts messing with her hair. “Why aren't you ever any fun?”
“Oh, I'm loads of fun when I don't have the drums of hell in my head.”
She gives me a contemplating look. “That kind of sucks, doesn't it?”
“Nah, it makes for an interesting online dating profile.” I shrug because her concern is a few years too late. “Where do you want to go, Your Majesty?”
She sits straight, though I doubt the reaction was even conscious. She knows who she is; she is multimillionaire Karl Walker's only thriving sperm.
Mother Nature let her guard down on this one.
“McDonald's,” she says.
“What the actual fuck?”
She smiles, her perky expression matching her tone. “I've never been.”
“Wow, look how neglected you are,” I say. “You want the real drive-thru experience? You know, McDonald's is a delicacy in Japan.”
Her eyes widen. “It is?”
“How the fuck would I know?”
She frowns and stares out the window.
I start to feel bad for being prickish to her. Then I remember she's checking off days on her Hello Kitty calendar until I'm her personal servant, boy-toy, and henchman all in one. The guilt evaporates.
I turn on the radio and blast the usual music so neither of us feel obligated to speak.
When I pull into McDonald's, Silvia scopes out the exterior like she's considering buying the place. Then again, maybe it is on her to-do list after Karl gets hit by a train.
At the register, she stands like she's part of the Royal Guard while stating her order. The girl would be an embarrassment if I wasn't pressed for time.
I need to hurry through this stupid whim so I can return her to the mansion and get on with the wish before the ticking bomb in my head takes out my brain like Hiroshima.
I order, pay, and hand Silvia the cup. “This is for drinks.”
She narrows her eyes, then flips her hair and stalks to the fountains.
“Hey,” I call after her and follow right behind. “I wasn't sure you had seen one made of paper us common folk use.”
She doesn't look amused as she fills her cup with ice and soda, then takes it upon herself to claim a table.
I fill my own cup and join her, tossing down straws. “You'll need one of these, princess.”
She snatches up the straw, tears off the paper, and then stabs it through the lid like she's plunging a knife.
“Oh, knock it off.” I slide into the booth. “Stop getting butt hurt over everything.”
She purses her lips and looks across the restaurant, away from me, without speaking. I would appreciate the silence, except she is just stewing. Never know where that will lead.
I shuffle my feet. “Hey, did you know that it used to be illegal to import avocados?”
She meets my gaze, scowling. “What are you talking about?”
“I don't know,” I say with a shrug. “Something I heard. So why won't your dad let you come into Phoenix anymore?”
“He says the crime rate has spiked.”
I resist commenting that it would help if he stopped using murder as his upper hand.
Our order comes up. I go get the tray and set it down on the table.
Silvia takes her food, but her expression is still sullen. I slide back into my seat and unwrap my hamburger.
She says, “I can't wait for you to come live at the mansion.”
“I don't want to live at the mansion,” I say, doing my best not to sound horrified.
“So you plan to drive out to see me every day?” She flutters her eyes. “That's stupid.”
She sets to work on her chicken nuggets and fries.
I stare at her, dumbfounded. As many times as I tell myself Silvia is driving with the engine off, she knows exactly where this vehicle is headed. Her father gets everything he wants, and her parents have been grooming her for next-in-line. Her wish is going to be my command.
A strange feeling settles over me as I realize mixing bloodlines just might negate them once and for all.
***