“So sweet,” Milo says as Griff sprints through the rain.
Yeah, he is. I want to smile and try not to. Even though I’ve only known Milo less than an hour, I can already tell he’ll wreck the nice gesture. Sometimes Griff treats me like I’m breakable—something I should hate. When it’s Griff doing it though I just end up feeling special. Wanted.
Lucky.
Milo steps in front of me. “You could do some serious damage with the hardware I’m going to build you.”
“I’m not like that.”
“Why not?”
It should be another smart-ass question, only Milo sounds genuinely interested.
“Because it’s wrong.” I wait for his response and, when it doesn’t come, I glance at him, realize he’s staring at me. “What?”
“Everyone is capable of damage.”
“Well, I’m not like everyone.”
Milo jerks up his chin like I’ve just taken a swipe at him. “Everyone is everyone.”
“Not me.”
“Not yet.”
I roll my eyes and it only seems to make his curiosity grow. Milo draws so close I can smell the mingling scents of cologne and computer plastic clinging to his clothes.
“What is this then? Like a girl power thing? You only use your powers for good?”
“No, I use my powers for money. I just don’t destroy people.” Well, that’s sort of a lie. I have ruined people. After I turned in my findings, I’m sure some people were never the same.
That’s not to say that I did it for funsies. Those guys deserved it. I’m not getting into that with Milo though.
“You’ve been given a gift, Wick. Why aren’t you using it?”
“I am . . . just not like that.”
“If I had your talent, I’d rule the world.” Milo watches the Mini’s headlights draw closer. He opens the restaurant door and a cold, wet wind nudges under my clothes. “You’re special. Why are you hiding from it?”
I tuck my jacket around me, getting ready to run for it. “Bringing people down wouldn’t make me special.”
“No, the fact that you could makes you special. I’ll be in touch soon. Pleasure doing business.”
8
In typical Georgia fashion, it’s stopped raining by the time we get home, but the sky is still marbled with purple-gray clouds and I’m worried about Griff getting drenched if he rides his motorcycle home.
“I could drop you off at your house,” I offer as he pulls us into my driveway. Griff parks and turns to face me. “You could pick up your bike tomorrow.”
“It’s fine. I don’t melt if I get wet.”
“But I do?” I’m grinning, even though a little piece of me remembers Milo’s comment and bristles.
“Of course you do.” Griff traces his hand through my hair, his fingertips resting on my pulse like he wants to hold my heartbeat. It. Just. Kills me.
Sometimes when we’re touching, I can’t even hear my thoughts. Part of me thinks that’s dangerous. The rest of me knows it’s dangerous. Look what happened to my mom. Look what happened to Tessa. They fell in love and it consumed them until there was nothing left.
I always thought I would be different. When it comes to Griff though, I may not be different at all.
“You’d totally melt,” he murmurs, raising chills across my skin. “Wicked Witch of the West–style.”
I laugh. Can’t help it. I love that about him. Whatever tension I’d sensed at Milo’s is gone now. Maybe I even imagined it.
Griff’s hand drops. “What are you going to do with the sniffer?”
“I don’t know yet.” It’s not exactly a lie. I really don’t know how I’m going to make this work. I just know I will. The transmitter’s in my pocket. I can feel it, and knowing it’s there makes my stomach unclench.
We climb from the car and I give him a lopsided grin—the best I can do at the moment. “They’re good to have around, Griffin. Maybe I’ll turn over a new leaf, go totally stalker girlfriend, and use it on you.”
He laughs, looks at me like I’m wonderful, and when I look at him, I feel wonderful. That’s Griff’s gift. He looks at you like you’re the only girl in the world.
Like you’re his reason to exist.
“Well, I guess you could be into shoes or whatever,” Griff says, smiling, and then, just as suddenly, scowling. “I’m sorry about the name thing. I didn’t want to tell him who you really are.”
“No big deal. Red Queen isn’t my real name anyway.” It’s not like that’s who I am. Well. It is, but I’m changing that.
“It’s just that he’s a friend,” Griff continues. “Sorta. I trust him. It was the only way he’d take the job. Milo doesn’t really need the money.”
“Seriously? That place is gross.”
“I know, right?”
We both laugh.
Griff looks at me sideways. “I miss this.”
“Miss it?” My sudden laugh dies. “We never stopped.”
“It just feels like everything’s different now.”
“It’s not.”
“I know. That’s still the way it feels.”