“You’re a genius,” I grab Fiona and I kiss her. Then I take her hand and together, we run.
Chapter 19
Fiona
Despite the fact that I’ve been on the ship a few days, I haven’t been in the kitchen yet. I expect something small and tiny, similar to what my family’s ship had. Although we had a cook, his space was very small, and he had to work twice as hard to make meals that were up to my mother’s standards.
Quinn’s kitchen is nothing like that.
It’s huge. The left side of the room has floor-to-ceiling cupboards. In the center of the kitchen, there are four ovens set up for cooking. To the right is a small table and several counters for prep work. At the back of the kitchen, there’s a door that leads to what I assume is a pantry or further storage area.
“How many people usually use this ship?” I ask, walking into the room. It’s not polite, but I start touching everything. I can’t help myself, somehow. Everything is so bright and shiny and fancy.
I haven’t seen a kitchen like this since I was last at my parent’s house. My tiny little apartment certainly never had anything like this. Our ship didn’t. The auction house fucking didn’t.
“No idea,” Quinn says, but he’s already opening and closing cupboard doors. He’s looking for something physical, something tangible, and I get it. He wants to avenge his sister. Wouldn’t I do the same thing? Don’t I want to do the same thing?
He’s going to get me back to Mirroean.
That was a promise.
He’s going to get me home and I’m going to be forced to make a choice as to how I’m going to deal with the betrayal that could have cost me my life.
There’s a part of me that’s terrified no one is going to believe me. What story has my family spun since they’ve returned? Have they told the world I was lost? Murdered? Did they make up a sad tale about my kidnapping? Or did they say nothing?
And has anyone missed me?
I didn’t live with a roommate. I didn’t even have a cat. I lived alone and spent my days at work and my nights at school and my free time with my family and Darin. My father and Darin spent more time together than the two of us ever did.
Is that when they hatched their plot?
Quinn’s story shouldn’t have saddened me as much as it did, but it makes me wonder whether anyone is going to believe me when I go back. Is anyone going to believe my story?
It’s not like I have any proof.
Quinn is still looking through the cupboards, growling as he tries to find something. Whatever it is he’s looking for, it’s not going to be just sitting in a cupboard. It’s not going to be in plain sight. This guy is way too smart for that.
“You’re doing it wrong,” I snap at Quinn, and I know right away it was the wrong thing to say. Even if I want to critique him, I can be polite about it. I should be kind. There’s no reason to snap at him. I’m on edge because when I’m honest with myself, I don’t want to go back to my home planet.
I don’t want to face those people.
Quinn picks up on my shitty tone of voice and his head snaps up. He marches across the room, yanks back my hair, and kisses me square on the mouth.
Not the reaction I expected.
“Want to try again, princess? This time,” he pinches my nipples through my shirt, and I bite my lip. “Try showing me a little bit of respect.”
The problem with Quinn’s dominance is that I’ve never had anything quite like it in my life. I’ve never had anyone take control right out from under me the way he does. All it takes is a look, a couple of carefully placed words, and I’m putty in his hands.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “That was rude.”
“And you’ll be punished for it later,” he licks my neck.
“I just…” I try to speak, but I’m distracted by the creature licking my neck. Quinn tantalizes me with his tongue for a few minutes. I close my eyes and just enjoy the moment because soon this will all be over. Soon he’s not going to want to lick me anymore. Soon he’s not going to need to lick me anymore.
Soon I’ll be gone.
And suddenly, there’s a little part of me that feels sad.