“Oh no!” Bree exclaimed suddenly. “Quill’s going to be here in half an hour! Why’d you let me talk so long?”
Nica was taken aback by the accusation in Bree’s tone, but it wasn’t completely unfamiliar. She’d learned long ago that it was important to nip it in the bud. “Why’d I let you?” she asked coolly. “I had no idea I was expected to act as your social secretary, Bree. If that’s what you wanted, you should have told me what time you were leaving and what time you wanted to be reminded. Maybe you should have told me which dress you plan to wear too, so I could have pressed it for you ahead of time.”
“I’m sorry Nica,” Bree said, flushing red with embarrassment. “That was awful of me.”
“Yeah, it kinda was,” Nica agreed, softening her words with a smile when she saw that Bree was truly repentant. “Go on and get ready. I’ll keep him company if you run late.”
“Thanks,” Bree said, leaping to her feet. She paused in the doorway and turned back. “I really am sorry, Nica.”
“I know you are,” Nica said. “Don’t worry about it. Go on now.”
**
Nica was not in the least bit surprised when Quill arrived exactly on time, or that Bree was late. Joseph showed him into the front parlor and Nance brought in a tray of coffee and cookies, just as Nica had requested ahead of time. She poured the coffee out for Quill and handed him his cup, then poured a cup for herself that she didn’t really want, just to be polite.
“I’m afraid Bree is running a bit late this morning, Mr. Thomas,” she said, trying to smile for Bree’s sake. “She shouldn’t be but a few minutes.”
“You don’t like me much, do you?” Quill asked.
“I don’t know you,” Nica replied calmly, as though he’d commented on the weather.
“No, you certainly don’t,” Quill said with enough sarcasm to raise Nica’s hackles. “But you dislike me nonetheless.”
“Bree is my friend,” Nica said, thankful for the ring’s numbing of her emotions. She sensed that not reacting to Quill was her best defense against him. “I want her to be happy. That’s all that matters.”
“Do you think she’ll be happy with me, Nica?” he asked with an even wider smile.
His use of her name was intended to insult, Nica knew, but she honestly could have cared less what he called her, ring or no ring. It was true that she didn’t know him, but it was equally true that he knew nothing about her. She lifted the corners of her mouth in a tiny smile as fake as the one he wore. “What I think is irrelevant, Mr. Thomas.”
“You don’t care?” he asked, raising his eyebrows in mock surprise.
“I care about Bree very much, Mr. Thomas, but her relationship with you is not my business.”
“Ah, that’s too bad,” Quill said, shaking his head. He frowned as though deep in thought and tapped his chin. “Perhaps I can encourage you to care.”
Nica waited, refusing to respond to what was so obviously a taunt. “I know,” Quill said brightly. “How about if I tell you that I think Bree is the ugliest, stupidest, most pathetic female I’ve ever met in all of my life? Would that change your opinion?”
“Would it change what opinion?” Nica asked blandly.
“Your opinion of me,” Quill snapped, unable to hide his irritation at her unshakable calm.
“No, Mr. Thomas, it doesn’t change my opinion of you in the slightest.” She raised her cup to her lips and took a sip.
Quill laughed, but this wasn’t the insincere chuckle she’d heard him use before. This was a cold, calculating laugh devoid of humor. When Nica didn’t respond, his eyes flashed with anger. “How about this then? I’m tired of putting up with Bree’s ugly face, annoying voice, and insipid laugh. If I have to listen to her much longer, I’m just gonna have to start taking my frustration out on her sorry hide. If I do that, it will be all your fault.”
“My fault?” Nica asked mildly, then took another sip of her coffee.
“Yes, your fault,” he said, his eyes as cold and flat as a snake’s now. “Now that I have that simpering bitch where I want her, I’m ready for Ian to get back here. Four days, tops. No more. That should give you plenty of time to find him and drag his ass back.”
“You want Ian in Cidade in four days,” Nica said to clarify.
“Yes, that’s right, and I’m making it your job to get him here,” Quill said with a satisfied smile. It was all Nica could do to stay in her chair and maintain her calm. “While you’re at it, you might want to prepare him.”
“For?”
“I’m going to demand something from the high and might Ian Fadden. If I don’t get it, I will marry Bree, and then I’ll sell her scrawny ass at twenty credits a pop until she’s so used up I have to give it away for free. If he pays me what he owes me, then I’ll gladly leave this lousy planet, and his worthless sister forever. It’s up to you to make sure he knows I’m serious.”
“Ian despises me,” Nica said, fighting back nausea at the picture Quill had just painted in her head. “What makes you think he’ll listen to anything I have to say?”
For just one moment Nica saw what appeared to be real worry in his eyes. Then he stretched his lips into another smile and it was gone. “If you care about Bree, you’ll convince him to listen,” he said. “You’ll convince him to pay me whatever I tell him to pay me, too. If he doesn’t, Bree’s going to be really sorry.”
Nica heard Bree’s voice as she spoke with Joseph and knew her time was almost up. “You won’t do anything to Bree so long as I get Ian back here within four days?”
“No, I won’t, just make sure you’re not late,” Quill said, leaning back in his chair with an air of confidence that made Nica seriously consider killing him right then and there. It would be easy enough. She was small, strong, and fast, and had both the knowledge and the skill to do it. One good kick in the right place and he’d be dead before he could wipe that slimy smile from his face. Unfortunately she had no justification for such an action. He’d threatened to hurt Bree, and he was an absolute creep. But she couldn’t kill him for that, and she couldn’t go to the authorities with it either. It was his word against hers, and since neither of them were citizens of Apedra, there was no telling who they’d believe.
The door opened and Bree entered the room. Nica stood up, pasted a smile on her face, said all of the appropriate things and watched the couple leave, all the while fighting to hold her temper in check. Never in her entire life had she been so furious. For long minutes she stood staring at the closed door, uncertain what she should do. That she needed to take steps to protect Bree from Quill was certain. But how was she going to convince Bree of that? She loved the man, just as Quill had obviously intended right from the start.
She could try to follow them, but she couldn’t see what good that would do. Contacting Evan was out, too. She didn’t know him well enough to trust him not to repeat everything she said to Quill, and with Bree’s life at stake, she couldn’t take the risk. Besides, now that she thought about it she realized that she hadn’t even seen Evan for at least a week. Was he even in town? Had Bree lied to her about Evan acting as chaperone? Or, had Quill lied to Bree? She spent another minute or two thinking about Evan before realizing it was a non-issue. She had far more important things to be worrying about than whether or not Evan Hearken was in town and acting as Bree’s chaperone at the museum in broad daylight.
She began pacing back and forth across the parlor, considering and discarding one idea after another until coming to the only real conclusion left to her. She was going to have to do exactly what Quill wanted her to do. She had to go find Ian, and tell him what was going on.
She threw herself down on the sofa and sighed with frustration. She would do whatever she had to do to keep Bree safe, but she really didn’t want to do this. After what Bree had told her that morning, she didn’t even want to see Ian, let alone go chasing after him. If she could have sent him a private message she would have already done it, but she couldn’t put Quill�
��s threats against Bree in a public message. She seriously considered just sending a message asking him to come back to Cidade, but what if he didn’t get the message in time? Or got it, but decided not to return since she couldn’t tell him why he had to come back?
She’d decided less than an hour earlier to leave Apedra for good. Now, she had no real choice but to track down the man she least wanted to see, which would probably result in Bree ending their friendship. That couldn’t be helped, though. Bree’s life was more important than their friendship. In fact, since Bree was going to be angry with her anyway, she might as well try telling her what Quill had said.
A month earlier, she would have sworn that Bree trusted her enough to believe her over just about anyone else. Now, after two weeks with Quill, she doubted that Bree would believe anything she said against the man. But she had to give Bree a chance to see reason before dragging Ian into it. Nica knew Bree’s temper well enough to know what that chance could cost her, but it was a price she was just going to have to pay. Besides, there was always a chance, albeit a slim one, that Bree would believe her.
Her mind made up, Nica spent a few minutes planning her next moves, then left the parlor and went looking for Joseph. After filling him in on the situation, and requesting a few favors, she went upstairs to pack because, as much as she hoped Bree would see reason, she was also a realist.
She unlocked the safe and emptied it into her old tote bag, then gathered her toiletries and a few changes of clothing. She automatically reached for her favorite jeans, then changed her mind and grabbed the nice slacks instead. She was going to be traveling alone in unfamiliar territory on a world she knew little about outside of the city. Fitting in was far more important than comfort. She left the ball gowns, shoes, most of the new clothes she’d just purchased, and her jeans, where they were. If she was able to retrieve them later, she would. Otherwise, it didn’t really matter.
She carried her tote bag downstairs to the parlor, stashed it behind a sofa, and then went to the library for a book or two. It was going to be a very long afternoon.
Chapter 9
Nica climbed out of the ground car, reached back for her bag, and then headed toward the inn. It had been a tortuously long day spent sitting in the back of the ground car watching the miles go by too slowly for her taste. She understood that the driver was going as quickly as he could according to the law. She understood that she was not properly licensed to drive herself on Apedra. She understood that a ground car was the fastest transportation available on Apedra. She understood all of that, but she could not make herself accept it. She could not relax, could not reconcile herself to patience, or divert herself with a book. Outwardly she was calm. But inwardly she’d spent the entire day feeling as though she was going to explode, leaving her mentally and physically exhausted.
“Nica?”
Nica looked up in surprise to find Ian’s green eyes staring down at her from the top of the steps leading into the inn. Suddenly, the tension vanished and something deep inside of her relaxed as she soaked up the sight of him.
“Ian,” she breathed as she climbed the three short steps to where he stood. Their eyes locked and time seemed to stop as they stood there, inches apart, unmoving. Then Nica remembered Flora. She blinked and dropped her eyes, breaking the connection between them with an almost audible snap. She took a deep breath, then looked up again. This time Ian’s eyes were curious. And a little worried. “Why are you here?”
“I’m looking for you,” she replied. “I have to talk to you about Bree.”
“Is she all right?” he asked quickly.
“Yes, she’s fine,” Nica replied. “But it’s really important that we talk.”
“Of course,” Ian said. “Let’s get you checked in first. Then we’ll get some dinner. You must be hungry.”
“I can wait.”
“That urgent, is it?”
“It’s important,” she replied, not exactly answering his question.
“All right,” Ian said, reaching out to touch her.
It took everything she had not to flinch back out of his reach, but she couldn’t afford to offend him. She needed him to listen to her. Bree needed him to listen. So she forced herself to stand still, barely hiding her relief when he paused before his fingers made contact with her shoulder, then dropped his hand to his side.
“Let’s go inside,” he said. “We’ll get you a room near mine, then we’ll order dinner in. That way we can talk in private.”
“Maybe I’m overreacting,” she began, then stopped. “No. I’m not. I want to be. I wish I was. But I’m not. I just hope you believe what I have to say.”
“I’ll believe you,” he said. “I trust you. Just remember that, all right?”
“You trust me?” she asked in surprise.
“Yes, Nica, I trust you. Above anyone else.”
***
Nica patted her face and neck dry, feeling a little better now that she’d refreshed herself. She looked at the big marble tub with longing, but she could not indulge herself just yet. She hung the towel on the rack, smoothed the long thick braid of her hair, and caught her reflection in the mirror. She looked like she’d spent the day in a ground car and that wasn’t going to change without a good night’s sleep. She tossed the braid over her shoulder and focused on her face. The ring didn’t seem to be dulling her emotions the way it always had, so it took longer than usual to hide her true feelings. When she was satisfied that no emotion showed in either her expression or her eyes, she left the bathroom.
“Dinner will be here in about half an hour.”
“Thank you.” She rubbed her hands nervously along her thighs, realized what she was doing and made herself stop. She took a seat on the sofa, and Ian took the chair opposite her, on the other side of a low wooden table. Aside from the bed and two bedside tables, and an armchair near the window, that made up all the furniture in the small, but very clean room. “Why are you here?” she asked. “Not that I’m complaining. Joseph said it would take two days to reach you, and I really wasn’t looking forward to another full day of sitting in a ground car.”
“I’ve been traveling a lot since I left Cidade,” he replied. “I spent last night at a friend’s estate and he caught me up on the news. It was the first I’d heard about the murders, otherwise I’d have come back sooner.”
Nica nodded. “Bree said you’d come into town to be with Flora, so I was worried I’d miss you on the way, but I had to take the chance. I guess I got lucky.”
“Why would Bree say that?”
Nica frowned. He didn’t seem to be the least bit upset or worried about the woman he was planning to marry. “Because she thought you’d want to be at Flora’s side during this difficult time.”
“What are you talking about, Nica?”
“You said that your friend told you about the murders.”
“He did,” Ian replied. “We get news a bit late out here in the country though. Maybe that’s the problem.”
“Maybe so,” Nica said. “This happened the night before last.”
“That news probably reached here this morning, but I’ve been in a ground car all day too. What happened?”
“Kyle Layton and his fiance, Janet Prescott were murdered.”
Ian’s face paled a little and his eyes grew bright. He sat silently for a few moments, then rubbed his hands over his face and cleared his throat. “The same as the others?” He sounded a little hoarse, but Nica pretended not to notice.
“Kyle, yes, but not Janet,” she said. She related what she’d read about the murders, which didn’t take long. “Bree thought you’d come back to town right away to help Flora.”
“I doubt Flora would want my help even if I offered it.”
“Why wouldn’t she? And why wouldn’t you offer to help?” Nica asked, her opinion of Ian falling fast. Flora wasn’t a nice person, and Nica didn’t think much of her. But if Ian meant to marry the woman, the least he could do was act like he cared ab
out her.
“Why would I?” Ian asked blankly.
Nica’s eyes narrowed. “Why wouldn’t you want to be with the woman you intend to marry at a time like this?”
“Marry?” Ian asked in surprise.
“Bree told me you were going to marry Flora.”
“I wish she hadn’t done that,” Ian said with a tired sigh.
“I think I should tell you why I’m here,” Nica said coolly.
“Not yet,” Ian said. “I want to clear something up first.” Nica waited silently, hoping that if she let him say whatever he wanted to say, they could drop the subject.
“I am not going to marry Flora Layton,” he said succinctly. Nica’s head went up, her eyes meeting his for a long moment. “I’m not in love with Flora, and never was. She doesn’t love me, either. She wanted us to marry for the status and money. I wanted it…for other reasons.” Nica’s eyes narrowed. He sighed. “For genetic reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with Flora herself.”
Nica's Legacy (Hearts of ICARUS Book 1) Page 20
