Page 55 of Her Brother's Billionaire Best Friend

“What about Kyle?”

“I can stay here.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

Lucien sighed, and looked at me. “You know, they were asking about you.”

“Outside?”

“Yeah. Not often a kid comes out of a scrape like that. He’s a tough one, I’ll give you that.”

“So are you, by the sounds of it.” The elevator dinged and the door opened. Lucien strode out past me. His steps were so long I was struggling to keep up. In a shirt and a pair of slacks, I could hardly believe that this was the same man who’d run six miles with an injured boy in his arms that morning.

“What does that mean?” said Lucien.

“One of the kids that Kyle was with told his mom, and she called me. Said you lifted him out of there and ran all the way back to Rikers.”

“It was nothing.”

“Lucien,” I said, suddenly stopping in the corridor. He went on, then saw I’d come to a stop and turned.

“Laura?” he said patronisingly, a fake smile on his face.

“Whatever it was—and why you did it—it wasn’t nothing,” I said. “Kyle could have been hurt. Or worse. You saved him.”

“And?” said Lucien quietly. He had his eyes fixed on me, his pupils dark and shining in the corridor.

“And I’m grateful,” I said. I took a step toward him.

“Save the sentimentality for your son,” he grunted, and turned to carry on down the corridor.

“What’s the matter with you now? I’m here, thanking you, and you’re acting like you just stepped in a turd.”

“I don’t have a lot to say, Laura.”

“What’s going on? Tell me what’s on your mind.” I rushed to his side, taking his hand. Lucien’s bravery, his courage, his coolness, it was almost like he didn’t need to be thanked. He didn’t need my approval.

“Just think it’s funny is all. This morning you couldn’t wait to run off. No note, no call. Nada. And now you’re all sunshine and rainbows and ‘Thank you, Lucien.’ ‘I’m so grateful, Lucien.’”

His words shocked me. They were cruel, designed to hurt. I let go of his hand and stepped away.

“I was…scared,” I said. “I didn’t know what it meant. And—”

I was about to tell him there and then—about the secret room, the key around his neck. The things David had said, my dark suspicions that had floated to the surface of my mind in the shadows of his house. But I couldn’t.

What would he think of me?

“Nothing,” I said. “I just need to know what it meant. What us means.”

“I guess you can figure that out on your own time,” he said. “Me? I’m tired of waiting. I came to see Kyle.”

*

In the end, David insisted that he be the one to stay. We stood in the waiting room while I finished filling out the insurance forms and all the paperwork. I’d gone into see Kyle, and kissed his forehead while he slept while Lucien watched emotionlessly from behind the glass.

“I’ll call work and tell them not to expect me tomorrow,” David said. “You two go back.”

“All right,” said Lucien. “If you insist.”