Page 28 of Glorious Rivals

Gigi took a step back.“Sad?”

“I don’t do sad.”

“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Oh really?”Slate’s tone never changed.“You do remember that you were bugged during the game, right?You made it pretty clear to your teammates that you don’t do sad, either, even when you should.”

I might, Gigi thought.When I get out of here, when I see Savannah, when I talk to her—I might be sad.

Slate took another step toward her, and Gigi backed up until she hit the wall of windows.Slate closed in.Standing right in front of her, he lifted his hand to the candleholder, covering her fingers with his before Gigi could attempt to so much as fling it at the glass.

“Fine,” Gigi said.Her heart wasstillpounding—harder now.“Neither of us do sad.That’s why we’re platonic kidnapper-kidnappee soulmates, and that’s why you’re letting me go.”

Slate relieved her of the candleholder—and the candle—and looked her dead in the eyes.“I need you to know that no one is coming for you.”The flame flickered between them.“No one is looking for you, no one is watching for your signal, because you aren’tmissing.As it happens, you stole a boat and left a note.”

“Whose boat?”Gigi asked immediately.“And what kind of note?”

“Xander Hawthorne’s.And you left an IOU for apology Twinkies.”

“Apology Twinkies,” Gigi gasped with no small amount of horror.That soundedexactly like her!“You bastard!”

Slate shrugged.“Step up from muscle-goblin.”

“No,” Gigi informed him, narrowing her eyes.“It’s not.”

“I’m going to need you to go back down the ladder now, and then you will walk very carefully down the stairs, staying close to the wall.”

“Rest assured”—Gigi lifted her chin—“I am always, never careful.”

Slate eyed her.“Can’t have you getting hurt on my watch, now can I?”he said.Relief shot through Gigi, but it was short-lived, because the next thing she knew, Slate had picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

“Put me down!”

“Playtime’s over,” Slate told her, climbing back down the ladder like holding a candleanda Gigi was nothing.“I have work to do.”

That broody-faced, muscle-goblin bastard carried Gigi all the way down the stairs.

“For the record,” Slate said, putting her down on solid ground, “Iam always careful.”

“I’m going to hit you now,” Gigi announced.“With my fists!Fists offury.”

“Knock yourself out, sunshine.”He just stood there, waiting.

Gigi did not hit him.“I don’t like you,” she said instead.

Slate’s lips twitched very slightly.“You shouldn’t.”He nodded toward the fur blanket on the floor.“Get comfortable.”

“Why?”Gigi demanded.

“Can’t leave you with an open flame,” Slate said.“Can’t have you trying to scale those stairs in the dark and falling to your death while I’m gone.”

“Gone?”Gigi said.

“I’ve got a job to do.”

Gigi’s mind went to Eve, to Savannah, to the island.“So you’re ordering me to… what?Lay down on that incredibly soft blanket?Get some z’s while you’re off helping your boss manipulate my twin sister into doing something we’ll probably all regret?”

“Iamsorry about this.”For once, he placed the slightest emphasis on one word over the rest.Am.