Ramsey Security (Ramsey Security #1-3)(94)

Once we're seated at a table in the corner and away from the crowd, Saskia insists on sitting across from me. If she thinks that'll keep my hands at bay, she underestimates my arm length.

"We're both only children," I say to keep the conversation light.

"I was never lonely."

I smile at her lie. "Me either. Did you ever have pets?"

"No."

"I always had them. We had a cat for a while, but Nell began suffering from allergies. Once the old man passed away, we stuck to dogs."

"Did he pass away naturally or did you help him along?"

Frowning, I reach for her hand. "You're so sexy when you start trouble."

"I'll take that as the latter."

"He died in his sleep at the ripe old age of seventeen."

Saskia smiles and pulls her hand away. Before I can grab for it again, she places her hand on top of mine.

"You always need to be on top," she sighs. "Let a lady have a chance."

"Enjoy being on top here all you want, my sweet Saskia," I murmur, brushing my foot against hers. "Once we're back at the hotel, you'll be on all fours. There's no getting out of that."

Saskia holds my gaze, and we both smile at the thought of her on the bed with her legs spread for me. She shakes off the image and leans back in the chair.

"Were Ruth and Nell always together?" she asks, drowning my lust with the cold-water effect of talking about my mother.

"Not when I was a baby. My dad died when I was thirteen months."

"How did he die?"

"He was driving home from work when his truck hit a slick spot on the road, and he lost control. He survived the crash, but when he was climbing out of the truck, it began rolling. Just a fluke accident."

"I'm sorry," she says, sounding genuinely sympathetic.

"Thanks. Mom made sure I knew him as much as I could when I was growing up."

"When did Ruth and Nell get together?"

"My father left a decent life insurance policy, and their old house was paid off. Mom only worked part-time. Nell was recently divorced and moved into the house to save money. They were two women starting over. At some point, they became more. I was a kid, so I didn't notice anything change. They were both around, raising me."

"How did you get into acting?"

"Tell me about your mother first."

"She was cold."

"Cold how?"

"She tried to abort me while in a third world country," Saskia says nonchalantly. "She told the doctor not to f*ck up anything, so he ended up being so careful that I survived. When she realized the mistake, she decided pregnancy was something she could use in her job. Once I was born, she hired someone to raise me. When I was old enough, she trained me to be like her."

Her story horrifies me nearly as much as her indifference does. "Did she tell you about the abortion?"

"Of course. Maven didn't believe in lies unless they benefited her."

"That was her name?"

"No, her name was Elena. Maven was her code name. Mine was Little Maven."

"What did you do when she died? You were only seventeen. Did the woman who raised you continue to care for you?"

"No, she was dead too."

"So what did you do?"

"I disposed of the Maven's most loyal people and took over her business."

The way she speaks of her past is devoid of any emotion. Our accountant is livelier when discussing taxes.

"Why did you stop that line of work?"

"Boredom."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Right now, right here, Saskia is all I can see. Her life before I met her shouldn't matter, but it does. I want her to show me something. Pain, sadness, anger, joy, anything to reveal her humanity.

"Nothing happened that made you want to live a different life?" I ask, hoping to see a glimmer of life in her cold eyes.

"No. I wasn't raised to be sentimental."

"Neither was I, but I have plenty of life-changing moments."

"I'm sorry."

Saskia doesn't know what I want her to say, so I offer her an out. "It's not your fault your mother was a cold woman."

"No."

Even confused about my questions, Saskia refuses to show a hint of emotion. Her silence now feels like a lie, just as her cold eyes do. She hides everything. Not just from me, but from everyone. Saskia infected me with a nearly unbearable need. Fair or not, I need her to show me something.

"You were meant to be here right now with me," I say.

"Really?"

"You nearly died before you were born. I'm sure you nearly died many times in your line of work. Yet here you are sitting across the table from me. It's fate."

Saskia studies me, seeming genuinely surprised by my words. "Do you believe in that?"

"Yes. Well, I believe in God and the good in people. I believe what you felt wasn't boredom, but the desire to do more. Now you are."

"I'm babysitting a grown man."

Frowning, I realize Saskia responds to uncomfortable situations by lashing out. Likely Mother Maven did the same thing. I can't imagine growing up with such a cold bitch, yet somehow I'm drawn to the cold bitch across the table.