Deep (Chicago Underground #8)(8)

“Well, you don’t have to do that. Neither of us does,” she said. “We’re his guests.”

That sounded like a lie. Why would Philip help me without getting something in return?

“Philip and I will take care of Henri,” she said with more confidence. “So you just stay put. Let me know if you need anything. I’m sure we can order you some clothes so you’re not stuck wearing my hand-me-downs. Right, Adrian?”

I was startled when his muffled voice answered right away. “Right.”

I glanced at the closed kitchen door. “Um.”

“Adrian’s a terrible gossip,” Shelly said, which elicited muttering from the hallway. “We love him anyway. Couldn’t live without him.”

“Damn straight.” Adrian bustled back into the kitchen, this time carrying a slim silver laptop with him. “As if I need to eavesdrop. You can be sure I have more advanced surveillance methods if I were even interested in what you were saying.”

He flipped the laptop open on the table and navigated to a fancy clothing store. I’d thought we had nice things in my household—a new dress from Express or someplace like that, someplace where a T-shirt didn’t cost a couple hundred dollars. My eyes bulged. And this was a temporary wardrobe?

Someone was definitely going to pay for this, and I suspected it was going to be Philip. And that meant Shelly would be in his debt. It meant I would be in his debt.

“You two have fun,” Shelly said, leaving the kitchen as quickly as she’d swept in.

That left only Adrian and me—and this laptop, which somehow represented everything I didn’t want, the kind of loose spending that had led to my family’s financial situation, owing someone who was dangerous. “I don’t know,” I whispered. “I don’t really need clothes. I can just wear this.”

“Look,” Adrian said. “Philip is good, but even he isn’t a miracle worker. And someone like Henri? It will take him some time to work out a strategy. You can’t wear the same clothes every day.”

I had just spent three days chained to bathroom pipes. Now I was still virtually a prisoner, but they were concerned about my fashion sensibilities? “Umm, I just… Maybe someplace cheaper? Like Walmart.”

Adrian sent me a droll look. “Philip has money. You may as well take advantage.”

“That’s what I don’t want to do,” I said quickly. “He’s already doing enough by letting me stay here.”

The way Adrian studied me made me shift in my seat. His expression softened. “I don’t know all the details of your situation, but I know you’re scared. And you should be. These are some scary *s you’re dealing with, Philip included. He doesn’t give a shit about most people. They’re collateral damage to him. But regardless of the reason, he’s decided to help you—and you can believe this much: when you’re under his protection, you’re safe.”





Chapter Seven

ONLY THE NEXT day, I couldn’t find Shelly or Adrian anywhere.

I knew better than to go to Philip’s office after what had happened there. Instead I wandered the hallways of his expansive house, peeking around corners so I wouldn’t find him.

There were actual wings as if this were the castle in Beauty and the Beast. In the part of the house where our guest rooms were, the halls were papered with faintly gleaming thick stripes, almost pearly, that went from the crown molding at the high ceiling to the floor.

As I explored deeper into the house, they changed to some kind of black leather padding, studded with buttons. I ran my fingertips along the leather, such a strange choice for a wall. It reminded me of Corduroy’s exploration in the department store, finding wonders he didn’t quite understand. He had pulled off a button and been discovered. I had no desire to be found; my hand fell away.

I reached the end of the hallway and slowed, ready to turn around.

The shadows at the far wall caught my eye, something not quite right about the way they lay across the padded-leather paneling. I kept walking, even when the plush white rug ended, leaving only hardwood floor.

When I got close, I could see there was a false wall extending part of the way into the hall. From far away it wasn’t obvious that anything else would be back here. Up close, I could easily turn the corner into a small nook—which contained only a metal spiral staircase.

I had thought the second floor was the top floor. What was above this? The roof?

The stairs shivered under my weight. I had no idea how Philip ever ascended them without them swaying like a tree in a storm. When I reached the top, I discovered I wasn’t on the roof. I wasn’t outdoors at all, not technically, but the glass windows surrounding the small enclosure made it feel like I was, the panes like facets of a diamond—a jewel from which to study the stars. There were pillows and impossibly soft throws strewn over the small nook. Did Shelly know about this place? I imagined she did. She seemed to know everything about Philip.

Even though the little observatory was beautiful, I felt like I was intruding on someone’s private space. I climbed back down the spiral steps—and ran into a large, wide body at the bottom.

It held me there, hands on the rails at my sides, locking me in. Philip. “What the f*ck are you doing?”

My blood rushed through my ears, making my voice come out too loud. “Nothing.”