Tarq waits me out. In fact, the silence goes on so long, it becomes awkward. So then I feel compelled to explain. “OK. I hear you.”
He shoots me a look. “Do you?” It’s a doubtful look.
“You have… plans. To save this girl, right?” I kinda pull this out of my ass, but he did mention this a couple days ago, didn’t he? He has a woman and he wants her back? And I didn’t really hear him, did I? I wasn’t paying attention. Because if I had, I would not be surprised at his… desperation right now. “How will you save her?”
“What?”
“Tell me how, Tarq. If you want my cooperation you will fill me in or I swear to God, I will fuck things up in spectacular ways.”
His eyes narrow. “Is that a threat?”
“You can take it any way you want.”
“Fine.” He lets out a long breath. “The queen needs us.”
“Go on.”
“To be together.”
“Together how?”
“As… you know. A couple.”
“A couple? Like… an intimate couple?”
“Intimate is a strong word. And not the right one, either. This is a negotiation. A contract. A deal, OK? It’s a short-term thing, Pie. It’s not about feelings. But…”
His pause goes on for too long. “But what?” I snap.
“It’s not entirely wrong, either.”
“What do you mean?”
“Intimate, Pie. It will be a little bit intimate.”
I try to read between the lines. The queen needs us. And he needs me. But there is something more to it.
He’s desperate. He wants his woman back. He will do… things… to get her back.
He will use me.
And if we need to be a couple in order for this to happen… “Oh, fuck that,” I say.
“Just listen,” Tarq breathes. “It’s not what you think.”
Maybe it’s not? Maybe my imagination is running wild right now and he’s not going to hand me over to the queen, and she’s not going to put us together so we can do things that couples normally do.
Maybe he’s really not saying that.
But then again, maybe he is.
Hold your shit together, Pie. This is a negotiation. You will not freak out, you will not overreact, and you will not be weak.
So instead of screaming, You’re going to hand me over to the bitchy queen, who will force us to breed like animals, and then give her our child in exchange for your woman, I say, “You are extremely loyal to this woman you’re looking for, correct?” And my voice is calm when these words come out.
Now Tarq squints at me. Distrustful. Because yep. I’m going somewhere with this. “So you did recognize the monsters in the book.”
“I’m not saying that. I’m not saying that I have a plan either. But I have people I care about too. And I’m not going to give them up to you—a man who kinda scares me, and has plans that involve me, which I am not aware of, nor do I consent to, nor do I have any say in. At least I don’t have plans that involve you. I’m not out to flip your world upside down, Tarq. Because you’ve got nothing to do with my life. I’m only here because you’re making me be here.” I leave out my suspicions about the queen, and the breeding, and the baby because if it’s true—if that’s why he needs me—then I’m not ready to have that conversation. Like… at all.