Infinityglass (Hourglass 3)

He grabbed my hand, dragged me in, and shut the door. Then he planted a fat one on my lips, and opened the door again.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what the hell is going on?”

I was still in the dressing room, but he was already out in the studio proper.

“The Hourglass is on the way,” he said.

“He said yes.” I was shocked. Dune had been in his office fifteen minutes, max.

“They’re staying here.”

My stomach pitched. “Okay.”

“So is Poe.”

I stared at him.

“And so am I.”

We waited at NOLA, Emeril’s restaurant on Saint Louis Street.

“Are you okay?” Dune asked.

“I’m shell-shocked.”

“They were already halfway here.”

I nodded. “What if Dad had said no?”

“They would’ve stayed in a hotel.” He took my hand. “They want to help you, Hallie. It’s not like they’re coming down so we can all do illicit drugs and have orgies.”

I snort laughed. “How did we get permission to meet them in the Quarter?”

“Your dad’s setting up extra surveillance and he wanted you out of the house while he put it in,” he confessed.

“You’re a tech genius.” I grinned, thinking about how he’d looked on my bed. “How long will it take to reroute it?”

“I’m not going to. I promised your dad I’d take care of you, and I intend to keep it.”

It was too late for lunch and too early for dinner. The place was almost empty, except for the waitstaff preparing for the evening rush. The quiet was getting to me.

Then the front door burst open.

“We’re here!” A blond blur zipped across the room, followed closely by a guy with dark, shaggy hair.

“Glad to see you.” The guy did the handshake-and-one-armed-hug combo with Dune before he held his hand out to me. “Hi, Hallie.”

“Hi, Michael.” I recognized him from the picture I’d seen in Dune’s bedroom. He had the self-confidence of someone much older. “That makes you Emerson.” I turned to face her.

“Hi.” In person, the perky cuteness I’d seen in the photo was tempered with something. Sorrow in her eyes, but strength, too. “We’re all so glad to meet you.”

Now Dune hugged a guy with a few piercings and visible tattoos.

“Kaleb,” the guy said, turning to me. The picture hadn’t done him justice. “Thanks for having us.”

“According to Dune, you were all going to visit, anyway.”

o;You’re doing a good job of proving it.” She rose up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine. “And you haven’t even been trying.”