Goldilocks Forever

Chapter 40

Santa Monica, California

May 2006

Her thoughts stewed to a boil by the time he came up the stairs. She scrambled out of the chair, losing her nerve, and hid behind one of the open French doors. Her heart pounded in her chest. She breathed in the faint scent of him, heard him sigh.

Sabian flipped the light switch. Warm light flowed from the corner of his desk. He poured himself a glass of water and then opened a drawer. A bottle of pills shook loose. More medication. Did he take more than the others? Different from the others? Under calmer circumstances, she would have concerned herself with what this meant for him, but at that moment she was too engulfed in her furious questions.

Anna pushed the door shut and stepped out from behind it. Sabian spun and faced her.

"Anna," he said, a little breathless from the surprise of seeing her. Surprised, but not angry. "What's on your mind?" He sat in his chair and gestured toward the chairs across from his desk.

Anna came around the desk, but didn't sit. The knife wedged heavy and awkward in her back pocket. She longed to touch it.

Sabian's calm expression faded as he took in her foreboding expression. "Speak. Tell me what's so important that you felt the need to lie in wait in my office."

Anna shifted and put one hand over the knife. He caught her movements. The words raced through her mind and she left them sift through her until some—not necessarily the right ones—tumbled from her lips. "What have you done?"

"You'll have to be more specific," he said, nonchalant.

"Why are you spying on my father?"

"Sit down, Anna." His voice was more commanding than before.

"No."

"What's the basis of this accusation?"

"I saw the surveillance footage. How long has this been going on? How long have you been spying on my family?" She kept her hand over the knife.

"That's not relevant."

"The fuck it's not!"

"I'll explain if you will sit down and be calm."

Anna sat on the edge of the chair. The blade of the knife slid further over her ass, the tip of it pressing against denim.

He waited until she appeared calm enough to listen. "Acacia is wanted for crimes against the society. We suspected she might return to your family in New York so we established surveillance to alert us if and when that happens."

"And if it did?"

"We'd bring her here so she can be brought to justice for the crimes she's committed. I don't think I need to remind you those crimes include not only treason, but age rape."

"You don't need to remind me." Anna sneered at him. "How did you do it? How did you set up hidden cameras in my father's home? He has nothing to do with this. He doesn't deserve to be treated this way."

"It's unfortunate." He looked down at his desk. "We have our ways."

"Don't you fucking get it?" She almost screamed at him. "We're talking about my family. Of course, it concerns me!"

"Acacia broke the rules by returning. These are the consequences." Sabian tilted his head at her. "You know," he said, his words less cold than she expected them to be, "As displaced as your loyalty is, I admire it."

"Fuck you!" She stood and wound her hand around the grip of the knife.

He held out his hand. "Give me your weapon." She glared down at him defiantly. "It's too small to hurt me. Don't be foolish." The calm control in his voice mocked her. "Some of what we do isn't pleasant, but it's always necessary."