Bound Trilogy: Budding: A Supernatural Story (WLW)

Chapter Twenty

Imogen shivered underneath Miles' touch, yet tried to rein in her disgust.

"I didn't see you very much at work earlier." He sent her a kind smile and she tried her best to return one, but he didn't look persuaded. She thought of something to make herself happy, something she was sure she would be calling upon each opportunity she could get, and smiled. Miles was seemingly astonished and she knew she was on the right track. Thank you, Kimi... "My secretary told me you clocked in, grabbed your survey equipment and took off. Are you doing alright?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm great, uncle. Just wanted to get going, and then maybe have a sketching opportunity if I finished my work quickly enough."

"Have you been doing many sketches lately?" He glowed at the idea and Imogen fought with herself, unable to discern if he was genuinely interested in her life, or just an amazing actor.

She called on that force again, imagining Kimi cuddling her close to her chest and said, "A bit, but nothing to fancy."

Miles put his hand on her back and she trembled, unable to hide it this time. "You're shaking like a leaf, lovely. Are you sure you're doing well?"

"Just a little bit knackered." She glanced out of the window and scanned the wooded area across the street for her friends, but they were well hidden. "I haven't gotten the best sleep lately."

Miles' phone vibrated from within his pocket and he pulled it out with a wide brimmed grin. "Well, I think I have just the thing to liven you up. And it should be arriving any moment."

What thing? Imogen racked her mind with trying to place what could possibly arrive soon, unfolding all the envelopes and pulling out all the locked boxes that stored dark predictions. Did he know she knew and was he now on a warpath? Was it whoever was pulling his strings? He'd given no indication of malicious intent, but then again, what could he really do to her if the children and his wife were only just in the other room?

She swallowed a bit too loudly, but tried her hardest to hide any terror she felt. "What do you mean?"

"Well, my secretary said you seemed like your mind was elsewhere and with that woman always around you, acting as your bodyguard, I thought I'd do something nice for you." He began towards the door with a skip in his step. "You never seem to catch a break and get any rest unless you end up in hospital first. Don't worry one bit. You'll love this."

"And what is--" The front doorbell rang and Miles' face lit up.

He jogged the rest of the way from the living room and opened the door, but from where Imogen stood, she couldn't see who or what was there. Miles took a bottle of wine from someone's hands that held a familiar tan just before Lanny stepped into view. Imogen put the back of her hand on her forehead and sighed.

What made him think this of all things would cheer her up? Was he trying to get a rise out of her or did he have something else in mind?

"Hey, you." Lanny said as she walked further into the room, taking slow, tentative steps toward her.

Imogen turned, irritated that her uncle had just put Lanny in danger by bringing her here, and then faced her with a worried scowl. "Why are you here?"

"Uncle Miles asked me over." Lanny appeared relatively uneasy with the entire situation and Imogen was surprisingly thankful for that. She shifted her eyes to Miles and gave him a wary expression that said it all. Imogen could read her like a book since they first got together and this was her you didn't tell her face. This was the old Lanny, the real Lanny, and Imogen prayed the evening would end relatively well. At least well enough for Lanny to get away. Far, far away. "How are you?"