The Supposed Terrorist

Chapter 12

Saturday arrived, which meant the second meaning with Simon.

Charlotte's phone still remained out of network and there were no visible efforts to be let anything known or informed to us. She had already warned about it, to be fair. She was going to be unavailable quite a lot and if the entire thing wasn't so desperate, we wouldn't have been taking the risks.

A light ping sounded from Artem's pocket as we stepped out of the apartment. He checked his phone and immediately reopened the door he had just locked.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Just a minute," he said.

A minute happened and he returned with a tablet and stylus in his hands.

I frowned.

"I just got emailed some attachments, I need to check them," he explained, locking the door again and stuffing the apartment keys back into his pocket. "Do you know how to drive?"

"Yes sir," I said. "Blackmailed my uncle to teach me when I was 16."

"Blackmailed?"

"He accidentally broke my aunt's China vase and blamed it on me." A grin appeared on my face as I thought back to the day. "The price of my silence was teaching me driving a week later."

Artem laughed and threw the car keys at me. "Great, you are driving then."

I caught them and stared. "So, you don't trust me with your kitchen but you trust me with your car?"

He gave me a look. "A perfectly sound logic, to be honest. And I trust you with both, the kitchen and the car."

"You still don't let me touch it."

A smile slipped on his face, as if he had some inside joke or some secret only he knew. "I have my reasons."

"What? What reasons?"

"I am not telling you."

"Why? Tell me."

"Because no."

"Tell me!"

"I am taking it to the grave."

"Is it the kind of reason applicable to everyone?" I asked, hoping to wiggle some hints out.

"No."

"Only to me?"

"Yes."

"Shameless idiot, tell me!"

"No."

"What's the damn reason?" I groaned. We were almost near the parking area now.

"I said I am not telling you."

"Then why would you mention it, ugh."

"To annoy you."

"What will you get by annoying me? And tell me the reason!"

"Isn't the action satisfactory enough in itself? And no."

I pressed the button and the car unlocked. Artem got into the passenger's seat and tightened the seat belt. I hurried into the driver's seat and gave him a soft look.

"Please," I said. "Tell me the reason."

"Tighten the seat belt and no."

Shrugging my jacket off and hanging it behind the seat, I tightened the seat belt and glared instead. "What's the cost for it?"

Artem let out one of his dramatic sighs. "Do you really think my secrets have a price? No, Wayland. They are simply priceless."

"Oh so they don't even have a price, then tell me."