Read Online Lila Shortcuts by Sarah Alderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Alderson
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hear an intake of air from Jack . . . and then I’m out of there.
Mr Blahnik might not have designed his shoes for running in but somehow I manage to make it to the door, sliding under someone’s arm even as the shout goes up around me . . . and Alicia is yelling in my head at me to run and I burst through the front door and Demos has flung open the car door and I sprint towards him, reaching for his outstretched hand even as Alicia guns the engine, and I throw myself into the car as we take off in a screech of wheels. I look back over my shoulder, panting and clutching the side of the seat as we swerve into traffic. Alex and Jack are standing on the sidewalk guns in hand, but they’re not firing. Then I see that they are frozen solid as statues.
I glance at Demos. He’s staring at them, holding them in place, and he’s scowling. But I know that the scowl is really intended for me.
The bathtub alone is bigger than the whole bus. There are closets that I can walk into and which are huge enough to host a runway show. There’s a fluffy white robe and a TV with five thousand channels and room service and boys in cute uniforms to carry my bags and bring me cheeseburgers. And the best thing is that they take Amex.
And the second best thing is Demos doesn’t know where I am. Though I know he’ll find me eventually with Amber’s help – or Nate’s, if he feels like betraying me. But if I have to sit through another lecture about how few brain cells there are occupying my frontal lobes then I’m going to take my new bunny fur shoes and drill a hole through my own head with them.
It’s not as if it’s my fault.
OK. It’s maybe my fault.
I flop on the bed. Oooh, Egyptian cotton.
And then the knock comes.
I bolt upright. I haven’t ordered room service. I do a quick scan.
Then I think about hiding under the bed.
‘Suki,’ comes Alicia’s voice through the door. ‘Hiding under the bed is a really dumb idea. Just open the door. We know you’re in there.’
We? I listen harder. He has betrayed me. Nate is with her.
I roll off the bed with a groan and slouch over to the door.
‘Go away,’ I say to the wood panels.
‘No,’ Alicia answers.
How on earth did they find me? I wonder.
‘All you’ve been talking about for weeks now is room service and closet space. It didn’t take a detective.’
‘Suki, let us in!’ This time it’s Nate. ‘It’s just us.’
I open the door and Nate shoves past. He takes a flying leap onto the bed. ‘Woooooah, check this place out!’
‘This is my room. Get your own,’ I say.
‘Suki . . . I’ve come to get you and bring you back,’ Alicia interrupts.
‘Why? So Demos can yell at me some more?’
Alicia shrugs one shoulder, ‘You know what he’s like,’ she says, with a lopsided smile. ‘He didn’t mean to get so angry. It’s just the Unit didn’t know about you before. And now they do. It makes this more dangerous for you.’
She has a point. She hears me think this because her smile widens.
‘He’s really sorry,’ Alicia says.
I cross my arms over my chest. ‘Yeah? Well, why’s he not here then telling me this himself?’
Alicia’s smile fades. ‘Because he thought you’d just think he was using his powers to convince you.’
I harrumph. ‘I don’t want to be part of his silly gang anymore.’
I turn away but Alicia grabs hold of me by the elbow. ‘Suki – you know why we’re doing this,’ she says quietly. ‘It isn’t for fun. We need to stop them. And now they know who you are, you’re in as much danger as the rest of us. We need to stick together until this is over.’
It’s never going to be over, I think to myself.
Alicia scowls and then she says quickly, ‘Look, it’s not safe to stay here. We need to go.’ She glances around, and I see the fear take over her face at the same time I hear the thought. And then she speaks it out loud. ‘Please, at least tell me you didn’t use your name or pay for all this with a
Mr Blahnik might not have designed his shoes for running in but somehow I manage to make it to the door, sliding under someone’s arm even as the shout goes up around me . . . and Alicia is yelling in my head at me to run and I burst through the front door and Demos has flung open the car door and I sprint towards him, reaching for his outstretched hand even as Alicia guns the engine, and I throw myself into the car as we take off in a screech of wheels. I look back over my shoulder, panting and clutching the side of the seat as we swerve into traffic. Alex and Jack are standing on the sidewalk guns in hand, but they’re not firing. Then I see that they are frozen solid as statues.
I glance at Demos. He’s staring at them, holding them in place, and he’s scowling. But I know that the scowl is really intended for me.
The bathtub alone is bigger than the whole bus. There are closets that I can walk into and which are huge enough to host a runway show. There’s a fluffy white robe and a TV with five thousand channels and room service and boys in cute uniforms to carry my bags and bring me cheeseburgers. And the best thing is that they take Amex.
And the second best thing is Demos doesn’t know where I am. Though I know he’ll find me eventually with Amber’s help – or Nate’s, if he feels like betraying me. But if I have to sit through another lecture about how few brain cells there are occupying my frontal lobes then I’m going to take my new bunny fur shoes and drill a hole through my own head with them.
It’s not as if it’s my fault.
OK. It’s maybe my fault.
I flop on the bed. Oooh, Egyptian cotton.
And then the knock comes.
I bolt upright. I haven’t ordered room service. I do a quick scan.
Then I think about hiding under the bed.
‘Suki,’ comes Alicia’s voice through the door. ‘Hiding under the bed is a really dumb idea. Just open the door. We know you’re in there.’
We? I listen harder. He has betrayed me. Nate is with her.
I roll off the bed with a groan and slouch over to the door.
‘Go away,’ I say to the wood panels.
‘No,’ Alicia answers.
How on earth did they find me? I wonder.
‘All you’ve been talking about for weeks now is room service and closet space. It didn’t take a detective.’
‘Suki, let us in!’ This time it’s Nate. ‘It’s just us.’
I open the door and Nate shoves past. He takes a flying leap onto the bed. ‘Woooooah, check this place out!’
‘This is my room. Get your own,’ I say.
‘Suki . . . I’ve come to get you and bring you back,’ Alicia interrupts.
‘Why? So Demos can yell at me some more?’
Alicia shrugs one shoulder, ‘You know what he’s like,’ she says, with a lopsided smile. ‘He didn’t mean to get so angry. It’s just the Unit didn’t know about you before. And now they do. It makes this more dangerous for you.’
She has a point. She hears me think this because her smile widens.
‘He’s really sorry,’ Alicia says.
I cross my arms over my chest. ‘Yeah? Well, why’s he not here then telling me this himself?’
Alicia’s smile fades. ‘Because he thought you’d just think he was using his powers to convince you.’
I harrumph. ‘I don’t want to be part of his silly gang anymore.’
I turn away but Alicia grabs hold of me by the elbow. ‘Suki – you know why we’re doing this,’ she says quietly. ‘It isn’t for fun. We need to stop them. And now they know who you are, you’re in as much danger as the rest of us. We need to stick together until this is over.’
It’s never going to be over, I think to myself.
Alicia scowls and then she says quickly, ‘Look, it’s not safe to stay here. We need to go.’ She glances around, and I see the fear take over her face at the same time I hear the thought. And then she speaks it out loud. ‘Please, at least tell me you didn’t use your name or pay for all this with a
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