My Ex's Uncle, My Trap novel · Chapter 19 of 24

Chapter 19: After Close

"For good," I said.

The fries sat on the front desk between us, steaming up the bag.

"I can explain all of it," Pierson said. "Right now, if you want. It's not short, and it's not good."

"Will it be different in an hour?"

He thought about it honestly. Rule one.

"No," he said. "It'll be exactly the same."

"Then I want the hour first."

I took the fries off the desk and put them in the mini fridge behind it.

Then I walked into the control room and switched off the camera in the last room on the hall.

The little red light on the monitor went dark.

When I came back out, he hadn't moved.

"Rhi."

"Come here," I said. "I'm asking."

I took his hand and led him down the dark hallway, past the pirate room and the haunted library, to the last door.

THE LOCKSMITH'S DAUGHTER.

My father's room. My room. The room where he'd first said my name.

I opened the door and pulled him inside.

The lamp over the workbench was the only light. Brass keys glittered on the walls, hundreds of them, every one from my dad's shop.

I shut the door behind us.

Then I turned the deadbolt from the inside. It made the same heavy clack it had made the night we met.

He heard it. His eyes went dark.

"You locked us in."

"I locked everybody else out," I said. "It's different."

I reached up to the control panel by the door and set the clock.

60:00.

I pressed start.

59:59.

"An hour," I said. "No game. No hints. No Dakota on the camera."

He laughed, low, and leaned back against my father's workbench, right where he'd leaned that first night.

"Last time I was in here," he said, "you told me it was completely inappropriate."

"It was."

"And now?"

I walked to him across the old rug and put my hands flat on his chest, over the brass key on its cord.

"Now it's my room," I said. "And I'm the one asking."

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