We went through the kitchen. “The garage is here.” I opened the door leading to the garage. My yellow LaFerrari was parked on the far end. I glanced up at Adam. “See that yellow car?”
“Of course.” Adam crossed his arms.
“That’s my LaFerrari and it’s off limits. Don’t even touch it.”
“I understand.” There was a catch in his voice, like he wanted to say something else. He didn’t.
“The rest of the cars are available for driving.” I watched his eyes check out each one. There were seven visible on this level and more underneath. Up top were my LaFerrari, a white Jaguar F-type R coupé, a silver Mercedes S65 AMG, a bing cherry red Lamborghini Veneno Roadster that resembled a modern version of the Bat Mobile, a cashmere colored Lexus LX, a green Range Rover Autobiography, and a black Lykan Hypersport. I overheard my father say he’d paid more than three million dollars for that last one and there were only seven made. He’d probably flip if he knew some random guy was driving it, but what did I care? He and my mom had left me for the entire summer without saying good-bye.
“Even that one,” Adam asked, pointing at the Lykan.
“Sure. Just get the keys from there.” I pointed at a key box on the wall. “Make sure the keys are put back immediately when you return. And never let any of the gas tanks get below half full.”
His eyes shone with unshed tears. Guys and cars—I didn’t understand it. Because the prospect of driving the Lykan seemed to make him so happy, I was tempted to tell him I changed my mind, just to hurt him. At the last second, I held my tongue.
We left the garage and made our way down into the basement. The stairs were wide and not very steep but they turned several times as we descended. The air grew cooler the deeper we went.
At the bottom of the stairs I pointed to the bathroom. “This is yours to use. Keep it clean.”
He nodded.
I opened the door to the bedroom. Isaac had done a nice job. The blankets and sheets were navy blue and white. There was a lamp on the nightstand, a computer on the small desk under the window over which was obscured by Navy curtains. That was probably for the best, since it was doubtful there was anything to see aside from the empty window well. A decent chair had been pushed under the desk. Next to the computer was a cell phone with a piece of paper under it. I picked up the paper. It listed the phone’s number. I quickly typed it into my cell. “So I can text or call at any time.”
He took the phone and flipped it over.
“This is my room?”
“Yes. It is.” I ran my fingers along the bedspread.
“Thank you.” He sat on the bed, bouncing.
“I get up at ten in the morning. I expect you to be done with all of your personal… stuff, and have my breakfast up to me by then so you can begin working on my hair.”
“Yes, Miss Cavanaugh.”
“Any questions?”
“No.”
“Good. Let’s go upstairs. I’m famished and my feet need to be rubbed. After that you can drive me into Salt Lake. I need some retail therapy.”
Seven
Agony Inside Of Me
Adam drove the Lykan. Usually I rode in the back of a limousine, but I’d wanted to see how he handled the car. Our outing wasn’t a date. He was my driver.
He knew how to drive and maneuvered the Lykan through traffic expertly. More than once I caught him watching me out of the corner of his eye. I pretended not to notice.
When we arrived at City Creek Center, I had him drop me off at the entrance. “Park the car and make sure nothing happens to it. Then text me. I’ll let you know when I need your help carrying my bags.”
He quickly jumped out of the car and ran around to open my door. “Very good, Miss Cavanaugh.”
I didn’t turn around or respond, but heard him pull away from the curb. .
As soon as I stepped inside the air-conditioned mall the aroma of cinnamon and roasted almonds filled my nose. Usually I picked up a bag. They were my favorite treat. But above the roasted cinnamon smell was that of grilled steak. And something else. It was a new smell. As I walked by people I realized the smell changed slightly with each person and that somehow I was smelling their individual scents. It was weird and it made my head hurt.
I stopped in Victoria’s Secret to purchase some underthings. The scent subsided slightly because of the strong smell of the store’s perfumes. It wasn’t long though before I could still pick up the scent of the people again. Some actually did smell fresh while others smelled of more fat, and there were those who smelled lean and meaty, and delicious. My mouth watered and I started to freak out.
What was freaking happening to me?
I purchased a couple of different matching bras and underwear and quickly left the store. My head had started to buzz and I wondered if maybe I should see a doctor.
I took my phone from my bag and texted Adam.
On the second floor near Victoria’s Secret. Please come. I realized after I’d sent the text that I’d used the word please. What the hell? But I couldn’t take it back. I moved over, out of the way of those passing by and tried to hold my breath so I wouldn’t smell anything—anyone. The escalator was nearby. I leaned against the balcony, checking out the people below. City Creek was busy. People bustled along doing their shopping.
I’d seen the movie Madagascar when I was little and there’d been a scene where the lion saw all the other animals as steak. I was having a similar moment. The people kept changing into different cuts of meat according to their scent. What was worse, the freaking buzzing inside my brain began to intensify. It grew louder and louder. I wanted to scream in pain, but a Cavanaugh didn’t make a spectacle of herself. So I held on, wishing Adam would hurry. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his tall frame maneuvering through the crowd with ease, the same way he’d driven the Lykan.
Adam. I tried to call out, to let him know where I was. I reached out a hand, hoping I could get his attention. At that moment the buzzing exploded into a flash of white light. It was as though a dam broke behind my eyelids.
I felt pain. So much pain.
And then I was falling. Several people screamed. I prepared myself to hit the ground, thinking that at least when I died the pain in my head would stop.
But the ground never came. Instead large arms encircled me. “What happened?” It was Adam’s voice. At least I thought so.
The buzzing subsided, but now there was something worse. It was even more painful than the buzzing and it seemed to attack my head and my heart at once.
Emotions. Thousands upon thousands of them. They came hard and fast, like a baseball in the stomach, over and over again.
Tears filled my eyes. I’d never cried. A Cavanaugh doesn’t cry, I heard my father say. But I couldn’t stop them.
The pain racked my body.
“Beatrice.” Adam’s voice sounded urgent.
I opened my eyes, ashamed that tears were running uncontrolled down my face.
Adam sucked in his breath.
“It hurts so bad,” I whimpered, turning my body toward his, willing him to take away the pain. There was something hard under his shirt, against his chest. If I hadn’t been hurting so much, I would’ve asked him about it.
He pulled me closer, wrapping me in his arms. I heard whispers around us. People saying things. Adam pushed through them, walking rapidly. I sensed the change in temperature when he stepped outside.
“Hang on,” he whispered.
Even through the pain I couldn’t help but note he wasn’t out of breath. It was true I weighed less than most but I was still over a hundred pounds. That was a lot of weight for anyone to carry for long distances.