Just then, Satan—or Miranda—returned, giving Rurik a suspect look.
“Duke is right, you are a jackass,” said Garth with another laugh. “Answer the question.”
Miranda smiled—again. “Not sure what the question you want him to answer was, but I want to hear if you’re coming on to him,” she said to Garth.
With a slight chuckle, Garth pointed to Rurik. “Trying to nail down the last time he’s nailed…erm, dated. When the last time he dated was.”
Miranda put her hands together and did a small hop. “Oh, I want to know too.”
Garth stared at him. “Well, we’re waiting.”
“I do not like either of you,” he spat.
Miranda waved a hand dismissively. “You don’t like anyone. Okay, when is the last time you went on a date?”
Thinking on it more, Rurik realized he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been sexually active. He knew the opportunity had presented itself, but for the life of him, he couldn’t recall the last time he’d done anything more than alleviate his own pent-up sexual energy. He shrugged. “Not long ago,” he said, the lie rolling off his tongue.
“I don’t believe you,” said Garth.
“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” asked Rurik. “Isn’t there a hair-braiding appointment you’re late for?”
Garth ignored him. “Fine. You don’t want to talk about your love life. I get it. Let’s talk about how you’re doing physically.”
“I am fine,” said Rurik, jutting out his chin in a defiant manner. He didn’t need to be checked on as if he were a child. He was a grown man with two hundred and sixty-five years under his belt.
“Great. Give me five.” Garth stepped closer. He held out his arm at a level that would require Rurik to lift his own to meet it.
Knowing what was to come, Rurik still did it. He lifted his arm and did his best to hide the fact that pain sliced through his neck and upper back. He managed to tap Garth’s hand. A light sheen of sweat broke out as he lowered his arm once again.
With a knowing look, Garth spoke. “Yes. You look like you’re doing great.”
Rurik refrained from calling his captain a dickhead. It was hard.
Chapter Six
Durham, North Carolina…
“Libs, have you given any more thought to what we talked about the other day?” asked Daisy as she got comfy in the bed.
“About me quitting my job at the university?” asked Liberty.
Daisy nodded. “With everything that’s been happening in the science department, I don’t think it’s safe for you to be spending so much time there.”
“I’m working on my doctorate. I sort of have to spend time there,” protested Liberty.
“Yes, but that is with other students around you. I’m talking about the times you’re there for the work side of things,” said Daisy.
“I’m not even in the science department right now. Not with everything that’s happening,” said Liberty.
“Don’t you think it’s weird that nothing has been in the paper about it all? Not to mention that one detective who came here to the house to interview you right after it all happened, who’s not even a real detective. He’s some random guy no one knows anything about,” said Daisy.
“We know that he seemed to take an interest in Isobel,” said Liberty. “But the rest is really odd. It does kind of line up with Isobel’s theories.”
Daisy grunted. “I can’t believe she called that detective on his bullshit credentials and was right. I just thought she was a raging lunatic.”
“Same,” said Liberty. “Do you remember the third degree she gave that one crime scene reporter? That woman? The one who kind of gave us all the creeps. She just kept staring at us all weird and stuff.”
Daisy nodded. “I do remember. I can’t blame Isobel, there was something off about the woman.”
Daisy’s brows lifted. “She was familiar. I can’t place how or why. But the way Isobel reacted to her says if we leave our friend unattended around the reporter, the reporter is going to get her butt kicked.”
“Isobel did respond kind of aggressively to her, didn’t she?” asked Liberty.
Daisy nodded. “Isobel always runs kind of hot, pun intended, but that was intense. And the way the reporter kept looking you over like she was sizing you up. Super weird.”
Liberty agreed. It was weird. “Not to mention, for all the digging she did and all the questions she asked, no story ever ran anywhere that we could find. And trust me when I say, Isobel can find anything on the internet.”
“You’re right,” admitted Liberty. “Do we dare tell Isobel that we’re starting to buy into her conspiracies?”
Daisy’s eyes widened. “Uh, let’s hold off a bit. She’s unpredictable enough as it is. If we feed into that state of mind, there is no telling what she’ll do.”
“True,” confirmed Liberty.
“Maybe we need to distance ourselves more from it all. The fact that people have up and gone missing is yet another sign of how dangerous this can all be. My gut says you need to be extra careful and pull back and stay close to the house.”
“I’ve been a teacher’s assistant for Dr. Pasternak for three weeks now,” Liberty reminded her. “He’s hardly dangerous. Unless you count the risk of me dying from boredom or the fact he’s kind of strange. You know how some people will say a book is long and boring—like War and Peace? He just wrapped up weeks of discussing the actual War and Peace book. Now he’s on to another Tolstoy.”
“I don’t know,” said Daisy. “He’s more than just strange. Something bothers me about him.”
Liberty bit at her inner cheek. “I hear other students call him a silver fox. I don’t get it. I don’t find him sexy at all.”
Daisy laughed softly. “Oh, I see what they’re talking about. Technically, he is totally a silver fox, but he’s just…I don’t know. He bothers me, but I’ll give credit where it’s due. He’s
