Robin wiped her mouth, as the heaving finally seemed to have stopped. Something about what Nimue did and the portal made her stomach very unhappy. As she’d run to the ladies’ room, Randall had called after her. He wanted her to check on something or another once she was feeling better. Just what she needed to hear while she was trying not to vomit in the hallway. She thanked her past self for keeping a bottle of mouthwash in her desk. At least she could get the taste out of her mouth before doing whatever mundane task he had assigned to her.

Back at her desk was a note on her keyboard.

Meet me in the penthouse. Elevator code 5149. Bring any work that needs to be done by tomorrow.

Her belly clenched. He couldn’t be trying to seduce her, not if he told her to bring work. She needed to get her message out to the tattoo shop. She crafted a quick message and reactivated the backdoor program that let her into the printer in the first place. If they had replaced it, she would have to spend time hacking into that one, and time was something she didn’t have right now.

When the printer came online, she breathed a sigh of relief and sent the message through. She used the network to access the security camera in the store and could verify that it had printed while the owner was in the store. Aster’s sister was nowhere to be seen. Robin wondered if they had left, if she had lost her connection to the men Randall had fought at The Farm. A knot formed in her stomach at the thought.

She had never been happier to have such a fast Internet connection. Grabbing her laptop, she made her way to the elevator and punched in the code. The ding of the elevator made her flinch, and as the doors silently slid open, she was so tense she could snap. She tried to practice her breathing, but watching herself in the mirrored walls of the elevator didn’t help her. She needed to mentally prepare for what might happen, even though her stomach turned at the thought of Randall laying a hand on her.

As the doors slid open again, what Robin saw stunned her. The penthouse was full of antiques and ancient tapestries. Definitely not the style she would have imagined. Randall was waiting with a glass of wine as she exited.

“I hope you like pinot.”

“I do.” She’d tried different wines in the cafeteria a few times.

She took the glass from him, thankful to have something to help calm her down. One glass wouldn’t impair her judgment, but it would allow her to relax, which she desperately needed right now.

“I had some food delivered. Feel free to set your laptop up wherever you would like. The dining room is just around the wall there.” He gestured to the wall that jutted out into the open space like a spare rib. The scent of something delicious reached her nostrils, and her body realized it was famished.

Setting down the laptop on the coffee table, which looked older than her grandfather and was probably worth more than her father’s gambling debt, she followed Randall around the corner.

The big mahogany table had clawfoot legs and was covered in takeout containers.

“I didn’t know what you liked, so I got a little bit of everything.”

“Thanks.” This was beyond awkward. She didn’t want to look at him, let alone eat with him, but she was also too hungry to resist the tub of lo mein that sat there calling her name.

“I took the liberty of bringing some of your things up. They are in the guest bedroom. Feel free to make yourself at home in there.”

“Am I staying up here permanently?”

“You don’t have to, but it would be nice if we could spend more time together. I would like you to get to know me before you take Katerina’s place.”

She had saved the lives of the two men who’d attacked Randall at The Farm, by bargaining to take Katerina’s place. She just wasn’t sure what that involved anymore since Randall had said Katerina voluntarily slept with him. She knew there was something rough and cruel involved, though. She had seen the poor woman leaving his office with ripped clothing, blooming bruises, and split lips. The role was not what she’d thought, but she was also terrified to find out what it was. He had never been especially kind to her, so this new development of a glass of wine and dinner made her nervous.

“I see.” She took a sip of her wine and shoved more lo mein into her mouth. The two didn’t really mix well, but she didn’t want to have to make conversation with him. At some point, she would have to get the things she’d stashed in the vents out before he moved her out of her room completely, but for now, she was just hungry. She watched out of her peripheral vision as he picked up some sushi and began eating. Takeout sushi was not what she expected to see him eat. This night was just getting weirder and weirder, but weirdest of all was when he walked away and went to bed. She’d been expecting him to come on to her, or at least try something. Relief overwhelmed her later that night as she finally lay down to sleep, alone. At least for the moment, Randall seemed content to let her adjust to the new situation.