Anarchy (The Stone Legacy Series Book 4) by Theresa Dalayne Page B

every man in the world—quick to get dressed.”
    He laughed. “It’s not like that.”
    He had to talk to the kid. Something told him she knew way more than she pretended. And now that she was stalking around in his visions, it was up to him to find out why.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Nine
     
     
    Jayden had searched the hotel from top to bottom, in every room, on every staircase. No annoying little girl. He even stopped by the room full of computer parts where she spent most of her time. Nothing.
    He stood in the center of the lobby, arms crossed, leaning against the dry stone fountain. “Hey.” Hawa walked toward him with a mop and broom in one hand, and a half-filled bucket of water in the other. “We need to do chores.”
    “Oh.” He stood up straight. “Really?” He eyed a puddle on the floor nearby collecting drops from a leak in the roof. “This place needs serious work, and then maybe a deep cleaning.”
    She set down the supplies. “Yes, I see that. But I can’t turn back time and keep this place from falling apart, so cleaning is the best we can do.” She handed him the mop. “I’ll sweep, you follow with the mop.”
    Jayden stood in silence, watching Hawa gather dust and dirt into a pile while the walls around her were bowed, the floors were splintered, and the ceiling was probably a few years away from caving in.
    “You’re kidding, right?”
    She responded by pushing a pile of dirt into a dustpan and emptying it into a plastic bag. “Are you going to help or just stand there?” She hadn’t made eye contact with him since she came downstairs, and her posture was stiff. “We have to get this done before we can have anything to eat. Those are the rules.” When he didn’t reply, she stopped sweeping and finally looked at him. “ What ?”
    He leaned on the mop. “So…is this going to be weird now?” When she didn’t respond, he frowned. “Hawa.”
    She pursed her lips. “It won’t get weird if you don’t make it weird. So just…don’t, okay?” She returned to sweeping. “We both needed something. We gave it to each other. That’s it.”
    Just a few hours ago, she’d been someone completely different. Her eyes warm, her lips soft against his. Her touch was gentle, and he could have sworn she felt something. That she wanted to be with him. It was the first time in months he’d had a connection with anyone…or so he’d thought.
    He dipped the mop in a bucket of water and slopped it over the floor, following where she had swept. And that was it. Sweep and mop. Sweep and mop. More awkward silence.
    About a half hour later, Jayden dropped the mop in the bucket and sloshed it around, watching Hawa collect the last of the dirt pile. I never knew you had a domestic streak in you, he said with his mind.
    “I don’t.” She glanced back at him. “Now shut up before—”
    “Hey!” A girl’s voice called from above them.
    Jayden stopped and peered up to the second floor. Modem stood with her hands on her hips, staring down at him. “You gonna make me wait all day?”
    Hawa turned toward him. “What is she talking about?”
    Jayden shrugged. “I don’t know.”
    “Why does she want to talk to you?”
    He rested the mop against the wall and walked toward the staircase. “Don’t know,” he lied. “I’ll go see.” He scaled the stairs to where Modem waited, her four-foot-two frame standing way taller in attitude than someone her age should be allowed.
    “Like I said. Dense.” Modem turned and waved Jayden forward. “Come on. We need to talk.”
    Jayden followed her into an empty room, where she shut and locked the door before climbing out the only window, onto a fire escape. She bent over, peering back into the room at him. “You coming or what?” A warm breeze swept into the room, blowing strands of her curly black hair around her face.
    He glanced over his shoulder. Hawa could be on her way up. Better to talk to the brat without her around, which meant