He caught it before it was out of reach and pulled her back, resting both their hands on his thigh.
“You just told me there was nothing of yours that’s not mine to have, sugarlips, so spill,” he demanded.
He watched her bite her bottom lip.
“Frannie…” he warned.
He watched her let her lip go and she drew in a deep breath.
On the exhale, she said quickly, “The Lahn of this world lives in this city.”
Noc’s eyes went directly to the ceiling of the cab as his lips muttered, “Christ.”
“It’s the natural order of things,” she defended.
He looked back to her. “The natural order of things would put me with the Cora of that world.”
Her upper lip curled.
She knew of Cora of the other world. The woman made the shit Franka pulled all her life to keep people distant look tame. Cora of the other world wasn’t just a bitch. She was a cunt.
She was also dead and Franka knew that too.
“Well, that doesn’t bode well for our futures,” she murmured, her eyes drifting away. “And I must say, I have thought on this before last night and quite often today and it troubles me.”
“Babe,” he called.
Her attention came back.
He studied her face.
Then he said, “You don’t know.”
“What don’t I know?”
Shit.
He released his belt so he could get closer to her, curved her fingers around his thigh and lifted that hand to hold her at the side of her neck.
“You…the you of this world, sweetheart, she passed years ago. A boating accident when she was seventeen.”
Her gasp was audible.
“Yeah,” he said gently. “Valentine told me last week.”
“That…I…” She shook her head and it took her time to get it together. “This news…it’s peculiar. Before, I was concerned about running into her and how awkward that might be. But now, knowing this, all I feel is sad.”
“That’s because it’s sad, knowin’ a girl had her life cut short before she even got a chance to start living it. Fucks with my head, knowin’ that girl looked just like you.”
“Yes,” she agreed quietly.
“As sad as that is, Frannie, it still balances shit out.”
“Pardon?”
“You and me. My destined mate of that world is dead. The you of this world is also sadly passed. Think Valentine told me this just so I’d know, because of that, there’s balance.”
“Oh,” she whispered, and that was all she gave him after that mammoth piece of news.
He grinned and teased, “Yeah. Oh.”
“Well, that’s one thing we don’t need to worry about.”
He kept teasing. “Yeah, strike that off the list of non-existent shit we should worry about since this just works between us, what we got, so we really don’t have anything to worry about unless you make it up.”
Her eyes narrowed.
He leaned close and touched his lips to hers.
When he pulled away he ordered, “Leave Circe alone.”
She drew both of her lips between her teeth.
“Seriously, Frannie, let her live her life.”
She let her lips go. “Valentine thinks—”
“I don’t give a shit what Valentine thinks.”
“But, I agree and—”
“Then you’d be wrong.”
Her eyes narrowed again.
“You’re interrupting me, Noc,” she warned.
“Babe, this is serious,” he returned.
“You are correct, it is,” she retorted. “Very serious. And being serious, I wish for you to explain to me, right now, why Circe is not allowed her happiness. Of the players in this game of universe hopping, Finnie and Frey have found their bliss. Circe and Lahn of Korwahk. Tor and Cora. Maddie and Apollo. And I daresay, when you aren’t being vexing, you and me. So what of the Lahn of this world and the Circe of the other? Are they not to find their bliss?”
“If that’s gonna happen, let it happen.”
“Even if it were to happen without intervention, by the time they get together, Noc, the Circe and Lahn of the other world will have at least three children, that being if Circe doesn’t deliver twins on her husband again, making it four. The Circe and Lahn in this world already have to catch up. There’s no time to waste.”
“You tell yourself that and Valentine tells herself that so you can meddle, seein’ as you’re both addicted to it.”
She pulled away from his hold, saying archly, “And let us see, Valentine has meddled in precisely three relationships, my clothing and shoes yesterday being not an unintentional fashion selection in the slightest. She planted me where she planted me the way she planted me knowing precisely what the results would be from her machinations. You may disagree, for reasons unknown, but from the results…including Finnie and Frey, Maddie and Apollo, and you and me…I would estimate she’s quite skilled at what you call her meddling.”
Shit, she had him there.
“And do you think for even a moment that Valentine or I would wish Circe harm or do that first thing to harm her?” she demanded to know.
“Frannie, calm down,” he urged. “Of course not.”
“Then I fail to see your problem with our plan.”
He didn’t like it. But she was right, which meant he had no choice but to live with it.
“Just, whatever you plan to do, be careful,” he muttered.
She pulled away even further and snapped, “But of course!”