‘Well, Emma,’ Shaw said, brushing down his suit and turning to her. ‘What did you think of our young Master Lehnsherr?’
Emma made no move to answer and merely stood there, tight-lipped and silent.
‘Of course you didn’t see him at his best there,’ Shaw said, tipping his head in acknowledgment. ‘I actually don’t think that being in a pleasant, family-filled diner agreed with him very much. It would, of course, be akin to trapping a wild panther in a nursery full of noisy children.’ Shaw sighed happily at the image.
Emma’s mouth tightened imperceptibly.
‘That being said,’ Shaw continued in a rueful tone. ‘I meant what I told him; I cannot allow him to interfere any longer. He has trespassed on my kindness for long enough, and now he is simply taking advantage of my affection for him.’
Emma barely prevented her lips from turning up in a sneer.
‘So it is that I must now lay out precautions against my little protégé,’ Shaw sighed. ‘I can’t tell you how much I despair of his stubbornness. He always was a headstrong little boy. I don’t see why he can’t just swallow his pride and do what he was always meant to and join me at my side.’ He shook his head sadly. ‘Children never do appreciate their parents.’
Emma, who knew exactly what had happened to Erik’s actual parents from her time in his head, said nothing.
‘Now here’s what I want you to do,’ Shaw said abruptly, turning and looking at Emma with a thoughtful glint in his eye. ‘I want you to leak the idea that my location has been compromised. Plant it so that the information spreads quickly but not too suspiciously. Allow it to flow through to the usual channels. Use the location of that pretty little hotel that we stayed in a few weeks ago.’ Shaw allowed himself a smile. ‘I’m sure that Erik’s little mole will cotton onto the news soon enough. And so if dear Erik chooses to ignore my warnings and to come after me - well …’
‘You will be waiting for him,’ Emma finished, sounding supremely unimpressed.
But Shaw shook his head.
‘No, my dear,’ he said. ‘I’m afraid not. I think Azazel and Janos will be able to take care of it for me.’
‘No doubt because you don’t want to raise a hand against your precious former protégé,’ Emma said snidely.
Shaw raised an eyebrow at her.
‘Nonsense, my dear,’ he said coolly. ‘It will be because you and I will have better things to do with our time.’
Heat - Part 20a
--------------------------------------------------------------
‘Well, Emma,’ Shaw said, brushing down his suit and turning to her. ‘What did you think of our young Master Lehnsherr?’
Emma made no move to answer and merely stood there, tight-lipped and silent.
‘Of course you didn’t see him at his best there,’ Shaw said, tipping his head in acknowledgment. ‘I actually don’t think that being in a pleasant, family-filled diner agreed with him very much. It would, of course, be akin to trapping a wild panther in a nursery full of noisy children.’ Shaw sighed happily at the image.
Emma’s mouth tightened imperceptibly.
‘That being said,’ Shaw continued in a rueful tone. ‘I meant what I told him; I cannot allow him to interfere any longer. He has trespassed on my kindness for long enough, and now he is simply taking advantage of my affection for him.’
Emma barely prevented her lips from turning up in a sneer.
‘So it is that I must now lay out precautions against my little protégé,’ Shaw sighed. ‘I can’t tell you how much I despair of his stubbornness. He always was a headstrong little boy. I don’t see why he can’t just swallow his pride and do what he was always meant to and join me at my side.’ He shook his head sadly. ‘Children never do appreciate their parents.’
Emma, who knew exactly what had happened to Erik’s actual parents from her time in his head, said nothing.
‘Now here’s what I want you to do,’ Shaw said abruptly, turning and looking at Emma with a thoughtful glint in his eye. ‘I want you to leak the idea that my location has been compromised. Plant it so that the information spreads quickly but not too suspiciously. Allow it to flow through to the usual channels. Use the location of that pretty little hotel that we stayed in a few weeks ago.’ Shaw allowed himself a smile. ‘I’m sure that Erik’s little mole will cotton onto the news soon enough. And so if dear Erik chooses to ignore my warnings and to come after me - well …’
‘You will be waiting for him,’ Emma finished, sounding supremely unimpressed.
But Shaw shook his head.
‘No, my dear,’ he said. ‘I’m afraid not. I think Azazel and Janos will be able to take care of it for me.’
‘No doubt because you don’t want to raise a hand against your precious former protégé,’ Emma said snidely.
Shaw raised an eyebrow at her.
‘Nonsense, my dear,’ he said coolly. ‘It will be because you and I will have better things to do with our time.’
But Emma shook her head.
‘Maybe you will,’ she said grimly. ‘But I won’t.’