Page 117 of Sweet Nightmare

Then Artemis speaks without moving a single muscle.

“Most people are stupid and wrong.”

I nearly laugh.

Mika pinches the bridge of her nose.

“Artemis.”

“What?”

“Stop being a brat. You’re trapped in an expensive as hell estate, not a prison.”

Artemis sighs and looks at her guard. “I need to get back on the ice.”

Something in Mika’s expression softens. “And you will.”

“No. If I die here, I won’t.”

Mika rolls her eyes and hides a swallows a laugh. “Oh, come on. Dramatic much?”

“It’s not drama. It’s the truth. With my luck, I’ll step outside and an icicle will penetrate my skull. And if that doesn’t happen, you’ll keep arguing with me until I have no choice but to remove you from existence. Then I’ll go to prison, and my life will be over.” She pauses.“I don’t win here.”

Mika looks exhausted now. “This is unlike you. What’s going on?”

Artemis releases a long sigh. “I don’t like surprises, and this entire situation has gone far beyond a surprise.”

“Well, that’s life, I guess.”

Mika takes a slow sip of coffee, looking like she’s reconsidering whether she can get away with strangling her client.

Then she gestures toward the mountains.

“Do me a favor.”

“What?” Artemis mumbles.

“Look at that view.”

Artemis turns toward the window.

For a long moment, she says nothing and then her eyes soften as she takes in the snow-covered mountains outside.

“It is beautiful.”

Huh.

She just put away her claws but then she opens her mouth and ruins it. “It would be more beautiful if I were leaving.”

And we’re back to ice.

Everything about this woman should drive me insane. And it does.

Yet watching her argue with her bodyguard amuses the fuck out of me.

Which can’t happen because amusement can turn into fondness.

And fondness can turn into attachment.