Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

Without missing a beat, Sylvia blurted out, "Well, handcuffs come in a pair."

The moment the words left her mouth, the shop owner caught on, grabbed another handcuff, and promptly snapped it onto Rupert's wrist.

"There you go, a pair! Now when you two hold hands, it's like wearing handcuffs."

Only then did Sylvia realize that ever since the shooting range, Rupert had been holding her hand the whole time.

She tried to wriggle free, but his grip didn't budge an inch. Frustrated, she glared at him. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Rupert didn't even bother denying it. Still holding her hand, he just said, "This thing's pretty ugly, you know."

Ugly, yet you convinced the shop owner to slap another one on you. Real smooth.

The cheap metal of the handcuff looked even more ridiculous next to his watch, which probably cost as much as a new car.

Sylvia turned around. The group of men who had been tailing her earlier had vanished without a trace.

She shot Rupert a look. "Who were those guys? You definitely know."

Rupert hesitated for a second, his voice dropping cold. "Don't worry about it."

"If I don't worry about myself, who will?" Sylvia snapped back, her patience wearing thin.

His words faded into the background, swallowed up by the noisy crowd.

Sylvia thought she caught what he said, but she couldn't be sure.

By the time she snapped out of it, she found herself standing outside a little diner -the kind of greasy spoon that served the best burgers and fries in town.

packed inside, so they grabbed an empty table outside, under a plastic canopy that flapped in the

handed her

at the diner's sign. It was exactly the place she'd

"Have you been following

blank. "You think I have that much free time? I was just

rolled her eyes, realizing

menu. "Uncle Rupert, you want

not

breath, "If you're so high and mighty, why are

a cigarette, cupped his hand around the lighter, and kit up with a practiced flick. Even sitting

haze of smoke, he half-lowered his eyes.

arrived quickly, and she dug into her food, grateful for

his gaze unreadable—intense in a way that made her nervous, but she couldn't figure out

Rupert stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and said quietly, "Don't

those men from earlier, Sylvia had to admit he had a point. She

a napkin, but all that was left

burger grease,

more napkins. But Rupert caught

tissues from his pocket-decorated with silly cartoon

could even react,

of her mouth with

tingle in a way that

caught her off guard.

wasn't until she noticed people at the next table staring that

away, and wiped