Page 39 of Love & Heart Braking

Soleil peered down at her outfit. “Maybe it’s too much.”

“It’s too fucking much,” Bain growled.

Her cheeks flushed pink. “You don’t think I look good, Bain?” Step. Jiggle. Step. jiggle.

His chest rose. “I think—”

That was my cue to leave.

Hurrying out into the stupid cold, I walked in the direction of Nox Street to call a hire carriage. I had all the ingredients necessary to make lasagna. Organizing Mrs. Vincori’s dates had me constantly thinking about it over the last few days.

A carriage careened past, narrowly avoiding my shoulder.

“Watch it, butthole!” I shouted.

The carriage stopped, cutting me off.

Oops. I’d only shouted at them like I was tough because I thought they’d keep going.

The door opened, and I noted the emblem on the side.

Not a hire carriage.

A man in a suit stepped out. “Cerys Concordia. We are ready for you.”

That sneering voice was seared in my mind. “You’re the guy from Love in the Dark.”

His lips curled. “How nice to meet you face-to-face.”

“Not returned. The meeting isn’t until Saturday.” I had no idea what family he was from—or if he was one of the twelve at all. I couldn’t tell his type from his tall, lean frame either. But to sneak into Love in the Dark without detection, he would’ve needed to be fast. Unless he’d had a concealment charm. “The meeting is when we say it is. Your time to prepare is over.”

They’d hoped to catch me off guard, the fuckers.

Did I need more time? Soleil had ensured my mind had a chance to withstand interrogation if any Hucses were present. I had the contract too. If a vampire, unicorn, goblin, and a berserker working in law enforcement had been through the contract, then I was woman enough to admit that I couldn’t do any better, especially when one of them was my true love.

“I guess I can come now. One moment.” I beamed at the man, who frowned.

Digging in my tote for a lot more than one moment, I eventually located a paper and pen. “Wait, hold on. I like my pink pen better.” I chucked the blue pen back into the depths and fished around again.

If I wrote in pink pen, Sol would know I wrote the note.

I wasn’t going back into Yearning Hearts for anything, so a note was the only option. When we’d lived together, I saw Soleil’s ass—and far more than that—too many times. I wasn’t eager to add Bain’s ass to the number, nor to discover whether the saying about unicorns and how they were hung was correct.

Sol.

Don’t freak out.

The twelve decided to call early.

Fuckers, right? Just letting you know where I’ve gone

so you don’t slice me up and eat me when I tell you about it later.

I squinted up at the guy, who was white-lipped from waiting. “How long do you reckon I’ll be? Approximately.”

He glared.

“I’ll jot down midnight,” I said pleasantly.

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