Page 85 of Unexpected Redemption

“Should we go, Boss?”

He blinks twice and stands, dusting his hands along the front of his shirt. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

A smidgen of guilt creeps into my chest over my snarky attitude. Fortunately, my persistent nausea makes that guilt so uncomfortable it quickly exits the way it came.

I’ve had enough guilt and shame for one lifetime.

Good riddance.

Chapter 17

Deep inside the cocoon

TOMER

Lettie winks at me as she unexpectedly sashays into the lair, making my heart rate increase. “Hi, gang.”

“Hey, Lettie,” Mia chirps, unfettered excitement in her tone.

Boss comes in behind her, dampening my mood a touch. Still so damn awkward.

Klein lowers the volume on his Rat Pack playlist. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“We got a message from Savin and Tasha,” Big Al responds, wasting no time in getting to the point. “I asked Lettie about it, and aside from a butterfly reference, we’re at a loss. Thought we could talk through it.”

No clue why he’s bringing Lettie into this. I’m not opposed to her helping, but I don’t want to sacrifice her emotional wellbeing.

Giving her a quick glance, it’s clear she’s eagerly participating. It settles my worries some.

I clear my throat. “Is this about the box?”

Boss nods, holding my eye contact for the first time in a while. “Yes. I had my WITSEC contact relay a few questions. They answered about the box. Not the others.”

“Answering might be a stretch,” Lettie quips. “Listen to this message.”

Boss glances at his tablet. “Best thing about butterflies is deep inside cocoon is where magic happens.”

He lowers the tablet, his eyes searching our faces for any signs of recognition. More than likely, he’s finding none. That message is freaking baffling.

“Tasha called mebutterflywhen we were in the house,” Lettie offers.

“Well, what’s deep inside your cocoon?” Klein jokes, then immediately cups his hand over his mouth. His eyes triple in size. “Sorry, Lettie. I didnotmean for it to come out that way.”

Lettie busts out in hysterics, her gentle giggle quickly becoming an outright cackle. Mia and I join in. Klein lowers his head to his desk with a soft thud, his ears turning as red as a tomato.

Boss saunters over to our whiteboard and writes the message across the top. Occasionally, his shoulders shake with silent laughter.

I trade looks with Lettie, and she discreetly places her hand on her belly. Our baby is deep inside the butterfly’s cocoon. I wink at her, bringing a fresh wave of rosiness to her cheeks.

When the vibe sobers, Boss tips his head at my girl. “My gut tells me the message was intended for Lettie, or she might be the key to solving it.”

“Would have been nice if Savin and Tasha were clear about that shit,” I grumble, tracing my eyes over the top of the board to study the message.

“They’re responding in code because they don’t trust anyone,” Mia throws a glance at me before returning her line ofsight to the board. “I suspect they don’t even trust their WITSEC coordinator. Probably think the message will make it to the wrong people. If they’re too clear, whatever’s in that box will be in jeopardy or lose value.”

“Where is the box?” Lettie asks me. “Is it still at home?”

“I brought it in the other day.” Retrieving it from a shelf, I place it on the table and sit beside Lettie. If looking at it upsets her, I should be close enough to offer comfort.

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