Page 147 of Three Reckless Words

I’ve seen a few crushed bees around, but I don’t want to think about it, even if the swarming bugs themselves creep me out a little.

I let Winnie wander through the wreckage, taking it in, mourning her happy work.

I’m still getting a leash on my anger when she shouts behind me.

A surprisingly happy shout, I think. Did she find some good news in this mess?

“There!” she whispers, pointing to the forest. “They missed the one in the woods, I think.”

Before I can say another word, she takes off, sprinting across the garden lawn and heading through the tall wild grasses where the forest begins just past the farthest ruined boxes.

Just like she thought, there’s a box the attacker missed.

“Hey, babies,” she murmurs to the bees as she falls to her knees next to them. “Hey, hey. You guys made it. Y-you’re safe.” She’s crying again, but I’m pretty sure these are happy tears.

A few bees hover up, drifting lazily around her hair and occasionally landing before they take off again. As usual, she doesn’t mind.

Winnie damn Emberly, the patron saint of purple nectar.

The best friend on two legs a bee will ever have.

I stop a little ways back, not wanting to get too close to the small swarm, but she just glances back at me, her face slick with sweat in the balmy air.

“There’s still one left. We can keep this going.”

“Great. When I’m through with it, we’ll turn it into Fort goddamned Bees-Knox, Winnie,” I tell her.

It’s the least I can do.

I’m not used to feeling powerless after I’ve been assaulted.

I hate this shit down to my bones.

I failed to protect my own property, knowing bad actors might come sniffing around.

Worse, I failed to protect her heart.

Her body, her life, maybe.

But what would have happened if she’d been here when the prick who did this showed up?

The thought chills my blood, forming a burning boulder in my throat.

There’s nothing else I can say, so I move toward her, mentally pulling together what we need to protect this last box.

“Cameras, barbed wire, fencing, whatever it takes. If they come back, they’ll be on camera this time. I’ll have access to the app and automations set up to notify me and the police before they get too far.”

“Y-yeah.” She sniffs again, wiping her nose on the back of her hand. She slowly leaves the bee box to rejoin me.

The bees’ distant buzzing gets louder. I swear it sounds unsettled, but she doesn’t make any quick movements, and eventually the last insects unhook themselves from her and rejoin the group.

Yeah, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to bugs crawling all over me. Especially ones that sting.

But the fact that they mean so much to her means I’ll guard them with my life.

“I don’t know, Archer. It’s a nice thought, but will it make a difference?” She looks into my face. “Whoever did this, surely they won’t be back again. Assuming they got away with it.”

“We’ll find out soon. The front camera might turn up a license plate number, a vehicle type, but—”

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