Page 121 of Tactically Acquired

Before I knew it, I was being shoved into a seat, and Ginger took the one across from me. I didn’t need to see her to know she had one leg crossed over the other, and her foot was bouncing daintily as she rested her arms across her knee.

“I don’t understand why you’re not dead,” I went with.

“It’s nice to see you, too, daughter. Is it really that much of an inconvenience to see me again?”

“Yes,” I snapped. “I was sort of in hiding.”

And before she ruined everything, I was getting along quite nicely with Slider. He wasn’t avoiding me and acting like his presence would be the end of me.

“Well, that’s precisely why I had to fake my death. Woody called and?—”

“Woody?” I asked, my back already up. “Why would Woody call you?”

“Because he needed to finish with this film and you just disappeared.”

“Yes, because people were trying to kidnap Spencer and me,” I told her incredulously.

Not that it mattered to her. I already knew what she was going to say before the words were out of her mouth.

“That silly little thing? That’s good publicity.”

“That’s a good way to get killed,” Slider snapped, injecting himself into the conversation.

I caught the swivel of her head and could already imagine the purse of her lips and the judgmental look on her face. “And who are you?”

“Her protection,” he snapped.

“Then you’re no longer required here,” she said, dismissing him as if he were nobody. “As you can see, we’re perfectly safe inside the house.”

“No,” I said, leaving no room for arguments. “He stays.”

“But—”

“He’s here for us, and I say he stays.” My gaze slid to Slider, and I thought I saw the hint of a smile on his lips, but it was hard to tell at this angle.

Ginger was quiet for a moment, but I knew it wouldn’t last forever. “Now that you’re here, perhaps we should call the studio.”

“And why would we do that?”

“Because they’re the ones who suggested I get you out of hiding.”

I felt Spencer stiffen beside me as the air in the room turned cold. “They did what?” Spencer asked.

“Well, it’s not that difficult to understand. You were holding up production with these silly requests. They have a job to do, and just because of your condition?—”

“Ginger!” I snapped, already regretting the fact that I let Slider stay.

“What condition?” Slider asked, his voice filled with confusion.

“It’s time to leave,” I said, getting to my feet.

Ginger stood, scoffing at my anger. “You’re acting like this is my fault.”

“It is your fault. You never should have listened to Woody!”

“You never should have lied to him about going blind!” she shouted, dropping my personal information like a bomb.

I sucked in a breath as Spencer grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward the door. I could see Slider out of my peripheral, taking up my right side, and the anger on his face was undeniable. I barely took two steps out the door before he had his hand wrapped around my bicep and was guiding me down the steps.

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