Page 116 of Dark Endures

Colin stares at me. “What friend?”

“Dahlia Fleur…and also Daria and Fiona—”

“You know them?” His whole body relaxes.

“I’m a bridesmaid in Dahlia's second wedding. It’s wild that they just eloped at a family barbeque.”

He leans back against the wall. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard it at our monthly poker game.”

“Poker?” That doesn’t seem like something Dahlia would play.

“Yeah, Maddox, my brother, McGee, Rage, and a few other people, when they’re in town, get together once a month to play poker and gossip.” He grins.

“Maddox Locke?”

“Yeah, you know him?”

“I work for him, taking care of his snakes. His collection is insane.”

Colin’s phone beeps. “That’s the guys asking about the helicopters. Do you know those people?”

Oh yeah. “It’s probably my friends, Winnie and Cordelia. They’re a bit worried about me.”

“Rightly so. I’ll have them cleared to land and escorted here.” He turns to open the door.

“I...um…just want you to know that I loved your books.” Probably shouldn’t have been fangirling. This isn’t exactly the place for it, but I’ll probably never get another chance to meet him.

“Thanks. It was nice meeting you. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet again.” He smiles and walks away, closing the door behind him.

“What is with this place? Do they only hire models?” Leonie stares at the closed door. “Even the doctors were pretty. Most doctors at the hospital look like they’ve been run through the ringer.”

“If you think it’s crazy here, you should visit Willow Street. There are dozens of hot dads who play basketball every weekend.” A single gal could spend her life drooling there.

“We sound like really bad spinsters.”

We really do. I laugh and move to grab my ribs, then faceplant on the pillow with a groan.

“What happened?”

“It would be easier to just tell the story once.”

Leonie nods. “I’ll wait. But tell me the guy that did this to you is in jail.”

“He’s not.”

“Why? Because I know you, you’re neither stupid nor afraid. So why didn’t you put the idiot in jail?”

“Because he’s my boss. And I moved in with him.”

The door opens in the middle of that sentence. “Who did you move in with?” Winnie steps in and freezes. “What happened to you? Did you get hit by a truck?”

“No, she got beaten up by a man and didn’t press charges?” Leonie glares at me.

Winnie walks over to me. “Give me his name. We won’t bother with the police. I can make him disappear.”

“Winnie, I’m sitting right here.” Leonie rolls her eyes.

“Like you wouldn’t help me. This is Mindy we’re talking about. You don’t have to worry about getting caught. My grandfather taught me how to do it properly.”

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