Page 88 of Dark Endures

“The cars might be an issue.” Dyce walks away. “Unless a chop shop was to start picking them up. Which would be much easier if they had keys.”

Dyce and her interesting friends. “That sounds like a plan. Remember, the leader comes back with us for questioning.”

Pit cracks his knuckles. “I want to question him a few times.”

Canyon rushes in. “I didn’t miss the fun, did I?”

“Nope. We’ll catch you up on your assignment. We meet back here at 8.”

The guys file out to get dinner and talk to their significant others.

“Dyce.”

She stops at the door and turns to me. “Yeah?”

“Have fun. But watch your back when you’re going all commando tonight.”

“That’s Ace’s job.” She winks and walks away like we’re talking about a party and not a mass murder.

When we’re alone, I turn to Canyon. “How is Mindy? She seemed upset when she left.”

“Upset is the understatement of the century. That woman is livid. She gets freakishly polite when she’s mad. I don’t know what you did, but it’s going to take some serious groveling to get her to forgive you. I wouldn’t want to be you.”

The question is, why? What happened between last night and this morning to turn her from sweet and cute to a fire-breathing monster?

Why do I find Mindy to be even cuter when she’s angry? What would it be like to kiss her that way?

That needs to happen.

Soon.

Right after we clear this matter up. Which won’t happen until all those girls are free.

Friends Over

Mindy

When Louisella walks away and I’m all alone with the bees and bugs, I let the tears that have been threatening to spill out all day take over my body.

Mom would remind me that crying gives me wrinkles and I look terrible when I cry, but I just don’t care. Right now, the tears feel cathartic.

Freeing even.

Maybe I should find a park and cry every week.

“You, okay?” Canyon, the sneak, is leaning against a tree by the edge of the garden.

I was until I realized that you watched me ugly cry. “Fine. Thank you very much for asking. How may I help you?”

“Maddox sent me to drive you home.”

A thoughtful jerk. “Thank you for the kind offer, but I’m not ready to go home at the moment and won’t be able to accept the offer you’re so generously making.”

“Has anyone told you that you’re odd when you cry?”

My mother, on a regular basis.

“Since you don’t want to leave, why don’t we go get a coffee and a pastry?”

---