Page 97 of Exes Don't

I dance around the comfy chairs, wiping away our customers’ coffee rings on the end tables and singing a Christmas carol about sleigh bells, when a knock on the front window makes me scream.

I clutch my chest and whirl around, squinting into the darkness outside. Because of the lights of the store, it takes a minute for me to register who I’m seeing.

36

Die Trying

Rose

My heart lurches because, at first, I think Anton is standing outside, waving at me. But that’s wishful thinking at its finest. Upon further inspection, I clearly see it’s Duke.

He points to the door, beckoning me to let him in.

I hesitate, weighing my options. He appears to be alone. I could take him if I had to, though I don’t know if he’s armed. I could keep the door locked and not let him in, but that would give away that I’m wary of him and could potentially bring more danger to Anton’s door. That’s the last thing I want.

I decide to play it cool and see why Duke is here—if for no other reason than to satisfy my own curiosity. I’m anxious for any update from Anton’s world. It’s been a whole week, and other than catching part of his away game on Sunday, I haven’t heard anything from my father or my former team about where the threat level is at.

I flip the lock on the door and pull it open. “Duke. What are you doing here?”

He peers beyond me into the empty bookstore. “Can I come in? I need to talk to you. Alone,” he adds.

I hold the door wider in response, and he walks in, stomping his shoes on our entry rug.

“What’s going on?” I swing the door shut and lock it again. If anything goes sideways with Duke, I have definite homefield advantage.

“Anton told me you were hired to protect him from a security threat.” He watches me closely.

I swallow and nod. “That’s right.”

“What kind of security threat?”

Your kind. I stop myself from saying as much…but barely. Instead, I choose my words carefully. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I’m worried about my cousin.”

I stare him down. The stress lines bracketing his mouth make him look incredibly genuine. Still, I keep my guard up.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you. I was released from the security firm where I used to work, and we were informed that Penwick Palace didn’t have need of our services anymore.” Queen Della made thatveryclear over the video call on the night I was fired.

Duke starts pacing.

“None of this makes sense,” he mutters.

“What are you talking about?”

“The threat against Anton. I’ve done some digging this week, after Anton told me about it.”

I arch an eyebrow.

“I have a background in cyber tech.”

“What kind of background?”

He just stares at me.

I connect the dots. “You’re a hacker?”

“On the record, absolutely not.” Duke tips his head side to side. “Off the record, I could shock you with the information I’m able to find.”

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