Page 62 of The Road Less Traveled By

“Bree!” Tristan breaks the semi-circle we have and wraps his arms around me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay for now, I think. What’s going on?”

Vince clears his throat before he speaks. “My guys are sweeping the place, and the cops have been notified and are on the way. They should be here any second.”

I turnto Tristan again. “Did you tell Teags not to come? I forgot to text her on the way because I was too busy calling you two.”

“You called us?” Tristan asks, pulling his phone out and swiping a few times. “I don't have any missed calls from you.”

“Me neither.” Liv shows me her phone, and my gut drops again.What the hell is going on?

“Over here!” I hear Duncan’s voice shout from the back of the store. I go to move, but Vince stops me.

“Stay here.”

“I want to see—”

“Bree,pleasestay here.” He grabs my shoulders, the look on his face pleading me to stay where I am. “You might not care if something happens to you, but the rest of us do. Stop throwing yourself into the first sign of danger.”

“That’s not what I’m doing.”

“Don't lie to me, angel. I know you’re tired of all this, but please hold out a little longer. Trust that Nico and I will get him.Please.”

“I’ll make sure she stays here,” Tristan says, breaking up the intense moment.

Vince walks away from the three of us, but I hear him speak as he does. “Remember what I said in the bathroom, West.”

“I could never forget it, buddy.”

Liv shifts closer to me and whispers in my ear. “When did they become so friendly?”

I lean over to her. “Maybe punching each other in the face helped them get closer or something.”

“Chris! Get over here!” I hear Vince yell a few moments later.

I turn to my sister, her arm now wrapped around my shoulder. “I’m sorry I ruined your event, Liv.”

“Don't do that, Bree. You didn't do anything—hedid. This isn't on you.” She squeezes my shoulder, and I feel some more tears fall from my eyes.

“I wish I didn't exist. You guys wouldn't be dragged into this mess if I didn't.”

“I, for one, am very glad you exist, Bree. I can’t imagine not having you in my life.”

The kind words are helping, but I still want to disappear. I want to run as far away as I can, change my name, and stop dragging the people I love into all this. I’d leave them all if it meant they were never in danger again.

“Anyone in here right now needs to calmly make their way to the nearest exit quickly and quietly!” I hear Duncan shout, and a few seconds later, Vince rounds the corner of the bookshelves and beelines for me.

“Outside. Now,” is all he says as he grabs my hand and drags me out of the store. The three of us don't argue with him as we get into the car.

“Whose chair was off to the side behind the desk you were going to be sitting at?”

“That would’ve been Bree’s spot.”

Vince only sighs heavily as he looks at me. “There was a bomb on your seat, rigged to activate when you sat down, and when you stood up, it would’ve gone off.”

“A bomb? Like an actual explosive device?” Tristan questions, unsure if he heard Vince correctly.

“Yeah. Nico is jamming the signal for us so the cell phone detonator won’t go off while the bomb squad gets here. It looked like some sort of improvised explosive device…”

---