Page 79 of The Captive and the First Blood Game
“What?” Laura gasped. Tears came easily to her eyes. She swiped at them. “Pregnancy hormones.”
Jodie laughed. “Holy shit, bet Little Miss Mayor is super thrilled about this.”
“Wow, Reyna,” Meghan said, sliding into a chair next to her.
“I cannot believe you did this!” Laura squealed. She threw her arms around Reyna. “You are the best soon-to-be sister-in-law.”
Reyna hugged her back. “You’re welcome. I’m glad it worked.”
“This is great, but…” Meghan began.
“Oh God, here we go,” Jodie grumbled.
“It’s not safe for you or Laura to leave Elle.”
“We’ll be with Beckham. I’m pretty sure he knows how to secure a facility. He would never put me in any danger.”
Meghan glanced at the floor. “Except that time he did.”
“I put myself in danger. Not him.” Meghan opened her mouth to respond, but Reyna beat her to it. “And if he thinks it’s okay for us to go to the bridal shop, then it is.”
“Okay. Okay,” Meghan said, holding her hands up. “I’m just looking out for you. I really am excited about the dress.”
Reyna hugged Meghan and promised to be careful, then dragged Laura away to her room to meet their pickup window. Laura was abuzz with excitement, chatting nonstop about how incredible it was that Beckham could pull this off. A knock came to her closet door at precisely the time Beckham had said, but when Reyna opened the door, she didn’t find Beckham.
“Ladies,” Gabe said with a wink. “Slight change of plans. Come along, you two.”
Laura scurried forward as Reyna made the introductions and they headed out of the room. Laura blushed when Gabe worked his charm on her. Reyna had to refrain from rolling her eyes.
“So…a wedding dress, huh?” he asked Reyna.
“For Laura. She’s marrying my brother.”
“Lucky guy.”
“Oh, shut it,” Reyna said with a laugh.
They took the elevator up to the top floor, went out the steel door, and hurried out into the cold. Reyna was glad they’d once again bundled up downstairs as they hurried into a heavily tinted black van.
Reyna sat in the passenger seat next to Gabe while Laura peered eagerly out the window in the back. She had forgotten that it had probably been months since Laura had left the safety of the underground bunker. She was soaking everything in, because who knew when it would happen again?
“So, why you and not Beckham?” Reyna asked, turning her attention to Gabe.
“I was in the area. Thought it’d be easier.”
Reyna doubted that was the entire story but decided to let it drop. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Do you normally ask for permission?”
“No,” she said with an eye roll.
“Then shoot.”
“The first time I was at Five Points, I ended up two floors up in a black-market blood bank.”
Gabe swerved the van. Laura grunted from the back seat, her hand on her belly, and Reyna clutched the side panel.
“Watch what you’re doing,” she groaned.
