The Epilogues: Part I: Badge of Honor (The Potentate of Atlanta Book 6), Hailey Edwards [year 2 reading books TXT] 📗

The wind got knocked out of me for another reason entirely, and I was grateful to be filthy.

“I would shake—” I wiped the sweat off my brow with the back of my wrist, “—but I’m gross right now.”

“I’m mapping a route myself.” She lowered her arm. “I ran on the hotel treadmill, but it’s not the same as being out with the people and breathing fresh air.”

The part of me that had spent too much time around gwyllgi wanted to growl it was my people and my fresh air, and she couldn’t have either. But it was rude to forbid guests from breathing while in your city.

“I was hoping to get a tour of the Office of the Potentate,” she hedged. “Can I make an appointment?”

An emotion too volatile to call rage simmered in my veins as my territorial instincts roared to the fore.

Ambrose, curling around her ankle, canted his head in a way that asked if I wanted my problem solved. I won’t lie and say it wasn’t tempting to let him handicap her, but those were my darker instincts at play. I could imagine Ambrose whispering what he considered a helpful suggestion in my ear, and it scared me.

Dybbuks who went rogue got dead.

For all that he claimed to be on my side, he had worse impulse control than a toddler when he got snackish.

“Not happening.”

“Remy?” I whirled to find her strolling toward us. “Hey, you’re back.”

She had gone on a buying trip upstate, but I wasn’t expecting her home until tomorrow.

In fact, she had put me in charge of watering her roommate, Lillian, every other day while she was away.

She flashed her needlelike teeth in a sharp grin that showed off the green elastics on her braces. Her spiked pixie cut highlighted the roundness in her cheeks, and the green streak in her hair glowed from a fresh dye job.

I hoped she hadn’t worn the green leather pants, black tube top, and lime fishnet shawl to her meeting, but the suppliers might as well get used to the fact my right hand had a unique fashion sense.

“I heard about the trouble at home.” She zeroed in on Sue. “Lady, I appreciate you want to get a feel for the city you’re attempting to poach. I understand you’d like to get a read on how things are done and who does them. But the OPA is for OPA staff only. No one gets into HQ unless you belong there.”

“Remy,” I warned her. “There’s no cause for rudeness.”

“Yes,” she corrected me. “There is.”

The twitch in Midas’s cheek told me he agreed with Remy, which explained why he kept his mouth shut.

“You’re too polite to set her straight, but you’ve broken your back for this city.” She slid her glare to me. “The job is yours. She’s got no right to show up at the eleventh hour and try to take it away from you.”

“Remy.” I hardened my tone. “Go wait for me at my apartment.”

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”

Once she flounced away, I turned back to Sue and got ready to smooth things over with her.

“Remy is my business partner,” I explained. “She lets her mouth run away with her sometimes.” I might as well put it out there. “I wasn’t aware I was in danger of losing my position except to my past mistakes. None of us expected a last-minute challenge, and it’s thrown us all for a loop.”

“I understand.” She stared after Remy. “I don’t hold her speech against you.” Her lips twitched. “I’ve heard a variation on the theme from everyone I’ve met since I got into town.” She rolled a shoulder. “These people love you. They’re devoted to you. The shifters, in particular, are downright rabid in their support of you.”

“Hadley has worked hard the last two years to earn her place.” Midas found his voice. “Atlanta is lucky to have her.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “Atlanta is lucky.” She wet her lips. “I wanted to tell you to your face why I’m here and what I hope to accomplish. I waffled on whether to come until the last minute, which I’m sure came off as a power play, but it was just me floundering on whether I could pull off this whole thing.”

“I have a meeting to get to,” I told her honestly. “There’s an important case that requires my attention.” I watched to see how she would take it, but she acted as if she had expected a brush-off. “You’re welcome to join us for a late dinner. We can talk then.”

“Great.” Her face lit up as she clasped her hands. “I really appreciate your time.”

“No problem.” I tipped my chin then set off at a jog toward the Faraday. “That was odd.”

Midas, not a bead of sweat on him, power-walked beside me.

Damn his long legs.

His long, muscly legs.

His long, muscly, soon-to-be-naked legs.

“What do you think?”

The long, muscly, soon-to-be-naked legs must have asked me a question. “About?”

Midas caught me staring and cocked an eyebrow. “My opinion on Sue.”

“Oh.” I did my best to appear earnest. “Yes.” I nodded. “That.”

“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?”

“You gave your opinion on Sue.”

Shaking his head, he slowed as we reached Hank. “Shall I recap?”

“Please do.”

“I didn’t smell a lie on her.” He began a series of stretches to cool down. “She came off as earnest.”

“I got the same vibe.” I was reluctant to admit it, but there you go. “She wants to talk.”

“Are you more worried or curious what she might have to say?”

“Both.” I went through the motions with him. “I don’t like being ambushed outside my home.”

Frak.

I hadn’t meant to use the word ambush. It was so…confrontational…and she hadn’t been. Not really.

“We’ll check with Hank.” Midas completed his routine then waited on me. “See if she approached him, or if she decided to loiter in the hopes she would get lucky and bump into you.”

“Okay,” I exhaled, grateful to be done with my workout. “Let’s ask him.”

Given