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

A midnight chuckle caressed my ears as he humored the girls. “Does Rue Hollis work here?”

“She’s our boss.” Camber took over the awkward exchange. “Let me get her for you.”

“We have a new line of hand lotions.” Hiccup, hiccup, hiccup. “Would you like a sample?”

Poor Arden fumbled her sales pitch while Camber, who could usually be counted on to rescue her from a bout of anxiety, rounded the counter and cut her eyes at me.

“Who is he,” I mouthed. “Get his name.”

“I forgot to ask,” she called out, all smiles. “Who should I tell her is here?”

“Asa.” His footsteps thumped closer, until I smelled smoky tobacco and…fresh green apples? “Montenegro.”

The blood drained from my face in a dizzying rush, and I shook my head once.

“Be right back.” She strode into the office, waited to the count of ten, then returned. “She took an early lunch.” She held up a note I wrote earlier in the week. “I’m so sorry, sir. I didn’t hear her leave. She must have gone out the back.”

“Can you give her my card and have her call me at her earliest convenience?”

“Of course.” She resumed her post beside me. “I’ll pass it on as soon as she gets back.”

“I’ll be in town for twenty-four hours,” he murmured. “Can you tell her that too?”

“Sure.” Camber dialed up her sincerity five degrees. “I’ll do that.”

His footsteps receded, and I took my first easy breath since I heard his voice.

“Rue,” he whispered for my ears alone. “You can’t run forever.”

The door opened, triggering a chorus of ghostly moans Arden must have rigged, then shut behind him.

Only after Camber gave me the all clear did I draw my legs into my chest and rest my face on my knees.

Slender arms encircled me as Arden knelt beside me. “Who was that guy?”

“The boyfriend?” Camber sat across from us and rested her hand on my thigh. “He found you?”

Of all the lies I told when I moved here, I regretted spreading the story about running from an abusive ex the most. The cover had done its job, rallied my neighbors behind me. They looked out for me, giving me extra eyes on strange vehicles spotted on our dirt road, lurking near my house, or passing through town.

Their aid allowed me to stay in one place, to put down the shallowest of roots, but it wasn’t freely given.

I had stolen it, and I couldn’t give it back.

The store had been a mistake. I saw that now. I thought I was safe. Clearly, I was wrong.

“He left you this.” Camber passed me the card. “It’s blank.”

Black ink spilled across its face in curling handwriting for my eyes only.

Special Agent Asa Montenegro

Black Hat Bureau

“You’re shivering.” Arden put her arm around my shoulders. “This is our fault, isn’t it?”

“We pushed you into a physical location.” Camber lowered her head. “That’s how he found you.”

“We don’t know that.” I used the counter to pull myself to my feet. “Girls, this isn’t your fault.”

I ought to have known better, I did know better, but I also wanted to pretend this was my real life.

“What will you do?” Camber stared out the glass storefront. “What should we do?”

“I’m going to pretend this didn’t happen.” I shredded the card into tiny pieces to void its tracking spell. A fire would have worked best, but the agent already knew this location. The trash was safe enough. “That goes for you too.” Black Hats were forbidden to harm humans. “He said he’s in town for the day, right?”

“Yeah.” Arden shuffled in place. “You should go home once the coast is clear. Maybe stay there a few days.”

“I wouldn’t want that creep to catch you out in town,” Camber agreed, “or to follow you home.”

Closing my eyes, I pictured my go bag, the one I kept in the closet by the front door. I had money in the front pocket, three changes of clothes, a pair of shoes, an athame, a spell kit, and pollen for my familiar.

I could rush home, pick it—and her—up, and disappear again.

All it would cost me was everything I had built in the last four years.

“I need to think.” I had to settle on an exit strategy if this went south. “Can you guys handle the store?”

“Weird that you should ask.” Camber tilted her name tag toward me. “It says here I’m a manager.”

“Whoa.” Arden flashed hers at me. “I got one too.” She dropped her mouth open. “We must have both put quarters in the same bubble gum machine.”

“Maybe it was a misprint,” I countered, “and your boss was too cheap to correct the problem.”

“Then our boss really shouldn’t have cut us both keys too.” Camber shoved me toward the back. “Shoo.”

“Go home,” Arden urged me. “Take a bubble bath, drink some wine, and think about next steps.”

Wine was the last thing I ought to reach for in this mood. I wouldn’t stop chugging until I couldn’t think.

Hmm.

Maybe she was on to something.

“Thanks.” I grabbed my book then lingered on the threshold to the rear exit. “Call if you need me.”

“We will,” they chimed, lying through their perfectly straight teeth.

Crossing to the shopping center’s dedicated employee parking lot, I made it three steps before rock-hard arms encircled me, lifting me way too high and leaving my shoes dangling a foot above the pavement.

A scream lodged in my throat, and magic singed my tongue in a spell I could spit at my attacker, but there was a familiar weight to the careful hands linked at my navel. “Clay?”

Stones tumbled in his throat as he spun me toward him. “Miss me, slim?”

The smile cutting his rough-hewn face forced my lips into an unwilling curve to match.

“Nice rug.” I rang my fingers through his short blond wig. “Still using Gorilla Glue?”

The unique texture of his skin required an industrial-strength bond to keep his hair in place.

“I had to look good for my best girl.” His grin kept growing wider. “It’s been