We need someone not known in Urbium. “How about the bikers that you used for security at Dahlia’s pre-bachelorette?”
Vex groans.
Taylor laughs. He doesn’t value his life very much.
“That’s a great idea. The Children of Chaos hate human trafficking. They’d probably volunteer to do it for free.” Maddox jots a note down.
“I’ll pay them twice their normal fee,” Vex offers.
He really doesn’t like being beholden to anyone. “Oh, and not related, I need to get with you to hire them to protect Dahlia while I fly out to check on this Eva person who got paid by the same company as Plant.”
“That’s another bad idea. No one is going to tell you their secrets unless you torture them. This is supposed to be under the radar.” Everyone is looking for a fight today, even Maddox.
Though he isn’t wrong.
“One of my guys can go. They know how to be friendly yet inconspicuous.”
“Send Canyon,” the words blurt out of my mouth unbidden.
Taylor and Maddox both laugh.
I get Taylor finding this funny—he probably already figured out the connection—but why is Maddox laughing?
“Canyon is currently occupied at the moment. He’s fallen in love with our resident baker, Fiona. But I’ll find someone to send out there immediately.”
My dad raises an eyebrow at me, but doesn’t say a word.
The meeting goes on, but my brain zones out, focused only on one thing…her.
Bloody And Bruised
Fiona
If one more person comes up and congratulates me, I might lose my mind. Seriously. Lose my mind. The picnic table seems to be fair game for everyone to approach me, as does the street.
This is getting to be the biggest ‘thing’ to ever happen on the street, and I might lose my mind and come clean, which will just make the whole Hope thing worse.
I fold the dough over.
Why is a teenage girl affecting your life this much? You’ve talked to hundreds of them. Dealt with way worse problems than this…surprise pregnancies, STDs, severe illnesses, death. A teenage girl who thinks she’s going to play matchmaker hardly makes it on the scale of the worst things in my life.
Press.
Fold.
Turn the dough.
Fold.
Press.
The repetition should help take my mind off of all the weirdness in my life—like the fact that Max and Dash are outthere learning to code. Or the fact that I didn’t take him to daycare for a second day in a row.
Or the fact that Daria finds it hysterical to ask how my day is going every time she sees me.
It’s definitely not the fact that every one of my friends who knows about Canyon and me dating is probably planning our wedding in their head.
Press.
