Everything about last night – the dance, the sex, the tears – they were all lies.
What’s on that hard drive is enough to destroy me. I don’t even care. It’s what I deserve.
But this isn’t about me.
With that hard drive, she could go to the Conclave with all of Sanctus’ secrets. She’ll destroy me and probably get a knighthood for her troubles. But innocent vampires will have their lives ruined – vampires who trusted me with their secrets.
As much as it hurts, as much as I’ll destroy every hope I have of winning Arabella back, I have to reclaim that hard drive.
“What do you want me to do?” Sinead asks, her hand cradling her phone as someone on the team barks at her through the speaker.
“Call security,” I moan, staggering to my feet. “No, don’t bother. I’ll find her.”
“That’s not what we—”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“No, Gideon, you won’t.” Sinead lowers her phone. “The security team are already responding to an incident. The husker has struck again.”
The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven Group Side Chat (without Arabella)
Mina:Everyone, get to Nevermore Bookshop NOW. Arabella stole a hard drive from Gideon and brought it here. She’s asleep on my sofa and Morrie is trying to extract the data.
Mina:And Celeste and Beth are here for some reason.
Beth:Hiiiiii.
Winnie:What? WHY?
Mina:I don’t know. I woke up and found them all here.
Komal:But Gideon was doing his final grand gesture last night?
Maisie:I guess it didn’t work. Maybe Arabella really does hate him.
Winnie:You’re wrong. Arabella loves him, I know it. She’s just afraid that being in love will make her weak.
Komal:So she commits robbery? That makes sense.
Winnie:It does to Arabella.
Celeste:Okay, so… Beth and I MAY have helped Arabella steal the hard drive from Gideon.
Mina:WHAT?
Celeste:She called me in need of a getaway car. Beth was at Sanctus doing some at-home vampire beauty treatments, so we hung around after the sun came up. Beth helped her sneak out the gates and I drove us back to the village and we got her upstairs.
Isis:But how did Arabella walk around in the sun?
Mina:Isis! We can’t worry about narrative inconsistencies when our friend just committed a crime and tanked her one chance at romantic happiness with the hot vampire billionaire!
43
Arabella
Winnie:You tied his shoelaces together? You ARE evil. Why didn’t you just ASK him for the hard drive?
“CAN YOU GET YOUR BONY ELBOWout of my ribs?” Komal moans.
