"Stop teasing," I rolled my eyes.
Benjamin's gaze darkened, and his mouth curved up a fraction. "When I tease you, Evie, you'll know."
Chapter Ten
FROST
Spencer: Wait, so I get reamed out by Frost for moving away, but the ONE time I come to visit, he's not even here?
Wells: That's partially my fault.
Frost: Who comes to visit and doesn't tell their bestie they're coming? You're fired.
Spencer: You fired me for moving.
Frost: Blacklisted
Spencer: Why are you in Seattle with Wells? If you're hooking up with him, I better be the best man at the wedding.
Wells: Oh, I don't date hussies
Frost: I don't date Brits.
Wells: He's helping one of my friends at the moment. Like I said, partially my fault.
Spencer: Who?
Spencer: Guys?
Spencer: Is it the subject of those tarot cards? IT IS ISN'T IT.
Frost: Don't you have some mountains to lasso or whatever?
Spencer: Fine. Keep your secrets. I'm watching you, Frost.
Wells: I need new friends.
Tessa refused to let me wear her pink bee hood again, citing "misuse of company equipment," so I was forced to stand under a tree several yards away from Evie while she worked.
I almost died of boredom. Evie worked slowly, talking softly to each hive as she checked them. For half a dozen of the hives, she set up glass plates that emitted a specific frequency to intentionally piss off the bees. This, apparently, caused them to sting the glass plate out of irritation, and the pheromone released from the stinging caused the rest of the bees to follow suit. Stinging glass didn't kill the bees, but it did leave venom behind, and that was how she safely collected venom from her hives. The process was fascinating but actually watching her do it made me wish for Basic Training again.
It was also painful because she was so damn clumsy. I decided she really had been cursed by someone because no one could drop entire hive frames more than once and not learn their lesson except Evie. She dropped things, tripped over grass,fumbled with tools, and generally bumbled her way through bee care. It was maddening to watch from the sidelines and not be able to dosomethingto help the girl.
I kept checking my watch and glancing at the house to the left where a team of security personnel were outfitting the house with sensors, cameras, and floodlights around the house and fences. They looked like they were moving pretty efficiently, shifting from spot to spot, laying wires, and checking their camera readouts as they worked.
I stood under a shady oak tree wearing the least bee-attracting thing I could find in my suitcase, a slate gray, linen button-up, tan chinos, and my—slightly abused—white sneakers. I had on a pair of sunglasses, and I knew I looked like a lazy dick with my sleeves rolled up but perfectly creased and my bored expression. But in my defense, the child didn't trust me with her bee gear anymore.
At some point, Evie's grandmother came out to visit with an honest-to-God pitcher of lemonade, like I was working hard there in the shade. She was wearing another muumuu, this one decorated with pastel seashells, and she had on an enormous sunhat that looked like it could pull in 500 channels, including ESPN3. She smiled sunnily, holding out the tray, and I took it from her.
"Good afternoon," she smiled.
"Afternoon." I glanced over my shoulder at where Evie was inspecting a frame nearby. Evie gasped and turned to face the hive. She was hiding from her Nan because she didn't want her to see the heavily taped, bruised nose situation. "Uh, I think Evie is kind of… busy."
"Oh, she always is," Nan replied with a wave that her granddaughter didn't see. "Do you need a chair, Benjamin?"
I rolled my shoulders, shaking my head. "I'm fine standing. I'm tricking myself into believing it's a substitute for my usual workout routine."
She eyed me with a devilish glint in her dark eyes. "It's clear to me that you do not stand around as a workout regimen."
