That’s crazy. She’s in the office somewhere. She didn’t take the dog with her—she’s probably messing with the interns.
She’s not in the print room. Or on the roof deck. I try the break rooms.
In the sixteenth-floor break room, several interns are gathered, not working.
“Whereis she?” I growl.
Austin yelps. The other interns scatter like roaches, leaving Austin to face me alone.
“Who?” he asks.
“Mandy.”
“I—I—haven’t seen her today—oh god, don’t kill me.”
“You better not be lying to me, donut boy.”
“I’m not, I swear,” he babbles. His hands cover his panicked face.
My lip curls. “Disgusting. I can’t believe you’re still here.”
“I was about to quit, but Mandy’s been working with me on manifestation exercises and professional strategies, and it worked! I brought in a contract. It’s the old lady that lives next door to my parents. She always likes when I visit her because her daughter-in-law is mean and won’t let her see her grandkids.”
“Of course it was Mandy’s doing.”
Austin nods enthusiastically. “She’s amazing!”
“Hm. How much?”
“Two million.”
“Not bad.”
“Really?” he squeaks. “Do I still get credit?” He’s hopeful.
“Only if you don’t quit between now and the fall.”
Austin gives me a shaky smile as he skirts around me.
I take the stairs up two at a time, not bothering with the elevator.
Mandy is out in the city alone somewhere, without even that useless dog to keep her company. What if something happened to her? What if I’ve just missed saving her, all because I was wasting time on Austin?
If anything has happened to her, I am going to get rid of whoever hurt her, then I am going after Austin for good measure.
I careen around the switchback of the stair and almost crash into Mandy. Grabbing her around the waist, I spin us on the landing. Her mouth makes a little O when she realizes it’s me. In her hand is a huge cup of coffee.
I don’t try to keep the fury from my face.
Mandy backs up, struggling against me. “I just needed coffee. I just went down the street. The line was really long, and I’m not going to steal someone’s coffee—and I did put in a mobile order, but it was the wrong size, and you’re overreacting. Nothing happened.”
I pin her against the wall.
She breathes, “You’re hurting me.”
“I’m not, but I will.” I grab her jaw. “I told you not to go out. I explicitly told you.”
“You don’t own me.”
