Raye sat with this a beat before she said, “You know Dream isn’t my favorite person.”
I knew that.
“But she’s been getting herself together,” she carried on.
I knew that too.
“I wouldn’t have picked her for Byron, because he’s ours.”
I didn’t know this, except that last part, but it didn’t surprise me.
“But for some reason, I like this,” she concluded.
“I do too,” I agreed. “And I think she and I are finding our way. Not to mention, she’s just finding hers. When she and Byron went out to get the stuff for his dirty chais, they also bought regular cheese because Byron isn’t vegan.”
For a second, Raye looked stunned.
After that second, we shared another smile.
Nancy appeared out of the coffee cubby then jerked her head back to it.
That meant Tex knew we weren’t working, and he was about to boom something.
We nodded to her.
And got to work.
Honestly?
I should have seen it coming.
I mean, you couldn’t really predict stuff like this.
But we could have probably predicted this.
“This” being me getting kidnapped.
It happened after work.
It happened after a normal day at work where nothing crazy went down, no one crazy came in, and tips were good (not let’s-take-a-vacation good, but they would help).
It happened when I got home.
I was in the Oasis Square parking lot. I’d just parked my car, hooked up the juicer and was on my way to the gate to the courtyard.
That was when the van came tearing into the lot.
I knew immediately I was in trouble, and I made a dash for the gate.
I didn’t make the gate.
I heard the side door of the van slam open right before two strong arms wrapped around my middle and dragged me toward the van.
I struggled and shouted.
I managed to land a foot to his instep and his arms loosened.
But another guy was there, and regrettably, I didn’t get away.
