Page 142 of Hard Heart

“Do you have any idea how much that costs?”

“Not really. I let Chase handle the logistics.”

To be fair, I didn’t know the exact figure either, but I was positive it would be way out of my budget.

“I can barely afford gas for my car.”

“Chase, can you also put gas in Serafina’s car?”

“Sure.”

“I feel like you’re missing the point here. Leasing a helicopter is crazy.”

“You’re right—I’m travelling way more than I used to. Chase, can you please buy a helicopter?”

“I’ve fallen into the twilight zone,” I muttered.

“No kidding,” Dice said. “She used the word ‘please’ in a sentence.”

Ari put an arm around my shoulder. “Alexa would make the Forbes List, if Forbes knew she existed. She could buy five helicopters and it wouldn’t even put a dent in her snack budget.”

Oh.

“Are you going to eat that croissant?” Alexa asked, and when I shook my head, she helped herself to the last cheese-and-ham pastry. “We’ll need a pilot too.”

I really had fallen into the twilight zone.

CHAPTER 44

JEZEBEL

There wasn’t a part of Jez that didn’t hurt, but the worst ache was in her head. Was she overthinking things? Her brain felt sludgy, her mind dull. A bunch of flowers sat on the nightstand, roses and peonies, her mom’s favourites. They’d been delivered to the security building by the gate, no note, no card, but she was certain they’d come from her father.

Jeremy Pope was still out there, watching.

Spider and Dice had stayed, Echo and Ari—aka Coyote—had been there since yesterday, and Tulsa had flown in to commiserate. The rest of the team was assembled on screen, minus Priest. He had a call with Demelza at eleven, which was why Jez had scheduled her debrief for that time.

She didn’t know who to trust anymore.

Alexa dumped a box of macarons beside the flowers, and Jez gritted her teeth when her darling friend sat on the side of the bed. Even the slightest movement hurt right now.

“Did they zap you full of the good stuff?”

“A couple of hours ago. It’s wearing off.”

The ribs were the most painful—they hurt every time Jez breathed. Her broken tibia had been plated and screwed back together, and once again, she was wearing a cast. Except last time, it had been a broken fibula and the other leg, so at least she was getting some variety. Her collarbone didn’t need a surgical repair, but under the blankets, the amount of ice packed around her torso made a training exercise in the Arctic Circle seem like a vacay in Cancun.

Tulsa settled into a chair. “I can’t believe I missed the drama.”

“There’s still plenty to come.”

“Oh, really?”

There was no point in beating around the bush. “I didn’t shoot those two nutjobs. My father did.”

It was almost comical, the way their eyes all widened in unison.

Dice spoke for everyone. “What the fuck?”