Page 301 of The Heart You Kept

“This is your last chance, Edward.”

“Get out.”

“You’ll be sorry.”

“Yeah, you told me that and oh look…here you are asking for my protection.”

She stomps out the door.

“Don’t steal anything on your way out,” I call after her.

“Fuck you,” she fires back as she walks down the stairs. “I could sink this fucking yacht if I wanted to.” She must run into someone on the lower level. “What are you looking at?” she screams. “Get away from me.”

I listen to her yell at everyone on her way out and a commotion as people scurry to get out of her way and I roll my eyes.

Crazy fucking bitch.

ALORA

“What are they all doing?” Jonty asks.

“There’s so many of them,” Freya says as she cranes her neck to watch them.

We’re cleaning the front window of my store as six guards circle around outside. Dressed in their customary suits, they’re talking as they walk up and down the block, while two of them stand either side of the front door.

“It’s like they’re taking over the street, I wonder what the other shop staff think about it,” Jonty replies.

“Right?” Freya says.

“And now that they’ve deadlocked the back door closed, we can’t even go out there.”

“You’re right, this is going way too far. It’s getting ridiculous.” I throw down my cleaning cloth in disgust. “Enough is enough.” I march out the back and dig through my bag for my phone.

I call Edward. Ring, ring…ring, ring…. It rings out. I hang up and immediately dial his office. “Prescott Holdings, how may I help you?”

“Hi, Babette.”

“Hello, Alora.”

“Is Edward in his office?”

“He’s just stepped out for a minute but he has his phone on him.”

Well, he’s not fucking answering it….

“Okay, thank you. Can you ask him to call me, please?”

“Of course, dear.”

“Have a nice day. Goodbye.”

“Au revoir.”

I dial his number again.

You’ve reached Edward Prescott.

Leave a message.