Page 12 of Friends to WHAT?!

Her eyes soften in a forlorn echo of her brother’s, pity taking the place of the kinder emotions that swirled in his blue. Then, more alarming than the pity, resolve takes over. I brace myself and am glad for it when the next words out of her mouth donotbode well for me.

“That’s okay, Leora. You don’t have to be sure at all.” An unhinged, probably-she’s-on-drugs grin spreads across her face. “That’s what kidnapping is for!”

Chapter Six

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Perhaps our girlie pop is alittleafraid of heights. And who can blame her? I heard you can fall straight into love from them.

Leora

After declaring her intent to not onlynotcare about my consent, my emotional well-being, or my future mental health, my former friend grabs me by my wrist anddrags me to Wolfe freaking Blackwood.

Startled by our sudden appearanceright freaking in front of them, Sterne and Wolfe cease arguing to stare at me wide-eyed and slack-jawed. At least, Wolfe is staring at me wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Sterne, instead, stares at the white-haired man, anI told you sowritten in the slant of his lips and the quirk of his brows.

“Here!” Almond chirps, holding my captured wrist toward Wolfe. “Time to take the first step, Wolfy.Snatch.”

“I’m really sorry about this,” Wolfe says, unslacking his jaw. “They were… persistent.”

I tug against Almond’s hold and frown. “I’m seeing that.”

Wolfe grimaces.

“You’re doing it wrong,” Sterne tells Almond. “A single wrist hold leaves her open to fight. You’re supposed to heft her over your shoulder.”

Almond rolls her eyes. “First of all, I couldn’t heft her over my shoulder if I tried. I’ve got the core strength of a jelly bean. Second of all,I’mnot supposed to do anything. This is Wolfe’s show.”

“This isnot‘Wolfe’s show’,” Wolfe protests. “This is Wolfe’s mental break at the hands of his loved ones.”

Sterne sighs. “Am I going to have to do the heavy lifting here? We discussed this.”

My lip curls. I am notheavy. Rude.

“You discussed this,” Wolfe retorts. “I discussed putting you in an insane asylum.”

“Are you going to throw her over your shoulder or am I?” Sterne asks, impatience taking hold. “My lunch break is almost over.”

“You all cannot be serious,” I huff.

“Dead serious,” Almond confirms.

“Really,sosorry,” Wolfe repeats, dragging a hand through his bleached waves. “I promise you I know this is bonkers. I couldn’t stop them.”

“How long is this ‘kidnapping’ going to last?” I ask. “Because I’m supposed to get a shipment in tonight.” And because the sooner we get through this nightmare come to life, the sooner I can pretend it never happened, right? Nothing says I have tostaykidnapped. I can play along, return home this evening, pen a farewell forever letter to Wolfe—in which I will beg him to allow me to keep contact with Amia—and move on with my life. Sure, moving on will entail no longer having a best friend, a hairdresser, or the surety that the fire department will show up if I need them, but I’ll have my peace of mind.

Wolfe and Almond look to Sterne, decider of kidnapping timelines, so I do, too.

Sterne shrugs. “Who can say?”

“You,” Wolfe retorts. “Youcan say. You’re the one with a ‘plan.’”

Sterne hums noncommittal. “Yes, well, the plan can’t commence until one of us throws the damsel over our shoulder.Personally, I’d prefer if you did it, her beingyourdamsel and all, but I can bear the burden if I need to. I have the skills.”

As a fireman, I’m sure that’s true. However…

Ugh.

Ugh.