Page 72 of Novice Girlfriend

“Just don’t look at Tracey’s.”

“She would eat you if you did,” I warned. “Jasmine too. Several people.” I left it at that.

I also smiled when he simply put his hand over the phone and moved it back into my pocket, clearly saying he didn’t need to see it.

“I have an idea and I’d like you to hear me out,” he hedged, not sure if his advice was welcome with how he was behaving.

I smiled at him. “Always.”

He was interrupted with work, actually having to go handle something. I stayed with Danny and we actually ordered food. He thanked me for being patient with Winter and allowing something most women wouldn’t.

I gave him the look he deserved. “They should. Winter’s fucking awesome and people should talk things out. He didn’t accuse me and there’s nothing wrong with what he asked. He’s open to sharing me with other men and all this other fucking crazy. Yeah, I should talk shit out with him when he’s not feeling secure in our relationship. Smack me if I ever say no, not thank me.”

“I’ll kill him if he ever smacks you, but thanks, Bev,” Winter said from the doorway.

Whoops.

Or maybe not?

I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t have enough brain power to figure it out, so I left it alone.

17

Bevin

We got situated with food and Winter laid out his idea for me. I let out a slow breath when he was done, not sure it was the right idea but seeing the merits of it.

“You have to start giving people answers and stop letting them speculate, Bev,” he said gently. “I know it pisses you off—validly pisses you off, but look how much better things have gotten about so much after you set the record straight. Fixed everything? No, and there are new problems too. But it’s better.”

That was true.

And that was how there was another PR strategizing session that went too late. It was actually nice that people weren’t in the room, but on video call… Though wild given who was involved. Jean on the same video call as the head of the council? Winter on it muted sometimes while working? The Oliverias with Bernice Shaw?

Wild.

Bernice wasn’t the focus, but she did pop in a few times with Clare after hearing Jean was on. It was pretty amazing that she actually agreed with my idea and would pay off the debt by helping as long as the information wasn’t turned over to the council for prosecution. She wanted it clear that she wasn’t spying and a lot of it was gossip.

Fair. I wanted leads and stuff we could investigate to stay ahead, not build cases to prosecute that could land at her feet. I was honest with that. And I planned to share at least some of it like I had about Hughes so it could benefit them.

“But the digs and undercutting have to stop, Bernice,” Tracey said firmly, shaking her head when Bernice looked ready to explode. “Enough. This is meant to be punishment and some humbling. I want you in the ground for what you’ve done so seriously, swallow your bullshit, and if you give Jasmine gray hair, I will.

“You claw at Bevin’s confidence, I will. Make Jean look bad with this fragile alliance—any of it. Me with my position. Basically, get on the fucking team or get banished like Rebecca because we know of a family head that is planning to name Bevin a goddess witch knowing she’s not.”

“What?” Bernice gasped.

Tracey nodded. “We rescued a woman being forced to mate—beaten almost to death by her fiancé, and that’s the plan. To declare Bevin is the prophesied goddess witch born of a top-tier family and this head will become her priest. Sell the other points of her star to other top-tier family heads and combine families as the ploy. Smaller ones.”

“And what happens to the top-tier families like the Shaws when that happens, Bernice?” Ms. Oliveria asked.

“You didn’t tell me this,” Jean said, her tone cold.

“It just happened,” I sighed and gestured to everything sitting out on the table as if to say it’s always something.

Clare moved her hand to Bernice’s arm. “What would happen to me if they did that to Bevin? They won’t leave me to take over the Millen family next, Grandmother.”

That did it. That was the card to play or maybe Clare did it honestly, but it worked. I could see genuine fear in Bernice’s eyes and she covered Clare’s hand. “I would have done it to support Jean, but of course I would do it to keep you safe. Of course, darling.”

I turned like I’d been slapped before I could stop myself. No matter how hard I tried to not care, I was stupid and still did.