Page 117 of Creeping Beautiful

Both of my hands go up in defense. “I’m not looking to hire her. It’s just… Indie. She’s… she said that Angelica came to her with a job. She said they’re working together.”

James leans back in his seat. His whole posture changes, becomes more relaxed. “She’s mistaken. Angelica lives at home still. She just turned eighteen a few weeks ago and she might have big dreams about all the possibilities her new adult status might bring, but…” He chuckles a little. “Yeah. That’s not gonna happen. She’s about as normal a girl can be after spending her childhood being trained by the Company.”

I let out a long breath. “OK.”

James nods. “That it?”

“Yeah. That’s it.”

“You having some kind of trouble with Indie I should be aware of?”

“Nothing we can’t handle.”

“Well, excuse me for saying so, but you don’t seem too sure about that, Adam.”

“We have a system and it’s been working… OK. So far. But she took off for two weeks and we didn’t know where she was. Then she fed me this story about Angelica and I just… I already knew it was bullshit but I had to hear it from you. You understand, right?”

“Believe me, I get it. Not a single fucking day goes by that I’m not looking at Angelica with a critical eye. Is she being aggressive? Did she just look at that person funny? I have to know where she is every minute of the day or I go insane. And if she disappeared for two weeks…” He shakes his head. “No. I would not deal with that very well. Did you try to trace her?”

“She’s… good at what she does.”

“I can imagine. No clue, then?”

I shake my head. “But we have Donovan, you know. He’s been treating her this whole time. I don’t know if Angelica had a trigger word—”

“Fuck, no.”

“—but Indie does. Did. Maybe still does.” James just stares at me and I get nervous again. Not for me. But for Indie. Because he could… he could decide Indie has to go. He could decide she needs to be put down. He could decide this little family we’ve made over the past ten years is now over. “Donovan was training in PSYOPS… before. Ya know? And he’s good. He’s got it under control.”

James folds his arms across his chest, clearly not convinced.

I stand up, my drink untouched, needing this meeting to be over. “Thanks. I appreciate you coming all this way to talk to me. I need to get going now.”

He nods, but doesn’t get up or say anything.

So I turn and start walking.

But then he calls out, “Don’t forget about my first warning, Adam. That was not a suggestion. It was a command.”

I stop. And for a second I don’t understand what he’s talking about. But then I catch Misha’s eye across the room and remember.

Get rid of her.

James Fenici just told me to get rid of Misha.

“And listen,” he calls again. This time I look at him over my shoulder. “It’s a hard lesson to learn, but not everyone’s worth saving, Adam.”

I nod my head and then keep walking. Straight out of the bar. Right back to my truck. And then I drive all the way home trying to figure out how I’m gonna tell McKay that Indie is sick.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - McKAY

After Adam’s call I go inside to check up on Donovan and Indie. See how dinner’s coming. Let them know we can eat outside if they want.

They’re both in the kitchen. Donovan must’ve bought beer when he went to the grocery store because they are both holding green bottles in their hands. Indie is sitting on the kitchen island facing Donovan, who is leaning against the counter next to the stove.

Both of them are laughing when I walk in.

Indie sets her beer down, hops off the counter, and comes over to me, slipping her arms right around my waist as she leans into my chest.