Page 120 of It Starts With A No

She missed Mrs. E and her Grandma Moretti.

And maybe … just maybe … some of her tears were shed because all the wonderful memories she had of Mr. and Mrs. E only seemed to compound how impossible things were for her and Seth.

“Where is it?”

Clary spun around. Framed by the French doors was a face she never expected to see at the mansion. “Neil.”

Still in his suit, with his checkered red tie loose around his neck, the president of the boys’ club marched toward her.

Without the added height from her stilettos, or perhaps it was Neil’s menacing look, Clary felt the full oppression of his height advantage over her. “What—How—”

Neil stood in front of her. “Where is it?”

“Where is what?”

He bent forward, forcing Clary to lean back. “The watch!”

She recoiled further back, and the back of her leg hit the stone railing.

The railing that was too low to provide her any real support.

If she were to lose her balance, she would go right over.

“Where is the watch?”

Clary shut her eyes and forced herself to remain in place, then realized she was being stupid. So she sucked in a breath and screamed, “Help!”

Neil’s hand covered her mouth, and his other arm wrapped around her abdomen. “Where is it?” His hand and arm squeezed tighter, making it difficult for her to breathe. “Where is that watch?”

Clary twitched her face this way and that, and forced herself to open her mouth.

Neil tried to close his hand tighter over her mouth, so she did the only thing she could.

She chomped down on his fingers that had slipped into her mouth.

“Ahh!” He threw her to the ground as if she was nothing but a rag doll, and cursed at her while he checked his fingers.

Shaking his hand twice, Neil turned his intimidating glare back to her.

Clary kicked herself back as he moved toward her. When her back hit the railing, she pushed herself along the row of white stone balusters.

“Where is that—”

There was a thud, and Neil’s eyes rolled back before he dropped to the ground.

Behind him, Andrea stood, a cast-iron skillet in hand. She flipped the skillet in her hand. “This thing is heavy.”

Clary pressed a hand to her chest and sighed. “Oh, thank God.”

Andrea held a hand out toward Clary.

“Thank you, too.” Clary took Andrea’s hand and got back to her feet. “That’s a perfectly seasoned skillet.”

Andrea arched a brow.

“Please tell me you used the underside of the skillet to hit him. I don’t need any grease from his hair on the cooking surface.”

“Of course I used the back. Had to make sure I hit him with a flat.” Andrea gave Neil a kick, then peered over at Clary. “Are you okay? I need to go check with the police.”

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