Page 78 of The Pucking Wrong Man

But this...this was what crazy felt like.

Maybe I had a recessive psychopath gene that she’d sparked to life. A psychopath gene that was completely focused on her.

But psychopath me was going to make my baby girl’s life so good once I got her to give in.

Hopefully a lifetime of being a hero would make up for this little...pause.

Maybe that’s what “...” meant.

It was a psychopath pause.

Although, I wasn’t quite sure Disney had a psycho gene in him. Lincoln, yes. Ari, possibly. Disney?

Hard to picture.

My phone buzzed, and I glanced down, forgetting that I’d had Lincoln and Ari park around the corner out of sight.

Ari: I’m freezing my balls off right now.

Me: There’s a little thing called a heater in cars nowadays. You should try it.

Not that I was using my heater. I turned it off as soon as I parked. If Anastasia was going to be freezing, so was I.

Okay, so the two weren’t exactly equal, but I was trying.

Ari: Golden Boy doesn’t believe in heat. Or joy.

Linc: He literally has the heat on full blast, all the vents are pointed in his direction.

Ari: Not sure how he would know since his eyes haven’t left the video feed he has up of Monroe right now. She’s watching TV...how enthralling.

Linc: Stop looking at her!

Ari: Blake’s right next to her! What do you want me to do? Pretend the most gorgeous girl in the world isn’t on your phone right now?

Linc: Blake’s literally on your phone right now as well.

Ari: ...

I blinked. Sometimes I couldn’t tell when they were kidding, but it certainly solidified that they were the ones to talk to about...watching someone.

Linc: So, what exactly is the plan right now?

Ari: Yes, please enlighten us. Because so far the whole night has been the opposite of what I was expecting.

Me: I told you they were really just dogs.

Something outside caught my eye, and I looked up right as a man passed the alley where Anastasia was hiding. He had a scarf covering half his face, and I didn't take my eyes off him until he disappeared around the corner.

I couldn’t take this anymore. It was go time.

Me: Your mission is simple...if you choose to accept it (and you have to because I’m not sure what Geraldine is making Logan do right now). I’m going to let these dogs out…and you’re going to catch them.

Linc: Why does this not sound as simple as you’re making it seem?

Me: Well, I have no guarantees where you will have to go to get the “dogs.”

Ari: Now why did you type “dogs” like that?

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