Page 9 of Thorned Vengeance

I chuckle. “If your brother says you can be there then yeah, I’d like you to be there.”

“Oh, Thorn. Your lack of confidence in my ability to bend my twin to my will is offensive. I thought you knew me better than that.”

“Jez, you are one of a kind, ya know it?”

“I know.” Beeping sounds in the background. “Well, that’s my cue. Gotta go.”

The call is disconnected before I can ask her any questions about her ‘cue’, and not for the first time I wonder what Jez does when she’s not helping Saints Purgatory. Scratch that… it’s probably better that I don’t know.

Knowing that I can’t keep my secrets to myself any longer, I quickly shower and get dressed before heading out to the common area in search of Pres. He’s leaning against the bar, holding Harper, his daughter, and she’s giggling at something he’s saying.

I close the distance between us, and he must sense the seriousness of the situation because he passes Harper to Cece, his ol’ lady, and nods for her to give us some privacy.

“What’s up, brother?” he asks as soon as I reach him.

“We need to talk.”

CHAPTER 4

DELANEY

“Can you move the logo to the lower right corner and enlarge it?”

I hover the cursor over the image before dragging it down to the corner where Mr. Barker asked me to move it. Then I click on the corner of the picture and increase the size without compromising everything else on the page.

“How does that look?” I ask while he looks it over.

One good thing about being a freelance graphic designer is that I can work from anywhere and on any project I want. And the best part is that, with the technology available today, I’m able to share with my clients what I’m doing in real-time and then offer suggestions instead of relentlessly emailing back and forth.

Currently, I’m working on designing a new website for a small bookstore owner by sharing my computer screen with him while we’re on opposite sides of the country.

Mr. Barker rubs his chin as he takes in the recent change on his screen. “Something feels off. What do you think?”

I stare at the website page we’ve been working on for the past week. “Give me a minute.” I move some things around to make the design less one-dimensional and angle the logo.

“That’s it!” Mr. Barker yells. “I don’t know how you do it, Delaney, but that’s my vision.”

“Glad I can help.” I save the new file and make the website active. “I double-checked all the links before we hopped on our call, and they’re all working, but if you want to test them out while I’m still on, go for it.”

He nods. “I gave your contact information to a couple of friends of mine who are looking to do some advertising and breathe some new life into their businesses,” he says as he starts clicking around on his computer.

I smile. “I appreciate that.”

“Hey, De!” Mrs. Barker waves as she steps into Mr. Barker’s office. “Are you ever going to come and visit us in our little corner of the world?”

“Hopefully one day.” I wink, and I mean it. “Best thing about my job is that I can take it anywhere, and I’d love to come to Seattle at some point. You better believe if I do, I’ll be stopping by your bookstore.”

Mr. Barker wags his finger at me. “You better, young lady. We’d be honored if you’d stop by.”

“Promise.” My phone vibrates next to me. Glancing down, I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “If you need anything else or something isn’t working right, let me know. I hate to run, but I have another engagement I need to get to.”

“Of course.” Mr. Barker nods. “Thank you again. We’ll be in touch.”

I end the video call and put my laptop into my backpack, along with everything else I’ll need for work for the next couple of weeks. After researching the homicide in Georgia, I decided it’s time to take another trip.

After Daphne was murdered and I was able to function again, I buckled down, finished my last semester of school, and started following any leads I could to track down her killer. Having a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and a minor in computer science helps. It gives me the freedom to come and go without causing my parents to worry. They knew it was our dream to travel once we finished school, so to them, I’m simply fulfilling a promise my twin and I made to each other.

After tossing my toiletries into a bag, I change into a pair of jeans, pull a t-shirt over my head, and throw everything into my car. I promised my parents I’d have dinner with them before leaving town tonight since I haven’t been over to the house in a couple of weeks.

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