Page 139 of Double Bucked

He lifts a letter off the bedside table and drops it in my lap. When I read it, my blood goes from hot to cold real quick.

The note just says: I’m sorry. I have to finish this.

On the front is an invite, pronouncing Claire this year’s Belleflower Queen.

“The Belleflower Festival. Shit. You don’t think she?—?”

“Yes.” Everett’s voice is coiled tight, like a spring ready to unload.

“But she knows they’re dangerous.”

“Yes. And when has that ever stopped someone as stubborn as Claire from getting what she wants?”

“Good point.”

Alright. I’m up.

I leap out of bed, grab my jeans off the floor, and tug them on.

There’s a lot buzzing around my brain. The way the three of us tangled last night. The Belleflower Festival today. The dream this morning.

But I’ve gotta flick it away. Because there’s only one thing that matters.

Find Claire. Keep that woman safe. Even if I’ve gotta hog-tie her and drag her home to do it.

A shadow falls over me. I glance up midway through pulling on my boots. Everett is standing over me. He’s got a man-purse over his shoulder and an open palm in front of me.

“You have something that belongs to me,” he says.

Huh? Oh, right?—

I pluck out the right ear pod and hand it over. “Thanks.”

He takes it from me, rubs it clean with a small square cloth, and then pops it back into his ear.

One of his many weird habits that I would’ve found annoying twenty-four hours ago. Now? It’s kinda charming.

Anyway.

I pull on a shirt and tuck a handkerchief around my throat. As we walk downstairs, Everett asks, “What does yellow mean?”

I touch the handkerchief on my neck. “For good luck.”

“Good. We’ll need it.”

My body craves coffee, pancakes, and aftercare. Instead, I get?—

Everett’s hand on my chest. Stopping me before we exit. His firm touch stops me in my tracks.

“One last thing,” Everett says. He reaches into his man-purse and takes out a gun. He hands it over. “Take this.”

“No, thank you.”

Those eyebrows scrunch together. “What do you mean?”

How do I explain this to a killing robot? I try: “You ever watch The Lone Ranger?”

“What?”

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