Page 38 of Byte

“I think I have a solution,” Jacob said and pulled out his phone.

“You can’t just say that and not tell us what it is,” Keegan said.

Jacob finished typing out his message and placed his phone on the table. “Luca Peccati has several guest houses on his gated and guarded estate. I can’t think of a safer place for her in Cedar Valley.”

“You want me to stay with a mafia boss?”

“His association with the mafia has never been confirmed,” Jacob pointed out.

“I’m not sure how I feel about this,” I admitted. I’d heard of Luca Peccati, but I’d never met him. And I wasn’t buying whatJacob was selling. Confirmed or not, I wholeheartedly believed Luca was involved with the Mafia and was likely one of the top bosses.

“I’ll be with you,” Byte said.

“What?” I asked in surprise.

“You’ll still need protection when you’re traveling to and from work and school, and anywhere else you need to go,” he explained.

I hoped no one noticed how relieved I was when Byte said he’d be going with me. The moment those words left his mouth, all of my reservations vanished.

“What about Shadow?”

“Who’s Shadow?” Keegan asked.

“He’s our dog.”

“You two have a dog?”

“Sort of,” I said. “He was a stray Flint found at Byte’s house. I want to keep him, but my schedule isn’t exactly conducive to having a pet, so Byte agreed to help me with him until I finish school and get a new job.”

“If he can’t go with us, I’m sure Flint won’t mind watching him,” Byte said.

“Or we can take care of him,” Keegan offered.

Jacob’s phone buzzed on the table. He read the message and smiled. “Luca has a house available. When should he expect you?”

“I have clinical hours on Tuesday, so sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

Jacob exchanged a few more texts while the rest of us continued on with dinner.

“Luca said the guard at the gate will be expecting you. He’ll show you where you’ll be staying and get you set up with keys and a gate code. And you’re welcome to bring the dog.”

“Great,” I said. “Now, tell me all about Scotland.”

13

BYTE

After dinner, Gabby and I went back to my house. Keegan asked if Gabby wanted to stay with them, but she declined, saying that her stuff was already at my place.

“I’m going to let Shadow out and put the chickens up for the night,” I said.

“I’ll come, too, and check for eggs,” Gabby said.

I was throwing a ball for Shadow when I heard Gabby’s footsteps crunching through the grass behind me. “Did they have any eggs?”

“Yes,” she said, “but I found something else.”

I turned to see Gabby holding a large black snake. For a brief moment, I didn’t know what to say or do. Finding a snake in the chicken coop didn’t surprise me, but the fact that Gabby picked it up and was holding it like a pet did. I opened my mouth to lecture her on the dangers of handling an unfamiliar snake, but she stopped me before I could utter a single word.

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