Page 51 of Forking the Billionaire

“He hides to eat the cookies without anyone seeing?”

“Maybe.”

We reached a tall metal fence with razor wire spiraled across the top of it. Even if we could have managed to climb up there, there was no way I was taking my chances with the razor wire.

I lifted one of the heavy locks binding the gate closed. They were the key kind, not the combination variety. A rusty metallic scent filled my nostrils. “If you can pick these locks, I’m seriously going to question what you do in your free time.”

“I can’t, and unfortunately, I left my bolt cutters in my other pants.”

“What a shame. There’s probably a ghost on the other side of this fence hiding in a bush wearing those pants right this minute.”

“Maybe we can lure him over to help us.” Jasper flipped a light on out of nowhere, causing blinding brightness and dark shadows to form all over his face.

It took me a second to realize it was his phone’s flashlight.

He cupped his other hand around his mouth, then turned the light toward the fence. “Ghosts, hey, give me back my pants!”

The volume of his voice made me jump. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Show yourselves, or are you too afraid?” he called.

“What would they be afraid of?”

“My overconfident, bloated head, probably. Or maybe it’s my smell.”

I laughed again.

The sound of rustling leaves sent a jolt of surprise through my chest. I went still and silent.

Jasper scanned the overgrown grounds with his flashlight. There, he found a jostling bush. It couldn’t be the wind. The air was still. Something was inside. Despite the fact that my brain knew there was zero chance a pants-stealing ghost could actually be in there, my heart rate quickened.

Under the unnatural light, the bush stilled.

Something smallish and wavy popped out of the branches and shot up into the air. It landed in the grass. I couldn’t see what it was, but I was fairly certain it wasn’t a creature, living or otherwise.

“What was that?” I asked, hoping Jasper had a better idea than I did.

“I recognize that pattern.” He flicked the light off and shoved the phone into his pocket. Then he started pulling on a corner of the metal fence.

“Whoa, what are you doing?”

“Finding my way in.”

I threw my hands in the air and waited for more of an explanation. When he didn’t offer one, I followed him as he made his way down the fence shaking the whole thing violently.

“Aha!” He peeled back the wire, revealing a small opening where the fence was broken at the bottom. “Hold this for me?”

I grabbed onto the fence. “This is a bad idea. No way are you going to fit under there.”

“It’s not a bad idea. It’s an adventure. And I need those underpants.”

“What?”I pulled on the wire as he dropped to the ground and army crawled with his elbows under the fence. “You’re going to get tetanus.”

“I’ve had my shots.”

“The ghost is going to eat your face, and then what am I going to do? You expect me to climb in after you and try to punch him? My hand will go right through his head.He’s a ghost.”

Jasper rose to his feet on the other side and dusted himself off. “There’s no such thing, remember?”

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