Page 10 of Covert Chaos

Lucy popped her head out. "Rachel!"

Ah… Rachel! Nope, still didn't trigger any memories.

Rachel's gaze shot to Lucy. "You're with Mia?"

Again? How did she know me? Her voice wasn't familiar. And was there disdain that Lucy was with me? Who was she dissing, me or Lucy?

Neither was okay with me.

"Where's Hattie?" Rachel asked. "Aren't the three of you always together?"

"She's around here somewhere," Lucy said, with admirable vagueness.

I didn't know who this Rachel gal was, but it was time to take control in defense of my girl Hattie, because I stood in defense of women, especially those I adored with all of my loyal little heart. "We're in a bit of a situation. Can you help us?"

Rachel's attention swiveled back to me. "Maybe. What do you need?"

Maybe?We were crawling on a sticky pub floor. Didn't girl code require that she be all in on helping us? Perhaps I didn't remember who she was because I'd intentionally blocked the memory of Rachel and her lack of female support from my mind.

At that moment, a big, burly man with glassy eyes bent down and stared at me. "Thought Rachel was down here a little long. Who are you?"

"It's Mia Murphy and Lucy Grande," Rachel said. "I went to high school with Lucy."

She knew my last name, too? What the fudge? I waved. "Hey, there," I said cheerfully, sporting my best girly smile. "You have great boots."

Burly Guy looked down at his muddy boots, then back at me. "You're Mia Murphy? You don't look like a drug dealer."

Of course. Right. The past that never dies. "I'm not. I put one in prison."

"So you could bring it to Bass Derby and ruin our town," Rachel said, an edge to her voice that went right through my smushy little heart. "We all know it. You and your demon cat."

My demon cat stared at her silently, his claws flexing in my stomach. Silent stalking King Tut was much more dangerous than growly King Tut. "No, kitty," I whispered. "No attacking."

He kept staring. He definitely sensed Rachel's hostility, and I appreciated his loyalty. But we didn't have time for him to unleash feline mayhem in the Ugly Man right now.

Lucy put her arm over my shoulder. "Mia's a great person. She's a hero."

At that moment, the demon cat in question twisted suddenly in my arms, trying to launch himself at Rachel. Unsuccessfully, because I was ready, but my stomach was definitely going to have bloody claw marks on it when I got home.

I was never sneaking him in anywhere again.

Lucy immediately took her arm off my shoulders and backed up slightly, which didn't really help with my reputation in this dicey moment.

Rachel's gaze narrowed. "That cat attacked the police chief."

"It was an accident." Not really. She was absolutely correct, but it had been heroic, so I was voting for King Tut.

"That cat attacked Chief Stone?" Burly Guy grinned. "Good kitty."

My gaze swiveled to him. Rachel might hate me, but we had a chance with him. "We need a favor," I told him.

Burly Guy raised his bushy brows. His beard was like a grizzly after a long winter, and his red flannel shirt was horrifyingly stereotypical. "I don't deal drugs."

I sighed. "Neither do I." Rachel wasn't about to give us any girl support, but this guy might be just the man we needed. "We're hiding from the cops," I whispered, taking a chance on the type of clientele that frequented the Ugly Man. "Help us."

Rachel kicked me in the knee. "Shut up. The cops are here? Where?"

Um, ow. They weren't in my kneecap, thanks so much.

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