Page 114 of Hidden Ascent

Isla pulled her earpiece out and threw it at the window before taking a hard left. There wasn’t time to regroup. She had to do something now.

After weaving her way through traffic, she finally came to a stop in front of a door with a neon sign.

The homeless man was still sitting nearby. When he saw her, he straightened. But she didn’t need his help today.

Inside, the afternoon crowd wasn’t as dense as when she’d come in before, but it was still loud.

She spotted Carl behind the bar, talking to the bartender.

“Mr. Blanchet,” she called out so he could hear. “Could I have a word?”

He frowned at her, then said something to the bartender before nodding for her to follow him to the back.

“I didn’t expect to see you here again,” he said once they’d left the noise. “Ever.”

“I’m sorry, but I need to ask you for another favor.”

He laughed. “The self-righteous princess wants to ask me for another favor? Where’s Jay?”

“He’s busy, and I need to get back inside the hospital.”

“Does he know you’re here talking to me now?”

“No.”

“Well, you’ve wasted your time. I can’t get you back in with or without Jay’s influence.”

“Why not?”

“My guy told me what happened.”

“We didn’t give him away.”

“No, but you caused a lot of trouble. Seems to be a thing with you. Misfortune follows you wherever you go.”

“It all worked out in the end.”

“Did it? Then why do you need to go back in?”

“Another friend of mine is in trouble. Well, she’s not really a friend, but she was helping me.”

“Out of her own free will?”

“I didn’t force her to help me.”

“No. You didn’t force Jay either. I’m not sure what people see in you, that they become so eager to please you. But I’m not like them.”

“Please. There’s no other way.”

“And why should I help? I know what you think of me. You think I’m a criminal who only wants to please himself. If that’s true, what’s the point of coming here?”

“You’re right. I did think that, but I was wrong about you. I was wrong about a lot of things. You live your life based on the cards you were dealt.”

He rolled his eyes. “How very generous of you. Look, princess, I don’t need your charity. And I certainly don’t need your trouble. You want help? Ask Jay. He’s much more accommodating than I am.”

“But he can’t get me back inside. If I don’t get in there to save her, she could die, and it will be all my fault.”

“So.”

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