Page 28 of Regally Binding

“You spend more time swiping apps than pulling pints, so give me the number,” she hissed before shouting, “One minute, Strike.”

“Hold on. I’ve got to remember what I saved it under.”

Liss tapped her foot incessantly against the tiled floor.

“Felicity, I need to speak to you now,” Strike called more urgently.

“I’m taking a big dump,” she sang.

“What?” Ewan asked, his voice climbing several octaves.

“That wasn’t meant for you,” she whispered as Strike continued to knock on the door. “The number, Ewan, now.”

“You’re a rubbish liar, Liss,” Bear called out. He’d returned! The knots in her belly fluttered, and she grumbled at their betrayal. “And why have you got the taps on if you’re on the loo?”

“Because I don’t like people listening while I’m on the toilet like you two knobheads are doing right now,” she thundered back.

The heat from the hot tap created enough steam to write on the mirror, but time was running out, and Strike’s knocks were turning to door-wobbling bangs.

“I’d saved it under ‘Screams BallBags When Cums’. I guess you knew that about her.”

Of course she didn’t know that. Before she told Ewan how much of a dickhead he was, he read out the number, and she used her finger to write it on the mirror.

“Thanks,” Liss replied, hanging up.

“If you don’t come out, then we’re coming in. We need to know you’re safe,” Strike shouted.

Liss flushed the toilet. “I’m fine.” Her fingers flew over the phone as she messaged Isla. She needed another minute to get the number in.

“I’ll count to ten, and then the door is coming down,” Bear shouted. Every time he spoke, her body scorched. “Whatever you’re up to, I’m sure it’s something you shouldn’t be doing.”

Liss hit send.

“One…two…three!”

Quickly, she wiped the number from the mirror. Goodness knows how many random people would send Isla messages whenever the bathroom steamed up in the future.

“Six, seven,” Bear shouted. She imagined a sexy game of hide and seek with him hunting her down. She suddenly flicked off the taps.

“Nine,” he shouted as she deleted the message and the call history and unlocked the door to a snarling Bear.

“Can’t a lady use the bathroom in peace?” she said with a hand on her hip. Bear snatched the phone.

He scrolled the history. Liss silently begged Isla not to reply yet. “Why do you need a phone when you go to the toilet?”

“Haven’t you sat on the toilet with a phone? Aren’t you cultured? I was searching for a game.”

“You’ve played enough games,” Bear grunted.

“Bear and I have to go. We’re leaving one of our staff with you.” Strike pointed to someone who looked the same age as Isla’s teenage brother.

“He’s a bodyguard?” she asked incredulously before wincing at her rudeness.

“He is our IT specialist. He can hack anywhere and is only with us, not in prison, because he promises to use his powers for good. Right, Luke?”

Luke nodded.

“We won’t be long. Something has come up with another job,” Bear grunted. “Don’t do anything stupid, and stop hiding in the bathroom.”

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