Page 149 of GAF Factor

“Well, I don’t know much about bad guys. Clearly, I’m not as up-to-date on my criminal activity as you are.”

I got down on my knees and looked under the chair, moving on to the couch. How far could I have thrown them? “I just need to get to OPS and beg them to help him. They can do that. I mean, he’s helped them before.”

“Right, and they do this sort of thing all the time. Taking out mobsters and bad guys and…thugs.”

I popped up and grimaced. “Actually, I think they’re more of a protection company, but I’m not one hundred percent sure about that.”

“Then maybe they’re not the right people to ask.”

“Who else am I going to ask?” I jumped to my feet and walked over to her, my eyes filling with tears. “I’m losing my mind. He was going to leave me. He wasn’t even going to say goodbye.”

“What an asshole.”

“I punched him across the face.”

“Then why are you crying?”

“Because I love him and he’s a stupid man!”

She sighed heavily. “Well, then I guess we’d better go save your stupid man.”

“I can’t find my keys,” I stomped.

She picked them up off the table and jingled them in front of my face. “Shall we go?”

I did something very unlike me and flung myself into her arms and hugged her tight. Of course, she didn’t hug me back. That wasn’t really our thing. We did joke hugs and things like that, but touchy-feely hugs were too…emotional.

She patted my back awkwardly and tried to step away. “I’m pretty sure that was way more than two Mississippis.”

“It was.”

“Then you should let go now.”

I stepped back and wiped my nose, laughing when she grimaced.

“If any of that got on me, you’re going to pay with your life.”

I would pay her a thousand times over if she helped me get IKE back. I didn’t question her as she got in the driver’s seat of my car or when she peeled out a little too quickly. I was desperate and that meant I was up for anything. She even made siren noises as we drove to OPS, which—while they weren’t actually useful in any way—made me feel a tiny bit better.

As soon as we pulled down the driveway, I was out of the car and running to the offices, banging on the front door. It was way too early in the morning for the front office to be open, but I knew someone was there. If I shouted loud enough, someone would answer.

“Hey! Is anyone in there? It’s me! Isla! I really need your help!” Over and over, I pounded on the door. My fists hurtand my throat was raw. The cold was seeping into my too-thin pajama pants that I had pulled out of my drawers, and my slippers weren’t really a replacement for winter boots. But they worked in a pinch.

“Hey! I will cut down this door! I will—I will break it down! Do you hear me? I will not be ignored! I am a fierce beast! You can’t keep me out. I’ll find a way in and I’ll make you listen to me!”

A shadow moved inside and someone walked toward the doors. Finally. I pounded again until he strode over and opened the door. It was Dash.

“Hell, do you think you could pound any louder? I don’t think everyone in town heard you yet.”

“If you heard me, why didn’t you answer?”

“Because some of us were working.”

“Well…I haven’t had coffee yet and I’m very upset.”

“You could have used a little thing called a phone. Or…” He stepped outside and pressed a button on the wall. “You could have used the intercom.”

Grinding my teeth, I glared at him. “Are you going to let me in or not?”

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