Page 41 of Taken By the Bounty Hunter

All patched up and covered up, the blonde woman thanks Joaquin for his help. Her tone is different. More professional and confident than I remember. But it’s definitely her.

“Wynella?”

She sighs, and finally meets my gaze. “Yep.”

She looks way more comfortable in the tight jeans, boots, and low-cut top than she ever looked in her Discipline Center uniform.

“Care to explain yourself?”

“No,” she answers flatly.

“You two know each other?” Joaquin and Jefferson say this practically in sync.

Everyone’s eyes are on me.

“Wynella?” Joaquin interjects. “That’s not the name I have on the paperwork.”

Something fishy is going on here.

“What are you doing here? What’s going on?”

“I’m just in town to run some errands,” she says.

I’m not buying it. “Bullshit. Why are you dressed like that? Where’s your chaperone? Why in the hell is Joaquin giving you keys?”

“I have special privileges. The less you know about it, the better,” she says.

“Again, bullshit.”

She shifts her eyes around the room, then turns to Joaquin. “I gotta go rest up.”

She’s about to head down the hallway and out of my sight, but I have had it with people thinking I can’t handle the truth.

“Why did you leave the cell door open?”

She pauses and then curses softly under her breath. Finally, she admits, “Because it didn’t matter. Your dad was on his way to pick you up.”

Okay. Now we’re getting somewhere. “Why didn’t you tell anyone I stabbed you?”

Jefferson flinches. “Excuse me?”

“Little Georgie stabbed you? No way!” Joaquin exclaims. “Wait, don’t say anything else yet, I’m going to pop some popcorn.”

I hear the back door open and close. Wynella darts out the front door.

“Wait!”

The moment is lost. Evidently, she doesn’t want to be seen by too many people. And I intend to find out why not.

Footsteps and shouting can be heard in the kitchen. The clamor gets closer, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

“Where is she? Where’s Georgie?”

I recognize that voice and stand up. The next moment, this shabby office is overcrowded with my friends.

Before I know what’s happening, I’m being attack-hugged by Olivia, Louisa, and Goldie.

I fall to pieces. I’m so happy and so relieved to see familiar faces that my knees give out.

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