Page 65 of Sunflower

Even though I knewexactlywhat he was referring to, because Callum had told me about the polaroid that had been left for him one morning, I frowned like I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. “What present?”

“Callum hasn’t told you why he left New York yet? Shame.” He chuckled a little louder and raised his eyes to the sky. “Doesn’t matter. Not yet, at least. George is the primary target. He’s the most dangerous one, having knowledge of the future. No-one should have that much power. Callum’s weak in comparison. He only reads the past and present.”

Gritting my teeth so I didn’t lose my cool at him calling my Callumweak, I tried to focus on what was more important. “You know this all sounds delusional, right?”

He stilled, his face still aimed at the heavens, before he slowly shook his head and sighed. “I told them you wouldn’t believe me.”

“Told who? The people you work with?”

“Mm.” He sighed again and brought his clear, icy-blue eyes to meet mine. “Guess I’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way.”

My eyes widened. Ireallydidn’t like the sound of that.

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter if you believe me or not, Joey,” he said calmly.Toocalmly. “I only want information. The people I work with, they only want information. You obviously don’t know these freaks; not like we do. But if you do the right thing and tell me what they’re doing, you’d be saving the country from annihilation. They’re all power-hungry freaks and want nothing more than to get into the White House. If you report on them now to us, that all stops.”

Pressing my lips together, I stared at him with narrowed eyes. Did he honestly think I’d turn on my boyfriend? My stepmother? Even after everything he’d done over the past twenty-four hours? After all the threats? “Why should I trust you? You come to me, threatening my family, myfather,if I don’t do what you say. That doesn’t really screamtrustworthy, does it?”

He chuckled, his eyes almost closing in genuine amusement. “Oh, you sweet summer child. Would you have listened to me or done anything I’d asked if I’d beennice?”

My teeth ground together as I stared at him murderously. “Who says I’d do anything for you? You’re fucking delusional, dude. What’s stopping me from just reporting you to the cops?”

Immediately, the amusement dropped from his face. “Good luck with that. You don’t even know my name.”

Damn it, he did have me there.

“And you’d do best to remember that I know where your father works, Joey. And lives. And does his weekly grocery shopping.”

I didn’t know why I thought this was the opportune moment to call his bluff, but I said, “Yeah, right. Like I’d believe that. Nothing you’ve said today proves to me you know anything about anyone other than me, and even there, I have my doubts.”

The bastard smirked. “Cresthelm Tower, sixty-eight Fletcher Lane, and Trader Joe’s in Holbeck.”

Supremely glad that I was still sitting down, I felt myself go dizzy. He was right. On all three.

He leaned forward, just enough to be threatening. “Do what I tell you, Joey. Otherwise, your father might find himself in possession of a poisoned pie.” He relaxed back, one arm reaching over the back of the park bench once more, while the other rested comfortably in his lap. “Like I said yesterday, all you need to do is date Callum. Get close to hisUncle George.” He rolled his eyes as he finger-quoted. “Then report back to me. That’s not so hard, is it?”

I tried to swallow, but my throat had lost all its moisture. “How do I call you?” I croaked. “I don’t have your name, like you said. Or your number.”

“Hm,” he said, amusement leaching into his voice again. “You can call me the Agent. That would be simplest, I think.” He continued to pick at the stray thread on his trouser leg. “And I have your number, Joey. I’m always watching. Don’t worry about needing to call me. I know when I’ll be able to contact you.”

Resigned, I closed my eyes and nodded. I wanted this shitshow of a meeting over so I could go home and make sure my dad was okay.

“Good,” he said happily. “Take Callum out to dinner tonight. And I wouldn’t complain if you invited George along.” I opened my eyes in time to see him stand up, right his jacket, and pick up the jamming device. “I’ll be in touch.”

He turned around, only to knock into two of the most stunningly attractive men I’d ever seen that were walking past, hand in hand. Neither he nor I had seen or heard them approach, not like the groups of harried mothers with babies in strollers or small groups of teenagers that had been passing us throughout our meeting. A dirty look crossed the Agent’s face when he registered the pair were a couple rather than simply friends, but he said, “Excuse me.”

“Oh, aren’t you simply darling?” the tall one with curly blond hair crooned, stumbling to a stop at the Agent’s blunt words then looking him up and down with curiosity. “Oh, look, babe. Look at the cut of his suit! Isn’t it magnificent?” He ran a finger down the left lapel of the Agent’s suit jacket, which, much to my amusement, made the fucker cringe and try to take a step backwards. With a wry grin, the blond followed him step for step, not allowing the contact to break.

The one with messy brown hair crowded in next to the blond, so he could feel the right lapel. “Oh, wow! You’re right. What is this? Wool, right?” Being much shorter than both men around him, he blinked up at the Agent with wide, angelic eyes and a pleasant smile.

“Um,” the Agent stuttered, still trying to step away from the men pawing at his suit jacket. “Yeah. Sure.”

I barely had time to cover my mouth before I snickered out loud at how uncomfortable the pair were making him.

“How marvelous!” the blond exclaimed before his eyes narrowed at the top of the Agent’s head. “Oh, careful.” Quicker than my eye could see, his hand shot out and seemed to smack at the side of the Agent’s head.

The Agent reared back from the strike, his hand coming up to stop any more unwanted touches. “Ow! What the fuck?”

“Sorry.” With his hand loosely fisted against his torso, the blond simply smiled serenely at him, not worried by the suddenchange in the Agent’s temperament at all. “You had a spider. It looked dangerous.”

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