Page 123 of Last Chance Love

“Would probably explain why Mona chose him for the role of goon number two.”

“Jesus, poor Dane.”

“Yeah, I tried talking to him the other day when Mona put him on guard duty instead of Max, but he just…ugh. Promise me that when you try talking to him, he understands we’re not mad at him, okay? And especially if this goes south for me, okay?”

“Reed—”

“Just…don’t, okay? We both know the chances of anything coming of this. And I don’t want anyone suffering from unnecessary guilt when it’s no one’s fault.”

“Except for whoever did this.”

“Yeah, except for them.”

I took a deep breath. “So, I think the best bet is for you to talk to either Dane or Dom. It’s probably best that you’re in charge of talking to them, not me.”

“You’re good with people too.”

I ignored that because there was a vast distinction between being good with people and knowing them as much as he did. “Just try not to scare the shit out of Dane while you’re pissed off, alright?”

“Yes, dear.”

“Very good.”

“Wait, what’s that?”

I turned and bopped him on the forehead. “Stop looking at what’s on the screen.”

“But—”

“What we’re doing is bad enough without violating the living shit out of HIPPA even further, alright? Don’t worry about who’s taking what medication.”

“Fine, fine,” he said with a small laugh, holding his hands up.

“Good,” I smirked, turning back to the screen and closing everything down so it was back where it had been left when we came in. “Do you know what you’re going to say?”

“I have a few ideas,” he admitted as I stood up. “By the way, we still have some time to spare. We could go through the records too.”

“We just did.”

“No, the shipping and inventory records. Those would point toward who it could be. I’m sure you already have a list of who it could be in your head.”

“True,” I said, thinking it could be one of two people, but that was an uncomfortable thought. I stepped away from the desk as he stared at the computer thoughtfully. “But the inventory records aren’t in the shared drive. We’d have to access the storage room's computer system, and that’s easier said than done.”

“You know the code?”

“Of course, but, Leon?—”

“We’re already this deep in,” he said with a shrug, glancing toward the blind-covered windows with a thoughtful expression.

I mulled it over for a moment before sighing. “Alright, but we have to be quick. And if anything goes wrong, we bail immediately, got it?”

“Okay,” he said, sounding a little brighter as I turned to walk back down the hallway. “Oh shit!”

I stopped short as I found Alice standing half a foot from me. Her face had a strange smile as she peered up at me. “Hello, Reed, let me save you a trip.”

Something was in her hand, but the mystery was solved the instant it jabbed forward. My body froze, a scream locked inside me as fire raced through my limbs. I swung from agony to a horrifying numbness, cycling back and forth at a speed my fried brain couldn’t comprehend. I felt suspended in time, locked in that horrifying cycle before mercy came, and I dropped to the ground, darkness surrounding my eyes and closing over my thoughts.

LEON

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