Page 130 of The Protégé

I leaned into the table. “What do you guys know about The Trogyn?”

The cheerful expressions on their faces turned serious.

“I know the boys are trying to destroy their organization,” Audri said. “Remi doesn’t want me to ask much about them, but I’m worried about him and the others.”

“Me too,” Kiera added. “The Trogyn’s sex trafficking ring is massive and elusive. Did something happen to you?”

I sighed. “My uncle was connected to them, and he just died.”

“My uncle worked for them too,” Audri added. “He kidnapped me, demanding money.”

My mouth dropped open at what family would do to each other for money.

“I know Orion is trying to protect me by not sharing a lot of information.”

“Maybe we can help them on the side,” Audri said.

“My thoughts exactly.” I beamed. “But I don’t know where to begin.”

“We’ll take our time and think of something. If women ran the world, it would be a different place, right?” Vivian asked.

“That’s for sure.” Kiera agreed.

Gosh, I loved these girls.

“We’ll wait until Michelle and Natalie are free, and we can all brainstorm. Think of this as another level of the Super Spy Girls.” Audri smirked. “We’re more than what meets the eye.”

“It’s not just about relationships with complicated men.” I laughed. “We’re upgrading to world events now.”

We clanked our iced teas and chatted for another hour until I had to leave to get some more work done before meeting with Orion. I started several articles for Musepaper regarding the events for Audri and Vivian and began organizing notes for the article that would shed light on the worldly bank scams. Feeling the need for something more uplifting, I started brainstorming about Madame Sarcasm’s return.

An hour later, I was sitting in the outdoor seating of the Eclectic Taste. I texted Orion that I’d arrived and where I sat so he could easily find me. A band played in the corner. Couples of various ages sat nearby. Pretty vines draped down along the pergola like curtains. The orange and purple hues of the sky made a lovely backdrop to the cityscape.

The waitress came by twice, and I felt bad so I ordered a lemonade. I glanced at my phone, but Orion hadn’t replied to me. He’d never been late. The one time he was late was the day I crashed into his car.

I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t shake off this unease.

“You look so lonely. Are you waiting for your boyfriend?”

I glanced up to see Chantel wearing a summer dress. Shouldn’t she be in prison?

“I’m fine, thanks. But you look like a criminal who paid off someone so you can have dinner.” Irritation clawed at me. “Areyouwaiting for the police to arrive?”

She smirked and irritated me even more.

“Are you waiting for the police to discover other crimes you were involved with?” I asked with a straight face. “Who did you pay off to keep you out of jail? Or rather, who did you sleep with?”

I hit the spot when indignation splashed across her face. “Did you enjoy my creative endeavor?”

“How many know the Henderson household has a drug dealer in their house? Is that how you make your money? Is that your family’s legacy?”

Pissed, she pulled out a chair and sat down without asking for my permission.

“That seat is taken,” I said calmly.

“Well, your man is fucking somebody right now.” She smirked as though she knew something I didn’t. “If I were you, I’d back away now because shit is going down.”

I had no idea what she was talking about. And I couldn’t trust her. Based on past experiences, she lied about everything. Was she trying to get on my nerves?

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