Page 43 of Total Shutdown

“I have to leave,” I reiterate. “I need to be somewhere.”

Cameron narrows his eyes. “I said today was going to be stacked, and it is.”

“Not my fucking fault you can’t fix a basic issue or manage the staff schedule,” I say to myself.

“I’m sorry. What was that?”

Maybe not to myself.

“Nothing,” I snipe and reach for my phone. “I need to make a call.”

When Cameron doesn’t take the hint, hovering over me like a prison guard, I pull up Sawyer’s contact and type out a quick text, a shot of disappointment hitting me.

Me

Hey, look. I don’t know if you’re on your way to my place, but I’m not there. Can we reschedule?

It’s barelytwenty seconds before a reply arrives, the contact name I gave him making me smirk.

Old Man

Where are you?

Me

Stuck at work. It’s crazy, and I’m the only one who can fix the bike that just came in.

Old Man

I’ll be there in ten.

Panicand those goddamn tingles shimmer through me simultaneously.

Me

Wait. I just said we need to reschedule. I’ll be at least another hour, maybe more.

Old Man

I can wait.

Me

How do you know where I work?

There’s a long pause,maybe five minutes, and then my cell buzzes on the floor next to me just as I’m finishing up on the current bike, which, thankfully, didn’t need a replacement drive chain.

Old Man

I just do.

Me

More snooping on me?

Old Man

Stop being a brat, or I won’t take you where I have planned.

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