Page 37 of Courting Gossip (Courting)
‘Watch me.’
They continued playing, with the game becoming more competitive and intense. Brody hit a bullseye, and Genieve let out a wounded cry. She quickly tried to block him and kept scoring with the nineteens.
They were interrupted in the middle of Brody’s turn with another unrecognised call. Genieve rejected it with a swipe, but before she could even get the phone back in her pocket it was ringing again.
‘OK, over here,’ Brody said. ‘Give me those numbers and turn it off.’
‘Off?’
‘They’ve got your number. They’ll try to start tracking the SIM card next.’
‘Is that even legal?’
He lifted an eyebrow, and she remembered who she was dealing with. Not everyone played by the rules.
‘I need my phone,’ she complained. She was already locked away from nearly everyone she knew. She’d left her home, and she hadn’t talked to any of her friends all day.
‘I have a burner phone you can use.’
‘A burner…Are you for real?’
‘It’s just one of those contract-free ones where you buy minutes. You should be safe with that, but only give the number to people you trust.’ He waved a finger at her. ‘That doesn’t include Samuel.’
She reluctantly turned off her phone and cringed when he pulled the card out entirely. She had everything set up the way she liked it on that phone, with all her apps and settings. She’d felt secluded staying here for one day. Now, she suddenly felt cut off from the world…and her life…
‘Hey, it’s all right,’ Brody said when he saw the look on her face. ‘You can still use your email – and I’ve got the backup phone right downstairs.’
‘I just…I never meant for this to happen.’
He sighed. ‘I know.’
‘Everyone is talking about me. They don’t even know me, but the worst thing that could happen is if they actually find out the truth.’
‘If there’s one thing I’ve found out, it’s that the truth can take many forms.’
The comment made her eyes sting and she shifted her weight. ‘They’re hunting me, but I don’t do well without people.’
‘Hey, I’m people.’ He tentatively rubbed her back. ‘I’ll fix this, Jenny. You’re safe here. Just give me time.’
He was doing all this for Samuel. He was being paid to fix this mess. If she had to ride along on his coat-tails, she would. ‘I don’t mean to be a burden.’
‘A burden? Are you kidding me? You did more around this house in one day than I’ve managed in the past two months.’
‘Are you sure I’m not imposing?’
He slowly pulled her into his arms. ‘You made me pie. You’re in.’
