Page 16 of Panther's Magpie
“Have you always been so bossy?” I ask as I take a bite of pizza.
“You might be the first to call me that, actually.”
“I doubt that,” I mutter, making him chuckle. “This pizza is delicious.”
“A new place came into town last year. Their food is addicting as fuck.”
“They do more than pizza?” I ask as I take another bite.
“Oh yeah, they make pasta from scratch and desserts too. I order from there far more than I’m willing to admit.”
“Can’t cook?”
“I can, I just hate doing it. It’s a bitch cooking for one.”
I nod. “I get that. I feel like I always make more food than necessary and always have leftovers.”
“Your mom teach you to cook?”
I scoff. “I don’t think she even knows how to turn on the oven. No, Henrietta taught me. She worked for my family for a little bit.”
“She your nanny or something?” he asks.
“Nanny, housekeeper, you name it, she probably did it.”
“That was nice of her.”
“It was.”
My chest aches just thinking about her. It’s been too long since I spoke to her. I should probably check in. Then again, who says she even wants to hear from me? She was hired to take care of me after all. When I turned thirteen, my mom fired her without warning, only this time she didn’t hire anyone to replace her. I was left truly alone. At first, I let the place get dirty, but then I realized that it was only hurting me. They never came home to see it, so I started cleaning up again.
I became an adult way too soon.
Henrietta tried to keep in touch over the years, but the calls became few and far between. I doubt she even thinks of me anymore. Not the way I think of her.
“Now tell me what’s on your mind,” Eagle says before I can spiral any further.
I roll my shoulders back and take a deep breath. “I want to go back to the bar and see if Asher is there. See if he’s willing to help again.”
Eagle frowns. “He was the bartender who helped you escape, right?”
“Yes.”
“Maggie, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You got out of there once, but that doesn’t mean you would a second time. On top of that, we have no idea who this guy is. Meek can’t find any information on him,” he says warily.
“But he helped me,” I stress.
“Which could have been a fluke. I’m sorry, but no. This is a horrible idea. Hell, I don’t even think you should bring it up to Panther.”
His voice rings out in the otherwise empty room. “Bring what up to me?”
PANTHER
Her hair whips across her face as she turns to look at me, eyes wide. Her face is a little thinner and paler than it was the night she arrived. Showing that this whole situation is starting to wear on her.
“Bring what up to me?” I repeat as I walk toward her and Eagle.
“Nothing,” Eagle says quickly.
