Page 91 of Pretty When She Breaks
“How are you holding up?” he asked. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he sounded genuinely concerned about me.
“I’ve been stable.” I replied. “You’re a good little Valium, aren’t you, duckie?”
Laurel scowled at me. My grin widened.
“And Laurel’s friend Jade can help us with the plan to free Ocean.”
“What he means is,” Laurel cut in, “that he waltzed out and introduced himself to a stranger before blurting out our whole situation.”
“Jade? She was the one who took us out shopping?” Finch asked. “Can we trust her?”
“Yes,” Laurel said fiercely. “But she didn’t agree to help us free Ocean.”
“She didn’t?” I asked. Really?
“Okay. This is a good start,” Finch said. “We’ll have to find a way to keep tabs on your father and the Lucas pack.”
“I could probably bug their phones,” Laurel said after a pause. “But I don’t have the tech.” She looked at me and I scoffed.
“Duh. Of course, I have the tech for that. But bugging someone’s phone is a bit different than sneaking into an empty office.”
“I know that,” she snapped.
“You’d have to have some real skills to get a phone off someone without them noticing. And if you mess up and get caught, it could ruin our chance at getting Ocean out.”
For a second, it looked like she was going to argue, but she cut herself off and stood up.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have to meet my father for lunch,” she said and stalked off to get ready, leaving me and Finch on the line.
“So,” I said, when we were alone. I chewed on my cheek, wondering how to say this. “Something doesn’t add up.”
Finch sighed. “What are you talking about?”
“With her. Something’s off, right? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I’m going to need you to be clearer,” Finch said flatly.
I twisted a strand of my hair between my fingers. “Come on, you know what I mean. Do you really still believe she’s our enemy?”
“No, she imprisoned Ocean out of the goodness of her heart.” Finch’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“I’m serious,” I said. I understood why he didn’t want to listen to me. I didn’t want to listen to me. If I was right, if she wasn't the monster we thought she was…we fucked up big time.
“When she found out who I was, she said,I’m glad you gotout.I could feel her through the bond. She meant it. And you’ve felt her when she visits Ocean. She cares about him.”
He scrubbed his face as stress poured through the bond. “But why would she do that?”
“I dunno. Maybe we should ask her?”
“No. She had plenty of chances to tell us if she’s innocent.”
“But—”
“Enough, Kaos. Leave it. It doesn’t change anything either way.”
FORTY-EIGHT
LAUREL
