Page 55 of Seal My Fate

Big mistake. He’s smirking like he’s replaying our wild sex marathon in full, Technicolor detail.

“I just meant, the stress of the break-in. You don’t look like you got much sleep,” Wren says, looking confused.

“Right. That!” I blurt, hiding my own grin. “Yeah, the adrenaline was wild. I was wired all night long. Barely slept a wink.”

Screaming myself hoarse as Saint showed me exactly what a pair of security handcuffs could really do…

“I’m sorry,” Wren frowns, giving me a hug. She’s dressed in cozy cashmere sweats, but she’s still looking far too tired and delicate for my liking. “I can’t imagine how scared you must have been. But everything went smoothly, right?”

“Aside from the fact we can’t get into the drive,” I say, still frustrated.

“Well, hopefully Avery’s mysterious friend can help with that,” Wren says. “She just got here.”

Wren shows us to a sunny conservatory at the back of the house, filled with orange trees and stunning art. There’s a woman perched at a breakfast table in the corner, devouring a towering stack of pancakes, as the hulking butler looks on.

“Oh my God, these are amazing!” she greets us, barely pausing for breath. “And the syrup…”

“A warm maple blueberry compote,” the butler announces, in a thick Cockney accent. “I must say, the chef has outdone himself today.”

“He seriously has. Can I please get some more bacon?”

“Of course, ma’am.”

I take her in curiously.Thisis the genius hacker sent to help us out? She looks like a beaming librarian, with square-rimmed glasses and her brown hair in a neat braid, wearing an orange knit cardigan over a dress printed with… Are those woodland animals?

“I’m Charlie,” she introduces herself, as we join her at the table. “Avery said you had a nasty little encryption problem?”

“Uh, yes.” Saint hands over the drive, looking just as dubious as I feel.

Charlie smirks, looking back and forth between us. “Don’t worry, this isn’t my usual getup,” she says, whipping a laptop out of a tote bag. “I’m doing some undercover work right now, hence the friendly nanny vibe.”

“Oh, OK.” I feel relieved—and curious. “I thought you were a hacker?”

“Among other things…” Charlie frowns in concentration, clicking away. She falls silent, ignoring us.

“So… How long will this take?” Saint asks.

She doesn’t look up. “As long as it takes.”

OK.

I exchange a shrug with him, as Leon returns with a fresh stack of pancakes. “How would you like your coffee, ma’am?” he asks me. “And would you prefer grapefruit or orange juice? Freshly squeezed, of course.”

My stomach rumbles. If we’re going to be stuck waiting around, it would be rude to ignore the incredible spread. “Black coffee, please, and OJ,” I say, reaching to fill a plate. Saint follows suit.

“Thank you, Leon,” Wren smiles at him, and he retreats with a nod. “He looks scary, but he’s a sweetheart, really,” she confides. “He made me hot cocoa at two a.m. when I woke up screaming in the night.”

“You’re having nightmares?” I ask, concerned.

“It’s fine!” she insists quickly, but her smile doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Wren…”

“Really,” she reassures me. “That’s what I get for gorging on stinky cheeses too late.”

I let the subject drop, but still, I don’t like it. Wren is still a shadow of her former self, and even though she’s not flinching half as much now that we’re safely behind the bulletproof walls of Sebastian Wolfe’s palatial home, I know she can’t stay here forever.

I want my big sister back, the girl who would belly-laugh so loud it would set me off, too, giggling in hysterics over some dumb joke or meme online.

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