“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“And who are you, anyway?”
Greg stared at the woman in front of him, taken aback for a second by how stunning she was. He’d lived a long time, but he’d never seen anyone quite like her.
She wore a charcoal grey dress, a Dior animal–print shawl draped over her shoulders–not over–the–top expensive, but definitely not something you’d just pick up at the mall. Her long hair tumbled loosely down her back, and she leanedzily against the doorframe, looking like someone who’d just woken from a nap and couldn’t be bothered to pretend otherwise.
“It means you’re not getting the money. And you might lose your life, too.”
“Ma’am, this is a country ofws,” Greg said, trying to sound confident.
She just smirked. “Laws are shackles for the poor and weapons for the rich.”
Patricia held out her hand behind her. Jackson, almost on autopilot, ced a business card between her fingers. She handed it to Greg.
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“If you need anything, call me. I can’t do much, but I can keep you alive.”
Greg eyed her with suspicion. “Why should I trust you?”
Patricia justughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Doesn’t matter if you do or not.” A leaf–shaped ring on her finger caught the light–delicate, covered in tiny diamonds. He had no idea what brand it was, but everything about her screamed money.
She pulled her shawl tighter and walked away. Greg looked down at the card in his hand.
Riverdale Bistro. The ce was famous–impossible to get a reservation, no matter the day. The number on the card was scrawled in ck ink, like someone had written it on in a hurry. No fancy print. No big deal made about it. Just a number.
“Miss, are we just leaving like this? No one’s going to watch him?” Jackson asked, curiosity obvious in his voice.
“He’lle find us,” Patricia said, peeling off her shawl to reveal pale skin that looked like it hadn’t seen daylight in years.
As Jackson started the car, he nced over. “I still don’t get it. Why?”
“He’s scared of dying<i>.</i><i>” </i>Patricia shrugged. “Three years ago, Theo dumped him in that hellhole of a mine on the border, and he still crawled out alive. Anyone who survives that is desperate to stay alive. And somehow, he made it all the way back.”
She shook her head. “Being scared is smart, but let’s be real–he’s not exactly a genius. Waving his cards in front of Kelly like that… He’s basically asking for it. Poor kid.”
“So… where to now?” Jackson asked as he pulled out of the parking lot, clearly uneasy.
Who would’ve thought–divorced three years ago, and now she was married again.
11:20
Actually, that wasn’t even the weirdest part.
Who gets divorced and remarried in just three months?
He shook his head, struggling to process it. Patricia<i>, </i>married again. What if it was another loser? Last time at least the guy was younger. Now she’d picked someone older?
“Let’s go…” Patricia hesitated, almost embarrassed. Sure, she <i>and </i>Mr. Padi had a marriage certificate, but they barely knew each other.
She’d spent most of thest three years overseas, doing rehab, sorting out her parents‘ estate. She could count on one hand how many times she’d seen Oliver. If he hadn’t flown out to Toronto right before she came home, spending a few days living with her, she’d probably feelpletely lost. Sometimes, it felt like she’d stepped into some kind of fake–marriage setup.
Maybe she had.
“Let’s go back to Cloud Peak.”
They had to go back eventually.
The car wound its way toward Cloud Peak. Just as they neared the entrance to the mountain, Patricia’s phone rang. She nced at the screen: Padi. That was all it said. <fn9d57> For original chapters go to f?ndnovel</fn9d57>
“Remember the way home?” His deep, velvet–smooth voice came through the phone, sending a shiver along her skin.
“We’re almost there,” she answered.
Streetlights streamed through the window and caught on the diamonds in the leaf–shaped ring on her finger, making it sparkle in the dark.