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“I amnotprickly.”

“I also told her you would come around.”

“I won’t.” I fumed inwardly until it bubbled over. “How can you just forgive her like that?”

“What’s the point in being angry?”

“Maybe the fact that she’s a backstabbing, self-centered, untrustworthy threat makes it worthwhile.”

Frankie patted me on the arm. “Oh, Angel. You’ll come around.” She sat next to me on her bed. “Now it’s time to talk about us. Why did you take that shot for me?”

“Why do you think, Frankie?” I blew out a breath in exasperation. “You’re my best friend. One of myonlyfriends. I want you to stay.”

“Hmmm.” She finished braiding her hair and secured it with a tie. “You know what I think? I think you need to stop trying to save me and stay focused on you. You’re the best candidate out of all of us for UTOP.”

“What?” Had she completely lost her mind? “No offense, Frankie, but you couldn’t be farther from the truth. I almost killed us in the first test, and I killed myself in the second one. That doesnotmake me a good candidate for an operative.”

She sighed and shook her head like I was completely dense. “If you don’t believe me, I guess we’ll just have to see, won’t we?”

I had no idea how to answer that one. While I appreciated her faith in me, it hurt to realize how misplaced it was.

Chapter Twenty-Five

ANGEL SINCLAIR

I was looking forward to Saturday and our trip into town more than I’d thought I would. I needed a break from all that was UTOP, even if it was for just a little while.

The bus dropped us off on Main Street and the driver told us they’d be back for us in four hours. Frankie and Wally tried to talk me into seeing a movie, but I really wanted some alone time.

When we got off the bus, all of us scattered. The air was cool but not cold. My blue sweater kept me comfortably warm, so I walked around for a while, enjoying the fresh air and figuring out what was available in the town. Virginia’s fall foliage was in full display, in gorgeous shades of red, gold, orange, and brown.

All the buildings were in the colonial style, and I felt like I’d stepped back in time. A pretty redbrick courtyard with benches and a statue of a former local politician completed the look. The courtyard was relatively empty, so I sat on one of the benches and called my mom. We spoke for a good thirty minutes, mostly with me answering her questions the best I could without violating my promise of secrecy regarding the specifics of what I was doing. I promised to call her again soon, and she hung up happy.

I stood and decided to return to a cute little bookstore café I’d seen earlier. A tinkling bell sounded as I opened the door. Books of all shapes and sizes were crammed into heavy wooden shelves and took up nearly every inch of wall space. There was a small fireplace and a couple of warm, cozy armchairs facing it. The entire room smelled like coffee and chocolate. It was fairly crowded, but the line was only three people deep. I stood in line, drooling over the croissants and delicious-looking pastries before making my selection.

“Hot chocolate, large, and a chocolate croissant,” I said when it was my turn. I dug into my purse and suddenly realized I’d forgotten my wallet. I closed my eyes. “I’m so sorry. I forgot my wallet. Please cancel my order.”

“Not necessary,” said the person behind me. It was an elderly gentleman, dressed in a gray sweater and holding a cane. He had twinkling blue eyes. “It’s on me.”

I shook my head. “Oh, no. I couldn’t,” I said.

“You can.” He handed the cashier the money. “I insist. My treat.”

“Oh, thank you so much,” I said. “I really do have money, I just forgot it.”

“It’s no problem.”

The cashier handed me a hot chocolate and a croissant on a plate. I thanked the man once more, and carried my goodies to a small empty table near the fireplace. I’d just sat down and picked up my hot chocolate when Jax stood behind the empty chair at my table holding a cup of coffee.

“Hey, Red. Mind if I join you?”

I almost spilled my drink. Had he just appeared out of thin air? I was pretty sure I would have noticed him before this, but apparently not. That didn’t speak well to my spy abilities. “Um, sure, have a seat. What are you doing her, Jax?”

“The same thing as you.” He slid into the chair and lifted his cup in a mock toast. “But, unlike you, I brought my wallet.”

“So, you saw that?”

“I did.” He grinned, his dark hair windblown and cheeks ruddy. He blew on his coffee and took a sip. “You know, you intrigue me. I can’t figure you out.”