Page 35

Mindy

“There’s a police officer here to see you.” Delia pokes her head in. “I’m really proud of you for calling them.”

Except it isn’t what you think.

Leonie steps in and stops. “Did you know this place is state-of-the-art? They have almost an entire hospital in here. And their security system was supposed to be designed by some tech billionaire. I’ve always said I’d make time to take a tour. But all I’ve ever done is drop women off here.” She turns to face the wall.

“I’m okay, Leonie.”

“Have you told that to your face? Because it seems to disagree with you. And why are you lying on your stomach?”

“Because I fell on a broken glass bottle.”

“Fell or were thrown?” She gives me a piercing glare. “I’ll know if you’re lying.”

“The truth is, I don’t know. I had passed out already when it happened.”

She sinks down into one of the chairs next to me. “Tell me that creep is in jail, rotting.”

Um. I look away.

“You can’t defend men like this. They just keep doing it.”

A knock sounds at the door.

“Come in.” Never have I been so thankful for a distraction.

A man in a spectacular suit steps in. He’s clean-cut, but looks like he’d be ready for a street fight at any time. He doesn’t seem like a guard, but he certainly has the body to be one. “Why are there two helicopters asking for permission to land on the roof?”

He looks so familiar. Where did I see him? Dahlia!!! “I know you. Well, I know of you. You’re friends with a friend of mine. You’re Colin Knight, the author.”

Colin stares at me. “What friend?”

“Dahlia Fleur…and also Daria and Fiona—”

“You know them?” His whole body relaxes.

“I’m a bridesmaid in Dahlia's second wedding. It’s wild that they just eloped at a family barbeque.”

He leans back against the wall. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard it at our monthly poker game.”

“Poker?” That doesn’t seem like something Dahlia would play.

“Yeah, Maddox, my brother, McGee, Rage, and a few other people, when they’re in town, get together once a month to play poker and gossip.” He grins.

“Maddox Locke?”

“Yeah, you know him?”

“I work for him, taking care of his snakes. His collection is insane.”

Colin’s phone beeps. “That’s the guys asking about the helicopters. Do you know those people?”

Oh yeah. “It’s probably my friends, Winnie and Cordelia. They’re a bit worried about me.”

“Rightly so. I’ll have them cleared to land and escorted here.” He turns to open the door.

“I...um…just want you to know that I loved your books.” Probably shouldn’t have been fangirling. This isn’t exactly the place for it, but I’ll probably never get another chance to meet him.

“Thanks. It was nice meeting you. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet again.” He smiles and walks away, closing the door behind him.

“What is with this place? Do they only hire models?” Leonie stares at the closed door. “Even the doctors were pretty. Most doctors at the hospital look like they’ve been run through the ringer.”

“If you think it’s crazy here, you should visit Willow Street. There are dozens of hot dads who play basketball every weekend.” A single gal could spend her life drooling there.

“We sound like really bad spinsters.”

We really do. I laugh and move to grab my ribs, then faceplant on the pillow with a groan.

“What happened?”

“It would be easier to just tell the story once.”

Leonie nods. “I’ll wait. But tell me the guy that did this to you is in jail.”

“He’s not.”

“Why? Because I know you, you’re neither stupid nor afraid. So why didn’t you put the idiot in jail?”

“Because he’s my boss. And I moved in with him.”

The door opens in the middle of that sentence. “Who did you move in with?” Winnie steps in and freezes. “What happened to you? Did you get hit by a truck?”

“No, she got beaten up by a man and didn’t press charges?” Leonie glares at me.

Winnie walks over to me. “Give me his name. We won’t bother with the police. I can make him disappear.”

“Winnie, I’m sitting right here.” Leonie rolls her eyes.

“Like you wouldn’t help me. This is Mindy we’re talking about. You don’t have to worry about getting caught. My grandfather taught me how to do it properly.”

What? “Your sweet grandfather, who had cookies waiting for us every time we spent a break with him, taught you how to make a body disappear?”

“You don’t think we made our billions selling flowers and rainbows, do you?” Winnie raises an eyebrow at me.

No. But he was such a sweetheart.

“My sister didn’t have the stomach to do what needed to be done. But I have no such qualms.” She puts her hand on her hips and turns back to me. “Now give me a name.”

Uh oh.

The door opens, and Cordelia steps in. “What is this place? They sent an armed—What happened?”

I slowly turn my head to look at Leonie. “What did you tell them?”

“That you needed us. And then I gave them the address. I didn’t want them to stress until we could see just how bad off you were.”

“Someone explain to me why armed guards escorted me down from the roof and why Mindy looks like she was on the losing side of a war.”

“A man hit Mindy,” Winnie answers. “And we’re about to get his name.”

If I’d ever thought of telling them who it was, I’m not going to now.

“A man hit you? Is this a hospital? I haven’t ever been to a hospital with armed guards that look like that.” Cordelia leans heavily against the door.

“This isn’t a hospital. It’s a women’s shelter. The best one in Urbium.” Leonie informs the group.

That leaves the group speechless.

Maybe I should have waited until after I healed a bit to call them up.

“A women’s shelter.” Tears form in Cordelia’s eyes.

Winnie rushes over and wraps her arms around Cordelia. “It’s okay. She’s going to be just fine. We’ll protect her now.”

I don’t need protection. I can take care of myself…That might be debatable today, but normally I’m very good at looking after myself.

There’s a knock on the door.

Immediately, my friends pull themselves together. They might cry in front of each other, but strangers don’t get to see that.

“Come in.”

“Kyle!” Why didn’t I expect to see him again today?

“It seems your friends turned up.” He grins at me.

“They did. I told you I have friends.”

“I assume the limo that’s about to arrive with the police escort is for you as well?”

That would be Ottilie. “Sirens on or off?”

“Does that matter?”

I shrug. “Kinda.” If they’re on, it’s probably not her.

“Sirens off but lights on. They’ve literally driven through the entire city to get here. It seems I don’t need to share my army with you.”

“What kind of army do you have?” Winnie steps forward.

“He means metaphorically.”

She looks him up and down. “I doubt that.”

“Are you in need of an army?” Kyle raises an eyebrow at Winnie.

“They’re always nice to have.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a card. “If you’re ever in need, call this number.”

Really? Did sweet Kyle just hand one of my best friends a card to hire a personal army? There’s no doubt Winnie will take it. She likes to collect power.

“Thank you.” It slips into her purse like it was meant to be there.

“Kyle, these are my friends Winnie, Cordelia, and Leonie.” If you’re trading armies, you might as well know each other’s names.

“Oh, I know who your friends are, two billionaires and a cop.”

“Detective,” Leonie stands up and offers him her hand.

“I stand corrected.” He winks. “Nice to meet you. You work for Masters in the Fifth, right?”

She nods. “How did you know that?”

“Good guess.” Kyle’s eyes twinkle.

“Doubt that,” Leonie mutters.

Kyle turns to Cordelia, offering his hand.

“I’m a baker, not a billionaire.” She shakes it.

“Good to know. Will your helicopter be picking you up for your flight home?” He grins at her.

“That depends on whether Mindy is coming to stay with me or not.”

“She’s obviously coming to stay with me.” Winnie steps in. “I have plenty of space for her.”

“You have enough space for that army you want to move into that mausoleum that you live in. I have a nice little room overlooking the garden that is just made for rest and recovery.”

“You two ever think Mindy might want to stay in Urbium? She can stay at my place.” Leonie says.

The three women start vocally debating whose place would be a better choice. Kyle comes to sit down next to me and whispers in my ear, “You glad you called them?”

“Yeah.”

“My apartment has a couch that you can crash on if you want to escape them.”

“I might take you up on that.”

There’s a knock on the door.

“Come in,” Winnie shouts before diving right back into the debate.

Greer and Ottilie step in.

“What are we fighting about?” Greer asks.

“Who gets to take care of Mindy? But don’t bother joining in. She’s going to stay with me,” Winnie answers.

Ottilie ignores the fracas, pulls a chair over next to Kyle, and takes out her notebook. “What’s your name?”

“Kyle.”

She immediately jots it down.

“What’s that for?”

“The meeting minutes. It’s my job.”

Kyle’s blank expression speaks to the confusion that’s my life is right now.

“What meeting? You work for these people?” He definitely thinks we’re crazy.

“Of course not. I have a real job. But I take notes for all our club meetings.” Ottilie’s hand never stops moving.

“This isn’t an official meeting,” I say to her.

“We’re all here. I don’t see why it doesn’t count.” She doesn’t stop.

Kyle sits and stares at Ottilie, completely ignoring the other women.

Winnie stops arguing suddenly and turns to Ottilie. “Who’s winning?”

“You have seven points, Cordelia has six, and Leonie is trailing with three since I arrived. I can read back the points. Greer's points aren’t recorded because she isn’t a member of the club.”

“That’s not fair. I’m a founding member. I should be able to take care of my friend.”

“Fair point. But according to the bylaws—” You don’t mess with Ottilie when she quotes the bylaws. We were way too specific when we wrote them all those years ago.

“I want to take care of my friend.” Greer starts crying.

Winnie rushes over to hug her and starts crying too. “Of course, you should have the chance. We all should take turns.”

Kyle leans over and whispers, “What do I do?”

The grin that spreads across my face isn’t my fault. “I warned you.”

“That you did.” He doesn’t make a move to leave or even seem at all phased by our nuttiness.

“You know, you could just let Mindy decide.” It seems Kyle doesn’t really appreciate living that much.

All the women turn to him in shock.

He shrinks back like any sane man would, regardless of his armed status.

Then, completely ignore him and go back to fighting it out.

Kyle turns to Ottilie. “Why aren’t you in on that fight?”

“Because Mindy wouldn’t want to live with me.” Ottilie looks down at her notebook.

It’s more like Ottilie wouldn’t be able to handle the changes to her space and schedule caring for me would require. “I know you love me, Ottilie, and I love you.”