Page 65 of Executing Malice

I’m not unproud, either.

Jasper and Felicity are out of my mind by the time I’m locking up. I am grateful to her, though. Thanks to her, I got to leave Jasper at the bakery without making any excuses or having to confess I was using him to make a masked asshole jealous.

An asshole who stole my jar.

He was gone when I left the Sutton family, but so was my tote. I did panic for a split-second thinking someone else took it, but the likelihood of that is nearly impossible, which means he must have taken it.

Good.

I don’t want his stupid spank bank, though, so rude to take back a gift.

His absence makes me think he’s finally come to his senses and gone off to give his weird offerings to someone else.

I’m not mad.

Disappointed, maybe. Partially annoyed. How is he angry with me when he started it? He let Felicity paw him. For all I know, he’s gone off to get ready for their date.

Which, I don’t care about. He can stalk whoever he wants.

I pitch my keys into my purse and stomp to my car.

I’m at the driver’s side door when my phone chimes. TheSugar Plum Fairyringtone — Reed’s ringtone — has me scrambling to fish it out from the bottom of my bag.

I stuff it between my ear and shoulder. “Hey.”

“Hey, you headed home?”

My bag is tossed over the middle console into the passenger seat before I duck behind the wheel.

“Just getting into the car. What’s up?”

“Not much. Just driving back from Mayfield. Wanted to see what you were doing.”

I squint with disbelief even as I turn the key in the ignition. “Since when?” The silence tells me everything I need to know. “Who told you?”

“It isn’t a report. Just chatter through the grapevine.”

I roll my eyes. “It was an accident.”

“Yeah, I know. Just wanted to hear what happened from you.”

“If there isn’t a report, why are you asking for my side?” I counter, ignoring his smooth delivery.

“Curiosity.”

“Bullshit. Someone ratted. Was it Felicity?”

“Leila...”

“It was, wasn’t it?” I pull off the shoulder and start towards home. “It was an accident. I was looking at my phoneand didn’t see her coming out of the stall. That’s it. She walked into the door.”

“Okay. That’s all I need to know.”

“I can’t believe she snitched.”

“She didn’t. Her parents did. They’re with her at Mayfield General. Her nose is broken.”

I grimace. I didn’t think I hit her that hard.