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“I shouldn’t laugh. I’m sorry, it’s so fucked up.

” He swipes beneath his eyes as his laughter dies down.

“This is part of what makes these groups so sinister. They figured out how to create a tight-knit community even with hundreds of thousands of members. So many of their consultants are at home all day with their kids, and they just want to feel like they belong to something again. They find friends and get matching tattoos and that shit keeps them tied to Petunia for longer than any paycheck could.”

I could see that.

Hell, I felt that.

I’m still so worried about what Nora is going to say when she finds out I’m leaving. I’ve met so many wonderful women at the events I’ve been to, and I know our ties will be severed when I leave.

“It sucks.” I tell him something he knows more than I do. “Two more of my coworkers signed up over the weekend. Maybe it will work for them, but if it doesn’t, I can’t even figure out how to get myself out. How can I help them?”

“You just have to be there for them if they come to you.” His voice grows raspy, thick with regret. “Probably want to avoid calling them pathetic sheep and letting them read an article bashing them for joining too.”

Nothing about this is funny, but I can’t help but laugh.

“Good advice. I think I can manage that.” Plus, I’m a terrible writer, so an article from me would have to be…“Oh my god.”

An idea hits me so hard and fast, it propels me out of my seat. My toes curl with excitement in my fuzzy socks as pieces to the puzzle I didn’t even know I was solving begin to fall into place.

“What’s wrong?” Luke sits up, his careful eyes watching as I pace back and forth in front of him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m not okay, I’m better than okay!” Forget flu medicine! Coming up with a brilliant idea can do more for your health than anything. “Do you remember how you asked me to be your spy?”

“Not a spy, I just wanted the perspective of someone who was actively inside the group.”

“Well now your insider’s perspective is that Petunia Lemon makes promises to people and then goes back on them.” I’m no lawyer, but there’s no way this is legal. “You said your article isn’t going well—this could be your smoking gun.”

“But aren’t you trying to leave? How will it work if you’re not a member anymore?”

“I was holding off telling Nora I was quitting until I talked with corporate and everything was in motion.” I thought it would take two, three days tops.

Now I’m thinking it will never happen. “I’ll spend one more day trying to get my money back, but if it doesn’t work, I’ll just pretend it’s business as usual.

I’ll go to all of the events, talk to all of the members, and then I can report back to you what’s happening. ”

I can tell he’s trying to come up with a reason to talk me out of it. I can practically see the wheels spinning in his head, but it’s a great idea and he knows it.

“Okay,” he acquiesces. “But under one condition.”

Conditions?

This might be my first rodeo moving from boss babe to an undercover boss bitch, but I still know I can’t let him—a man ?—take charge. No way. No how.

“This is my idea, you don’t get to set the conditions.”

“Your idea, but my article,” he shoots back with pinpoint precision. “I get a condition.”

“Fine,” I begrudgingly agree, but only because teamwork does make the dream work. And right now, bringing down Petunia Lemon and saving my friends from ending up broke like me is a very, very big dream. “But only one.”

“If you stay in and can’t get your money back, you have to let me cover your repair bill.”

Out of everything I thought he was going to say, this wasn’t even on the list. It’s too nice.

Too much.

“I can’t let you do that.” My hands feel clammy and my head begins to pound. “I have my bike and I can Uber occasionally.”

“No, I will cover your repair bill.” He doesn’t budge and his tone brokers no arguments, which, of course, makes me want to argue more. “And if you’re thinking it’s a favor, don’t. It will be a write-off with work and then you can pay me back when you finally get your money.”

Wow. It’s almost scary how this man who I both barely know, yet know all too well, seems to understand everything about me.

“Okay, but you have to promise to let me pay you back.”

He lifts up his hand and loops his pinky with mine. “Pinky swear.”

I kiss my thumb and mash it into his, thinking for only a second how much better it would be kissing his lips.

Instead of climbing on his lap and making out with him like I really want to, I sit beside him on the couch like a nice, responsible adult.

For the rest of the night, he fills me in on everything he’s learned about the company and I tell him what I know and the red flags I’ve seen.

And as we go over our plans to expose and destroy Petunia Lemon, laughing and strategizing, sitting much too close, I come to two very important realizations…

Being Luke’s inside man is going to be so much fun;

it’s absolutely going to end with him inside of me. Again.

And I’m not even the littlest bit upset about it.