Page 73 of Retribution

Jacob lets out a soft laugh. ‘Too rich for my blood. Nutcase, too. Trust me.’

I press the button to close the screen and bask in the few minutes of alone time I have until we get to Richmond.

I go over my plan, make a few little tweaks and, by the time we pull up at the curb, I’m much more confident that I can pull this off. I just need a little luck. I’m certainly due some, that’s for sure.

I wish I could shower. I feel so…tainted right now. My dumb brain takes me back to my bedroom this morning with the nurse holding me apart while Joe…

I allow myself a full body shiver to dispel the ick and the build-up of stress. But just the one. I don’t have time to fall apart.

The driver opens the door, and I get out, making sure I have everything with me.

‘I need something to drink,’ I say, glad that Jacob follows me without a word.

At least he doesn’t try to impose his will on me like Joe and the nurse do.

He opens the door for me as I go into Grinder, like he’s anactual bodyguard and not the sentinel who sits outside my jail cell.

I don’t thank him.

‘CONGRATULATIONS!!!!’

I jump at the high-pitched whistling and cheering.

The cacophony of noise has me skittering back in alarm, bumping into the large, storefront window.

‘You’re our millionth customer!’

I blink. That’s Janet’s voice. I try to cut through the panic that’s making my chest feel tight and focus on what’s going on in front of me. There are balloons and brightly colored confetti all over the floor. Jacob is standing in the middle of the room. He has pink silly string all over him.

‘Me?’ he asks. ‘I never win stuff.’

‘You get to choose any drink you want from the menu for free for a whole YEAR!’

Jacob grins. ‘A whole year?’

He goes up to the counter while I’m still trying to figure out what’s happening.

And then I see Lu in the corner behind her laptop. She gives me a wink.

I go over to her and sit down.

‘What’s happening?’ I whisper.

‘Just go with it. I got the message this morning from your phone. We put this together on the fly in like half an hour. Janet’s gonna come over in a second. Give her the thing. She’ll put it in the dumbass’s drink.’

On cue, Janet comes over, smiling wide. ‘Can I get you ladies anything?’

‘A latte please,’ I say, a little dazed still.

‘Coming right up. Oh, this table is a little dirty. Let me just get that cleaned for you.’

Lu gestures at the table with her head while she keeps aneye on Jacob, who’s still looking at the menu with a little smile on his face.

I take the pill out of my pocket, wrapped in a piece of tissue, and put it on the table by Janet’s hand as she begins to wipe the table.

Jacob is still perusing the drinks, probably looking for the most expensive one he can get for free. He’s not paying attention to us at all.

Janet grabs the tissue with the cloth and deposits it into her apron pocket.