No matter what it was, Skye knew instinctually she shouldn’t hang around to find out. Oh God, she had to get away from there.
She drew a deep, deep breath. This couldn’t be happening now. She needed fresh air, so she could think. But there was no time to step outside as the walls started to close in on her. She drew another deep breath and slowed her thoughts, pushing aside her blossoming claustrophobia before it choked her. She focused on the three simple words her father had drilled into her, the reason why she and Spring were in hiding.
Trust no one. No one.
Trust no one.
No one with the government. No one with law enforcement. No one from your past, and no one from your future.
Trust no one , and that included gorgeous men who carried runaway puppies across the street and were gentle and patient with Spring, when he was the type of guy who didn’t seem like he had the time to pause. Maybe Mr. Blue Eyes was guessing. When in doubt, she had taught herself, say nothing. She stared into his eyes without flinching, wondering, why him? Why now?
“I’m here to talk about your father,” he added, despite her silence, “and I need to do it now.”
“My father died three years ago.” Skye said the words that she had practiced. The lie came easily, without thought.
Sebastian’s eyes hardened. As the remnants of his charming smile disappeared, her father’s words floated through time, and she could almost hear his voice, deep inside her brain.
Trust no one, and especially trust no one who knows you’re my daughter.
“We both know that isn’t true,” Sebastian said, “and I don’t have time for lies.” He leaned over the display case until he was just inches from her. When he whispered, “Skye. Skye Barrows.” His face was close enough that only she heard him. “You can talk to me in private right now or we can have this conversation in public right here.”
His breath warmed her cheek, but his words sent chills down her spine. She hadn’t heard her real name in over a year, and the fact that he was there within hours of activation of the cataclysm scenario couldn’t be a coincidence.
Figure it out.
Her father’s words, his voice, floated to her with the answer he’d given to every question she’d ever asked. Figure it out.
Her first instinct was to flee. She couldn’t just charge out the back door, though, because she couldn’t leave her sister behind. Her second instinct was to figure out exactly what he wanted and why. And if the answer wasn’t good, which it probably wasn’t, she was going to kill him. Then she was going to run like hell.
“Upstairs,” Skye said, reaching under the register and into the cubby where she kept her purse. With a practiced, quick twist of her fingers, she unsnapped the interior compartment that hid her revolver, before grabbing the purse by the handles. She glanced into the icing room, saw that Spring was absorbed in adding yet more icing to the cake, and nodded to Sarah as an indication for her to take over.
Skye climbed the steps with Sebastian at her heels. Once at the top, she opened the door to the office with her right hand. Candy slipped past her and ran down the stairs. “After you,” she said, dipping her left hand into her purse and gripping the revolver. As Connelly turned to her and folded his arms, she shut the door with her right hand.
Trust no one.
Especially not an armed man who knew that she was her father’s daughter. With her left hand she tightened her grip on the revolver and let her purse fall to the floor. Raising her weapon, she used her middle finger to press the button on the grip that triggered the laser sight and aimed the red light between his eyes.
Breathe. Just breathe , she told herself, as she focused on the man, who had now become a target, because he was standing in the way of what she needed to do. She needed to run. “Raise your hands.”
Sebastian eyed the weapon, jaw clenched. “Lower it.”
She shook her
She drew a deep, deep breath. This couldn’t be happening now. She needed fresh air, so she could think. But there was no time to step outside as the walls started to close in on her. She drew another deep breath and slowed her thoughts, pushing aside her blossoming claustrophobia before it choked her. She focused on the three simple words her father had drilled into her, the reason why she and Spring were in hiding.
Trust no one. No one.
Trust no one.
No one with the government. No one with law enforcement. No one from your past, and no one from your future.
Trust no one , and that included gorgeous men who carried runaway puppies across the street and were gentle and patient with Spring, when he was the type of guy who didn’t seem like he had the time to pause. Maybe Mr. Blue Eyes was guessing. When in doubt, she had taught herself, say nothing. She stared into his eyes without flinching, wondering, why him? Why now?
“I’m here to talk about your father,” he added, despite her silence, “and I need to do it now.”
“My father died three years ago.” Skye said the words that she had practiced. The lie came easily, without thought.
Sebastian’s eyes hardened. As the remnants of his charming smile disappeared, her father’s words floated through time, and she could almost hear his voice, deep inside her brain.
Trust no one, and especially trust no one who knows you’re my daughter.
“We both know that isn’t true,” Sebastian said, “and I don’t have time for lies.” He leaned over the display case until he was just inches from her. When he whispered, “Skye. Skye Barrows.” His face was close enough that only she heard him. “You can talk to me in private right now or we can have this conversation in public right here.”
His breath warmed her cheek, but his words sent chills down her spine. She hadn’t heard her real name in over a year, and the fact that he was there within hours of activation of the cataclysm scenario couldn’t be a coincidence.
Figure it out.
Her father’s words, his voice, floated to her with the answer he’d given to every question she’d ever asked. Figure it out.
Her first instinct was to flee. She couldn’t just charge out the back door, though, because she couldn’t leave her sister behind. Her second instinct was to figure out exactly what he wanted and why. And if the answer wasn’t good, which it probably wasn’t, she was going to kill him. Then she was going to run like hell.
“Upstairs,” Skye said, reaching under the register and into the cubby where she kept her purse. With a practiced, quick twist of her fingers, she unsnapped the interior compartment that hid her revolver, before grabbing the purse by the handles. She glanced into the icing room, saw that Spring was absorbed in adding yet more icing to the cake, and nodded to Sarah as an indication for her to take over.
Skye climbed the steps with Sebastian at her heels. Once at the top, she opened the door to the office with her right hand. Candy slipped past her and ran down the stairs. “After you,” she said, dipping her left hand into her purse and gripping the revolver. As Connelly turned to her and folded his arms, she shut the door with her right hand.
Trust no one.
Especially not an armed man who knew that she was her father’s daughter. With her left hand she tightened her grip on the revolver and let her purse fall to the floor. Raising her weapon, she used her middle finger to press the button on the grip that triggered the laser sight and aimed the red light between his eyes.
Breathe. Just breathe , she told herself, as she focused on the man, who had now become a target, because he was standing in the way of what she needed to do. She needed to run. “Raise your hands.”
Sebastian eyed the weapon, jaw clenched. “Lower it.”
She shook her
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