AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We didn’t. Or I should say,shedidn’t.” Cookie pointed at me.
Dice looked up from his magazine, lips parted but nothing coming out.
Connor looked up too. “Huh?”
Their stunned looks were ripping away any hope I’d have of this being played down.
“I’m pretty sure the guy had come to the decision earlier. I don’t think it was me,” I said, shaking my head.
I might’ve been able to sway them if Cookie didn’t jump back in. She stepped closer to them, angling herself slightly in front of me as if I were talking gibberish and shouldn’t be paid attention to.
“Not only did she not fail,” Cookie said, playing to her audience, “shekilledit. No idea what she was doing, but she led the guy like a puppy dog with a bone. It was crazy.”
“No one’s been able to get that guy. He had to have been primed from all the previous tries. It’s the only thing that makes sense.” Dice glanced in Connor’s direction. He nodded in agreement.
“Makes sense to me,” I said loudly. “I’ve got zero aptitude. I’m certainly not some sort of tinkering savant.” Nor did I want to be. I hadn’t even wanted to do that job. Why I’d stepped up to the occasion still wasn’t clear, other than bad judgment on my part.
Dice and Connor were looking as if they weren’t buying it either. Kaden would never buy into it. It would be okay. I hadn’t utterly screwed myself.
“No. Fucking. Way. I approached the guy first, and let me tell you, he was one stubborn son of a bitch. He was not ready to go down in any way,” Cookie said, looking like she was ready to go to the mat to defend her position.
Dice and Connor looked at each other and then back at Cookie. They shook their heads in unison.
“You’re being idiotic,” Dice said.
Cookie’s arm sprang out, making me jump back a few inches to stay out of her way.
With her arm outstretched and her finger pointed at the yellow phone, she said, “Call it in. See if payment was made if you’re so sure.”
“Payment from who? Who pays you people to do this? Who are you calling?” I asked.
Connor raised his brow. “Technically, who paidyouto do this. Depends on who wants things tweaked. Could be anyone, but we call the IBA, also known as the Independent Board of Adjusting. They’re a third party who holds the funds during transactions. Think of them like a title company when you sell or buy a house.”
While Connor was explaining this, Dice got to his feet and began a fierce stare-off with Cookie. They looked like they could’ve been two combatants in a dark alley, about to pull knives on each other. Connor didn’t seem overly concerned, but that might’ve been because he was as crazy as they were.
If it came to blows, did I step in or let them kill each other?
Before I had to make a choice, Dice said, “Fine.” He walked over to the yellow phone. His back was blocking the numbers, but then he said, “Yeah, calling to see if we received a payment for tonight.”
He turned a little, his eyes shooting to me and his mouth dropping open. “Uh huh. Yeah.” He hung up. His eyes still on me, he said, “They paid and gave us a bonus.”
Cookie yelled, “Yes. Told you so, suckers.”
I barely heard whatever else was said over the loud buzzing in my ears from my blood pressure shooting up. I couldn’t be stuck here. I wouldn’t be. No. No.No.
“Where’s the boss? He’s going to want to hear about this,” Cookie said.
Connor hooked a thumb down the hallway, toward Kaden’s office.
That was all Cookie needed. She grabbed my hand and dragged me after her with such gusto that my head snapped back.
“You know, I’m not sure…”
Too late. We were in his office. Kaden looked up from his desk as we walked in. His eyes met mine, and seemed to darken. I was grateful when Cookie started talking.
“You aren’t going to believe this, but she’s a natural,” Cookie said.
“Really,” he said. “What exactly happened?”
