Page 47
Good. I keep my eyes on her, but address Tracker. “I quit, by the way.”
He snorts. “Yeah, paperwork is already filed, buddy. You’re out. Sunday has already been spending your exit package.”
“Is that so?” I arch a brow. “What did you buy?”
She grins. “Guess.”
Chapter 19
Cole - One Year Later
“Pineapple? Seriously?”
I pause the slice of fruit at my lips. “What’s wrong with pineapple?”
Sunday mimes cutting off her head, complete with a spurt of blood imitated by her wiggling fingers. “The last time we had it, that happened.”
Placing the pineapple on my tongue, I chew and swallow. We’re sitting on the veranda of our home, making the most of the morning before it gets too damn hot.
“Are we blaming the pineapple for the headless guy?” I ask.
Sunday grimaces, opting for a kiwi fruit instead. She stretches out her legs and places her bare feet on my lap, the morning sun highlighting her legs. She rests her hand on her bump, as if protecting our baby from the memory. “No, but it’s just weird.”
“If I avoided food because it was in the vicinity while I witnessed or committed murder, I’d have a very limited selection,” I say, sucking the juice from my fingers. “I’m not giving up steak just because I cooked a guy’s hand next to it once.”
She gapes at me. “Don’t tell me these things. Why do you tell me these things?”
I grin, reaching forward to grip the chair between her legs. The metal legs groan against the veranda as I pull her to me and kiss her. “I’m kidding.” She exhales. “It was a foot.”
“Oh, get off,” she flicks my cheek and I laugh, sitting back.
“Hello, Cole.”
The voice has my heart lurching. Standing at the open veranda doors, face set into bitterness, is Darcy.
Sunday freezes, and I stand slowly. “Darcy. What are you doing here?”
She arches a brow, her fingers twitching by her side. The world seems to stop with her here—the breeze stills, the birds no longer sing. The joy I felt only moments ago has vanished.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Darcy asks, expression cold. Detached. “I’m here to kill you.” Time slows. My heart stops. I’ve grown complacent, lazy, because there are no weapons out here. No way to—“Kidding!” Darcy laughs and throws her arms into the air. “Gosh, you two are so serious!”
Sunday picks up her kiwi and launches it at her. “You fucking weirdo!”
“Not funny!” I snap as she dances over to the table. “How did you even get in here?”
“People need to stop asking me that,” she says as she takes a seat, shoving a handful of grapes into her mouth. “I’m already in, what does it matter how I did it?”
Slowly, I sit, my heart rate returning to normal. “I can’t believe you just did that.”
Darcy swallows the fruit, sticks her tongue out and drops her head back. “Tough crowd. It was a joke! As if I’d announce my evil plan. I’d just do it. How’s the little Sunday?”
Sunday seems to have recovered quickly, and beams at the question as she rubs her pregnant belly. “She’s good.”
“She!” Darcy claps excitedly. “Will you name her after me?”
“Aw.” Sunday reaches across the table and pats Darcy’s hand. “Absolutely not.”
Darcy shrugs and I smirk. “Fair enough. Anyway, I came to say goodbye. Your girl is going into WitSec. It’s what us cool kids call witness protection.”