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Chapter 21
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and obviously, I’m a fool. ~ Phoebe’s rules for becoming a better person
Itear out of my building and run smackdab into Lenny. He grabs me and pulls me aside to allow Barney, Wally, and Sid to fly past us up the stairs.
“What happened, Doll?”
“Present. Door.” I’m out of breath and can barely get the words out.
He rubs circles in my back. “Take a deep breath. You’re safe. No one is going to harm you ever again.”
Wally walks out of the building holding the package and I rear back. “What is it? It’s not a bomb, is it?”
Wally chuckles. “It’s not a bomb, kid.”
Sid sticks his head out of the door. “Go ahead. We’re going to pack up a suitcase for Phoebe.” He winks at me. “You all right with that?”
I nod. Maybe I should be worried they’re going to rummage through my underwear drawer, but Sid and Barney touching my unmentionables is the least of my worries at the moment.
Wally and Lenny escort me to a truck and then drive me to the pub. They usher me into their booth where Suzie and Hailey are already waiting. “How did you get here this quick?”
“Please.” Suzie snorts. “You’ve driven with Hailey. Surely, you realize what a speed freak she is.”
Hailey squeezes my hand. “Wally called us.”
When did he possibly have time to call them? “Is he a ninja or a super secret governmental soldier or what?”
“I know, right?” Hailey bobs her head in agreement. “Ask me about the time I saw the lot of them disappear into thin air. I swear it was like ‘Poof! Where did they go?’”
“What was the present?” Suzie asks.
I glare at her. “One of these days your curiosity is going to get you hurt.”
“Nothing wrong with being curious.”
“Yeah, sure, the proverb about curiosity killing the cat was invented for no reason.”
Lenny, Sid, and Wally join us at the booth. Lenny is still carrying the present. I scoot as far away from it as possible. I want nothing to do with it.
“You’re all set, Phoebe. We packed up two suitcases full of clothes and put them in your room upstairs,” Sid announces.
“My room upstairs? It’s not my room.” I’m only staying at Pops’ place until my life calms down.
Pops arrives. “It’s your room for as long as you want it.”
“We’ll go back tomorrow and get the rest of your things packed up. Is the furniture yours?”
I hold up my hand. “I live there. You can’t pack me up. Where will I live?”
Pops sighs. “I thought we already settled this.” He sets a mug down in front of me. “Drink this. It will help your nerves.”
I take a sip of the warm drink and nearly gag. “What did you do? Pour an entire bottle of whisky in here?” I manage to ask between coughs.
Pops winks before sauntering back behind the bar.
Barney joins us. “What did the hurricane say to the coconut tree?”
My eyes widen at him. Are the uncles completely unphased by today’s events? I wish I could say the same for me but receiving a surprise package in front of my door days after being kidnapped is not an ‘ordinary’ day. Who would be crazy enough to want it to be?
