AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What? He called you?” Heat rushed to her face and her finger involuntarily wrapped around the railing of the stairs. “What a little weasel.” Maybe she should do a tell-all right here in front of the whole damn town.
Her mom rested a hand on her arm and smiled. “Sweetheart.” Her mom laughed lightly. “Breathe. It’s okay. Look at what you’ve been able to do.”
“You seemed to have found a way,” her dad interjected.
Genevieve smirked. “There’s the power of communication for you.” She squeezed her mom’s hands with understanding. “I love you guys.”
Venus tapped her on the shoulder and she followed where Stacey pointed. “Incoming,” they warned in unison in a low voice.
Genevieve bit at her lip. “Uh-ooh.”
Venus lowered her voice and dipped her head close. “By the way, we stashed all but this building prints at my place so you’re covered.”
Charging through the crowd of people, and coming straight for her, was a sleek, well-dressed shark with perfect hair and a cleft chin she could see from a mile away. His expression teased the fine line between irritated and wholly ticked off. Not such a nice combination now what she was expecting to see after last night.
Genevieve looped her arms through Venus and Stacey’s. “Girls, I think it’s time to go. All of a sudden, I’m feeling the need to busy myself in the shop. How about you two?” All three turned on their heels and gunned it toward the flower shop and a safe haven from the attack they knew was imminent.
“Mom, Dad, we’ll get the shop ready for visitors.”
From the corner of her eye she was aware of the second Whiskey noticed her shift directions away from him.
“Genevieve Summers don’t you fucking move, woman.” She felt him behind her, his presence like a wall of water ready to pour down over her before she turned.
“What the hell is this?”
Genevieve came nose to paper with a copy of her article.
He shook it when she didn’t say anything.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
She pushed him to an empty patch of sidewalk and lowered her voice. “You left yourself wide open for that. I only promised I wouldn’t out you for what theydidn’tknow. Not for what the town already does know.”
“Umm, Genevieve, we’ll see you inside.”
Genevieve nodded to Venus and watched her friends back away while she worked out her differences with Whiskey.
“I trusted you. And, I don’t remember that conversation going down like that.”
“Then you should have asked the right questions instead of burying your face between my legs.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling more confident with her pick of T-shirts today to pair with her cutoffs. PETAL PATROL was very fitting, she thought. Someone had to watch out for this town when fancy sharks in suits showed up.
His eyes darkened and narrowed into thin slits. “What have you done?”
“Only what you said. You said I needed to prove that this building,” she waved her hand to encompass the entire blockof brick and mortar history that served as a cornerstone to the entire town, “is worth fighting for. That people care if you make them look up from their phones, away from bottom lines and to the history of a place. That’s what I did.” She tapped the paper.
“By blackmailing me?”
She shrugged, pulling out a five-dollar bill to buy a fresh doughnut from a vendor, but Whiskey beat her to it, paying for her breakfast.
“Thank you, she offered with a smile, but it did nothing to wipe away the scowl.
Sinking her teeth in for the first bit she moaned from the delightful sweetness of caramel and chocolate. “It got you here, didn’t it? Otherwise, you would have held up in your office like some ogre. Now that you can see just how much people love this place, maybe you and your board of suits will reconsider all those terrible plans that will change this town.” She paused and considered the effects of her words on him, but it was hard to see past the wall of irritation.
“Want some?” She held the doughnut out and teased Whiskey just to push a few more buttons. She’d need to be careful though—he looked like he would tip over the edge any second. Poor guy. She almost wanted to feel sorry for him.
Almost.
