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“They’re in a lot of trouble, Aspen I don’t have tiht away I’m sorry to leave you, but they don’t have time to waste It’s really important”

“It’s okay, I understand” She didn’t like it but she understood “Just be safe Will you call me?”

“If I can I don’t kno good the reception will be” He drew her close and kissed her “I need to stop in

and talk to Jake before I go If you need anything, I want you to call him Promise me you will do that”

“I will I promise” She could take that worry out of his hands “I love you”

“I love you too”

16

Exhaustion dragged her down as she trudged her way into the kitchen of the restaurant She’d hardly slept at all last night Jaotten him to sleep she’d lain awake, worried about Saxon He’d called after landing in Coloone for two days, and she was really worried She wished she kneas going on She thought he’d deliberately not told her everything because he didn’t want her to worry

Yeah, that had worked really well She couldn’t stop worrying She wondered if she should go and talk to Jake Maybe he’d knoas going on He’d known Joel a lot longer than she had There was a lot she didn’t know about her fiancé

Fiancé? Shit That still sounded a bit strange She was going to e his mind, would he? No He didn’t make empty promises

It was a little frightening to realize how rown to love hi a bit out of sorts Probably because they could sense how unsettled she was But she knew they would all feel better once he was back

She hadn’t told anyone they were engaged yet It didn’t feel right to do it when Joel wasn’t here At least she told herself that was the reason There was also a voice whispering in her head that maybe it wasn’t real

She’d just wait until he ca back

“You know, just because you’re fucking the boss doesn’t mean you can waltz in whenever you want,” Renard called out to her from where he stood behind the stove

Those sleepless nights combined with all her worries meant her hold on her teh it with a sharp-edged blade