Page 98 of With Spite

“You know I can drive myself, right?” she asked as we settled into the truck.

“Yeah, but if you take yourself, I have no reason to get done early and come get you.”

She smiled, and we talked about the snow and the wildlife we saw along the way to her office.

When we got there, she blew out a breath. “He’s here.”

I squeezed her hand, then got out of the truck. “I’ll walk you inside.”

I walked into the office with her hand in mine.

I caught the door when it threatened to slam on us and held it open so she could walk inside without being beaned in the head with it.

The bells over the door jingled, and I stopped at the large mat and stomped my feet off to rid my boots of most of the snow.

Bernice did the same, then dropped my hand as she started to divest herself of my large parka that seemed to dwarf her small frame. The one that she’d commandeered sometime last week and had no plans on giving back.

I helped her along, throwing the parka over my arm.

I’d keep it in the truck for her for when I picked her up later.

“Hey, Magnolia.”

The woman behind the reception desk smiled and waved.

Magnolia was a professional soccer player with Boone’s wife, Nettie, on Beau’s women’s team that his family and he owned. Apparently, though, playing professional soccer didn’t pay all the bills, and Magnolia was in desperate need of some health insurance for her child.

She’d started there the Friday before, and according to Bernice, was a godsend.

“Are they here?” Bernice whispered.

Magnolia widened her eyes. “They are. Wait until you see the one that everyone’s iffy about. He’s got these weird eyes.”

I cleared my throat. “Ladies. Y’all are way louder than you think.”

Bernice covered her mouth with her hand.

Magnolia choked on a laugh. “You’re right.”

“Come on,” I said. “Let’s get you to your meeting.”

She practically dragged her feet as she walked back to the breakroom where the meetings were being held.

They all got here an hour and a half early so that they could have a joint meeting with both men.

I heard Odin’s voice as he spoke in a low tone, but there was something off about it the closer I got.

Odin looked up as we made it into the room, his eyes blank.

Sage had her arms crossed around herself as she stood in the corner, her hips against the counter behind her.

One man looked bubbly and open from where he sat at the staff room table sipping a coffee and picking apart a muffin.

Meanwhile, the other one?

The man who stood in the corner of the room was watchful as we came inside.

His eyes were dead.