Page 99 of Make or Break

“Yeah, I’m here. Ryan wouldn’t cut you out. He’d never do that. I can’t believe you’d think something so whacked.”

I grimaced. “Well, I’m extremely worried.”

“Would you cut him out like that?” Mabel asked.

My hand went to the back of my neck and I tried to massage some of the tension out. “If he can’t open his mind…” I sighed. “I don’t know, sis.”

The freight train picked up more speed.

“Never thought I’d hear you say that,” Mabel said.

“Me neither. Then again, I never thought I’d fall for an older man, but here we are.”

“Yeah. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m glad it’s you causing problems for once instead of me.”

I huffed out a chuckle. “Shut up.”

“No, you shut up,” Mabel said, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

“I should go soon, but whatever Killian told you - like cutting back on the snotty tone - do that, Mabel. I miss how close we used to be.”

The crossing arms lifted.

Mabel made a strange humming noise. “Yeah, I’m doing my best, okay.”

A feeble grin crossed my lips. “That’s all we can do, right?”

“Right. Later, Mickayla.”

I parked my car a few spaces away from a small SUV. There was a woman sitting inside. She angled out when I turned off my engine.

I grabbed my wristlet, got out, and glanced toward the woman. Her brunette hair shone in the sunlight and she looked familiar. She came around the car and I smiled once I recognized her.

“Brandy, what are you doing here?”

She returned my smile. “I have the day off and Marjorie is in VPK until a quarter to one. I’m having lunch, if that’s cool with you.”

“That’s very cool. We don’t open until eleven, and I’m not sure our cook is here yet.”

We moved toward the back door. “That’s fine. I’ll stay out of your way unless you need me to wait in my car.”

A rueful chuckle escaped me. “No, you’ll keep my mind off things.”

“What’s on your mind?” Brandy asked.

I shot her a grin while I unlocked the door. We stepped inside the hallway near the break room and stopped cold.

“Oh, shit,” I whispered.

Adam lay on the floor with his arms out at an angle. His head was turned to the side, and blood had dripped from his nose.

“Who’s that?” Brandy asked.

I rushed toward Adam and crouched next to him, dropping my wristlet so I could check his pulse. “Adam?” I said in a low voice because I wasn’t sure if anyone else was still here. Relief surged through me when I felt a steady pulse in his neck.

“I’m calling 911,” Brandy said.

I heard her phone clatter to the floor just before Brandy yelped. I stood and turned toward her. Duane held Brandy from behind in a choke hold.