Page 115 of Reckless Devotion

We all lean forward in our seats, even Sunny, who has been avidly paying attention this whole time. Months of chasing down leads has come to this moment right here, and the only pang of regret I have is that Pepper should be here. She worked so hard to get us here. I really wouldn’t have been able to do it without her.

I push the heaviness in my chest away for a few moments, needing to focus as the women switch places, the sun making it impossible to glimpse the smaller one as they talk. Her back is in plain view now: a pink cardigan and short blonde hair, with a small slide clip bearing a white bow on the side of her head.

“Wait…” Sunny blows out the incredulous word, scrambling for her pockets. “I think I know that woman.”

“What?” Evelyn blurts out, her neatly pinned hair swiveling in shock.

I watch as Sunny pulls out her phone from her pocket and starts tapping the screen. She holds it swiftly up to her ear, her eyes wide as she peers back out of the window.

I hear the tinny line ringing faintly in the background right as the small blonde woman on the steps jerks, her hand reaching for the bright purple purse under her arm. What is this, corporate espionage by Hello Kitty?

Elizabeth pauses as the other woman pulls out her phone and looks at it for a brief second before declining the call. The ringing abruptly cuts to voicemail right at that second.

“That’s Rosie,” Sunny croaks, her hand slowly trailing back to her lap. She turns her stunned face to mine. “She’s from paint club, you’ve met her.”

As someone who proclaims to have a big brain, I sure as shit feel dumb right now. I flick back through my memory of that night, looking for someone short and blonde with Barbie doll colors…and all I can picture is Pepper’s face. Her lip curled withanger and her eyes bright, and then the softer, more vulnerable version of her that broke through the mask when she asked me to leave. That was the first time I saw a glimpse of something in her that I recognized in myself. Someone who was once a victim, and swore never to be again. It eclipses everything else in frame, leaving only blank fuzzy space where it should have been.

“I don’t recall.”

Evelyn clicks her tongue exasperatedly and I shoot her a glare. Now is really not the time to chastise me for my selective photographic memory.

“How did you meet her?”

Sunny chews the inside of her cheek hesitantly and I glance back at the steps to see the two women shake hands, my stomach plummeting as I realize it’s a parting gesture.

“No time,” I say abruptly, unclipping my seatbelt and throwing open the car door, the busy downtown traffic noise a wash of background clamor.

Both women turn to look at me and their faces drop. Miles flops down the corner of the large newspaper behind them and gives me a subtle nod I don’t visually acknowledge.

“I think we need to talk, don’t you?” I direct my words at Elizabeth, who stands frozen like a statue.

She recovers herself quickly. “Mr. Walker, what brings you here? Can I…” She trails off, a swallow getting stuck in her throat.

The small blonde woman decides it’s time to leave, and spins around to march away, but Tessa steps into her path. “Pretty sure I can tackle your ass to the floor if needed, Blondie.”

I’m pretty sure that’s a bluff, given how much she complains about her arthritic knees, but she pulls it off with enough bravado that the small blonde woman shrinks back.

“You know why I’m here, Elizabeth, and it’s time to start talking.” I slide my hands into my pockets, irritation creeping into the static-filled spaces between my skin and my clothes.

The now pale woman does the opposite, her mouth clamping shut. She lifts a nervous hand to the severe brunette bun at the back of her head.

“Oh, there’s no point denying it now, Lizzie,” Rosie snaps, blowing a strand of blonde hair off her face. Elizabeth flinches and looks her way. “He’s a lot of things, but dumb isn’t one of them.”

The blonde turns small blue eyes my way, her top lip rising. “I’m surprised it took you this long to catch up, Walker.”

“Who do you work for?” I steeple my spine, rising to my full height.

“I don’t workforanyone,” she spits, her shoulders rigid squares.

“It’s Incognito, isn’t it?” a small voice from behind me asks, and we all pause to look back at Sunny. “You and Pepper, you’re part of Incognito.”

Rosie looks stumped, her mouth agape as she looks at Sunny.

“The anonymous hacker activist group?” Evelyn asks, her neat brows pinned together.

“WeareIncognito, you silly child!” Rosie’s fists clench at her side, color flooding her face.

A small lightbulb flickers to life inside my head, and suddenly everything starts to slot into place.