Page 48 of Shattered By the Currents

“I know.”

Lottie had been furious when things hadn’t gone her way last week. She’d dragged Ferris into the community center with the intention of catching Raven sleeping in the office. She’d wanted Raven fired.

Thank God she’d stayed at Connor’s the night before. That was the only reason she’d been able to convince Ferris that the blanket and pillow were just beingstoredthere, not used.

“You think you’ve won, don’t you?” Lottie whispered, arms crossed over her chest.

“Won what?”

“Everything. You got my job. You run my programs.”

“I runmyprograms. And I didn’t take anything from you. I applied for a job and I was hired.”

Lottie scowled. “We’ll see how long you last. You’re a charity case at best.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ferris gave you the job because he’s been friends with your father for thirty years and knows the old man has Parkinson’s. You’re a charity case with Connor too, you know.”

“Okay, Lottie.”

“Don’t believe me? I heard some of his friends saying Connor has a savior complex. Apparently, he tried to save an ex but couldn’t. Looks like you’re his new little project.”

Raven refused to look at Lottie. She didn’t want to believe anything this awful woman said. But that small photo flickered in her mind. The one of him and his ex. The one he hadn’t wanted to talk about.

“Enjoy it all while it lasts.” With those parting words, Lottie strolled off to sit in the back row.

Argh. That woman…

She was lying about Connor. Trying to get a reaction out of her.

Still, she glanced at where he stood on the side of the stage with the guys.

Raven had secrets…it was certainly possible he did, too.

She spent the next hour trying to concentrate on Ferris and the meeting agenda. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t. Thoughts of the tracking device on her car, and what Lottie had said about Connor, took her entire concentration.

When the meeting finally ended, Raven was ready to leave. Past ready. Townspeople stood en masse, the hall so crowded she could barely see a path in front of her.

She started to weave through the crowd, searching for Connor, only to freeze at the sight of a sweatshirt. It was just the back, but it was familiar. Navy with a bobcat in the center. The hood was up, but the man wearing the sweatshirt was the right height and size.

A buzzing started between her ears, deafening the loud chatter around her. The figure slipped through the crowd. She followed. Shehadto follow.

She sidestepped locals, working hard to keep the sweatshirt within her sights.

Her heart pumped hard, panic speeding her steps.

The guy headed outside, and so did Raven.

He was just rounding the building when she grabbed his arm. “Xander?—”

He spun.

Not Xander.

“Nathaniel?”

“What the hell are you doing, Raven?”