Blind Date Turned Proposal

By this point, Josie had come to her wit’s end, and her voice turned hoarse with her frustration tipped over. “But he’s not the only criminal on the run in the entire Wavery!”

Arnold paused in his attempt to dab her tears away, taken aback by her sudden outburst, “Wow. Easy now. You sound pretty worked up.”

As Pop’s disappearance neared twenty-four hours, Josie was on edge, visibly worn out.

Arnold playfully pinched her cheek, “When was your last shut-eye?”

“Why do you care? I’m done here.”

Josie shoved him aside and unsteadily got to her feet, ready to leave.

Arnold’s grip gently pulled her back into place.

“Where do you think you’re going being in this state? Planning to walk right into the enemy’s clutches? That’s a one-way ticket to disaster. They’ve got your Pop, and their motive’s likely more complex than just wanting cash. They might be using him as leverage against you or Dexter.”

If it was about blackmail, the perpetrators would reveal their hands sooner or later.

though worry

undergone surgery, so he wasn’t fit

head against his shoulder, “Driving yourself crazy won’t help. Get some rest first, and then we’ll

more punch than Josie expected, and she was knocked out

and refrained from moving, Josie napping on

at her serene sleeping face, an

a snapshot with his phone, he looked at the picture

wincing from the all-over

all I get is suspicion,” Arnold quipped, his

door was swung open. “We’ve got a situation! Scar and the others have been cornered and

disappeared.

waiter glanced at Josie and then at

equally stunned.

the first to bolt from the room, but thanks to his long legs, Arnold surged ahead and grasped her arm, urging, “You need to lay low. Sneak out through the back exit. Go!”

momentarily. Her concern was etched on her face. “What if he’s here for me?”

had this scenario become reminiscent of an operation to catch a cheating

“If he were after you, he wouldn’t have taken