Page 92 of Jack

Tame.As in, could a girl simply walk in carrying a gift?

She could if she had an invitation, maybe.

When Stein turned away, she thumbed open her text app.

Nim answered almost immediately.

Nim

Sure, I can make you an invitation.

And then her phone rang.

She swiped it open, kept her voice low even as King Jack strode out of the coffee shop, the woman and his brothers hot on his tail.Interesting.

Nim, in her ear. “The key is to figure out what they sent out. Who is on the guest list? It would be super special and terrific if it was someone without encrypted email.”

“I have a list of guests from Stone’s party. I’m sure someone on there might have a copy of the email.”

“Text it to me.” A pause. “You okay? You sound . . . weird.”

“I . . . it’s nothing.”

“Tell me!”

“The motel I was in caught fire this morning.”

“What?”

“Yeah.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. It was in the room a couple doors down. But we were the only guests at the hotel, I think, so . . . yeah, creepy.”

“Did anyone get hurt?”

“I don’t know. I called 911—but I left.”

A sigh. “Could Stone have . . . I don’t know . . . found you, and maybe tried to . . . you know . . .”

“I don’t know. I thought he was just this tech guy, way behind the scenes, but . . . I’m not sure.”

She watched as Stein got into a Chevy Sonic and pulled out behind a green Geo Tracker.

“You remember that guy I told you about? On the botched job in Poland?”

“The SEAL. The one who got his legs nearly blown off.”

She refused to let the image, the memory, the smells, the screaming take over. “He’s alive.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“That’s a good thing, right? No more nightmares?—”

“I think he’s working with Stone.”