Violet perched on the edge of her chair, still looking like an animal about to bolt, but a spark of interest lit her eyes. Riley had always been good with getting people to cooperate. Probably the only reason the gangs stayed together as long as they did.
"Why do you want Firefly if you already have a machine?" Violet asked.
"It's Firefinder and we don't want anyone else to get their hands on it," Riley said.
"And we'll pay you for your time," Danika added.
"How much?"
"Two hundred dollars."
"Four hundred. Breaking and entering is dangerous work."
"Three hundred. Final offer." Riley looked at his phone. "It's a little over four hours to Florida on the EzFly. If we leave now, we can be there by midnight. Get into the house, grab the device, and get out. You can stay overnight at our place." He turned to Jaxon. "You too. We've got plenty of room and an extra toothbrush. If you're still interested in hanging with us."
"Damn straight I am," Jaxon said. "You're going to get that shield down for me."
Violet sat up straight and whipped her head around to face Riley. "You can take the shield down?"
Riley kicked Jaxon under the table. "No."
Violet glanced around the table. "Lying to me already. Not a good way to start this relationship."
Riley huffed out a breath. "Not yet I can't. I'm checking into lowering it on one island."
Violet sat back, eyes narrowed, and took a sip of her drink. Jaxon heard the gears in her brain whirling.
"I want to visit this doctor," she finally said. "He works at Luminous Forever Medi-Spa on Mount Desert Island. He's a microbiologist and has studied the Malik virus. Bet he could tell us about anything screwy that's happened from it. Stuff we don't already know about from the Internet."
"Why is a microbiologist working at a medi-spa?" Danika asked. "Aren't those places all about cosmetic surgery?"
"Mostly, yeah. I don't know why he's there. Mandatory job reassignment by the government? Or maybe he wanted to make big bucks and go into a different field of work."
"How do you know him?"
"He and my parents were friends. Back before – you know."
"We absolutely can't let the wrong people find out about us," Riley warned. "We'd be hunted and used by the government for experiments. You too." He pointed a finger at Violet.
"I won't say anything about you guys, just me and my invisible stuff. You can tell him whatever you want about your shit after you meet him."
"He lives so close, you know him, and you haven't contacted him about your power?" Danika asked.
Violet lowered her head and spoke softly. "When this first happened to me, I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. I thought I had some kind of horrible disease. I didn't tell anyone."
Yeah, so terrified, you used your invisibility to pick pockets. Jaxon started to speak, but stopped. Were Riley and Danika buying Violet's act?
Violet looked up again, eyes wide, projecting sincerity like a puppy that desperately needed a treat. "But what you said makes perfect sense. A side effect of the Malik virus. And now I find out there are others like me. Kind of like me. I'm not alone."
All of a sudden, Miss Bitchy decides to be friendly? She smiled, and Jaxon rolled his eyes but kept quiet, waiting to see what Riley would do.
"We'll call him on Monday and talk. What's his name and number?" Riley asked.
Good. His friend wasn't taken in by her sweet and innocent routine.
Violet shook her head. "No. He's kind of eccentric. But a genius. I'll contact him. I'll talk to him, then we'll visit him together. And no, I won't tell him anything on the phone, or by text or email, to get him to let me onto the island. I want to show him, in person, what I can do, with no advance notice, so he won't have time to alert any of his colleagues."
"I don't know." Riley shot a glance to Danika. "Doesn't sound like a great idea."
"You guys don't even need to see him, if you don't want. But, jeez, I think you'd be interested in talking to someone who studied this field. After what you just told me." Violet cocked her head, a taunting tone to her voice.
"We have to trust someone," Danika said, before she turned to Violet. "You're sure this guy won't tell anyone? Because if he does, you're putting yourself in danger."
"He'll keep quiet if I ask him to. My parents told me he was a good man. If I can talk to him first, tell him I need his silence, he'll go along. Like I said, you guys don't have to say a word to him about your stuff unless you want to." She tossed down the rest of her drink. "That's part of the deal. You lower the shield, we see him, or I don't go with you to get this machine."
All tough girl again.
"Give us his name," Riley said.
"Not until I talk to him." She stood and stuck out her hand. "Deal or not?"
Riley looked to Danika and apparently saw what he wanted on her face. He shook Violet's hand. "Deal. We go to Florida, get our machine tonight, we'll discuss visiting your doctor friend."
Violet stood, smile back in place. "I live nearby. Let me change and pack an overnight bag."
"I'll go with you," Danika said.
"You don't have to," she said, the smile turning into a sneer. "You're afraid I'll take off. Guess what? If I wanted to leave, I'd be gone already, and you'd never find me. I'll get my things and meet you here. I don't want you at my house. Back in thirty minutes."
She whirled on her heels and they watched her go.
"Think she'll come back?" Jaxon asked.
"She will." Danika frowned. "She wants something from us. Other than visiting her doctor friend."
"And you know this how?" Jaxon nudged Danika.
"It's a girl thing. We can tell when another woman is being devious. Violet has 'sneaky' written all over her."
Good. Danika's radar picked up on that phony performance too. "What's up with that scarring on her face?" Jaxon asked.
"It's hardly noticeable," Danika said.
"I noticed it," Jaxon said.
Danika nudged him back.
"Well, I did. But not much. She's got it covered up with make-up real good."
"You might want to shut your mouth, bro, before Violet punches you," Riley said. "I think she has anger issues."
"Don't we all?" Jaxon lit a cigarette. "How about another beer? That always helps with mine."
"Why do you want Firefly if you already have a machine?" Violet asked.
"It's Firefinder and we don't want anyone else to get their hands on it," Riley said.
"And we'll pay you for your time," Danika added.
"How much?"
"Two hundred dollars."
"Four hundred. Breaking and entering is dangerous work."
"Three hundred. Final offer." Riley looked at his phone. "It's a little over four hours to Florida on the EzFly. If we leave now, we can be there by midnight. Get into the house, grab the device, and get out. You can stay overnight at our place." He turned to Jaxon. "You too. We've got plenty of room and an extra toothbrush. If you're still interested in hanging with us."
"Damn straight I am," Jaxon said. "You're going to get that shield down for me."
Violet sat up straight and whipped her head around to face Riley. "You can take the shield down?"
Riley kicked Jaxon under the table. "No."
Violet glanced around the table. "Lying to me already. Not a good way to start this relationship."
Riley huffed out a breath. "Not yet I can't. I'm checking into lowering it on one island."
Violet sat back, eyes narrowed, and took a sip of her drink. Jaxon heard the gears in her brain whirling.
"I want to visit this doctor," she finally said. "He works at Luminous Forever Medi-Spa on Mount Desert Island. He's a microbiologist and has studied the Malik virus. Bet he could tell us about anything screwy that's happened from it. Stuff we don't already know about from the Internet."
"Why is a microbiologist working at a medi-spa?" Danika asked. "Aren't those places all about cosmetic surgery?"
"Mostly, yeah. I don't know why he's there. Mandatory job reassignment by the government? Or maybe he wanted to make big bucks and go into a different field of work."
"How do you know him?"
"He and my parents were friends. Back before – you know."
"We absolutely can't let the wrong people find out about us," Riley warned. "We'd be hunted and used by the government for experiments. You too." He pointed a finger at Violet.
"I won't say anything about you guys, just me and my invisible stuff. You can tell him whatever you want about your shit after you meet him."
"He lives so close, you know him, and you haven't contacted him about your power?" Danika asked.
Violet lowered her head and spoke softly. "When this first happened to me, I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. I thought I had some kind of horrible disease. I didn't tell anyone."
Yeah, so terrified, you used your invisibility to pick pockets. Jaxon started to speak, but stopped. Were Riley and Danika buying Violet's act?
Violet looked up again, eyes wide, projecting sincerity like a puppy that desperately needed a treat. "But what you said makes perfect sense. A side effect of the Malik virus. And now I find out there are others like me. Kind of like me. I'm not alone."
All of a sudden, Miss Bitchy decides to be friendly? She smiled, and Jaxon rolled his eyes but kept quiet, waiting to see what Riley would do.
"We'll call him on Monday and talk. What's his name and number?" Riley asked.
Good. His friend wasn't taken in by her sweet and innocent routine.
Violet shook her head. "No. He's kind of eccentric. But a genius. I'll contact him. I'll talk to him, then we'll visit him together. And no, I won't tell him anything on the phone, or by text or email, to get him to let me onto the island. I want to show him, in person, what I can do, with no advance notice, so he won't have time to alert any of his colleagues."
"I don't know." Riley shot a glance to Danika. "Doesn't sound like a great idea."
"You guys don't even need to see him, if you don't want. But, jeez, I think you'd be interested in talking to someone who studied this field. After what you just told me." Violet cocked her head, a taunting tone to her voice.
"We have to trust someone," Danika said, before she turned to Violet. "You're sure this guy won't tell anyone? Because if he does, you're putting yourself in danger."
"He'll keep quiet if I ask him to. My parents told me he was a good man. If I can talk to him first, tell him I need his silence, he'll go along. Like I said, you guys don't have to say a word to him about your stuff unless you want to." She tossed down the rest of her drink. "That's part of the deal. You lower the shield, we see him, or I don't go with you to get this machine."
All tough girl again.
"Give us his name," Riley said.
"Not until I talk to him." She stood and stuck out her hand. "Deal or not?"
Riley looked to Danika and apparently saw what he wanted on her face. He shook Violet's hand. "Deal. We go to Florida, get our machine tonight, we'll discuss visiting your doctor friend."
Violet stood, smile back in place. "I live nearby. Let me change and pack an overnight bag."
"I'll go with you," Danika said.
"You don't have to," she said, the smile turning into a sneer. "You're afraid I'll take off. Guess what? If I wanted to leave, I'd be gone already, and you'd never find me. I'll get my things and meet you here. I don't want you at my house. Back in thirty minutes."
She whirled on her heels and they watched her go.
"Think she'll come back?" Jaxon asked.
"She will." Danika frowned. "She wants something from us. Other than visiting her doctor friend."
"And you know this how?" Jaxon nudged Danika.
"It's a girl thing. We can tell when another woman is being devious. Violet has 'sneaky' written all over her."
Good. Danika's radar picked up on that phony performance too. "What's up with that scarring on her face?" Jaxon asked.
"It's hardly noticeable," Danika said.
"I noticed it," Jaxon said.
Danika nudged him back.
"Well, I did. But not much. She's got it covered up with make-up real good."
"You might want to shut your mouth, bro, before Violet punches you," Riley said. "I think she has anger issues."
"Don't we all?" Jaxon lit a cigarette. "How about another beer? That always helps with mine."
From Amazon reviews:
This book was an interestingly different romance with a slightly futuristic bend...There are deceptions, lies, and danger woven into this book...A little bit dystopian with criminal elements. I found it engaging, and as I got deeper into the book, I was hooked.
The book is great. When I started reading I couldn't put it down.
Such a good book that I can see it being made into a movie!
A tangled web of a storyline that you won't want to put down!
Very well written, fell in love with Jaxon and Violets story! Can two people with very different agendas come together? Or will it keep Violet and Jaxon apart? To find out what happens please grab this book you will not be disappointed.
The characters were well developed in this book...
The plot is good though, and I was rooting for the main characters. For me time flew by while reading it, which is always a great sign.
This book was an interestingly different romance with a slightly futuristic bend...There are deceptions, lies, and danger woven into this book...A little bit dystopian with criminal elements. I found it engaging, and as I got deeper into the book, I was hooked.
The book is great. When I started reading I couldn't put it down.
Such a good book that I can see it being made into a movie!
A tangled web of a storyline that you won't want to put down!
Very well written, fell in love with Jaxon and Violets story! Can two people with very different agendas come together? Or will it keep Violet and Jaxon apart? To find out what happens please grab this book you will not be disappointed.
The characters were well developed in this book...
The plot is good though, and I was rooting for the main characters. For me time flew by while reading it, which is always a great sign.
