Cross My Tigress Face the Wrath

Lottie's crew had already made it to Slatepeak Mines.

Meanwhile, Xander's people had arrived at Loutan Lake, and Hull's crew, not to be outdone, was already in Westonville.

The next morning, Yvonne woke up to the news, feeling ridiculously refreshed.

"Well, I'll be damned," she grinned, popping a fat blueberry into her mouth. "If Black Gate doesn't hand that person over after all this, I'll eat my own hat."

The blueberries from Litamark were something else-sweeter than anything she'd ever tasted, with this fragrant punch that made her want to eat the whole carton. Xander raised an eyebrow. "So, we're in the clear now?"

Yvonne reached for another berry, but Xander grabbed her hand and stole it for himself, popping it quickly into his mouth.

Yvonne stared at him, offended. "Seriously?!"

Now her fingers were all sticky and gross with his spit. Ugh. She wiped them off on his shirt, scowling hard enough to curdle milk.

Xander's face darkened. "What's that look for?"

your own damn berries! My fingers are covered in

at her.

the table.

screen, then at Yvonne. "What do you

shrugged. "To beg for

direct, never sugarcoating a thing. She

to leave the room. "Mr. Murray, calling to hand her

through the phone. "She's crazy, but you-how low can you stoop? You know damn well didn't take Susanna Are you just trying to pin every damn

beating I took last time, now

Black

even long enough to enjoy it.

time. But with Susanna?

Yvonne last time-but as for

to combust. "I'm telling you, I didn't

were treating his words like background noise. Since yesterday he'd been telling them, but not

you, it was Black Gate. And you're part of Black Gate,