Hump Day once again. MLB playoffs are in full swing, new words are getting written and I have a snippet that fits the #1lineWed theme of **MAGNIFY**. Sort of. I’m not going to explain this snippet because it’s fairly self-contained but mainly because I’m all mean and mysterious like that. 🤣
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Gen
I ignored the three men in the small interrogation room. It wasn’t like TV—no two-way mirror on a wall, no metal chair or table, or handcuffs. Still, unseen eyes watched me. The camera tucked in one corner of the ceiling wasn’t obvious, but I knew it was there. Now I knew how a bug felt under a magnifying glass. The men lounged back in their chairs, watching me. Silence stretched out. I understood that game, had played it myself when doing mediation between coworkers. The ATF agent attempting to be the good cop spoke. “I’m going to read your rights—”

“I understood them the first four times.” My voice sounded as hollow and dead as I felt. The law could do its worst and it wouldn’t be as bad as what Wizard had done.

“Ms. Pruitt…”

I closed my eyes, shutting them all out.

A fist thumped on the Formica table, toppling the bottle of water they’d brought me. I didn’t move.

“Dammit. You need to tell us about the Nightriders. About your relationship with Jack Dimond.” The voice belonged to the DDCC agent who’d raided Chasin’ Tail.

“Who?” I’d never heard the name before.

Jones laughed, the sound both accusatory and sarcastic. “You don’t even know the real name of the man you’re fucking? Jack Dimond, also known as Wizard.”

A strangled laugh exploded from my mouth. I opened my eyes in time to see my interrogators rear back. Pretty sure my crazy emotions were apparent in my brittle smile, I said, “They had a wicked sense of humor.”

They exchanged uneasy looks. I pushed back from the table and stood. “Are you arresting me?” No one spoke. That’s what I thought. They’d bought into the nonsense Brent spewed about me. Well, I wasn’t that woman anymore. Not that I ever had been. I stared at each man. Jones, the DDCC agent, smirked. Jerk. The local Kansas City cop wouldn’t meet my gaze. The ATF agent stared at Jones. “Fine. Then we’re done here.”

No one spoke as I shoved out of the corner they’d put me in—physically and emotionally—and headed for the door.

The ATF guy grabbed my arm as I passed. “Ms. Pruitt, you need to be careful. They’re criminals.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”
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Yeah, nobody puts Baby in the corner. 😉 I will add that things are going from bad to worse for Gen but when push comes to shove, there’s always a Happy Ever After. Is that vague enough? And yes, I am a big ol’ terrible tease and y’all can hate me. That’s cool. Just so long as I tease you enough to read the book. I’m getting closer each day. What do you think is going to happen next in the book? 😉