Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
“Where do we start?” Katherine glances around all the rows of file cabinets. Looks like it’s going to be a long night unless we get lucky.
We’re here to find my marriage license. Once I get my hands on it, I’m not sure what I’ll do with it. Hell, after today I almost want to frame it, but I can’t trust my own decisions. I’ll get it and have it for safekeeping.
If all goes to hell, I can burn it and not have to worry about breaking any long-standing tradition. It would be like poof, it never happened. My chest aches at the very thought.
“We can leave if you want,” Katherine whispers, reading me easily.
“It’s fine. We get it and just keep it. That’s all.”
“Right.” She nods, and we both start pulling open drawers. “Holy crappers, there are records for everything.” Katherine isn’t wrong, and I can’t locate the marriage certificates either. “Score!!” Katherine shouts too loudly.
I rush over to see if she found them. “Let me.” I start tabbing through them and going back when I don’t see it. I just looked under both our names, and I didn't see it. Shit, what if it hasn't been filed yet?
“I can’t find it,” I tell Katherine, lifting my head to see her opening all the cabinets. “What are you doing?”
“This way if someone realizes we were in here, they won’t know what we were looking for.” I’m about to tell her they won’t either way, but an alarm starts to blare, making my stomach drop to the floor.
This place has an alarm? Since when?
“Oh noes, I have to poop,” Katherine says in a fear-filled panic. I shouldn’t laugh, but I can’t help myself as I shut the cabinet. Any time she gets super nervous, her stomach acts up. She’s really not made for a life of crime.
“Come on.” I grab her but come up short when I see the doorway is blocked.
Kindred pushes a button on her phone, making me realize the alarm was only blaring because she set it off on us.
“Kindred! I almost peed my pants.” Katherine puts her hand to her chest and falls back against one of the shelves. "Are we going to jail? Did they ever fix the cell? I don't think I can make it on the inside."
The police station has one holding cell, and I don't believe the lock works on it. The only thing inside of it is a cat tree that Mittens uses, but she can slip through the bars. Or she could at one point. In the last year, I think she's put on a little weight, but the holidays just passed. These things happen.
"I'm not sure you can make it out of this room," I tell her.
Kindred flips on the light, causing a blinding glare. Katherine puts her sunglasses back on.
"You knew."
"That you got married and had plans to sneak into here?"
"Yeah."
"I did."
"The hell? Why'd you let us do it then?" Katherine asks. "I could have saved these costumes."
"What would be the fun in that?" Kindred and I say it at the same time. It's often about the journey and not the destination.
"You're not going to give me the goods, are you?" I ask, getting the vibe.
"Do you want me to destroy it?" She asks her own question instead of answering mine.
"You don't know everything." At least I don't think she does. She might if I’m being honest. She keeps her finger on the pulse of this town. It’s been that way ever since I can remember.
"Know enough." She shrugs but is smirking. Kindred has always been like a big sister or aunt to me. I always looked up to her growing up. I might have participated in activities that could have led to my arrest in order to ensure that the sheriff and Kindred ended up together.
But I was young back then. I was banking on not being old enough to be tossed into a working jail cell.
“Ladies.”
“Ahh!” All three of us scream this time. Kindred spins around on her heels to face Pierce.
“Didn’t mean to scare you, but my wife’s food is getting cold.” He holds up a to-go box. “And don’t think I didn’t make copies of that marriage license.” Pierce smiles at me, his eyes softening around the edges. “Come on, spitfire, it’s time to get home.”
“Fine,” I huff. “Guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” I fold my arms over my chest and walk out of the records room like a child who got busted with the cookie jar by her parents.
Except it’s an act.
I’m highly impressed with my husband and really freaking turned on.
Chapter Twenty-Two
PIERCE
My wife sits in the passenger seat, happily eating her burger as I drive us back to our cabin. It didn't take me long to piece together her plan. There was only one reason to unlock the back door to City Hall. The one thing in that building that meant shit to me was our marriage license.