Chapter Thirty-Seven
Sadie
I wasn’t planning to go to the shop today, since Lauren is perfectly capable of managing Seedling Sanctuary in my absence, but I have things to do.
Unfortunately, James refuses to let me go anywhere alone.
“Lauren, this is Benny, a friend of mine,” I say when we walk inside.
Lauren gives Benny an appreciative once over.
I’m sure he’s used to women lusting after him.
With the boyish wavy brown hair and pleading brown eyes paired with a tall frame, bulky muscles, and a body covered in tattoos, he’s a fantasy come true for many of us.
The only downside is he has no interest in women.
“Nice to meet you,” she says.
“You too,” he replies, polite as always and either unaware of or unaffected by her obvious attraction.
“I’ll just be a minute,” I say. Then I leave Benny with Lauren and head to my office, closing the door behind me.
I find the number, then hesitate. Not for the first time, I question my plan. It puts more people in danger who have no reason to help the Saints of Purgatory, and I have no proof that it’ll even be worth it. It’s not like my last plan really worked out.
But the desperation in both James’s and Theo’s eyes won’t scrub from my memory. I wipe my palm on my jeans, then make the call. It rings four times before a young woman answers.
“Hello? Sadie?”
“Hi, Macy,” I say, pulse thundering. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. But is everything okay? Is this about the wedding?”
I shake my head even though she can’t see me.
“No, uhm… actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. Everything is okay, but would you be willing to talk today? I’m at the shop now, or I could meet you somewhere.
” The odds that one of our phones is being monitored is small but not zero.
As June would say, better overly cautious than behind bars. Or buried in a shallow grave.
“Uhm…” Macy sounds uncertain, which causes guilt to twist in my stomach. “Yeah, I can come to the shop. Would it be okay if Christian came?”
“Of course. Whatever you’re comfortable with.” Honestly, I’d prefer if he didn’t. I have a feeling he won’t appreciate my request, but I won’t manipulate anyone to do what I want.
“Okay. Then I can be there in two hours, if that works?”
“Yeah, that’s great. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
We exchange goodbyes and I stare at my desk, telling myself there’s no need to overthink this yet. My suspicions could be incorrect. Macy might not want to help. Or she may not be able to.
When you’ve been conditioned to obey fear, choosing to unapologetically exist can seem impossible. Much less attempting to fight the source of the fear.
Outside of my office, I find Benny getting a tour from Lauren. “Benny!” I call. His head snaps up at the sound. “I need to work in the back. Want to come?”
He agrees, and I don’t miss the shock on Lauren’s face. She knows we don’t let people in the back, and this is the second giant tattooed man who radiates danger I’ve allowed past the locked door.
He whistles when he gets a look at the greenhouse. I already warned him not to touch anything, so he keeps his hands to himself.
We start in the cool wing, where cold frames and cloches huddle beneath shaded glass, then pause at the edge of the darker woodland section. He crouches to look at the lily of the valley tucked under the screens.
“Those’ll irritate your skin if you touch them,” I say.
“They’re really pretty.”
“Wait until they bloom. Shouldn’t be long now.”
“Are they toxic?”
I nod. “Especially to kids. It fucks with the heart. Ingest enough and your body forgets how to regulate itself.”
He straightens and takes a step back.
I grab two long gloves from the hook by the door and toss him a pair. “Wear these. I’m going to do some chores. My guests will get here in two hours, and when they do, you’ll need to stay out of sight. I don’t want to freak them out.”
He pulls the gloves on, and I make my rounds, checking moisture, scanning notes, adjusting trays. He trails after me, asking questions. As I answer, I think of the women who’ve come to me desperate for relief, and of how these same plants might one day help my friends.
“These remind me of bluebonnets,” he says, nodding toward the delphiniums under the glass. “My family lived in Texas for a few years when I was a kid, and we took family photos in a patch of bluebonnets.”
“There are hundreds of kinds,” I say. “Some were used medicinally once. All of them are poisonous. This one’s nuttallianum.”
“Which plant in here is the worst?”
“That depends.” I lead him to the wet beds.
The air turns heavier, the soil dark and slick.
I gesture toward the nearest bog. “Water hemlock. One of the most violently toxic plants in North America. If it doesn’t kill you outright, it usually leaves something behind.
And since it supposedly has a lemony sweetness to it, it’s easier to trick people into eating. ”
“Damn.”
Back in the temperate section, I check on the pokeweed, which is flourishing.
I could cut out some of its roots, along with the hemlock, and grind them into a powdery substance, and mix it into food or put it in a pill capsule.
The pokeweed berries might be easier to trick people into eating, since it’s supposed to taste like a blackberry chocolate, but it’s also the least toxic part of the plant.
It would still cause food poisoning symptoms, which could weaken enough Fivers to be helpful.
“Do you have belladonna?” Benny asks.
I nod, pointing to the shaded section where he was admiring the lilies. “It’s another fatal one. And an easier one to unknowingly consume since it’s not overwhelmingly bitter.”
We move into the largest, general wing, where the space opens and the rules tighten. The stinging nettle’s spreading faster than I’d like, and the Rosary peas gleam on their vines. “One seed is enough to kill you,” I explain.
At the foxgloves, I add, “This is my most popular plant. It has a spicy hot taste, so a small amount can be mixed into spicy foods without overpowering the dish’s flavor.”
“What happens when you eat it?”
“If you eat enough, you’ll die. Smaller amounts cause nausea, headaches, diarrhea, even cardiovascular and kidney issues.”
“And that?” He gestures at the horsenettle.
“Unripe berries and leaves are the worst of it. Bitter though, so getting someone to eat enough to do real damage would be difficult.”
Despite selling parts of these plants for years, I’ve never before appreciated what I have.
Talking to Benny about them puts it into perspective.
This greenhouse contains some of the deadliest plants and flowers in the world, and I’ve managed to not only grow them in the middle of the desert but stay completely off law enforcement radar.
Maybe I’m not an accomplished serial killer, but I’ve single-handedly grown enough weapons to wipe out buildings full of people without pulling a trigger.
I teach Benny how to grind cherry laurel seeds and make capsules with the powder. I’m washing my hands when Lauren informs me that my guests have arrived.
I turn to Benny, who says, “I know, I’m going.”
“Thank you.” Once he’s out of sight, I follow Lauren to the front and smile at Macy. She’s standing next to her giant of a fiancé, arms crossed and brows lowered with obvious nerves.
“Macy, thank you so much for coming.”
“Is everything okay?”
I nod. “Do you mind coming to my office?” I ask. I want complete privacy while talking to Macy.
“You can both come,” I add when she gives Christian an uncertain look. “And you can leave at any time. I promise.”
Thankfully, she agrees. I gesture for them to go before me into the office. They both hesitate to sit until I settle in my own chair. “I know this was an odd request, and I can’t thank you enough for agreeing.”
“What’s going on?” Christian demands.
With a deep breath, I dive in. Better not to beat around the bush.
“My friends are in trouble. It’s a really long story, but to put it simply, there’s a gang out for blood.
It’s very possible you won’t know anything at all, but I had to ask, and I didn’t want to over the phone.
When you were in here last, you called Robert a Romancer.
Was that just a saying, or was it his proper title?
” I let my gaze slide between the two, looking for a hint of what they know.
Both are tense, and Christian’s muscles tighten further at the mention of Macy’s ex. “Is Robert a member of the South Five?”
Macy’s face goes pale. Christian’s fills with fury. He starts to stand, saying, “We’re leaving.”
“Wait, please!” I jump up, though Macy hasn’t made a move to follow her fiancé.
“I swear, I don’t mean any harm. And I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate.
If you can’t help, I completely understand.
” Turning my attention to Macy, I infuse my expression with understanding and honesty, hoping she can see that I’m trustworthy.
“The last thing I want is to bring up bad memories. And I apologize if this was crossing a line, but I…” Pausing to swallow the knot in my throat, I struggle to keep my eyes dry.
I don’t want to unintentionally manipulate her with tears.
“My best friend is in danger because she protected her boyfriend. I’m in danger because they want to hurt my boyfriend.
They already killed his niece. She was only three. ”
Macy blinks and a tear drips down her cheek.
“Fuck, I’m sorry,” I say. “I swear, I’m not trying to make you feel bad for me.
I’m just telling you the truth. The South Five is an active threat against my family.
And I know they’re hurting others. I just thought…
if Robert is one of them, then maybe you’d know other women like you who need help.
Maybe there are others who want to be free but can’t get away on their own. ”