12. Chapter 12 - Minnie
“Reddy would never listen to reason,” I cry. “He doesn’t care that he’s hurting fuzzies. If he did, he wouldn’t be my fated hate.”
“You don’t actually know that’s what the bond means,” Amber echoes her words from earlier. “It’s just a theory. What if he’s actually…”
“He’s not my fated mate!” I snap. “He’s a monster.”
Amber frowns, but doesn’t argue.
Violet does. “We could still try…” she says hopefully.
I can’t tell if she actually thinks it might work, or she’s just siding with her sister.
Zoe leans forward in her seat. “I think Minnie’s right.
When Reddy saw me, he acted like he didn’t even know me.
Like I never bowled him down with a cage and arrested him.
He should be angry. Or grateful that because of me, he’s got the backing of the agency and the funding for his lab.
” She shakes her head. “If he can pretend we never met, what else is he lying about? The fact that fuzzies like being bit? The results from the brains scans? All of it?”
“Obviously all that sciencey mumbo-jumbo he was spouting is made up,” I say.
Zoe nods. “Violet, if you think talking to him will help, you can call him when you’re back at work. That way even if they geolocate the call, it isn’t linked to any of us. But for now, we need a Plan B.”
“And C,” I add. “Just in case.”
“And D,” Zoe adds. “But if that’s overkill, I’ll have some D for when I get home.”
Amber and Violet snort. Of course they do. They have D at home, too, while all I’ve got is F and H. As in, Fated Hates.
“I’m just kidding, Minnie,” Zoe says, which is when I realize that the scowl meant for my three hates is aimed squarely at her.
“Oh… Um, yeah…” I say. I’m the epitome of eloquence without Formula M.
“Sometimes I find a little humor helps,” Zoe adds. “But you know I care about Snow and the fuzzies as much as you do. I’m going to do whatever it takes to save them.”
“Thanks, Zoe.” I smile. Sorry I overreacted. Sorry I overreacted. Sorry I overreacted.
The words refuse to slip past my lips as years of Montgomery training win out.
“So, what’s Plan B?” I ask instead.
“Making sure vampires don’t buy Fuzzies,” Amber says. “I’ve already talked to everyone I know, and I doubt any vampires in Silver Springs are actually considering getting a fuzzy now.”
I feel a wave of relief, until Violet adds, “It’s a good start, but what about other towns? Other countries? What happens if he goes to Canada, or France, or Australia? It’s not like we can follow him around for the rest of his life!”
I feel a little sick at the thought.
“But Cash and I,” Violet adds, referring to her fated mate and owner of Screech, “were thinking about running a social media campaign.” She bounces in her seat, reminding me a lot of Amber. “Cash said he’ll let us run free advertising on Screech.”
“Wait…” I say as a thought comes to me. “Why didn’t he stop Reddy from running ads on Screech in the first place?”
Violet shakes her head. “Reddy’s people are paying the big bucks.”
“But he’s your mate,” I cry. “And it’s not about money. It’s about the fuzzies!”
“Cash is on our side. He is. But he has to go through the board of directors, and they’re not convinced that selling fuzzies is wrong. They keep quoting Reddy’s bogus research and talking about the bottom line.”
“So what? He just gave up?”
She shakes her head, curls bouncing. “He convinced them to let us run a bunch of free ads. They think it would up engagement, and maybe even increase Reddy’s ad spend, which to them is win-win. And we can reach almost every vampire in the world on Screech!”
“We can ask Sapphire to help with the campaign,” Amber adds. “She’s a wiz at this sort of thing.”
Zoe grins. “Now we’re talking.” She turns to me. “The speech we wrote was good, Minnie. We could film you and—”
“Me?” I cry. “No one will listen to me. They hate me.”
“No one hates you,” Amber says.
“Yes, they do. You’re literally the only people in town who put up with me.”
“We don’t put up with you,” Zoe snaps. “We’re your friends.”
Amber and Violet nod.
You can’t be my friends. You don’t even know the real me. “No one else in town likes me.”
“That’s not true,” Zoe says. “My mates like you.”
“And mine,” Amber chimes in. “Julian’s not too fond of the curse, obviously, but he knows that isn’t your fault.”
“And Nole likes you,” Violet adds. He’s at the library sometimes when we return our books, and he’s great with Natty. “Cash and Liam do too.”
I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to Cash or Liam, but I don’t call her out on it. “Okay, so all your mates like me. That’s what, twelve people?”
“Tons of other people like you,” Amber says. “Bob likes you.”
“Bob likes everyone. He’s a softie.”
“Well, Sapphire isn’t,” Amber says. “And she told me she likes your attitude.”
“And Betty likes you,” Violet adds.
My therapist? “What did Betty say about me?”
“You were reading to Natty in the Children’s area when she was checking out her books. She said, and I quote, ‘She really loves that boy,’ and she had this smile on her face she only reserves for people she approves of.”
A warm, unfamiliar feeling rises in my chest. “Even if that’s true,” I say, doubting Violet’s words, “that’s not going to help with the social media campaign.”
Zoe floats up in her seat, so I’m forced to look up and wonder if it’s a power move. “I’m sure tons of other people would love you.”
“They just need to get to know you better,” Violet adds.
No one knows me better… or at all. Tears prick my eyes. Violet doesn’t know the real me. She’s barely seen me off Formula M. And the same is true for Amber and Zoe. A few hours wearing the magic dampener does not a friendship make.
And even if they were to get to know me better, they’d probably be disappointed… just like Danny.
I shake my head. “We don’t have time to get people to like me.” As if they ever would. “We need to save the fuzzies now!”
Zoe purses her lips. “What if instead of giving a speech, you interview Snowball?”
“No one else would be able to hear her. And who would want to listen to me having a one-sided conversation?” I exhale sharply. “Can we please just come up with a plan that doesn’t involve a video of me on Screech?”
“I like this outspoken Minnie,” Zoe says, making my cheeks flush.
“Me too,” Amber grins.
Violet nods. “Okay, what if we just post the typed speech? It’s not as good as a video, but it’s something.”
“Or Sapphire can find us a hot half-naked guy we can film reading it,” Amber suggests.
Zoe snorts. “Why not?”
My skin starts to burn. I tighten my grip on my Unicorn Hot Chocolate, and Zoe shoots me a questioning glance. “You okay?”
“Yes. No! ‘Why not’ isn’t enough. We need to reach everyone. We can’t afford not to. We can’t let any fuzzies get tortured!” My heart lurches thinking about the poor fuzzy that already got sold. “We need to save all the fuzzies, including Helix.”
The three of them nod in agreement, but agreement isn’t going to save them.
“We need to go big,” I cry. “We need to do something now. Hold a protest. Chain ourselves to Dr. Reddy.”
“Kinky,” Zoe says.
I ignore her. “Trash his lab. Break in and set the fuzzies free!”
“Do we even know where the lab is?” Amber asks.
Zoe shrugs. “We could find out.”
Amber snorts. “It’s too bad you can’t just march in there and throw a cage at Reddy again.”
“But I could walk in and take all the fuzzies,” Zoe says.
“We can’t do that.” Violet leans forward in her chair. “We’d get arrested.”
Zoe shrugs. “Only if we get caught.”
I picture the prison visitation room, and Zachariah dressed in orange. Would getting arrested really be so bad? Except we wouldn’t be locked up together. He’d be out on parole. And once our roles are reversed, I doubt he’ll bring Natty to visit me.
Plus, what if he doesn’t get paroled? Who would take care of our little boy?
I shake my head. “I can’t go to prison. I have to take care of Natty. And I can’t let you all go to prison, either. Amber’s pregnant. And you’ve all got lives!” Fated mates. Jobs. People who love you.
“No one’s going to prison,” Zoe says. “What do you think we are? Amateurs?”
“Um, kind of…” Violet says.
“Pregnant amateurs,” Amber adds.
“No one’s going to get caught on my watch.” Zoe says. “We get in, we get out. Minnie’s plan is the best shot those fuzzies have.”
“What do you mean, my plan? I was just making a point. I didn’t say we should actually break in.”
“Yes, you did,” Zoe says.
Amber and Violet nod.
“We can’t break in. That’s breaking the law!”
“The law isn’t always clear-cut,” Zoe says.
“The agency taught me that. Sometimes, you need to bend the rules to do what’s right, and you’re the best shot those fuzzies have.
I can’t do it myself. I need you, Minnie.
I can get in, but you’re the only one who can talk to the fuzzies and tell them to follow us. ”
Amber frowns. “But where would we take them? It’s not like we can hide them above the cafe.”
“We’ll think of something,” Zoe says. “We’ve got time. But one way or another, we’re breaking into that lab and setting them free. Give me a day to find the lab. And in the meantime, no meeting minutes,” she gives Violet a pointed look, “no written records, and no texts or phone calls. Understood?”
Which leaves me with one day to decide if I’m going through with the break in. No pressure.
Am I really about to get a million dollars and a house—only to get arrested and land behind bars? Why did I think my life would ever get better?
The weight of Zoe’s plan crushes me, and I focus on doing the one thing I can without Formula M. I inhale. I exhale. I wonder how I’ll ever be able to choose between doing right by the fuzzies and breaking the law.
Could I really put my future—and that of my friends—on the line and risk leaving Natty without a home? Could I settle for a social media campaign with half-naked guys and live with myself knowing that every day vampire households are filled with fuzzy screams?