“Are you finally done pouting?” Tabi said, the corners of her mouth curled up in a mischievous smile.
I stuck my tongue out at her, prompting a laugh.
“No!” Tabi playfully smacked Lo’s hands with the wooden spoon just as he lunged for the raw cookie dough.
“Gross.” I scrunched my face.
“Don’t knock it till you try it.” Lo winked at me, flicking a blob of cookie dough in my direction.
“Food fight!” the boys shouted.
“No! No food fight!” Mya chastised the boys with a flurry of hands, but I couldn’t suppress my laughter.
Lo’s phone buzzed, and he left the room to take the call.
Mya glanced over at me. “So, what’s going on with you?” she asked, leaning forward.
I sighed dramatically. “I’m bored out of my mind.”
Tabi let out a laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, same here.”
“I just want to get out—see a movie, grab some fast food, maybe even walk around the mall.”
Tabi smirked. “And even if you managed to do that, Nico would track you down in no time. Thanks to those damn trackers that they put in us.”
“What trackers?” I asked, keeping my voice steady though my heart raced.
Her eyes widened.
The silence hung thick in the air as my friends exchanged nervous glances. Tabi busied herself at the sink, turning on the faucet as if the sound could drown out my question.
“Tell me what you meant by that, Tabi,” I demanded, my voice rising slightly.
Mya’s shoulders slumped. “Nico put a tracker in you while you were in the hospital.”
“When?” I stammered.
“When you were unconscious.”
“Unbelievable.” I shot up from my chair and stormed out of the room.
“Wait, Gigi,” Mya called out, following me out of the room. She gently grabbed my arm, pulling me back toward her. “He was just trying to protect you. He thought he was doing the right thing. He’s terrified of losing you again.”
“That doesn’t justify it, Mya!” I snapped. “Even if his intentions were in the right place. Don’t be so easily confused.”
“I understand,” she replied firmly, meeting my eyes with an unwavering gaze. “I have one too. And so does my son.”
I stood there speechless, my mind racing. How could this be happening?
I needed to get out of here.
“Let me through,” I spat as I attempted to barge past the burly security guards blocking my path at the parking garage’s back entrance.
“Gigi, you know the rules. You are not allowed on the premises without the boss,” one of the guards said. “No exceptions.”
I narrowed my eyes, my face inches away from his. “I’m not leaving until I see him.”
He pressed his finger to his earpiece and spoke into it.
