Chloe grinned. “Oh, I’m in. I’m in all day long.”

“That’s what I was hoping,” Dabney said.

She got off the couch and sat cross-legged in front of me, taking my hands. “Iris. I dare you and me and Chloe to break into your house.”

I was confused. “What? Why?”

“Because they have all your stuff, and we’re getting it back.”

My heart fluttered at the idea. “I don’t know,” I said. “It’s, like, a crime scene.”

“It’s your stuff,” Chloe said. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

She made good points. My dad hadn’t done anything, and even if he had, it wasn’t my fault. And, come on, were they going to, like, sell my Lululemon on Poshmark and pay back his alleged victims? I sort of doubted that.

“Guys, my mom would seriously kill me.”

Chloe handed me the champagne bottle. “Your mom isn’t here.”

I took a swig, feeling bolder.

“It’s three houses down,” Dabney said. “How freaking hard could it be?”

I took another swig, the warmth of the champagne rushing through me, giving me the most bubbly, delicious feeling.

Chloe got up and went to her closet, tossing a duffel bag to each of us.

“You in?” Dabney asked.

I took one more swig. It was the fortification I needed. “I’m in,” I whispered.

Maybe it was the champagne talking. Maybe it was how pissed off I was to be punished for something that was in no way my fault. But I wanted vengeance. And my Golden Gooses. Tonight, with the help of my friends, I might just get both.

Charlotte We Ride at Dusk

One of the things that made my boss so successful in this small town was that, even though he had made millions of dollars, Gabe Montoya had that I’m one of the people, I’m just like you quality about him.

Earlier this morning he had sat in my office, chewing the Bic pen cap that seemed to be perpetually in his mouth, and said, “I remember what it was like when I wasn’t the boss. It was so hard to get off work to do things like get your insurance. And that’s why I really like these later hours once a week. So much of our business comes from that.”