Status Updates From My Name is Anastasia (The G...

Really interesting so far. Anastasia reminds me a little bit of Ella from They Call Her Ella, the book before MNIA.

Fifteen minutes later, they sat in a small booth in a hole in the wall diner, looking over the menus Anastasia was pretty sure were older than she was. It didn’t help that she couldn’t decide if the menus had been wiped down by a rag or if someone had licked it.

“‘Competent’?” JD repeated, eyeing Anastasia, who forced herself not to squirm under his dark gaze. “That’s rich. If you were actually competent, I’d be dead right now.”
Smiling, Anastasia stepped closer to him. “Well, if we have a second, I can always rectify that.”
JD snorted. “You’d need a whole lot more time than that, Sparky.”

“Come on, Princess,” he said, pulling her along beside him. “Oh! And I’ll be taking that gun from you before we go much further.” 
The urge to slug him was growing stronger with every passing second, so when they reached the door at the end of the hallway, and he tried to take the gun from her grip, 354 reacted.

Snorting, JD dropped his feet back to the ground as he shook his head at her. “Are you normally this gullible or is this just your way of coping with everything that’s happening?” he asked, and Anastasia fought the urge to smack the smug look off of his face.
“Do you have something actually useful to say? Or is saying stupid things your coping mechanism?” Anastasia snarled.

She tossed her luggage onto her bed and began rummaging through it.
Ugh.
Why did Jenny pack so many gaudy things? Anastasia would rather die than wear several of the things in her bag.
She almost given up hope of finding anything for stealth when she found a pair of black pants and a deep brown jacket.
It would have to do.

Anastasia’s ears were ringing as she slowly came back to herself. Pain radiating from several parts of her body as she slowly opened her eyes, coughing on the smoke filled air as she tried to breath.
Slowly, she was able to lift up her head, and her gaze flickered around her then she looked at herself.
Yep. Her dress was a goner.

“I’m probably not supposed to repeat what he just said, but I’ve got to agree,” Anastasia said turning toward JD. “Who the heck thought you how to drive?”
“Miss Conway.”
Before Anastasia had a chance to ask who ‘Miss Conway’ was, JD hit the brakes again as he yanked the car to the left and did a 180 into a parking spot in front of the house they were currently staying at.

“Okay, this has gone on long enough,” JD said. “You need to get in there and grab your father, and preferably the Healer too.”
“What are you going to do?” Anastasia asked, frowning as she eyed him and crossed her arms.
JD smiled at her. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to distract Monroe for you.”
For a second, Anastasia was pretty sure her hearing was going. Because there was no way he just said what she thought he said

“Here,” she said. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Where are you going?” JD asked, scowling at the plate.
“Somewhere where it would be creepy if you followed me,” she huffed.
“Just hurry up, or I’ll send Jenny in after you, понял?”
“Да поняла, mama."
“Так неуважительно,” he muttered, and she had a feeling by the time she got back, her plate was going to be empty. What was it with teenage boys anyway?

“You alright?” JD asked under his breath as he picked up his own plate.
“Peachy,” Anastasia growled, stabbing a fork into one of the little sandwiches. “Why wouldn’t I be? I mean, I just work for one of three groups trying to pull one over on my father, and he has no idea. He’s worked all these years to help people, but… I can’t help thinking he’s a bit naive to believe others have the same pure intentions.”

“Sometime tonight would be nice, Popsicle!”
Popsicle? Seriously? She was pretty sure he was just grasping at straws with his stupid little nicknames now. “Hold your horses!” she called back, fiddling with the bracelet the Grimly Family apparently thought was necessary to finish off the outfit.
Gah…!
She could pick a lock behind her back, but these stupid little clasp were always such a pain!

“I would rather take a feral monkey,” Anastasia said, grimacing as she turned toward JD and shrugged. “Well… then again, you kind of look like one.”
“You’re compliments are so endearing, Miss Stepstool,” JD said, giving her a mocking bow. “I’m so glad I left such an impression upon you.”

“Ana, there’s um… There’s this gala I’ve been invited to this weekend,” he said, glancing between her and his own plate of eggs and sausage. “It’s a fundraiser for some of the local schools to help with the science department. And I thought… Well, you could come.”
“Do I… have to go?” Anastasia asked, trying to keep the grimace out of her voice but she was pretty sure she failed when he sighed.
“You don’t have to go."

With that, he hung up, but his gaze didn’t falter.
Anastasia swallowed and fought the urge to step back from him.
“Is this a game to you? Because if it is, you’re going to lose. Or maybe you think that because I’ve decided to tolerate you that we’re friends. We’re not. Eavesdrop on me again, and I will make sure you never do it to someone else. Понять?” he growled, stepping closer to her.
She nodded.
“Then get out!”

“Oh…” he growled, taking a step back from her as she turned back toward him, and he narrowed his eyes at her. “So that’s how you want to play it. Good to know.”
Smirking, Anastasia shrugged. “I have to take my advantages where I can get them, don’t I?”
“Considering your fighting skills… I would have to agree,” JD said, exchanging a set of punches with Anastasia.

She didn’t even had to turn on the lights to know she wasn’t alone, but that didn’t stop her from flicking it on.
A woman sat on the edge of Anastasia bed, her ankles crossed, and looking very prim and proper. Her bleach blond hair was brushed to one side and only came to her shoulder, and even though she was a brunette the last time Anastasia, she still instantly recognized her.
“Godmother."

He stepped forward and hurried out of the lab, moving the container closer to his body as he passed JD, but for all appearances, JD didn’t seem to even notice him.
Anastasia quickly realized that wasn’t true when almost the instant the door closed behind Stepanov JD turned toward her. “I’m honestly surprised by you, Anastasia. I expected you to hit the good doctor where it hurts, grab the container and skip town.”

“‘Campus security’?” Anastasia asked, raising an eyebrow at JD as she made sure to keep her voice quiet.
“What?” JD said, shrugging. “I didn’t exactly want to just pose as a student while we were here, and anything else wouldn’t exactly be keeping it low key.”

Moving to her bed, Anastasia flopped down and stared up at the ceil.
Had it really only been a few days since she was sitting at the coffee shop waiting for the orders that would end up changing his life completely?

Pull yourself together! Anastasia inwardly scolded herself as she wiped at her nose and turned her head away from him. This was not the way she should be acting around a CIA agent!
Godmother would kill her if she was there.

Anastasia scrunched up her face and gave him a fake smile. “Wow, you’re just so funny, I hope you die laughing. Or just die. Either would work for me.”
He smiled and stepped out of the way so she could unlock the door. “What? And deny you the pleasure of killing me?” he gasped, placing his hand over his heart. “I’m a gentleman, I would never do that.”