“How touching,” Chrismer said. “I’m all warm and gooey inside.”
Ignoring her jab, I ruffled the fur behind Loki’s ears and turned my attention to Holbrook, just as relieved to see his dazzling green eyes looking back at me. I wanted to melt into his touch when he raised a hand to push my hair back from my face, being careful not to touch my swollen cheek. Laying a stealthy kiss on the palm of his hand, little more than a brush of my lips against his skin, I was pleased to see the flash of heat in his eyes.
Or maybe not so stealthy, I thought in response to the disgusted sound emanating from the corner. Rolling my head to ease the irritated stiffness in my shoulders I ignored the annoying Day Servant and turned back to Holbrook who was smiling at me ruefully.
“So, how’d you find me?”
“I called him, genius,” Chrismer said.
Gritting my teeth against the barb dripping poison on the tip of my tongue, I shrugged off her reply.
“How did you know where to find her?” Holbrook asked, angling in the chair to glance at Chrismer.
“Yeah, how come you were there?” I asked, pinning her with a suspicious look. “Just happened to be in the neighborhood?”
“Your gratitude is overwhelming,” Chrismer replied, baring perfect white teeth in a toothy smile.
“Just answer the question,” Holbrook said, his voice dipping low to an impatient growl.
“By Eve, you two are melodramatic,” she retorted, making a show of rolling her eyes in our direction. “I heard the call go out over the radio that Cray was missing, and I figured in all the hubbub I might be able to convince some fine young agent to talk to me. Before I found any suitable targets, I saw Johnson shove something in his trunk and then speed off in the opposite direction of everyone else. It looked a little suspicious, so I followed him,” she finished with a shrug of her shoulders.
“And then what? You just sat in your car while he beat the crap out of me?”
“I didn’t see what it was he put in his trunk, and he parked in the garage at the house. How was I supposed to know it was your ungrateful ass? Besides, I had orders to stay put.”
“From who?”
“Who do you think?” she asked, her eyes flaring silver for the briefest of moments, but even that brief flash was enough to make me shudder.
“So you didn’t actually see Johnson take her?” Holbrook asked.
“Isn’t that what I just said? No wonder you haven’t caught Samson yet with wits that sharp,” she snorted.
“Lose the attitude. I’m just trying to figure out what happened.”
“Your partner is what happened,” Chrismer supplied.
“Would you shut your mouth? I need to think.” Holbrook snapped, rubbing his hands over his face. “I need to take you in,” he said, looking at me.
“No fucking way!” I said, fisting my hands in the blanket in my lap, every muscle in my body tightening.
“Then you have to tell me what happened. I need more than Chrismer’s word on something like this.”
“My word isn’t good enough for you?” Chrismer asked with a mirthless smile that made her appear more dangerous than ever. The coldness in that smile made me shiver.
Ignoring her, Holbrook laid a hand over mine, curling around my trembling fingers and squeezing gently.
“I…I can’t,” I said, my voice a hoarse whisper. How the hell was I supposed to explain to him that his partner had kidnapped, beaten, and then tried to rape me? That he had likely killed his wife and her were lover?
“That’s not good enough,” he replied, his voice tight, beginning to show the first hints of real irritation. “I have to go by the book on this. You’ve been missing for twenty-four hours. If I don’t take you in now I’m putting my career on the line, and I need a damned good reason to do that.”
Holy shit, I’ve been gone for a day? I knew I’d been in and out of consciousness while locked in Johnson’s basement, but would never have guessed it had been so long. Then again, I’d been a bit preoccupied with other things during my brief moments of lucidity, and tracking the passage of time hadn’t been high on my list of priorities.
I glanced over his shoulder at Chrismer and hesitated, unwilling to share the gory details in front of her. After several moments she looked up, and saw me staring at her; she rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Fine. I’m going to the little girl’s room.” Still tapping away on her cell phone, she stalked out of the room, her heels clacking on the stairs. I waited several heartbeats after her footsteps had faded away before turning back to face Holbrook, his brows knit in a frown as he braced himself for what he knew was going to be an ugly truth.