“And our elbows,” Cole said.
“And our knees and boots,” River added. “He didn’t stand a chance.”
“How’d he get past Ankh’s security?” Veronica asked.
Cole massaged the back of his neck. “That’s a good question. One I intend to investigate.”
“Well, let’s get him locked up.” And me to my room, where I could pore over those pictures.
“After that, let’s talk about what you did out there,” River said to me. His gaze moved to Veronica, got caught, and his grin returned. “How about you join the chat, honey?”
The rough-and-tumble Veronica Lane, who seemed to know more about me than I knew about myself, had no defense against a little flirting and freaking blushed. Unreal. “All right. Sure.”
Ugh. This day!
Cole and River each grabbed one of the assassin’s arms and dragged him forward. Veronica and I trailed behind.
“The real fun starts when he wakes up,” River remarked.
“I told you,” Cole said on a sigh. “We’re not going to kill him.”
“I didn’t say anything about killing him, did I? I just figured we were going to torture him for information.”
“That’s not how we do things.”
River looked over his shoulder and winked at Veronica. “You’re about to start.”
Chapter 18
THIS WAY. NO, THAT WAY.
OOPS, DEAD END.
Here’s what we already knew: the assassin was twenty-year-old Benjamin Ostrander Jr. We’d caught him a few weeks before and let him go. Our mistake. Before freeing him, Mr. Ankh and Mr. Holland had run his fingerprints through some kind of database. Apparently, good ole Benji had run away from home at the age of thirteen and had been arrested a few times for breaking and entering, as well as assault and battery. Right after his fifteenth birthday, he’d dropped off the map.
That must have been when Anima recruited him.
Now we hoped to find out what else his employers were planning and where Justin was being held. But hours passed and Benjamin never woke up, even when prodded.
Too tired to wait any longer, among other things, I strode out of the dungeon.
Cole shadowed me.
“Can we not do this tonight?” I asked, ready to beg.
“Sorry, Ali-gator. We can. We will.”
Stubborn boy.
He stopped me at the top of the stairs, fingers deep in my hair so that I had to meet his fiery gaze. “You’re upset, I’m upset, so, let’s hash this out. It’s not good to go to bed this way. It’ll just be worse in the morning.”
I tried to look away. He increased the pressure, keeping my attention on him. I sighed. “Okay. Fine. We’ll go to my room. But I want it noted that you’re acting like the girl, getting all talky-feely and crap.”
Far from shamed, he said, “Noted.” He wound his arm around my shoulders, tucking me against him. A protective stance, an intractable hold.
I’d have to fight to get free. But honestly, the action was both sexy and...majorly sexy.
Cole reached for the knob on my door and frowned. Giggles seeped from the crack at the bottom. “Expecting company?”
“No.” I stepped inside to find Kat and Reeve sitting on my bed.
They spotted me and leaped to their feet.
“Ali!” Kat ran over and hugged me. Her grip was weaker than it had been the past few days, and I cursed her disease. “Reeve and I are locking horns over a joke. I say it’s wonderful, and she says it’s lame. We need a final ruling.”
That, I could do. “Let’s hear it.”
“What did the zombie say during a wrestling match?”
Um... “What?”
“Do you want a piece of me?” she said and burst into laughter.
Cole snorted.
“See!” Kat stuck her tongue out at Reeve. “Even the stickin-the-mud likes it.”
The verdict? “I think it’s wonderful and lame.”
“I’ll take that as a victory.” She wagged a finger in Cole’s face. “By the way, this is a girls-only slumber party. Boys are not invited. You’ve got to go.”
He stood his ground. “Actually, you’ve got to go. Ali and I are going to talk.”
“Cole,” she said, batting her lashes at him. “I’m seconds away from bringing your penis into this conversation. Are you sure you want to stick around for that?”
He sighed. “You’re about to threaten it, aren’t you?”
A new round of laughter from the girls.
“Threaten?” Kat shook her head. “No, darling Cole. Remove? Yes.”
Reeve walked over and gave him a little push into the hall. “You can talk to your Ali-gator tomorrow, King Cole. Tonight it’s besties before testes, and if you don’t hit the bricks, I will literally rip off those testes and feed them to you.”
“I’m sure Bronx would love to hear you’ve contemplated putting your hands on my junk,” he said, digging in his heels. “I’m staying and keeping my private property. Ali likes me intact.”