Page 49 of Tactically Acquired

“Well, she escaped the men she was with.”

“Then let’s go get her,” I said, walking toward the door.

“But you can’t just go get her,” Rae called out, stopping me in my tracks.

“Why the hell not?” IRIS snapped.

“Because she was in one hell of an accident and—wait for it…” she grinned. “Kidnapped.”

“Again?” I asked, my shock evident.

“Christ, how many people are going to kidnap this woman?” IRIS asked. Then he turned to Spencer. “You have to know something.”

“Me?”

“Of course, you,” Thumper said irritatedly.

“Why would I know anything?”

“Because you work with her,” I snapped. “You’re in every movie with her. There has to be a reason someone would want to kidnap this woman!”

“Boys! Boys!” Rae shouted. “Aren’t you at all interested who she was in an accident with?”

“Tell me what’s on your mind, Wayne,” IRIS smirked.

“Who’s Wayne?” Spencer asked.

“Rae,” I answered. “She’s John Wayne.”

“But she’s a girl,” he replied slowly.

“John Wayne is a can opener,” I explained.

Still, he stared at me in confusion. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I wasn’t used to having to explain this shit to people.

“John Wayne is a can opener because of its toughness and durability.”

“Okay, so you call her a can opener because…”

“Because she opens a can of worms,” IRIS sighed. “Can we move on now?”

“Huh,” he said, cocking his head to the side. “I would have named her something else.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Something girly. I mean, she’s a girl.”

Thumper chuckled, taking a seat on the bed. “You don’t get a nickname because of your gender. It’s because of what you do.”

“Like you eating rabbits,” Spencer nodded.

“You told him you eat rabbits?” Rae asked.

“It’s better than Slider telling everyone he’s nicknamed after aTop Guncharacter.”

I glared at Thumper for putting words in my mouth. “I never said that.”

“Whydidthey name you Slider?” Rae asked, her lips pursed in a tight smile.

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