Page 27 of Own

“Grace,” he said, touching two fingers to my chin again and I lifted my gaze before he even nudged. “You’re going to be fine and safe. Goblin will look after you and I’ll be back.”

He seemed to search my face, and I blew out a breath. He was waiting for me to say it. “I’ll be fine,” I told him, summoning up a smile even if I didn’t feel it. “And I think a shower sounds awesome.” Fake the cheer until you make it, I reminded myself. “I’ll even try to leave you some hot water.”

Warmth touched those chilly eyes and he nodded. Then he slipped out of the door like the ghost he often seemed to be. I glanced at Goblin who just stared up at me and thumped his tail once.

“I’m going to shower,” I told him. “Guard?”

It came out more of a question than a command and he cocked his head, but when I pointed at the door and repeated the word with a little more emphasis this time, he thumped his tail twice and rose.

When he settled this time, he lay right across the door.

Okay, that worked.

At forty-five minutes, I was spreading the hotel’s lotion over my legs when Bones called through the door. I didn’t quite hear the words, but then I recognized the voice.

So did Goblin, cause he rose a split-second before the door opened. It was dark outside the windows, but I’d drawn the curtains and I only had a low lamp on. The smell of the spaghetti and red sauce hit with the force of a freight train.

“Oh…” I rose as he set the bags and a bottle of wine down on the desk. Before I could finish the thought though, his phone made a vibrating noise. Excitement spun through me as he pulled it out and answered it.

“Status.” One word, not even a hello, but a part of me didn’t care as I leaned forward, straining for the response.

“Twelve bidders.” Voodoo’s voice was a revelation. Bones had put him on speaker.

Tears burned in my eyes as all the tension drained out of me. He was okay. He was okay and he was calling. Bones had said there was a plan but hearing him just made all of it real.

“Photographed. Marked. Most in the wind, but we’re working on IDs. Picked up fresh intel, including a list. Grace’s name was on it.” The last five words came out hard and fresh tension coiled in my stomach.

“They’re still looking.” Bones glanced at me. It wasn’t a question. He also didn’t take Voodoo off speaker either.

“We improvised,” Lunchbox volunteered and I scraped my teeth over my lower lip. That was two of them. “Took a little longer than anticipated but burned them in that location. Almost literally, but we ran into a familiar face.”

“Casualties?” Bones set the phone down as he reached for a corkscrew and began to open the wine.

“None on our side. Definitely more than a few broken bones and faces on theirs.”

Alphabet!

Goblin’s tail began to wag happily and when I patted the bed next to me, he leapt up. We were both excited to hear them.

“The list told us something else,” Alphabet continued. “Amorette’s name isn’t on it.”

Bones pulled the cork out and it gave a distinctive pop as he set the wine to breathe.

“Reznik is also involved in this organization,” Voodoo said. “He was one of the high end bidders.”

Bones scowled. “He got away?”

“Not without considerable pain.” Lunchbox seemed pleased. “We’ll deal with him.”

Silence fell. I didn’t know who Reznik was, but his presence seemed to piss all of them off.

“Gracie…” Alphabet said.

“I’m here,” I answered.

“Amorette isn’t in any of their data that I’ve sifted so far. The good news is that means they don’t have her.” The bad news he didn’t have to say was that meant we still didn’t know where she was.

“Are you guys okay?” The fact they said no casualties on our side was good.

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