Page 122 of Reacher
Shit. “I want intel, Ice. Nothing more. Can you just look into it, and let me know urgently?”
He shrugged. “Whatever. Keep shit from me. I’m just the grunt, right?”
I followed him out of his room, and watched him head for the room we’d set up for him. He’d been there to check it out already, and had found fault with everything we’d done, but that was just token Ice behaviour. We’d messed with his shit, so he had to show us he was pissed off.
An hour later, I had the answer I needed. Now onto Ally’s part of things.
Forty-Three
Toripoppedherheadinto our room, and yes, I’m calling it our room now, dammit.
“Hey, come in. Want coffee? Or uh… decaf?” We both grimaced and she shook her head.
“What’s up?”
I patted the bed I was sitting on, waiting until she joined me. She looked good. Well. Definitely less haunted than she’d been a few weeks back. It was clear that Ryder was right for her, and that should make this easier right?
“We need to talk, babe. About your dad, and about Reacher, but it has to be our secret though, okay?”
She nodded, looking wary.
“Is Reacher still pissed at me?”
“Babe, it’s not that. Look… your dad is old school, right? Like old mafia rules and shit.”
She groaned, rubbing her eye.
“Jesus. I know what you’re gonna say.”
“Marriage.”
She nodded, heaving a sigh.
“I think I’ve been waiting for him to lose his shit over it. He wasn’t happy about me being here with Ryder, not really. Me not being married to him is probably making his left eye twitch. If you ever meet him, watch his eye. If it twitches, back up. He’s gonna lose it.”
I grinned, imagining some mafia warlord looking guy with a twitchy eye.
“Reacher needs your help, babe. Can you help me with this? Help him?”
She was frowning, and it was when she did that, that her scar became more prominent. Honestly, I’ve known her long enough now that there’s no longer that curiosity that draws your eye to the imperfection. It’s just part of her, and I barely see it, except at times like this.
“Reacher needs me to get married?”
I lifted my hands, the universal ‘what are you gonna do?’ kind of gesture.
“Your father is pressuring him to make it happen. He doesn’t want to get involved in your relationship, not any more than he’s already had to, but I know your father isn’t going to let up on him.”
“And this has to be a secret? You mean in case Ryder gets pissed at Reacher for it?”
I glanced at the door, knowing I was about to speak out of turn, but knowing it would help make my point.
“What do you know about what happened when I was taken?”
The change of subject had surprised her.
“Uh… that some drug cartel was trying to take over, and they took you because of some prior connection with them.” Ugh.
“Not about that. About Reacher. About what happened with him?”
