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“An issue for us?” Bones restated the question, clarifying it before he shook his head. “No. We can handle it. Nothing he says or does can actually hurt you and any threats he makes won’t go far.”
Because the man would be dead when we were done. I didn’t fully agree that he couldn’t hurt her with words though. She was tough as hell, but she wasn’tus. Her skin hadn’t been turned to rawhide by training, war, and loss.
I never wanted her to experience that or to have to feel those things. Ever.
“You,” Bones continued after letting his response settle for a beat. “It might create more bad memories for you. More fuel for your nightmares.”
Dropping my chin, I let my gaze pass back and forth between them. Bones couched his own objection in a kind observation. Just telling her no wasn’t going to fly, she had to choose whether she went down there or not. Choose whether to stay or not.
If we could have brought the guy in and dealt with it without her ever seeing a thing? Yeah, I probably would have let her continue in ignorance. Some things she didn’t have to experience and more she didn’tneedto, particularly when she had nothing to prove.
“Because you’re going to beat the shit out of him.” She wasn’t asking, more testing herself maybe with the statement. “How bad?”
Bones shrugged. “As badly as he requires to answer our questions. We need to be efficient, which means a certain level of brutality. Enhanced interrogation is not for everyone, Grace. You don’thaveto do anything. We will get the answers we need and any that you need whether you are in the room or not.”
A faint smile touched her lips. Go Bones, I thought with no small amount of admiration. He’d laid it out with facts, not feelings.
“Can he hurt any of you with me in the room?” Also not a bad question. Her compassion really was a strength, even if it also opened her up to pain.
“He can try,” Voodoo answered with a nonchalant shrug. “Bones is right, we’re going to hurt him, Firecracker. He can make it worse for himself by being a dick to you. But it won’t get him out of this life any faster than necessary unless he just decides to cooperate from the word go.”
Alphabet snorted. My thoughts exactly.
“Then I’d like to be present, if for no other reason than to support you all.” She pursed her lips. “That said, if it becomes too much I’ll just storm out—maybe slap him and storm out.”
“You won’t slap him.” Bones didn’t even let her finish her statement. “You won’t be anywhere near him.”
She wrinkled her nose but this was not a battle she’d win and she seemed to recognize it. “Acceptable.” Huffing out a breath, she scanned us again. “Do you want to have a code phrase to tell me to go if you need me to leave?”
Damn if she didn’t have Bones’ number. There was no mistaking the genuine smile that appeared and disappeared like the sun behind fast moving clouds. Yes, she had his number and let him know it.
“We’ll ask you to take Goblin for a walk.” Straightforward enough code phrase. “If any one of us asks, you go. No hesitation. No arguments.”
“Agreed,” she said with a nod. “Do any of you need key phrases to get out of there?”
The silence that hit the room after that question was almost like a blanket bomb hitting.
“Coffee,” Alphabet said. “If I need to get out of there, I’m going to say something about coffee. You can tell me to go make it.”
“Magic trick,” Voodoo said after a long moment. “If I mention a magic show or trick, that’ll be my cue. You can ask me to walk you out or whatever.”
When she glanced at me, I blew out a breath. “Food.” Easiest answer for me. “If I say something about needing to start on dinner. Then damn straight it’s time for me to go.” I’d never needed an out before.
None of us had, but Grace offered us a way to get her out of the room, she wanted to give us the same chances.
That just left Bones. He didn’t say anything for a long moment. Almost too long. “Stick,” he said finally. “If I mention I need a stick. That’ll be my cue.”
“As in the stick that used to be up your ass?” The level of skepticism and amusement tangling in her voice made me laugh. I wasn’t alone. Everyone cracked up. Everyone except Bones.
“Maybe,” was all he said. “You’ll have to wait and see, won’t you?”
“What a way to dare me with a good time.” So very dry and deadpan, she could have given him a run for his money. “I guess that means we’re ready.”
“I guess so,” was his response.
Watching them flirt was wildandentertaining.
“Oh, Gracie,” I said as we all straightened. “Boots on.”