Page 12 of Oath

I patted her ass before I wrapped an arm around her to pull her back against me. “I like your ass, whether you’re being a pain or not. I never want to hurt you, Gracie. None of us do, not even Captain Stick in his Ass.”

Her giggle was music to my ears.

“I’ll work on listening better, you work on telling us what you need better. Deal?” I pressed another kiss behind her ear.

“Deal,” she said on an exhale, then leaned her head back to look up at me. “I still want to see Legend sooner rather than later.”

Yeah, well… “Like I said, I’ll see what I can do. No promises.” Though, a drive by wouldn’t take long and later in the morning would be better than in the dark. We could make it work.

“Thank you.”

I dropped a kiss on her nose. “Go put some clothes on, and then we’ll go.”

She scooted out almost lightning fast and I shook my head. My phone pinged as I made my way back to the computer. I was already dressed, just needed to get Goblin’s harness and leash. The message was from Voodoo.

I frowned.

Voodoo:O’Rourke called when I was on watch. He wants a meet with me. I put it off, but we need to talk it out. No, not lying to Firecracker, we’ll involve her in the discussion. Make sure you’re armed, since you’re taking her on a walk and I put transmitters in the soles of her shoes. See you in five.

Well, fuck.

Also, in her shoes?

I was still mulling that over when she returned in a pair of running shoes, sweatpants, and an oversized hoodie that managed to both dwarf her and look chic. Well, on her everything was “chic.”

“Everything okay?” She paused, then held up a hand. “Rephrase, are we still good to go?”

I grinned. I knew what she’d meant, but clarifying was a solid first step. “Yes, we are. I need to get away from the computer anyway. I’m starting to see data in my sleep.”

“Okay, I have my taser,” she said, patting her hoodie on the right side. “And my phone.” She patted the left side.

My smile just grew. “Getting my gun. Get Goblin’s harness?”

“On it.” Just like that, the tension melted away and we were out the door in under five minutes. It was dawn, gray light not quite having given away to the sunrise, but the city was already waking up. We’d gone a block when she said, “As for her boss, I want to rattle him. If she ‘really’ quit, then he’ll be annoyed but not freaked out.”

None of us believed the bullshit story. “But if he was behind her abduction?”

“Yes, that will freak him right the hell out. Or so you’d think, either way, I want to do it in broad daylight, maybe right there in his office with a lot of witnesses. Just totally screw over his whole day…”

Gracie had a vicious side to her.

I kind of liked it.

Eh, who was I kidding? I loved it.

Chapter

Four

LUNCHBOX

“Gracie,” Alphabet called, his aggrieved voice my first warning that she was even at the warehouse. Pivoting, I wanted to swear. It was bad enough that Doc’s lady was just out herewanderingaround to get some air. Now Grace washere?

“Grace,” I said as she charged right toward me. The air around her seemed to practically crackle with energy. Her brilliant blue eyes were narrowed as she closed the distance. Then before I could say anything else, she cracked her right palm against the left side of my face so hard, my eye watered.

The blow stunned me more than it hurt. With a wrathful glare, she darted around me and didn’t let me reel her back in and made a beeline for Doc’s dancer.

“Son of a bitch,” I muttered, then cut a look at Alphabet. “Thanks for the warning.”