Heckscher and grabbed it off someone's barbecue. That wouldn't surprise me.
Marty hasn't stopped talking as he followed Sean and me across the large house. Marty's voice sounds annoyed. "He's not a civilian."
"I know," Sean sets me down on the counter.
"When were you planning on telling me?" Marty's voice drops and I wonder if this is the real him or if he's mimicking Sean.
Sean doesn't perceive Marty as a threat. He turns his back to the other man, going to the freezer hidden in a cream-colored panel and grabbing me some ice. He comes back with it wrapped in a towel and pulls my leg up so I can rest my foot on the counter before placing the ice on top.
Sean smiles at me and shakes his head. "Why do you think you're a ninja? You know you can't break a cinderblock with your head. Just thinking you can isn't what makes it break."
"Har, har. They were going to kill each other. What was I supposed to do?"
"No, they weren't." Marty's voice is firm. His arms fold over his chest as he stares at me. "He wanted to know what he was dealing with, and she underestimated him."
"Well, she won't do that again. She'll just kill him next time, no warning shot." I glance at my foot. Those little bones don't like getting hit hard. Kicking Henry in the face was like kicking a board. I wonder if he has a steel jaw.
"Which is what he was testing for," Sean explains, leaning against the counter next to me. He folds his arms over his bare chest, giving me a good view of the toned muscles flowing down his back. I want to lick the spot right below his shoulder blade, the place that's so tender on me—I wonder what he'd do.
"There's some misplaced loyalty there, enough to make her hesitate." Marty asks, "You think they know each other?"
"As far as I can tell, no. Neither one of them talks freely about their pasts, but I didn't find any connections between them."
"Maybe if you dig back through his records you'll find her?"
"Already did that. She's not there."
I roll my eyes. "Seriously? You don't know why she hesitated?" They gawk at me like I have a dog growing out of my neck, and it might bark. They both watch me, waiting. "She likes him."
Sean's eyes cut to the side, and he drops his arms. Marty steps toward me as they simultaneously accost me with questions. "How could she—"
"She hates him!"
"She beat the shit out him once already!" Marty adds.
I interrupt. "Right, and as you said, he's been playing it close to his chest, and she didn't know he could fight. No one catches Mel off guard, but plunging that dagger into his side bothered her, and we all know that nothing bothers Mel. Which means..." I place a hand in the air and unroll all my fingers at once for showmanship. "She's got a crush on the nutbag."
"That complicates things." Sean touches his jaw and walks over to the dead animal hanging over the island. "It's real. I know you were wondering. It's waterfowl. He probably shot it himself."
"The drones, I heard you say you saw one last night. Where?" Marty watches me, not realizing the type of information he's asking.
My face gives that away. Before I can respond, I feel it flame up, ear to ear. Super suck. I glance down and hear Sean laugh under his breath. "Back by Henry's freaky shed with no brooms."
"Sheds don't have to contain brooms," Marty interrupts. "Where's that rule written?"
"Don't even try," Sean says.
Marty nods, warned off, and redirects. "What did it do?"
"Nothing major," I say, thinking back. "It blinked, hovered, came back once more before zipping off."
"What were you doing?" Marty asks, prompting the memory of me being naked and kneeling in the doorway.
My face drops. It has a camera on it. Damn it. "It was taking pictures. Of me. In Henry's sick shed, and it never saw you." I glance at Sean before addressing Marty. "You thought something when I first mentioned it. What were you thinking?"
Sean produces a new cell phone from his pocket and starts web surfing. Marty glances at him and walks over to
Marty hasn't stopped talking as he followed Sean and me across the large house. Marty's voice sounds annoyed. "He's not a civilian."
"I know," Sean sets me down on the counter.
"When were you planning on telling me?" Marty's voice drops and I wonder if this is the real him or if he's mimicking Sean.
Sean doesn't perceive Marty as a threat. He turns his back to the other man, going to the freezer hidden in a cream-colored panel and grabbing me some ice. He comes back with it wrapped in a towel and pulls my leg up so I can rest my foot on the counter before placing the ice on top.
Sean smiles at me and shakes his head. "Why do you think you're a ninja? You know you can't break a cinderblock with your head. Just thinking you can isn't what makes it break."
"Har, har. They were going to kill each other. What was I supposed to do?"
"No, they weren't." Marty's voice is firm. His arms fold over his chest as he stares at me. "He wanted to know what he was dealing with, and she underestimated him."
"Well, she won't do that again. She'll just kill him next time, no warning shot." I glance at my foot. Those little bones don't like getting hit hard. Kicking Henry in the face was like kicking a board. I wonder if he has a steel jaw.
"Which is what he was testing for," Sean explains, leaning against the counter next to me. He folds his arms over his bare chest, giving me a good view of the toned muscles flowing down his back. I want to lick the spot right below his shoulder blade, the place that's so tender on me—I wonder what he'd do.
"There's some misplaced loyalty there, enough to make her hesitate." Marty asks, "You think they know each other?"
"As far as I can tell, no. Neither one of them talks freely about their pasts, but I didn't find any connections between them."
"Maybe if you dig back through his records you'll find her?"
"Already did that. She's not there."
I roll my eyes. "Seriously? You don't know why she hesitated?" They gawk at me like I have a dog growing out of my neck, and it might bark. They both watch me, waiting. "She likes him."
Sean's eyes cut to the side, and he drops his arms. Marty steps toward me as they simultaneously accost me with questions. "How could she—"
"She hates him!"
"She beat the shit out him once already!" Marty adds.
I interrupt. "Right, and as you said, he's been playing it close to his chest, and she didn't know he could fight. No one catches Mel off guard, but plunging that dagger into his side bothered her, and we all know that nothing bothers Mel. Which means..." I place a hand in the air and unroll all my fingers at once for showmanship. "She's got a crush on the nutbag."
"That complicates things." Sean touches his jaw and walks over to the dead animal hanging over the island. "It's real. I know you were wondering. It's waterfowl. He probably shot it himself."
"The drones, I heard you say you saw one last night. Where?" Marty watches me, not realizing the type of information he's asking.
My face gives that away. Before I can respond, I feel it flame up, ear to ear. Super suck. I glance down and hear Sean laugh under his breath. "Back by Henry's freaky shed with no brooms."
"Sheds don't have to contain brooms," Marty interrupts. "Where's that rule written?"
"Don't even try," Sean says.
Marty nods, warned off, and redirects. "What did it do?"
"Nothing major," I say, thinking back. "It blinked, hovered, came back once more before zipping off."
"What were you doing?" Marty asks, prompting the memory of me being naked and kneeling in the doorway.
My face drops. It has a camera on it. Damn it. "It was taking pictures. Of me. In Henry's sick shed, and it never saw you." I glance at Sean before addressing Marty. "You thought something when I first mentioned it. What were you thinking?"
Sean produces a new cell phone from his pocket and starts web surfing. Marty glances at him and walks over to
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