“Take this,” I told Iggy, shoving my bag at her. Wesley did the same, ignoring her protest, and then he and I ran to the car.
“What’s going on, Cody? You making some new friends?” I asked, coming to a stop beside him. Wesley already had his Glock in hand, and it was all I could do not to roll my eyes at him.
I recognized Austin, though he was wearing a baseball cap today. He said, “We’re not here to cause trouble.”
“Then what are you here for, Austin?” Iggy had tossed the bags into the backseat and come around to join us.
He shuffled from foot to foot with his hands stuffed into the pocket of his jeans. “We used to be friends, Iggy. And I came here to warn you that –”
“ Warn me? Let me tell you who’s gonna warn who around here.” She lunged forward and I grabbed her before she got out of reach.
“Let him speak,” I told her. She instantly turned her vicious glare on me…the same glare she used on me when we were little kids. But I wasn’t that skinny little kid she used to boss around, and I squeezed her upper arm as a warning.
“I don’t mean any harm, Iggy. Honest.” Austin adjusted his cap, rain trailing off the rim. “I wanted to tell you that my dad got an offer from some CDC douche bag in a suit. You and Wesley got bounties on your heads.”
“What?” Iggy shoved away the wet hair that had fallen across her eyes. “Was the guy’s name Jensen?”
“Yeah. He knew my dad don’t like you. Offered him five thousand to bring you and Wesley to him in Atlanta.”
Wesley took aim while Iggy worked to hide her shock. She asked, “And he’s gonna do it?”
Austin shrugged. “Five thousand is a lot of money.”
Iggy folded her arms across her chest. “Jensen’s a liar. He wouldn’t really give your dad the money.”
“He already gave my dad a thousand up front.”
“Psycho bastard!” Iggy closed her eyes and turned her face up to the sky for a moment.
“He wanted us to keep an eye out for you guys and bring you to him. But you know me. I’m not gonna do that.” He looked pointedly at Wesley’s gun. “Hell. I remember when we used to pretend to be super heroes. I was Iron Man and you were Raven, and we used to run around your property fighting off the bad guys. Remember that time Cael wanted to be Spiderman, but you and I forced him to be Green Goblin and we tied him to a tree and left him there until your dad went and found him?”
Beside me, Iggy softened, and a faint smile appeared. “Yeah, Austin. I remember.”
Wesley still didn’t lower his gun.
“I don’t know why that Jensen guy wants you to come to Atlanta, but I ain’t helping dad with that. I just came to warn you that if he sees you or Wes, he made the deal, and he’ll follow through.”
She nodded. “Thanks for the warning. We’re heading out of town for a while, anyway. Maybe your dad will grow a brain while we’re gone and change his mind before we get back.”
Austin scowled and turned back to his truck. “There ain’t no hope of that. Just stay clear of him.”
Once Austin and his two friends drove off, the four of us piled back into my Nissan. This time, Iggy forced her way into the front passenger’s seat. She turned to me and snapped, “Why did you grab me like that, Cael? I can say whatever the hell I wanna say, when I wanna say it.”
“You didn’t even give him a chance to explain,” I defended. “You were just going to tear off after him, which would have made Wesley shoot him, and we’d all be in trouble. And for what? He came here to help you.”
“Don’t treat me like I’m a little kid! You don’t know how it is around here.”
“I know how you are around here: impulsive and hotheaded! Try not to say the first thing that pops into your mind every time you meet up with someone you don’t like.” I glanced back at Cody. He was trying not to laugh, and Wesley was back to imitating Mount Rushmore.
Iggy pressed her lips together, faced front, and folded
“What’s going on, Cody? You making some new friends?” I asked, coming to a stop beside him. Wesley already had his Glock in hand, and it was all I could do not to roll my eyes at him.
I recognized Austin, though he was wearing a baseball cap today. He said, “We’re not here to cause trouble.”
“Then what are you here for, Austin?” Iggy had tossed the bags into the backseat and come around to join us.
He shuffled from foot to foot with his hands stuffed into the pocket of his jeans. “We used to be friends, Iggy. And I came here to warn you that –”
“ Warn me? Let me tell you who’s gonna warn who around here.” She lunged forward and I grabbed her before she got out of reach.
“Let him speak,” I told her. She instantly turned her vicious glare on me…the same glare she used on me when we were little kids. But I wasn’t that skinny little kid she used to boss around, and I squeezed her upper arm as a warning.
“I don’t mean any harm, Iggy. Honest.” Austin adjusted his cap, rain trailing off the rim. “I wanted to tell you that my dad got an offer from some CDC douche bag in a suit. You and Wesley got bounties on your heads.”
“What?” Iggy shoved away the wet hair that had fallen across her eyes. “Was the guy’s name Jensen?”
“Yeah. He knew my dad don’t like you. Offered him five thousand to bring you and Wesley to him in Atlanta.”
Wesley took aim while Iggy worked to hide her shock. She asked, “And he’s gonna do it?”
Austin shrugged. “Five thousand is a lot of money.”
Iggy folded her arms across her chest. “Jensen’s a liar. He wouldn’t really give your dad the money.”
“He already gave my dad a thousand up front.”
“Psycho bastard!” Iggy closed her eyes and turned her face up to the sky for a moment.
“He wanted us to keep an eye out for you guys and bring you to him. But you know me. I’m not gonna do that.” He looked pointedly at Wesley’s gun. “Hell. I remember when we used to pretend to be super heroes. I was Iron Man and you were Raven, and we used to run around your property fighting off the bad guys. Remember that time Cael wanted to be Spiderman, but you and I forced him to be Green Goblin and we tied him to a tree and left him there until your dad went and found him?”
Beside me, Iggy softened, and a faint smile appeared. “Yeah, Austin. I remember.”
Wesley still didn’t lower his gun.
“I don’t know why that Jensen guy wants you to come to Atlanta, but I ain’t helping dad with that. I just came to warn you that if he sees you or Wes, he made the deal, and he’ll follow through.”
She nodded. “Thanks for the warning. We’re heading out of town for a while, anyway. Maybe your dad will grow a brain while we’re gone and change his mind before we get back.”
Austin scowled and turned back to his truck. “There ain’t no hope of that. Just stay clear of him.”
Once Austin and his two friends drove off, the four of us piled back into my Nissan. This time, Iggy forced her way into the front passenger’s seat. She turned to me and snapped, “Why did you grab me like that, Cael? I can say whatever the hell I wanna say, when I wanna say it.”
“You didn’t even give him a chance to explain,” I defended. “You were just going to tear off after him, which would have made Wesley shoot him, and we’d all be in trouble. And for what? He came here to help you.”
“Don’t treat me like I’m a little kid! You don’t know how it is around here.”
“I know how you are around here: impulsive and hotheaded! Try not to say the first thing that pops into your mind every time you meet up with someone you don’t like.” I glanced back at Cody. He was trying not to laugh, and Wesley was back to imitating Mount Rushmore.
Iggy pressed her lips together, faced front, and folded
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