Chapter 18 #2
“I like it.” I crossed my arms and stared down at Fergie and nodded. “Let’s wheel him out into the other room. That way we can watch the girls from here.”
Kaso grinned and clapped my shoulder. “How are we gonna watch?”
“I’m not a tech geek, but I got a few skills.” I walked over to the keyboard, and with a few key strokes, I forced the monitors all to turn to the view of the front room where Fergie piled all his scraps of technology. “Put him right there.”
Kaso pushed the rolling chair out into the trashy room and patted Ferguson on the chest. He pulled out his phone and took a picture of him all tied up and ready to go, then he left him sitting there to join me in the room full of monitors.
I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Door?”
“Right. Door.” He bent down, picked it up, and shoved it into place. The cracks in the wall were still very visible, but the Virtues had no reason to walk back here when Fergie was right out front.
Kaso pulled his phone from his pocket and read his text out loud as he typed. “Left a present for you. No one got hurt this time. Merry early Christmas, angels. Annnd send.”
“And now we wait.” I stared at the screen, waiting to get a glimpse of Regan. My body thrummed with tension.
We didn’t have to wait long until they showed up.
Regan was the first through the door with her daggers drawn and that turquoise magic streaming around her.
Her sandy-blonde hair caught some of that power and it glittered among the strands.
She was perfection in her leather top and pants.
Her wings were pure white and looked soft to the touch.
When I finally won her back, I would find out exactly what those wings felt like.
Chanel followed in next with her sword drawn and green eyes darting around the room.
They cautiously stepped over fallen debris, kicking some of it out of the way.
The third Virtue, Bodhi, walked in behind them.
Her grey eyes widened at the mess, but she said nothing.
Her long blackish-purple hair was tied tight on the back of her head.
She also wore black leather pants and a jacket, but the way she kept fidgeting with them told me it wasn’t her usual attire.
Though she gnawed on her bottom lip nervously, those eyes were as sharp as the other Virtues in the room.
Finally, she let out a sigh and her shoulders relaxed a little. “I don’t smell any blood.”
“I don’t either.” When Regan came to stand beside Fergie, she let go of a curse. “Dammit. How could they possibly know about him? We just got the file. Not criminals my ass.”
Chanel sheathed the sword at her back. “Well, they did capture him, and they did say they weren’t criminals. Maybe they’re proving it?”
“And no one got hurt this time.” Bodhi added as she looked Fergie up and down. “As far as I can tell. At least nothing life-threatening.”
Fergie started to try and mutter around his gag, but they ignored him.
Instead, Regan started to spin him around in the chair with the tip of her finger. “You mean they’re proving they’re not criminals by knowing about this before we even got the file?”
Chanel crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you mean?”
Regan spun Fergie faster, as though she was playing with one of those fidget things. “Zuriel just gave us the file on this dude . . . How did they know?”
Bodhi raised one finger in the air, and I realized it was manicured all pretty with that French tip style. “Well, judging by the crime at hand and the mess here, it’s possible they already had him captured before we even got the file.”
“SEE?” Regan put her knee out and the chair came to stop.
Fergie looked like he was still swaying in the seat.
Chanel shrugged. “I don’t know. Doesn’t prove they’re criminals.”
Kaso chuckled at the screen. “That’s my girl. Tryin’ to see the best in me.”
“You have to be a criminal to know about criminals.” Regan pinched the bridge of her nose.
“And that one’s mine.” I wanted to reach through the screen and brush my fingers through her hair. “Seeing all the worst possible angles. She would make the best criminal.”
Kaso nodded. “So would Chanel.”
“Unstoppable,” I agreed.
Chanel’s voice drew our attention back to the screen. “But we’re not criminals and we knew.”
Regan and Bodhi just stared at her.
Chanel threw her hands up. “I’m just sayin’.”
“Dammit, Chanel,” Ragen made a cute little sound of frustration in the back of her throat. “Forget the suspenders. Be strong.”
Kaso grinned and ran his fingers over his suspenders. “That’s right. She likes what she likes.”
Chanel gave a heavy sigh. “I can’t forget the suspenders, Regan. They’re burned into my brain.”
“They are super-hot.” Bodhi nodded, then tilted her head to Regan. “So are those glasses that Andreas wears. I mean, damn good-looking brothers.”
“I know, right?” Regan slapped her hand over her mouth and shook her head. A little growl rumbled in her chest. “We have got to pull ourselves together. We’re stronger than this.”
Bodhi giggled. “Doesn’t seem like it.”
“Stay out of it,” they snapped at the same time.
“You guys are hilarious. And I thought I was the difficult one.” Bodhi pointed between the two of them. “You got me so beat on that front.”
Regan grimaced and motioned for Chanel to move to the other side of the chair. Without missing a beat, they put their hands under the arms of the chair, lifted Fergie on the spot, and carried him toward the door.
“I can’t believe they did this for us,” Regan muttered.
“Leaving presents is kind of nice.” Chanel chuckled.
“Dammit, Chanel.” They were almost out the door. “I can’t be strong enough for both of us.”
“Dammit, Regan. I love presents.” They stepped through the door and the monitors barely picked up their muttering as they walked away from the house.
I gave a low whistle. “Well, that was a step in the right direction.”
Kaso nodded, a shit-eating grin on his face. “They clearly still like us.”
I met his eyes, and we both nodded and spoke at the same time. “So we still have a chance.”