“The first agent Liam contacted about thinking the person responsible for the weird artrelocationsin Liam’s neighborhood slept with him, promoted him, and then went back to his wife.”
Josh said that with a certain edge, not towardLiambut toward this nameless, faceless man.Unlike Felix and Danny, who had gone into their situation with eyes wide open and full agency, Liam had—Josh had no doubt about it—been seduced and deceived.It was an old story, but for somebody as self-sufficient as Liam had been, it had probably hurt.
Grace grunted.“Hunter still does wet work sometimes,” he offered.“Remember that crew that helped us out in the desert in May?”
Josh nodded.They’d been busy, but Kadjic hadn’t takenalltheir time.
“Anyway,” Grace continued, “apparently he and Chuck went back and took care of some of those Gestapo assholes with some help from, you know, that other crew.”
Josh cocked his head and thought of how to explain that was probably information Grace shouldn’t just spill to anybody.
“I’m not telling anybody,” Grace said patiently, as though he’d read Josh’s mind.“I’m tellingyou,in case, you know, you wanted Hunter to do you a favor.”
Josh chuckled, taking Grace’s love for all that it was.“Kind,” he said, “but not necessary.The reason I toldyouwas that”—Josh’s smile turned embarrassed—“I wanted you to like him,” he admitted.“Because, you know, he’s great, but he’s human.”
Grace’s smile was luminous.“Like us,” he said, then scowled.“Except you, Perfect Boy.”
Josh groaned.“So Cancer Boy, Recovery Boy, now I’m Perfect Boy?”
Grace sniffed, pretending he wasn’t jealous.“It was areallygood op,” he said.
Grace had this way of preening where he turned his face up to the gods and smiled, rocking his shoulders to music unheard.
Josh had this way ofparrotingthat action when Grace let loose with one of his rare compliments, and he did that now.
Grace snickered.“We’re so stupid,” he said happily.
“Unbelievably,” Josh agreed.
“But are we stupid enough to havetwodoughnuts?”Grace asked.
“No,” Josh said.“Butyouare stupid enough to have the maple bacon bar and give me a bite.”
Grace nodded sagely.“Weare,” he said.“Wearethat stupid.”
And they were.
Josh sent Grace off around 6:00 a.m., after promising that he and Liam would be at the Glencoe mansion at five—no, four.No, wait,three,because he, Grace, Stirling, and Molly hadn’t played videogames inforever.
“Fine,” Josh sighed at the end of negotiations.“I’ll be there attwo, butyouhave to leave through the door this time.Because it’s late and I worry and I didn’t see any climbing gear.”
“I’ve got secret pitons secreted all over this side of the building,” Grace said with a sniff.“The sideslooklike slick marble, but it’s a façade—so easy to make sure I’ve got footholds.”
“I don’t care,” Josh said implacably.“And I’m going to text Hunter and tell him you left here so he’s not worried.”
Grace muttered, “Everybody’s worried—so much easier when nobody cared,” as he slid out the door like smoke.
“We always cared!”Josh hissed, sticking his head out the door to make sure Grace heard, and then he closed it tightly and locked it before going back into the bedroom and struggling with the tilt-and-turn window.
“Skinny fucker,” he muttered, taking in the very narrow margin for Grace to wiggle through.“I swear if his head gets any bigger, he’s going to get stuck.”
A warmth at his back warned him, and Liam was draped over his shoulder, doing the catch on the window himself.
That done, he hugged Josh gently from behind and nuzzled his ear.
“Nice of him to visit,” he said dryly, “but did you have to tell him my most embarrassing secret?”
Josh winced and turned in his arms, capturing his mouth for a taste of sweetness—sleep breath and all—before he answered.
