Molly used her spare time to add faces to the bios.
Tienne added to the conversation by connecting his contacts in the art world—because that was important to Kadjic too—and Grace would consult the list whenever one of the people from Carl’s report rang a bell.
By the time they were done playing videos—and it was getting time to go upstairs and change for dinner—they’d managed to organize and prioritize the information gathered from the caper the night before, and they had no doubt there would be more to add that night.
And Josh had managed to build up some life points and some strength points in his elf, Grace’s character had gotten killed multiple times for no reason at all, and Tienne, in a fit of temper, had called Grace an annoying pooh-head and a scattered, cat-brained shitbird, both of which had sent the room into gales of laughter and made Grace preen like he’d earned high praise.
Well, Tienne, slender, blond, and as ephemeral as a summer wind, was notorious for his easygoing nature.Pissing him off that much in a video game really was something of an achievement.
“Okay, then,” Josh said, yawning as he set down his controller.“I’ve got to go change—”
“Nap,” Grace supplied.
“Dinner’s at six!”Josh protested.
“Dinner’s at seven,” Liam said.“It popped up on everybody’s phones while you were otherwise involved.”He stood then and extended a hand, which Josh found himself needing.“Nap?”he asked solicitously.
“Only if you build up a character while I’m napping,” Josh said on a yawn.“Next time, we need to be beating the snot out of you while we’re doing this.”
Liam grunted.“You think more of my intelligence than I do,” he said.“I’d just as soon study your notes while you’re all resting your brains.That was more impressive, but I don’t think it’s necessary.”
Josh gazed at him, troubled.“These skills keep us safe, Liam,” he said earnestly.“Please think about it.”
“I will, boy-o—if you concede on the nap.”
Josh yawned again and gave up—gave up on being frustrated too.“Fine,” he said.“Grace, if I’m dressing up, you have to wear something besides thieves’ clothes.”
“I know, I know,” Grace muttered.“I’ll blow everybody’s eyeballs out with my color.”
“Dear God,” Tienne retorted.“Is there no end to my indignity?If you must, could you at least let Molly dress you?She’s very good with color, and she’s even better with clothes.”
Molly beamed at him.“You and my brother need to marry so you’re officially in my family.”
“First, we will find you a man,” Tienne said magnanimously.“Because we want you to have one, not because you need one.”
Molly had stood up, and now she kissed his cheek.“Are you taking notes, Stirling?”
“And we also want you to stop whining about it,” Stirling said, giving her a “I’m a brother, so I can pick on her” smile.
“Apparently not,” she said, flicking him on the back of the head as she passed.
They made their way up the stairs, and then passed through the dining room to the back staircase, where they made their way up one more flight for the bedrooms.Josh had a suite, and when he noticed Grace splitting off to come with him and Liam to the suite, he made a grunt of unhappiness.
“Really?”
“You sleep,” Grace said.“I’ll go over stuff on my tablet.I’ve got a thing in my brain.I want your stupid Interpol boyfriend to talk to while you’re all recovering and shit.”
Josh yawned again.“Fair,” he said.“Stupid Interpol boyfriend, are you okay with that?”He opened the door to his suite and gestured everybody inside, grunting with the damned pain in his shoulder.
“Painkiller time,” Liam said perceptively.“Kick off your shoes and get in bed.”
Liam went for water while Josh did as ordered, the exhaustion taking over as soon as his head hit the pillow.After he’d washed down his meds, Liam bent over and kissed him.“Tell us if we’re too loud,” he murmured.
“Too much quiet bothers me,” Josh said.
And then he was asleep.
GRACE WASgone by the time Liam woke him, but Liam had freshened up and dressed nattily in an outfit Grace had apparently culled from, well, everybody.
