AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Do not do this. Do not placate me.”
“You were swinging that big, bad pillow at those men. And you were backing up really fast. And then you got yourself wedged in that corner, and I’m sure it was all part of your plan.”
“I did have a plan, for your information.”
“And it was so brave how you let Jem swoop in at the last minute and smash that guy on the head while you distracted him.”
For a moment, North breathed through his nose, his color rising.
Shaw beamed at him. Then he patted North’s head.
North’s breathing took on a ragged quality.
John-Henry shook his head. “I think we’re all forgetting that there’s due process and an official investigation.” To Tean and Jem, he said, “I understand that you want to help your friend, but you’ve got to be open to the possibility that she did actually do this.”
“Thank you,” Theo said. “Doesn’t anybody else see how crazy it is to rush into this? Let the police do their job.”
“That’s a fucking terrible idea,” Emery said. “Unless you prefer to allow an innocent woman to be arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit. Is that what you’d prefer, Theo?”
“Of course not—”
“Then it’s strange to hear you suggesting a course of action—”
“Ree,” John-Henry said. Emery took a deep breath. John-Henry said, “I think you’re letting your feelings about Cassidy affect your judgment.”
“And I think I’m the best judge of my own state of mind. Which of us, John, is better suited to evaluating Cassidy’s investigative capabilities?”
“You need to think about your tone,” John-Henry said, “and about how you’re talking to me.”
“You, because you’ve seen him in person for a few minutes, total, in your entire life, or me, because I was his partner for months?”
John-Henry set his jaw and stared at Emery.
After a long moment, Emery dropped his gaze and mumbled, “I apologize.”
“We’ve got an inside track,” Jem said, hand on Tean’s shoulder. “We can talk to people at the conference, ask about Yesenia, see if there’s anyone else who’d want to hurt her. If this happened, it’s got to be related to the conference, right?”
“Not necessarily,” Emery said, some of the edges knocked off his voice. “I told you I recognized those brothers. They’re local, and I don’t know what connection they’d have to the conference. We could look into that. Ask around.”
When Emery looked over at John-Henry, the blond man sighed and nodded, rubbing his forehead.
“Ok,” Jem said. “That’s it, then. We’ve got a plan?”
He looked at Tean, and Tean felt the old helplessness rise up. But he nodded and said, “We’ve got a plan.”
“We’re the fucking A-Team,” North said sourly.
Auggie glanced at Theo.
“Mr. T, this team of ex-special forces—” He stopped. “It’s not worth explaining.”
“Got it,” Auggie said. “Like, someone today might say theAvengersmovies.”
“Auggie,” John-Henry said with a pained note.
Auggie’s grin was surprisingly wicked. “Or the Jimmy Timmy Power Hour.”
“I don’t even recognize the words coming out of his mouth sometimes,” Emery said. “Do you?”
