“You have been helping the real-life Wynchesters!” he half-whispered, half-shrieked, then seemed to realize he was still inside one oftheir coaches. “And now I’ve met two of them myself! My friends are never going to believe this.”
“There’s more than two of us,” said Jacob. “You can meet the others back at our house.”
“I’m going to your house?” Quentin looked as though he might swoon.
“You’re a Wynchester, aren’t you?” Tommy said wryly.
Quentin started. “What do you—oh.” He had the grace to look somewhat abashed. “You mean Horace. I suppose that wasn’t well done of me.”
“I think you’ve been punished more than enough for that deception,” said Jacob.
Viv drew a shaky breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t rescue you sooner, Quentin. I tried everything in my power. I went to the Bow Street Runners—”
“Useless,” said Tommy, in her Bow Street uniform.
“Newbury’s a good sort,” Jacob objected.
Viv recognized that name. “He’s the only one who actually listened to me. Until I came to you.”
Jacob gave her fingers a squeeze, then kissed the back of her hand.
Quentin made a garbled sound, as if his head were moments away from exploding.
“How did you do it?” he demanded, awestruck. Then his face cleared. “I guess you really do know everything.”
“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that I know nothing.” Viv smiled at her cousin. “I always knew I didn’t have all the answers, but I believed Ioughtto have them. So I tried my best. Just like you were doing.”
His expression filled with shock. “You’re not angry with me for masquerading as Horace and getting kidnapped?”
“You’re an idiot,” she said fondly, “but a good-hearted one. I suppose I can think of worse people to emulate than the Wynchesters.”
“Youcan?” Quentin stared at her.
“Within reason,” she said quickly. “They’re not perfect.”
“Pretty close, though, with you on the team,” Tommy said.
She and Jacob began talking over each other at once, detailing the ways in which Viv had aided the family in their various missions, and how it was her recollection of a line in a month-old newspaper article that had helped lead them to the right doorstep today.
“You’re practically a Wynchester yourself, Viv,” Quentin breathed in reverence.
“As good as family,” Tommy agreed. “Her seat is next to mine in the sibling sitting room.”
“In fact,” said Jacob, “how would you both like to spend the night tonight, as our honored guests?”
Quentin turned pleading eyes to Viv. “Can we?”
She arched a brow at Jacob. He was a sweetheart, and hemightbe trying to ease Quentin’s transition from being held hostage back to the real world.
OrJacob might be remembering her promise that he could court her as soon as her cousin had been found.
Jacob smiled innocently.
Viv narrowed her eyes.
His smile widened.
“Better borrow a good book from Philippa,” Tommy told Quentin. “I wouldn’t expect to see your cousin again until well after noon tomorrow.”
