“And Reaper stole you right out of FBI custody?”
I glanced at Jacques. “It wasn’t like that.”
“It was exactly like that,” he said with a grin. “But you came willingly.”
“Yeah,” I said with a smile, finally feeling comfortable enough to do so. “Did you think he had me chained up here or something?”
Artemis laughed at my side, startling me. “We actually discussed that as an idea,” he said. “But I don’t think that’s the type of guy Reaper is, even if he does have a reputation.”
“Get your boy under control,” Jacques said, giving Donovan a large pat on the back.
“Relax.” Donovan gave him a large back pat in return. “We’re here to make sure you’re all good. We heard on the grapevine there’s a hearing coming up, and you’ll need more than justyouto escort him. Mercy wants the firm brought down too.”
Jacques rolled his eyes, and nobody was asking the obvious question. “Why?” I asked. “Why does she want them brought down?” Or maybe I was being obtuse.
“She cut their contract it seems,” Jacques answered. “Victor is probably gunning for Sanctum now because he doesn’t have their protection. Which means—” He laughed, grabbing Donovan by his jacket collar. “We’ve got Sanctum’s backing again?”
“Bingo!” Artemis announced at my side—once more, giving me a whole body shudder. “And I think you’d know that if you had an active comms device.”
“Runa?” he said. I knew that name. She was the one he’d spoken to in his earpiece. “I haven’t spoken to her in—”
“Over a month,” Donovan said. “Nobody has been able to get in contact with you.
“Messenger pigeon, smoke signal . . .” Jacques laughed.
“What about exploding dummy?” I snorted.
“That’s what drew their attention to the area,” Artemis said. “Apparently nobody else was man enough to come find Reaper.”
I hated that name for him. He wasn’t a reaper, he was a protector. My protector. “So, you’re here to escort me into New York?” I asked.
“Pretty much,” Artemis said. “And we were making sure you were fine. That explosion really got people mad.”
Jacques laughed. “That was all his idea, actually.”
All their eyes on me had my cheeks sustaining their redness. “We thought it would bring people out who were trying to kill me, but we didn’t find out who they were working for.”
“Well it wasn’t Sanctum,” Artemis said.
“Victor’s hired mercenaries,” Donovan said. “I saw the postings.”
“You what?” Artemis jumped from his seat.
“I’ve still been looking for work, obviously,” he said
Jacques pulled away from his friend and sat beside me. “We thought it might’ve been the Feds as well.”
I shook my head at that idea. “The agents who took care of me were nice. Kalen and Dina.”
They both looked at us and laughed. “Kalen, as in the guy hooking up with Rocco?
“Kalen O’Ryan,” I said. “I remember because the name was unusual.”
“Does Rocco know he’s fucking a Fed?” Jacques asked, looking around. “We were just toasting to getting through this the other night. He never mentioned anything.”
“I’d assume he knows,” Donovan said. “Those three brothers are a little... unhinged.”
A shudder ran through me again. “So, what’s the plan?” I asked. “There’s not enough room for you two here. And—the hearing’s not for another week. After the New Year.”
