"I mean, I have Harlow and Archer," Cass corrected, his face slightly flushed. "They're both badasses. They'll keep me safe."
"You can stick up for yourself if you need to," I reminded him. He'd proven that in the past. When it came down to it, he could hit a man in the face with a chair along with the rest of us. I turned back to Jules. "It's only for a little while. You'll be back before we know it."
"Yeah, I will," he agreed.
"We still don't know if Zeus knows anything about us," I said. "This could be the most boring few days in history."
"Not for us it won't be," Boner said cheerfully, pulling his suitcase along behind him. "Jules and I are going to have the best time. We're going to bond over music and electrical wires. What part of that doesn't sound like the greatest party of all time?"
Jules looked pained, but didn't have anything to say other than, "Okay, I guess we'd better get out of here."
He leaned in to brush his lips over mine and stepped back to let Boner do the same. Although the Englishman added a little more tongue.
I told them. "Stay in touch or else."
"We'll check in every hour," Boner said. "You do the same."
"I will," I said, "If we don't hear from you, we'll go down there ourselves." I hated to think what we'd find if it came to that, but we'd break a few land speed records getting there. Possibly a few laws as well.
Whatever, it wouldn't be the first time.
"And if we don't hear from you, we'll be right back," Boner said. "Come on bro, let's go enjoy the wide open road." He stretched his arm out in front of himself, looking down the line to his hand and beyond, as if he could see all the way to the Hamptons.
"I pick the music." Jules grabbed up his own bag and swung it over his shoulder.
"Depends what you listen to," Boner said.
"No, it doesn't. I picked the music." Jules opened the door and they stepped out together.
I could hear them arguing about radio stations before the elevator took them away.
"I don't like this," Cass said. He'd pulled his clip out and was now turning it around in his fingers. His hair covered most of his face, like he could hide from his thoughts behind it somehow. Or trap them in to keep them from running wild.
"Neither do I," I said. Was it too late to chase after them and tell Jules we'd all go? Or insist he stay?
Yeah, I supposed it was.
Needing a change of subject, I asked, "Have either of you figured out how to get at Forrest yet? With any luck, he'd be dead by the time Jules and Boner returned.
"He has a tight schedule," Archer said. "His court dates are booked out for the next year or so. He's known for being hard on criminals. The sentences he gives are usually on the high side."
"Ironic much?" I said.
"Exactly," he said.
Archer's expression barely changed, except for a hint of disapproval in his eyes and around the sides of his mouth.
Jules said I had a good poker face, but I was nothing on Archer. The man was a closed book more often than not. I was starting to understand him better though, to be able to read his expressions.
"On paper, Judge Forrest Cross is the kind of person who wouldn't let anyone get away with anything," Archer said.
"On paper," I echoed.
Of course he'd give that impression of himself. The fine upstanding pillar of society. All the better to slide by without being noticed.
If he was in front of me, I'd punch him in the face. What right did he have to pass judgement on others and then do the thingshe'd done? He was the lowest form of low life. And yet there he was, living the high life instead.
"Sounds like him," Cass said softly, reminding me he was the man's son.
