I smiled and put my hands on his shoulders this time, which was uncomfortable considering how much taller than me he was, but I wanted to make a point.
"No, I don't mind. Would you consider doing it with me? Rebuilding, I mean," I added before he made a naughty joke or something. Or before I did, though I felt less likely to now that I had Dare.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm saying, would you want to be my business partner in this new endeavor, whatever it may be?"
Teddy opened his mouth then closed it again.
"I mean, yeah, of course, but I have no capital. No savings."
"I don't care about that. If I'm going to rebuild, I'll probably need help. Alotof help. And I can't do this all alone. So why not do it with my best friend? People appreciate your smile too, you know. Along with your ass."
Before Teddy could comment, Bear giggled to himself.
"You said ass," he said and we turned to look at him before we burst into laughter.
"Do you mean it?" he asked me when we calmed down again.
"Sure do. We'll have to figure out logistics?—"
"Yeah, because you always hear about people going into business with their friends and it screws up their relationship and stuff."
I rolled my eyes.
"You forgot something, Teddy," I said.
"What?" he frowned.
"We're not most people. We'll figure it out. Now what do you say? Partners?" I offered him my hand, and I waited for him to shake it.
He stared at it for a second then shook my hand with a confident grasp.
"Partners."
THIRTY-SEVEN
DARE
"So we have nothing to worry about?"
Slade nodded.
"You're absolutely sure?" I glared at my teammate.
I needed there to be no doubt Zach was in the clear and nothing would lead back to him, ever.
"Cameras have been scrapped, evidence has been destroyed, and the man has been disappeared for good."
"But people's memories of them can't be erased." I pointed out. "What about the people at the gas station? Or the people on the ferry?"
"Zach told us he stayed in the car the whole time so they were barely seen together and I'm sure no one will remember them, and Victor went into the gas station on his own. Don't worry, Dare. I've thought of everything."
I opened my mouth to counter his statement.
"And if it makes you feel better I'm going to keep his trail alive a little longer, so his people think he's running from something," he cut in.
"What do you mean?"
