“She chases me with her pickle breath! After I tell her to stop!”
Cap’s head fell back with roaring laughter. “Holy fuck. I can’t wait to tell King.”
I had to force my laughter down into my gut just to answer my side of the question. “Tell King she’s doing fine. She’s torturing people just how she likes and doing the rounds with Brutus so she doesn’t get too antsy.”
Cap’s laughter eventually cleared. “Good, good. I’m glad. I’ll let King know. And Brutus?”
“What,” he said flatly.
Cap held back his laughter. “Try not to hate her too much. She may not have been attacked or anything, but she’s a woman inside of the territory that this trafficking ring is stalking out.”
Brutus’s arms fell to his sides. “I don’t hate her. She’s just annoying. Tell King they’ve got that in common.”
I couldn’t help the way my head fell back in laughter again.
“Oh my God,” Cap said as he dug the heels of his hands into his eyes. “All right, you two. I’m gonna go find Ariel. Keep up with your daily reports to me, and Brutus, I’ll do that patrol with you in a couple of hours before I head out.”
“I’ll make sure I find you,” he mumbled.
“Oh fuck! Ghost! Yes!”
A snarl ricocheted through the floor above our heads before a rhythmic banging sounded. I rolled my eyes as Brutus groaned, but Cap just stared with a grin up at the ceiling. The rhythm got quicker. Steadier. Louder.
“Fuck,” we heard someone choke out.
“Say my name,” Ghost growled.
I had to cup my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.
“My God, I’d hate to be the two of you,” Cap said with a smile as he shook his head.
“At least you and Ariel are quiet,” Brutus grumbled.
We all laughed again just before the rhythmic banging ceased above our heads.
I couldn’t help myself as I cupped my hands over my mouth. “Do you prefer the name Ghost!? Or Charles!?”
A large thud sounded above our heads before it made its way toward the stairs.
“Aaaand, that’s my cue,” Cap said as he rushed out of the kitchen. “Good luuuuuck!”
I pointed. “Side stairs are down that hallway to the right!”
I looked over my shoulder to find Brutus, only to see that his big, behemoth existence somehow snaked away without so much as a sound.
Ghost came tearing into the kitchen wearing nothing but a low-slung pair of basketball shorts and his mask cockeyed on his face.
“The fuck you say?” he growled.
But all I did was flash him a smile before I patted his shoulder and passed by him. “Keep an eye out on your phone. Cap will eventually call church.”
“Ranger’s staying the night here tonight,” Ghost called out behind me.
I gave him a thumbs up over my head as I turned toward the stairs. “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll make sure Brutus knows.”
“And tell him to ease up on all the damn butter he puts in our fucking food! We’re all gonna die of coronaries before this is all over!”
6
