(Dis)content (Judgement Of The Six Book 5)

We worked together to quickly clean up breakfast then left the apartment.  Down the hall, to the left and around the right corner, one of the apartment doors gaped open.  I felt the familiar emotions and headed toward the opening.

“I don’t like it,” I heard Thomas say before I stepped in.

“Sorry, we’re late,” I said when all eyes turned to us.

“It’s all right, Isabelle,” Winifred said.  “We were just discussing Charlene’s conversation with the news lady.”

“Penny,” Charlene said.

“Yes, Penny.  The woman was insistent that they meet but then said she wasn’t available until tomorrow.”

Bethi caught my blank look.

“It’s fishy,” she said.  “The woman practically screamed yes when Charlene asked if they could meet to talk but then became cagey about a time.  She wanted Charlene to give her a number so she could call her back.  Charlene insisted on a time before they hung up.”

“I expected her reaction,” Charlene said.  “And it’s nothing to worry about.”

“It’s everything to worry about,” Thomas said.  “The woman knows what you can do.”

Charlene and Thomas shared a look.

“She does,” Charlene said, agreeing with him.  “And that’s why she’s willing to meet with us.  And why, come tomorrow, there will be cameras ready.”

“She’s in for a bit of a shock, then,” I said.  I could only imagine how the woman would react to Winifred changing into a werewolf.

Charlene’s lips curved into a slight, sad smile.

“She is.”  She laid her hand on Thomas’ arm.  “There’s nothing to worry about.  I’ll have an idea of what she has planned before we even reach her.”

“How?”  I mean, I knew Charlene could control people, but could she read minds, too?

“I can feel the wills of the people around me.  When they are consciously focused on something, it’s in their will for me to feel.”

“So you’re reading everyone all the time?”  Thoughts instead of feelings.  I didn’t envy her.

“No.  I have to make an effort to read a person’s will.  I usually don’t, respecting their privacy.  However, tomorrow, I will be reading everyone.”

“We should go early,” Bethi said.  “To keep an eye on things.”

“I agree,” Thomas said.  “We’ll go an hour early tomorrow morning, but we also need to check on things today.  Isabelle, Carlos, and Grey, I’d like the three of you to go to the station now and see what you can feel and learn.”

“Isn’t that dangerous with Blake’s men out there?” Michelle asked.

“It’s not too bad,” Gabby said.  She looked rested for a change.  “There don’t seem to be many Urbat in the city.”

“And those who are here would have to be walking right next to us to catch our scents,” Grey said.  “There’s too much going on in this city.”

Thomas nodded.

“Right now, I’m more worried about Penny and the humans than I am the Urbat.”

I didn’t relish the idea of going outside or lingering near a busy news center.  My skin would be crawling in no time.  Bethi seemed to have the same thought.

“It’s not going to work.  Isabelle won’t be able to stay out there for very long.”

“Bethi said you’re an emotional siphon.  Yet, you pushed out your emotions before,” Thomas said.  “Have you ever tried to stay in a constant state of pushing instead of pulling?”

The possibility of what he said exploded inside my head.  All I could do was stare at him in shock.  If I stayed in a constant state of pushing, there would be no build up and no dangerous release.  No need for fighting.  No need to hold myself back.  An ache began in my chest as I thought of Ethan and the future we could have had if I’d figured out how to push out the emotions years ago.  I could have tried to love him like he’d deserved.  Oh, Ethan, I thought.  I’m so sorry.

Carlos wrapped his arms around me and turned me.  As soon as I faced him, I leaned my forehead against his chest and struggled to swallow my grief.

“I apologize for upsetting you,” Thomas said, clearly clueless as to what part of his suggestion had caused my reaction.

I nodded but didn’t turn yet.

“I’ve never tried what you’re suggesting.  I need to go for a walk and see if it works.”  I lifted my head and slid out of Carlos’ arms without looking back at anyone.

In the hallway, Carlos reached for my hand.  The move was too reminiscent of Ethan and made the ache eating through my heart more pronounced.

“Ethan didn’t need for you to love him in return.  He loved you freely.  No conditions.  And he would hate to know you carried any regrets now because of him.”

His eerie ability to read the direction of my thoughts annoyed me.

“I don’t have regrets because of him.  I have regrets for him.  He deserved so much more.”

Carlos tugged my hand until I stopped walking and turned to face him.

“What could be better than your love?”  He pulled me close and brushed a thumb over my cheek as he held my face.  “A smart man would welcome it in any form.  Ethan was smart and knew what he had.”

I exhaled slowly, knowing Carlos was right.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime, Isabelle.”

We resumed walking down the hall and left the building through the parking garage again.  Outside, I shivered.

“I need a quiet corner,” I said, setting out at a brisk pace.

As soon as I felt sufficiently warm, I stepped up to a jog.  Following last night’s path, I found a discreet place and stopped.  Carlos halted beside me.  When I glanced his way, he nodded.

I pushed everything out, and instead of relaxing the force to push out, I maintained it.  It felt like I’d done a cannonball into a pool.  The emotions that surrounded me couldn’t touch me, and I floated in a blissful void.  The bliss only lasted for a few seconds.

“This feels weird,” I said.

Siphoning was a part of me.  Not pulling in anything started to make me panic.  Though I knew I continued to breathe, I felt oxygen starved, like a fish out of water, gasping for air.  I wouldn’t be able to maintain a push indefinitely.

I relaxed the effort behind my force to keep emotions out and once again started to feel the emotions around me.  Relief flooded me.  It was like regaining feeling in a sleeping limb.  I immediately pushed out again, then relaxed the push to let a little in before repeating the exercise once more.  Like treading water, I kept myself submerged in emotions but afloat.

“I think I can do this.”

We started back toward the apartments.  When we neared people, I kept an eye on their reactions.  Most of them frowned and looked around.  I wondered what they felt from me.  But there were no severe reactions.  No staggering or nosebleeds.

Everyone was waiting for us in the garage.

“How did it go?” Bethi asked.

“Well, I can’t just keep everything out like Thomas said.  If I push, I can’t feel what everyone around me is feeling, which would defeat the purpose of sending me.  But if I push and pull, like breathing in and out, there won’t be a buildup to bother me or anything that might hurt someone else.  It should work.”

“And there are no adverse effects?” Winifred said, looking at Carlos.

“Nothing adverse,” he said.

“Then, let’s go,” Grey said, motioning us to the car.

“We’ll see you at dinner,” Winifred said.  The rest of the group started moving to the stairwell.

“Be careful,” Bethi said before she and Luke followed the others.

“We need to stop and get a coat for Isabelle,” Carlos said as he opened the back door for me.

I slid over, hoping he’d join me in the back.  He did.  He also reached out and threaded his fingers through mine.  The feeling of his thumb brushing over my skin helped ease the lingering ache from Thomas’ comment.  Ethan would have been happy I was giving Carlos a chance.  And with that realization, my remaining guilt vanished.

Giving Carlos’ hand a slight squeeze, I focused on Grey.  I’d continued to exercise my emotional purging but hadn’t notice any reaction so far since he’d started the car and steered us out of the garage.  Then again, I didn’t feel much from him, either.

“Do you know where we’re going?” I asked him.

Grey’s eyes twinkled as he glanced at me in the mirror.  “Winifred and Michelle are checking for a store, so we can get you a coat.  After that, we’ll go to the address Penny provided.”

He maneuvered the traffic well, and once it slowed to a crawl, he turned into a parking garage that charged a ridiculous hourly rate.

“We’ll walk from here,” he said.

People crowded the sidewalks.

Let it in.  Push it out.  No one twitched or stilled.  No one dropped or bled.  In and out.  I continued to siphon and drain with each inhale and exhale.  Carlos stayed right beside me, probably watching me as closely as I was studying the crowd.

We hadn’t walked far when Grey paused before a boutique.  The mannequins in the windows modeled upscale clothes.

“They’re never going to let us through the doors,” I said, glancing at Carlos.  He at least didn’t look like a bum.  No offense to Grey, but he and I didn’t rise above the bum bar.

“They will,” Grey said.

He pushed his way into the store.  A woman looked up from the display she’d been dressing.

“Can I help you?”

“Winifred sent us for a jacket.”

“Of course.  Mr. Cole, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The woman’s gaze traveled to me.

“Winifred said you might need more than a coat.”  She kept her tone level, but I inhaled her feeling of agreement before I blew it back out again.

“Yeah, maybe something new would be a good idea.”  Where we were likely going, I needed to fit in; and my just-from-the-gym look wasn’t what I was seeing on the streets.

I turned to Grey.

“I don’t have a wallet,” I reminded him quietly.

He winked at me.

“Winifred took care of it.”

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you a few options.  Gentlemen, if you’d care for a drink, we have a waiting area to the left.”

Grey and Carlos stepped away, and the woman and I drifted toward the sparse racks.  For a clothing store, they didn’t seem to have much.  She led me to a rack with some cool black leather looking pants.

“My butt will never fit in those,” I said bluntly.

She glanced at me, eyeing me up and down, not judging but assessing.

“Would you consider a dress or a skirt?”

I would probably need to kick some serious butt later and didn’t want the world to see my undies.  But I couldn’t say that.

“I’m not much of a lady,” I said instead.  “I like being able to move my legs.”

“Let’s just take a peek at what we have.”

*    *    *    *

I found Carlos and Grey sipping cider in the waiting area while they watched passersby.  Both turned to look at me as I approached.  I wore a red-brown leather jacket, a trendy scarf, a comfy long-sleeved shirt, and the most awesome stretchy jeans ever.  The woman had tried to get me into a pair of ankle boots with a heel, but I drew the line there and kept my sneakers.

“Wow, Isabelle,” Grey said.  “You shop fast.”

I grinned at him.  The sales woman had commented on my ability to change quickly, as well.  I hadn’t wanted to mess around in the store too long.

“We’re all set.  She’s billing this to the card Winifred gave her.”

“Then we need to get moving,” Grey said, standing and looking serious.

Carlos stood and moved toward me.  As usual, I remained his focus.  He didn’t say anything, but I saw appreciation in his sweeping glance.  Not wanting to blush, I turned and made my way to the door.  Together, we left the shop and walked back to the car.

It seemed to take forever for Grey to turn out of the parking garage.

“Are we going to get anywhere in this traffic?”

“Not far, but it will cover our scent better.”

We chugged along in traffic until we got close to the building we needed.  Grey took the first parking spot he found.

“The station is a few blocks from here.”

We got out and started down the street.  Having a jacket made the walk enjoyable.  Grey pointed out the building when we got close enough to see it.  People continued to crowd the streets, and I found I needed to siphon and drain faster than I needed to breathe.

When Grey stopped walking just outside the building, I kept going.

“Isabelle, wait.”  He caught me by the arm and leaned in.  “Not inside.  We just need to read the people leaving the building.”

“There’s too much out there to read any one thing.  I need to go inside.”  Worry surrounded him.  “Watch and learn, Grey.  It’ll be fine.”

I tugged my arm free and kept walking.  Inside the building, I barely spared a glance to the grand lobby or reception desk.  Veering to the right, I headed toward a bank of elevators.  The three of us joined a group of five going up.

Once the door closed, I noticed a change in the other passengers’ behavior.  One of the women started breathing quickly, a man reached for his cell phone, another started to sweat.  Before it could progress, I inhaled lightly, then kept the emotions.  It seemed to stop their growing discomfort, but it didn’t remove it.

The panting woman looked at me.  “I think I’m having a panic attack.”

“It’s probably just the elevator.  Closed spaces get to everyone,” I said.

She nodded slowly and seemed to get a hold of herself as she reached around me and pressed the next floor.  When the elevator dinged, four of the five got off.

I turned to the remaining man.  “We’re supposed to meet with someone, but I’m not sure where to find her.  Can you help me?”

Though the initial emotions I’d released were missing, he still held a hint of panic.  I pulled that away from him and didn’t release it again.  He exhaled his relief and nodded.

“Sure.  Who are you looking for?”

I glanced at Grey.

“Penny Alton,” he said, adding the news station’s name.

“That would be the twelfth floor.  There’s a directory just outside the elevator.”

“Thanks.  I appreciate it.”

The man got out when the elevator stopped at his floor.  After the door closed, I pressed the button for twelve.  As soon as the doors opened, I stepped out confidently and started walking without glancing at the directory.

The man at the long desk glanced up at us and stood when we didn’t pause.  I stole his concern as soon as it started to surface, then his curiosity, and finally his indignation.  He idly sat back down, looking as if he’d forgotten what he’d been about.  I knew he still remembered us; he just didn’t care anymore.

As soon as I was far enough away, I pushed what I’d siphoned out again.  Two coworkers started arguing.

I walked down a hallway and used people’s emotions like a dog sniffing for food.  When I scented a flurry of secrecy and excitement, I headed for it.  A few times, it was a person working quietly at a desk.  I stifled a yawn and passed those by.  Whenever anyone grew curious about us, I took that emotion away, held onto it for a bit, and then pushed it out as I moved along.

For the most part, we blended with the people around us. At least, I did.  I doubted Grey blended.

I yawned again and wondered if I’d ever find Penny.  Maybe she wasn’t as excited about meeting Charlene as I’d been led to believe.

Finally, I located what I was looking for.  Massive excitement and righteousness behind a closed door.

I knocked and, without waiting for an answer, opened the door and poked my head in.  Grey’s anxiety coated me.

“Hey,” I said.  “Is Burke in here?”

The woman holding the ladder turned to look at me in annoyance.  “Who?”

“Burke Bently.  Never mind, I can see he’s not.”

I closed the door before either could respond, then turned and started walking down the hall.  The people in the room remained focused until I walked out of range.

Neither Grey nor Carlos said anything as we made our way back to the elevator banks.

“You can breathe now, Grey,” I said once we were on the street again.

“What did you see in there?” Carlos asked.

“It was a fairly small meeting room.  A man was on a ladder, installing something in the ceiling panel.  I’m guessing a hidden camera.  A woman, most likely Penny, was holding the ladder.  The back of one of the chairs was off and on the table.  No idea what for.  And that’s about it.”

“Let me discuss this with Winifred and see if we should stay.”

“I don’t think I can keep this pulling and pushing up anymore, Grey.  I’m getting tired.  And if I stop pushing—”

“Let’s go,” he said.

The walk to the car exhausted me.  I was yawning almost nonstop.  The drive to our building wasn’t much better.  Carlos and Grey remained quiet.

Back at the apartment building, Carlos and I parted ways with Grey.  Grey had agreed that I didn’t need to be present when he told the others about the building and what I’d seen.

With relief, I followed Carlos to our apartment.

“Are you hungry?” Carlos asked as he opened the door.

“No.  Just tired.”

I kicked off my shoes by the door, then removed my jacket and scarf and tossed them on the couch on my way to the bedroom.  It didn’t surprise me that Carlos followed.  I fell onto the mattress and curled on my side.  Carlos closed the blinds and joined me, pulling me close.

*    *    *    *

My stomach was making weird noises.  It brought me out of my sleep enough to know I was alone.  Frowning, I sat up.  The clock said it was close to six.  The wonderful tang of spicy food scented the air, and I heard faint noises from the kitchen.  Bounding out of bed, I could only think of food.

I found Carlos in the kitchen.

“That smells so good.”  I walked up behind him and peeked around his broad shoulders.  He was stirring beef, onions, and peppers.  Reaching forward with every intention of stealing a piece of browned beef, I was surprised when he caught my hand.

“You’ll burn yourself.”  He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it in an old-fashioned way that made my pulse dance.  Then, he took a fork from the counter beside him and skewered a piece of meat.  He handed it to me.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Isabelle.”

Spontaneously, I leaned against his back and wrapped my free arm around his waist for a quick hug.  He tensed, and I knew I’d surprised him.  Before he could make a big deal out of the embrace, I went to my stool on the other side of the breakfast bar.

“Have you heard from anyone?”  I popped the bite of meat into my mouth.  It was hot but so good, and I savored it.  Grey had been right about Carlos’ fajitas.  They might just make it into the trinity.  After all the fast food, burgers had lost some of their appeal.

“Nothing noteworthy,” Carlos said, answering my question.  “Everyone is staying in and enjoying some quiet time.”

Another night alone with Carlos.  I wondered if it would be a repeat of last night.

“Sounds good.  Want to try watching a movie again?”  I let the question hang for a moment.  “Or we could skip the pretense and just make out.”

He stopped stirring and glanced over his shoulder.  Shock was plain on his face, but was quickly replaced by a look that warmed the room.

“Okay.  Movie it is,” I said.

“Isabelle.”  His voice was rough and full of warning.

“Carlos,” I mimicked.

He breathed deeply and turned back to the stove.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” he said.  “After we eat?”

“Sure.”

I honestly didn’t care what we did.  After my nap, I was wide awake and ready to do something.

He turned off the stove and brought the pan to the island where our plates and tortillas already waited.  My stomach rumbled in anticipation as I made up two fajitas.  Carlos seemed less enthused about eating, spending more time watching me.  So I made a fajita for him and set it on his plate.  He took the hint.

We ate together in silence.  I didn’t mind it, but I thought him extra quiet.  I wondered if my teasing had hurt his feelings.  I’d told him I didn’t know what I was doing relationship-wise.

As soon as I stuffed the last bite of fajita into my mouth, he reached for my plate.  He still had half a fajita on his.

“You’re done?”  I was surprised he’d gone through all the effort of cooking if he really wasn’t that hungry.  Not that I would complain about it; dinner had been delicious.

“Yes.  I’ve had enough.”  He stood with the plates and brought them to the sink.  He set them on the counter and turned toward me.

“Let’s go for the walk.”

I glanced at the plates behind him.  He hadn’t scraped the plates, rinsed them, or anything.  That wasn’t like him.

“Um.  Okay.”

I went to the couch and grabbed my jacket and scarf.  It was a struggle to loop the scarf the way the woman had shown me, but I finally got it, then put on my shoes.  Carlos waited by the door the entire time.  Though he was an emotional void as usual and didn’t fidget in the slightest, something about him rang with impatience.

“Don’t you need a jacket or a sweater or something?”

“No.”  He opened the door and gestured me out.

“Are you impatient?” I asked, eyeing him as I walked out the door.

“Yes, Isabelle.  Very.”

He closed the door.

“Are you going to tell me why?”

He held out his hand.  I took it, and we started down the hall.  I had to hustle to keep up with his long strides.

“I’m hoping we can go for a run.”

“Aren’t we already?”

He slowed down as we jogged down the stairs.  Though I kept glancing at him, I couldn’t read anything from him.

“Where are we going to run?”

“Outside.”

I laughed at him, and the sound of it echoed in the garage.  He pulled me toward the exit door, barely nodding to the guard there.  As soon as we were outside, he stopped and turned to me.

His fingers glided over my cheeks, and he leaned in close to my ear.

“Run, Isabelle.”

I jerked back at his roughened voice.

“Whoa!  Wait.  Is this like the last time?  You can’t…”  I glanced around.  There were still people everywhere.  The guard watched us through the security window.  “People will see.”

“I won’t change.”

His shaking, fisted hands didn’t convince me.

“And what are you going to do when you catch me?”

His gaze heated.

“Make out.”

My stomach thought it was a great plan and started doing aerobatic maneuvers.  Anticipation coursed through me.

“I want a head start,” I said.

“I’ll count to ten.”

“Fifty.”

“Twenty-five, starting now.  One.  Two…”

I pivoted and sprinted away from him, pushing people aside.  My stupid grin helped keep everyone’s alarm down.  I pressed myself to run fast, then faster, using the emotions I accidently siphoned from those around me.  Behind me, the sound of Carlos’ counting faded.

What was I doing?  This was crazy.  Crazy exciting!

I gasped for air but didn’t slow.  My sneakers hit the pavement with resounding thumps.  I turned a corner then dashed across the street, weaving between still moving cars.  One almost hit me.  I didn’t slow.

Was he still counting?  Had it been twenty-five seconds?  I bolted around another corner, putting more distance between us, and spotted a little café ahead.  I briefly considered ducking into it, but that thought came to a screeching halt when I was grabbed from behind and lifted into the air.

I squealed and laughed.

“That wasn’t the reaction I expected,” a strange voice said a moment before the man spun me around and hit me in the face.

Pain exploded.  I widened my stance to keep from falling as my ears rang.  My vision was grey and blurry, messing with my equilibrium more.  I tried to shake the feeling free and pull, but pulling made my stomach heave.  I gagged.

The guy swore and grabbed my arm, spinning me away from him.  My pulse throbbed in my upper lip and cheek.

“I’ve got one,” I heard him say.  “She was alone but running.  Get a car here, quick.”

Like hell.

I shook my head again and pulled hard.  His grasp slackened, and I almost lost my fajita but the pull worked.  I’d gained what I needed.  Clarity returned in time for me to see the man fall to his knees.  I punched him in the face.  Twice.  Then grabbed the phone from his hand.  The man blinked at me stupidly.

Across the street, someone was yelling.  I ignored that and put the phone to my ear.

“Who is this?”

“This is Blake,” a man politely said on the other end.

I saw red.

“Who is this?” he asked.

“Hi, Blake.  Not nice to meet you.  My name is Isabelle, and I’m out for your blood.”

He laughed.

“So refreshingly honest, Isabelle.  I am truly sorry about your loss,” he said, becoming serious.  “I hope we can meet, so I can apologize in person.”

I clenched my fists and looked at the man still kneeling beside me.  He was starting to look a bit too alert.  I pulled again, taking some of the anxious emotions from the people starting to crowd around the café.  The coppery tang of blood coated my mouth, and I spat.

“The human’s death was unnecessary,” Blake said.  “We only wanted to separate you from the filth with which you’ve been traveling so we might discuss the future.”

“The future,” I said.  “Yeah, we have a lot to discuss.  And I’m on my way to you.  But not with your guy here.”

Carlos came around the corner at a run but when he saw me, he stopped and started to shake violently.  Crap.  He was going to go fur.  I glanced around at the people staring at us from the café across the street.  Not good.  This would end with the kind of exposure Bethi didn’t want for the werewolves.

“Gotta go,” I said quickly, then disconnected.

I dropped the phone to the sidewalk, stomped on it, then pulled hard enough that the guy next to me slumped to the ground.  Just as quickly, I pushed everything out.

Hurrying forward, I went to Carlos.  His teeth peeked out from his upper lip as he stared at me.

“You caught me,” I said, cupping his face.

He growled, not at me, but at my bruised and bloody face.  His gaze flicked to the man on the ground behind me.

“No way, Carlos.  You promised me a make out session.”

His gaze shifted back to me, and I tilted my head back, offering my lips.  He didn’t move to meet me, and I couldn’t reach him.  We didn’t have time for his hesitation.  No doubt some idiot had already called the cops.  They were probably snapping pictures.  Carlos needed to find his happy place fast.

“Hey, I’m the one who’s supposed to be playing hard to get, remember?”

I set my hands on his shoulders then jumped up and wrapped my legs around him.

“I feel like a frontwards backpack,” I whispered before touching my lips to his.  It hurt.  And I was pretty sure he tasted my blood.  But I didn’t stop.

After a moment, his arms wrapped around me.  His lips feathered over mine oh so gently, then skimmed over my hot and throbbing cheek.

“We can’t leave him.  He’ll trace our scent back to the others,” Carlos said against my skin.

“We can’t kill him,” I whispered against Carlos’ throat.  He shuddered.  “Too many witnesses.  Take me for a run.  We’ll get a taxi, then go home.”  I pulled back enough to look at Carlos.  His teeth had receded.

His gaze drifted to those around us, then he turned and headed back the way we’d come.  At the street, he didn’t cross but kept going straight.  When I saw a taxi over his shoulder, I whistled—my cheek felt ready to fall off—and waved.  The car pulled over.

“Got your wallet?” I said in Carlos’ ear.

He nodded and set me down.  I got into the back and slid over for Carlos.

“We’d like to see some sights,” Carlos said, pulling out a benny and showing it to the driver.  “What do you recommend?”

I didn’t catch the driver’s answer.  My face was killing me.

Carlos had the driver stop for an Italian ice, just so I could hold something to my cheek and lip.  While he was paying the vendor, the driver quickly asked me if I was okay.  His disinterest belied the question.  No doubt he was just asking to cover himself in case I showed up dead on the news.  So, I told him I’d run into an ex and Carlos had helped me.

The driver didn’t ask any more questions as he showed us the sights.

*    *    *    *

It was late when we got back to the apartment.  Grey was inside waiting for us.

He let me escape to the bathroom while he spoke quietly with Carlos.  I looked in the mirror and winced at my bruised face.  I should have kicked that guy harder.  Despite the Italian ice, I would be looking like a battered woman for a while.

“I have a bag of ice for you,” Carlos said through the closed door.

I opened the door and took the bag from him.

“Thanks.  Are we grounded?”

Carlos stepped aside and let me into the hall where I could see Grey still waited near the door.  He wasn’t smiling.

“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked.

I glanced at Carlos, wondering just how much he expected me to say.  As usual, I couldn’t tell.

“Um, well, Carlos and I went for a run.  We were separated for just a few seconds, and when someone caught me from behind, I thought it was Carlos.  Until that someone spun me around and punched me in the face.  Then, I figured it out.  With my ears ringing, I couldn’t pull right.  The guy called Blake to say he had one of us—”

“How do you know it was Blake?” Grey asked.

“Because I pulled again, knocked the jerk who’d hit me to his knees, and stole his phone.”

“What did Blake say?”

Some of my sass left me as I remembered his apology.

“That he didn’t mean for Ethan to die.  He was lying, though.  I told him we were coming and that I would kill him.”

“All right.  I’ll let you two rest.  Stay inside for the rest of the night.”  Grey left, quietly closing the door behind him.

I turned to Carlos.

“Yep, we’re grounded.”

Carlos wasn’t amused.  At least, I didn’t think so.

“Come on, big guy.  Let’s go to bed.  I’m beat.”

Grinning at my pun, I held the bag of ice to my face and walked back to the bedroom.