“He’s got a whole team at his disposal. All highly trained in lethal weaponry, personal security, and investigative work. Some of them have… other skills.”
Somehow, I didn’t think he meant crocheting. “Such as..?”
“Crisis negotiation. Hostage recovery.” He paused, eyes slivering open again. “Interrogation tactics.”
“Is that some kind of euphemism for torture?”
“They’re good men to know if you’re ever in a jam,” he said, not answering my question. “Professional. Discrete. You met a few of them today.”
I jolted back against the bench, so startled I didn’t even realize that doing so brought me directly beneath the span of Cade’s outstretched arm. “Who?”
“Hunter and Holden. Plus, Welles.”
“The twins and Mr. Man Bun are part of the legion of badassery?” I could hear the skepticism in my own voice.
“What is it with you and hair-related nicknames?”
I didn’t answer his question. Mostly because a thought had just occurred to me — a distinctly unpleasant one.
“Hang on a minute… You vouched for me earlier in front of not only Graham ‘If Looks Could Kill’ Graves… but more than one of his goon squad? All of whom now have me in their sights?” My voice pitched up an octave. “And by ‘sights’ I quite literally meangun-sightsbecause apparently they’re all highly trained assassins?”
“Assassins might be a stretch. Think of them more like… freelance assets with a variety of employable skills.”
I scowled at him, not at all amused by his flippant tone in the face of my growing panic. “Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Vouch for me!” I half-screeched. “You don’t even know me.”
“What do you mean? We go way back.”
I leaned harder against the bench. “Don’t joke around. I’m serious. You told that asshole?—”
“Graham isn’t an asshole.”
I stared at him, dubious.
“Okay, he’s an asshole,” Cade amended. “But in this particular scenario, he has a pretty damn solid reason for being one.”
“You mean last week when Gwen nearly—” I lifted my hands to do finger quotes. “—bit the dust?”
He nodded. “It all turned out okay in the end, thank Christ, but things easily could’ve gone the other way. Graves is a man who thrives on control above all else. For a few hours, he lost it. Didn’t know if she was alive or dead. I’ve never seen him so shaken up. If something had happened to her…” He shook his head slowly, all traces of humor fading. “Let’s just say, I’m glad everything worked out the way it did. Not only for Gwen. For the whole damn city.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Gravewatch boys would’ve carved a swathe of destruction no amount of paperwork could justify.”
My hands knotted together in my lap. “Do you think… I mean, would he really…”
“What is it, Goldie?”
“Graham. Is he really going to dig into my past?”
“Honestly? Yeah, he probably will.”
“But— that’s not—” I was spluttering. “There’s no need for him to do that! Who I am, where I come from… That’s none of his business!”
Again, he didn’t move, but a stillness settled over him. The sense of utter peace vanished in an instant. Relaxed Cade was no longer sitting next to me; Detective Hightower was. And his eyes were suddenly as serious as his tone. “Why are you so freaked?”