“What?” he says defensively, guessing at my thoughts. “It’s not like you could keep Logan’s car. Or your bike.”
“I agreed to switching those out. I didn’t agree to this motherfucking death trap.”
“They probably know your bike,” Josh insists. “You wouldn’t get very far with it. No one would suspect a Devil soldier who’s raking in the dinero to drive this beat-up contraption.”
“That’s for sure,” I agree, ignoring his cringy way with words. “Anyway, let’s go.”
I settle back in my seat, trying to show a confidence I’m far from feeling.
I didn’t follow Logan’s advice, because fuck him if he thinks I would stand idly by with my girl locked up in Devil Tower.
But a little worm of worry pricks at the back of my mind as I wonder if I’m not, after all, making a big mistake.
I force away the uncomfortable thought as Josh pushes the pedal to the floor and we drive away from his home in Carlton to Astley.
“We’ll stop by my apartment first,” I plan. “I have all my Devil gear, so we can figure out what to do next. Also, Liam and Dane may just be there.”
I don’t finish that thought, because I don’t want to upset Josh. But if they do happen to be around, well…
Torturing people always helps me think.
I’m already envisioning tying them upside down, nicking theirskin in enough places that their blood slowly drips out into a pail below. I’d carve bits of their flesh off every time I was struggling to come up with the next part of the plan. But I wouldn’t kill them yet. I’d finish the job once I got Piper back.
I spend some time in my head, picturing the torture, before startling awake when I notice Josh staring at me quizzically.
“Eyes on the road,” I admonish. “Otherwise I’ll take the wheel.”
“You, uh…” He clears his throat. “You don’t know what they did, then?”
I don’t need to ask him for clarification. I know who he’s talking about, and I stare at him in utter surprise. “Do you?”
“Yeah.” He turns bright red. “Well, Piper told me.”
My stare has turned glowering. “Did she, now?”
Josh is looking a little nervous, dabbing at his forehead with his hand. I guess I still have it in me to scare people. I’d started to wonder, lately.
“Yeah, bro, if we’re talking about the same—”
Or not.
“Bro?”
“Right, sorry man—”
He shuts up when he sees my furious glare.
“Whendid she tell you?” I ask, going back to the main subject at hand. The subject of Josh apparently having learned about what happened to Piper before I did.
“When we saw them,” he answers feebly. “Are we… are we talking about the same thing?”
“I’m pretty sure we are,” I snap. “When the hell did you see them?”
“When we…” He blushes hard. “When we were at the sub-sub basement level. The Devil soldiers’ headquarters.”
He cringes in his seat as he takes in my expression, clearly regretting having ever brought it up.
“And how did you know where the Devil soldiers headquarters were?”