"I've made it my job to stop things like this from happening," he said. "We took you in there knowing there was a possibility things would go wrong, then they did, just not in the way I planned. We thought of every contingency, but we missed one very important one: the senator coming after you."
"Is that what you're upset about?" I asked. "You had this big fancy plan all planned out, and it didn't fall into line?"
"Yes," he said. "I like when my plans go to plan."
"That's why we make plans, so the plans can go to plan." I laughed softly.
"Exactly. Things could have gone south badly. We could have lost you."
"Woody wouldn't have let that happen," I said.
Forrest raised an eyebrow, drawing his head back just enough to see me better. "Did you say something nice about Woody?"
I laughed again. "I know. I'm as surprised as you are. If it wasn't for him…" I didn't want to finish that sentence.
"Leif and I would have done what he did," Forrest said firmly. "We would have found a way to get in and get you out."
"Luckily you didn't have to," I said. "I'm safe, and you didn't have to break a sweat."
He leaned in close again and whispered, "I like breaking a sweat with you."
I whispered back, "You're going to make me blush."
"I'm going to make you do more than that when we get out of here," he said. He was about to say something else when Leif and Woody came trotting down the stairs.
A sheet dangled over Leif's arm, wrapped around something, shining with blood.
I don't want to think about what it was wrapped around. I could guess.
"We're done here," Woody said.
"I've called for clean up." Leif's gaze scanned the space. The sun was up, illuminating the two dead thugs to the side of the room.
"We don't have time," Forrest said. "We need to get out of here before someone comes."
I glanced at Woody. Of course Forrest didn't mean that kind of coming, but I couldn't help remembering the way he felt inside me. The way he tried to shield my body with his, to block the view while he fucked me.
"Bummer," Leif said. "I hate to see good hide go to waste."
"I'd instruct the clean-up crew to bring the bodies to you, but I suspect the police will deal with them first," Forrest said with a hint of regret.
"Damn protocols and legality." Leif clicked his tongue. "Oh well, at least I got one hide out of them." He raised the arm with a sheet over it, straining against the weight.
Woody shuffled over to me and smirked. "See, I'm not the most fucked up one around here."
"The jury is still out on that one." I told him, squeezing his bicep, "You did try to turn me into a hot pot."
"I was never going to let you burn." He grumbled as he followed us out the door. "And barbecue is a more accurate description."
I was about to respond, but I was distracted by the sight of the other two thugs lying out in the corridor. One's throat was cut, the other looked to be stabbed right through the heart.
"You're welcome," Woody said sarcastically.
I shot him a smile of thanks. Only a small one, withouttoomuch sarcasm.
Was killing five people for me enough for me to forgive him? Maybe, but I'd let him stew for a while longer.
Leif muttered something about 'more wasted hide,' but walked in front of us to the elevator, cradling the senator's over his arm.