Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

I’m fine.”
    I stared at him. “I survive.”
    Again that small smile quirked his lips. “I think your A grin spread across his face, and emotions flashed in definition of the word fine needs a serious overhaul.”
    Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 366-367
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    368 JENNIFER ESTEP
    The sound of the engine grew louder. Whoever it was, they were in a hurry. A few seconds later, Finn’s Cadillac Escalade burst through the trees and skidded to a stop in front of us. The tires turned and threw mud all over me and owen Grayson. I grimaced. A final, messy insult on 33
    what had been one hell of a night.
    The SUV doors opened. Finnegan Lane stepped out first. His green eyes swept over me, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The other doors popped open, and Jo-Jo Deveraux got out of the car. So did Sophia. The three of them stood there by the vehicle just staring at me. Finn looked flabbergasted, overjoyed, and stunned at the same time. Jo-Jo had a thoughtful, knowing look in her pale eyes I didn’t like. And Sophia, well, the Goth dwarf was actually smiling at me—as much as she ever There was a lot of hugging and crying. Finn did most smiled at anyone.
    of the hugging, gently putting his arms around me and
    “Did you guys miss me?” I croaked.
    squeezing as tight as he dared. Jo-Jo did most of the crying. Tears ran down the dwarf’s face as though her eyes were the epicenter of a waterfall. They quickly overpowered her waterproof mascara. Sophia remained stoic as always.
    “How did you get out of that mountain?” Finn asked. His green eyes kept sweeping over my body as if he still wasn’t quite sure that I was alive.
    I opened my mouth to answer him when Jo-Jo cut me off.
    “Later,” the dwarf said. “Look at the poor girl. We need to get her back to Warren’s so I can start working on her. Right now. Sophia, if you will, please.”
    The Goth dwarf came over to me and scooped me up. Her touch was far gentler than I’d imagined it could be, Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 368-369
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    370 JENNIFER ESTEP
    Web of Lies 371
    and she held me as though I were some delicate crystal the back of the Cadillac, and our eyes locked. Gray on statue she was afraid of breaking.
    violet. oh yes, I thought, staring through the tinted glass
    “I can walk,” I protested in a weak voice. “I’ve been at him.
    doing it all night and day.”
    owen Grayson was definitely someone worth watch“Which is why you’re going to rest now,” Jo-Jo said. ing.
    “You’re going to need your strength for when I start healing you. Because it ain’t going to feel good, darling. EspeFinn drove slowly, but it was still a bumpy ride down cially your face.”
    the access road. Every jar made my bones rattle together. Sophia strode over to the vehicle. Jo-Jo opened Now that I was among friends, I could let my guard the backdoor for her. owen Grayson walked over and down, let go of that cold, hard will I’d held on to for so stopped the Goth dwarf before she could set me inside. long. And it made everything hurt that much worse. I “I’d like to know how you got out of the mountain must have blacked out because the next thing I knew I too,” he said. “Maybe you’d like to tell me one night over was lying on top of the square counter in the front of the dinner.”
    Country Daze store.
    I thought of Donovan Caine and the way he’d turned
    “What are we doing in here?” I murmured, staring up his back on me. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the detecthe ceiling fan spinning above my head. tive at the moment, much less someone new like owen Jo-Jo’s face hovered over mine. “Because when you colGrayson. But I thought of the way Grayson had looked lapsed the mountain, it created a gigantic sinkhole out at me—openly, directly, with no hint of judgment in his back. It’s already filled in with water. It hasn’t reached the violet eyes. “Perhaps.”
    house yet, but it might. So we brought you to the store
    “You have my number,” Grayson replied.
    where it was safer. Now, relax, Gin, as much as you can. I snorted. “oh yeah, I do.”
    Because this is going to hurt.”
    “I’ll be seeing you, Gin. Real soon, if I have my way.”
    Jo-Jo’s eyes flashed a brilliant white, and her Air power I wondered at the confident promise in his tone—and rolled off her like invisible waves. The dwarf put her hand the strange bit of eagerness it stirred in me. The thought against my forehead. The hot pain of