"Lover At Last" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ward, J.R.)

тАЬтАФson of a bitch,тАЭ V was saying as he walked around the Hummer on its flatbed pedestal. тАЬWhat the fuck did they run into? A cement barricade?тАЭ

John signed something, and V looked over sharply at Qhuinn. тАЬWhat the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed.тАЭ

Qhuinn thumped his own chest. тАЬStill beating.тАЭ

тАЬDumb-ass.тАЭ But the Brother smiled, flashing sharp fangs. тАЬMeh, I would have done the same thing.тАЭ

Out of the corner of his eye, Qhuinn noted that Blay was quietly and unobtrusively drifting toward the door that opened into the facility. He was going to disappear in another second and a half, finished with the drama that had once again been dropped at his feet.

Qhuinn felt a sudden, striking urge to follow the fighter into the hall and away from prying eyes. But like he needed to take another go atтАФ

Your cousin is giving me what I need. All day. Every day.

Oh, Jesus, he was going to throw up.

тАЬSo any more personal effects?тАЭ

Qhuinn snapped out of the bullshit and got his useful on. тАЬIтАЩll get тАЩem.тАЭ

Hopping up onto the flatbed, he forced open the crumpled rear door of the Hummer and squeezed through a twelve-inch gap to the backseat. It felt good to jam his body into places it didnтАЩt belong and didnтАЩt fitтАФgave his mind something to do, and the little ouchies from his injuries were another fantastic diversion.

The two backpacks had been bounced around pretty damn good. He found the one theyтАЩd seen first in the wheel well behind the passengerтАЩs seat, and the other was up in front on top of the brake and the accelerator. Weird luggage for those two as far as he could tell; the pedestrian vibe didnтАЩt go with all the other kinds of urban tuff guy that the stiffs had been sporting.

Way more middle school than middleman in the drug trade.

Unless they needed a place to put their meth lab merit badges or some shit.

As Qhuinn crabbed his way back into the rear seat, he made an abrupt decision not to go out the way he came in. Twisting himself around, he lay out on the ruined leather and brought his knees to his chest. With a sharp inhale, he punched his shitkickers into the other side door and blew it open, the metal hinges ripping free with a scream, the panel bouncing with a crash on the concrete.

Satisfying.

While the sounds echoed through the parking garage, V lit one of his hand-rolleds and leaned into the hole Qhuinn had just made. тАЬYou know they have door handles for that, true?тАЭ

Qhuinn sat upтАФand realized heтАЩd just kicked open the only side that hadnтАЩt been wrecked.

Well, if that wasnтАЩt a metaphor for his whole fucking life at this point.

Throwing the pair of packs out, he launched himself free, landing hard as John caught the payload and started to unzip.

Crap. Blay had left. The door into the training center was just closing.

Cursing under his breath, he muttered, тАЬAny cell phones still gotta be somewhere insideтАФeven though the windows are shattered, the glass is still intact, so there should have been no fly-out.тАЭ

тАЬWell, well, wellтАжтАЭ the Brother said on the exhale.

Qhuinn frowned and looked over at what John had found. What theтАжhellтАжтАЬAre you kidding me?тАЭ

His best friend had just pulled out a ceramic jarтАФa cheapo one, like what youтАЩd get from the housewares department at Target. And what do you know. The other guy had packed one, too.