Page 121 of Guarding Grace
“Hey,” Elliot squealed when Duke muscled him to follow.
Terry whispered into my ear as we reached the Cayenne. “He doesn’t deserve it, but we’ll keep him in one piece.” He opened the door for me. “For you.”
Terry
Duke drovewith Grace up front, while I kept Elliot company in the backseat.
“You missed the turn,” Grace complained. “Go right up here. I have to get back to work. Then you guys can go do your thing.”
Duke wasn’t moved. “We’re taking him to Hawk for a little chat.”
“No,” Grace insisted. “You’re taking me back to work first. I have a customer meeting I can’t miss.” Her determination when it came to her company hadn’t diminished one bit.
She was my woman, all right. I smiled, finding her determination endearing. “Duke, she’s right. We go to her building first.”
Duke grumbled, but made the turn at the next intersection. He then decided against waiting until we had Elliot back at Hawk Central and started the interrogation. “Who’s got the case?”
Elliot shrank. “I dunno.”
“His roommate Rudi took it,” Grace countered.
“Strike one,” I said, as I grabbed Elliot’s scrawny arm and squeezed hard.
“That hurts,” he whined.
I increased the pressure. “Listen to me very carefully, you little weasel. One more wrong answer, and we drive you straight to Russo and collect the reward.”
“You can’t,” Grace screeched.
She’d already forgotten what I’d whispered to her. Lucky for me, she was in the front seat and couldn’t interfere. “I can, and I will. This little creep put you in danger, and that is utterly and completely unfuckingacceptable.”
Elliot cowered at my yell.
“Do you hear me?” I asked, calming my voice.
The twerp nodded vigorously.
I upped the volume. “Do you hear me?”
“Yes, sir. Yes, sir.”
“Keep in mind, this is not fucking baseball. You do not get three strikes. Now, one more time,” I intoned slowly. “And if you lie to me, I’ll cut off one of your balls.”
“Make it two,” Duke said.
“Okay. Both balls.”
Elliot blanched.
“Think carefully. Who has the case?” I asked slowly.
“Rudi.”
“What’s Rudi’s last name?”
“Sanchez.”
I let up on my grip. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
