Page 138 of Himbo Hitman
“I know it sounds sad, but Colin has always been a bit … operating on another level to the rest of us. He likes to play and tinker and work. Saint Clare’s is his baby. I’ve always just been along for the ride.”
“You did a lot too,” Lars says, and I appreciate his support. “You built it together.”
“Not enough together if he went running off to some asshole like Carson Alexander.” It’s hard not to feel bitter about him making choices and not checking with me first.
Everett shudders. They’re all wearing black and brought clothes for us too, but Ever is the only one wearing a leather jacket. “I have no interest in playing with him.”
“Let’s hope Colin is super easy to find, then, and it doesn’t come to that.”
“Right,” Arlie says, checking her watch. “We’ll go in teams. Ever and Perry, me and Lars, Tommy and St. Clare.”
I breathe a small sigh of relief that I’m not with Ever, but splitting up from Perry and Lars doesn’t sit right with me either. “What if someone spots Perry? He’s still on Luther’s list, isn’t he?”
“Yeah,” Arlie confirms. “But no one’s really paying attention to him when Colin’s been made the priority. Plus, he’s with Ever.”
I force myself to look at the guy. “Can you handle it?”
He laughs in a terrifying way. “Not just handle it. I’ll handle it andenjoyit.”
“Not sure I want to know what that means, but it’s mildly reassuring.”
“Thank you,” Perry says suddenly. “You three didn’t have to come or help us, but I really appreciate that you did.”
“Don’t thank us yet.” Arlie shifts to her other foot as Tommy stands and throws his arm around Perry’s shoulders.
“We’re friends. It’s what friends do. We love you, man.”
“Awww, I love you too.”
Perry lights up, and I have to remind myself approximately thirty-five times that I’m not allowed to get jealous over theirfriendship. Or the way Perry lit up. Or how Tommy is still touching him. I’m not glaring at them. Not at all.
“Yeah, yeah,” Arlie says with all of the patience I’m feeling. “Perry is great. Now, can we get on with it?”
I’m with Arlie. And not even only because of the jealousy thing. The sooner we go, the sooner we could maybe, potentially find Colin. “I’m ready.”
None of these people should be doing this, and I want to believe it will be a quiet night of searching, but the pit in my gut says otherwise. Like this deep knowledge everything is about to go wrong.
“Let’s go.” Ever zips up the front of his jacket. “There’s no use waiting around for anything else.”
We head outside to where there are two cars waiting for us. It’s hard to shake the urge to look around for people lurking in the shadows, and I can’t believe that after only a few days of thinking I was in danger, it’s taken such a deep hold of my mind.
I’m not sure I’ll ever shake it.
Lars and Arlie are heading to the opposite side of the industrial district from where we’re going, and before they can climb into the other car, we lock eyes. He gives me a sharp nod that I try to return as I remind myself that Lars has had training. Lars knows how to defend himself. Out of the six of us, I’m the biggest liability.
Arlie promised she’d keep him safe anyway, but I’ve run out of trust for people.
“Let’s go,” Tommy says, leading the way to the car we’re taking.
He climbs into the driver’s seat, and Ever takes shotgun while Perry and I climb in the back. I’m glad we haven’t split up yet, and that feeling intensifies as his hand wraps around mine on the cushion between us.
“We’re going to find him,” he says with way more conviction than I feel.
“Of course we are.” There’s nothing else I can do but agree because what if we don’t? It’s not a possibility I’m interested in.
It’s time that Colin came back, and I need it to happen sooner rather than later. Other than holding on to Perry’s hand for dear life, we don’t talk for the drive down there. The closer we get, the less traffic there is until we reach the imposing dilapidated-looking buildings. We’re starting on the water side while Lars and Arlie come from the other direction, but being here, seeing the huge shadowy monsters, hits me with a feeling of complete hopelessness. If Colin’s here—and that’s still a bigif—how the hell are we supposed to find him anyway?
There’s just … so many places. Too many places. How the fuck are we going to search this whole area?
