Page 91 of Boneyard HEA

“Not possible.” I’m interfering for reasons, like who the hell does this woman think she is. “I need to get the films involving Juniper and⁠—”

“A sniper has his sights on you, Tomás. Oh, he won’t shoot but he could. Get the fuck out of here. I have the authority of the board, Aaron, and of Emma Bartholomew. We can handle this, but if you get stubborn, we can just erase you too.” She says the latter blithely and with some humor.

An odd combination.

Aaron half turns to me and pulls me away to the other end of the porch, then says quietly, “I don’t think they would, but you know. We should? Emma Bartholomew is known for being ruthless, and I’d rather stay a freaking member.”

“This Emma is someone you recognize, but that alone doesn’t mean we should trust this stranger.”

“I think they’re genuine. Is it partly a gut feeling? Yes. Is it that her name is not splashed around where just anyone would understand who she is and what she helps govern? Yes, it’s that. I say we trust them. You know we’ll be struggling to disappear the bodies and not get on the radar of the police.”

“I do know that.” And I know there is no evidence any of what she said is real or true. “Gut instinct?”

“Yes.”

I’ve relied on it myself, but this concerns the lives of four people. I chew it over some more, frown at him. “Okay.”

He turns and we go back to her and he clears his throat. “Only two stipulations from us.”

I’m ready to interrupt. Two? What’s he going to say?

“They are?”

“You promise to erase Karsten, and we will leave you to it, and with some gratitude for this.”

That, I agree with.

She looks down at the floorboards then lifts her head and smiles. “I can promise he will be erased. The second?”

“If we need help for Georgia, the woman in there who they took and did things to, can you provide it later?”

“Yes, though it might not be strictly us. It’s not in our scope, but I will guarantee help for her. If you need it.”

“That’s good enough.”

“Then we have this settled. You must go. The car around the corner is yours. Drive to where your friend here, Rafael, is parked. Leave it there. Good luck.”

He puts out his hand for a handshake and she obliges. “Thank you.”

I’m blinking and trying to figure the abrupt change in him, to being the authority on this, as he turns and brushes past me. He reaches out to grab my shirt. “Tomás. Come. I’ll explain to everyone.”

As we pass him, Rafael casually says, “The young lady in there, is she going to be all right?”

“Georgia? I think so,” I reply. “She’s bouncing back faster than I expected.”

“Okay.” He looks off toward the trees. “She wasn’t on the list, so I figured she might be hurt more than your woman.”

“Probably is. Sadly. Why?”

“If you need help getting her somewhere safer, I’m here.”

“Gracias, compadre. I will do this.” Someone has noticed her. Is this good? I mull it over. Rafael is sensible. It’s good. It adds a nice glow to my scarred-over heart.

Aaron stops halfway along the hallway, seems to have something else to say, so I give him time.

“I thought that was you, back there, shot after throwing in that flashbang.”

“Yeah. I know.”