Just Bob (Assassins Inc. #1)(27)

That might change things.

“Why would Bob be at council headquarters?”





Chapter Nine


Bob



I never knew such deep agony was possible. Every inch of my body ached, from the top of my head to the soles of my feet.

My hair hurt.

Dangling from the ceiling was not my idea of a good time. Granted, the guards hadn’t been doing anything more than taunting me, but I still wasn’t having fun. I could think of a lot of other things I’d rather be doing, like scrubbing my toilet with a toothbrush.

I had been hanging there so long, I no longer knew what day it was. Everything had become a blur. Granted, my glasses had disappeared ages ago, but that could be explained away by the fact that I had lost them somewhere along the way.

Sinclair didn’t seem to be faring much better than me. At least I could occasionally stand on my tip toes. Poor Sinclair just hung there like a side of beef, his legs useless.

I don’t know what it said about our captors that they were fine with knocking around a man in a wheelchair, but they were sick freaks. They seemed to find Sinclair’s inability to stand on his own two legs amusing.

I had yet to see the man who was in charge. I had to wonder about that. Was he just waiting, hoping I’d be more agreeable after hanging from a meat hook until my hands fell off, or was he hoping I’d die a slow, painful death?

Why did he hate me so much? That’s what I couldn’t figure out. I didn’t even know the guy. Hell, I didn’t even know what he looked like. The only time he had been in the room was before I tried to escape, and I’d had my eyes squeezed shut the entire time.

I raised my head and turned it as much as I was able to. I wanted to see Sinclair, although he wasn’t much more than a blurry blob.

“Sinclair?”

“Yeah?” the guy answered without lifting his head.

“You alive?”

“Not sure.”

I wanted to laugh, but it would hurt too much. My hands felt as if they were being slowly amputated at the wrists.

“They’re coming for us, Bob. Just hang on a little longer.”

“Who’s coming for us?” I didn’t think anyone knew where we were.

“I was able to text Stone before they caught us. They’ll be here soon.”

That didn’t mean they were coming for me.

“Stone—”

“Will get the message to Shade.”

Shade.

I closed my eyes and let my head fall back on my shoulders as I thought about the tall, rugged man who claimed I was his mate. “He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met.” He was a dream. My dream, and I wanted him. “Do you really think he’s coming for me?”

“He told me you were mates.” Sinclair’s voice seemed surprisingly strong. “He’s coming for you.”

“Do you know about mates?” When Sinclair didn’t answer me, I opened my eyes and looked at him. “Sinclair?”

“Yeah, Bob,” Sinclair answered after a moment. “I know about mates.”

That sounded…sad.

“Do you have a mate?”

“Somewhere.” Sinclair sighed loudly, deeply. “We all have mates somewhere.”

“And you don’t think this insta-mate thing is a little too easy?”

Sinclair lifted his head and looked in my direction, but that was about all I could make out. “How do you mean?”

“It’s like love at first sniff, you know?”

Sinclair let out a low chuckle. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

“Is it real?”

Please god, let it be real.

“It’s real, Bob. If you believe nothing else, believe that. The bond you have with Shade is very real.”

I breathed in deep when tears sprouted to my eyes. After everything I had been through, I didn’t think I could get misty-eyed over anything anymore.

Fat lot I knew.

“I want to go home, Sinclair.”

“I know.”

I doubted he understood how much, though. It wasn’t just that I was being held captive in some freak’s basement. I wanted to be back in my home with my cat and Shade, getting to know the man better.

Again, this wasn’t my idea of a good time.

“How long are they going to leave us hanging here?”

“You got me,” Sinclair replied. “I think they are waiting to see if we cure.”

Huh?

“Cure?”

“Well, they did hang us in the coldest part of the basement. I figured they are waiting for us to cure like sides of beef.”

Considering I had thought of a side of beef not more than a couple of minutes ago, I didn’t think Sinclair was too far off. I just hoped we weren’t forced to hang there until we resembled a side of beef.

When the door opened, I knew our time of hanging around was about to end. My breath stuttered in my throat when an older man in a navy blue suit walked in with the two guards.

“Mr. Staudemeyer?”

“Hello, Mr. Mills.”

I didn’t know the guy that well, but I had met him several times when he came by work to visit his wife.

“Mr. Staudemeyer?” Sinclair asked. “You mean Councilman James.”