Too Hard to Handle (Black Knights Inc. #8)(74)

She didn’t know if she was relieved or disappointed that neither a magic carpet nor a genie appeared when Boss entered the tunnel and pressed the garage-door opener thingy again, and she watched as the cinder-block wall closed behind them. At which point, she had the genius thought of h-h-holy shit!

They were instantly plunged into darkness except for the lights on the console and the headlights shining into the tunnel. Wetness dripped from the ceiling, splashing on the windshield. Boss flipped on the wipers and began carefully driving down the narrow, dark, spooky shaft. And all the while Penni sat there, squeezing Dan’s hand, blinking in astonishment, and wrinkling her nose at the damp, fishy aroma that invaded the vehicle. Then they’d reached the end of the tunnel and the huge metal door.

“We call it the bat cave,” Dan said now as Boss pressed on the gas and drove through the open door and straight into Black Knights Inc. Presto change-o, home sweet home. “It’s our bolt-hole dug under the Chicago River. Puts us directly on the mainland via that old parking garage.”

“And our way in and out when we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves,” Boss added at the same time Penni turned to see a section of the brick wall of BKI’s shop sliding shut behind them. It made a soft rumbling sound that competed with the roar of the Hummer’s engine and the bump, bump, bump of the music’s bass drum. Then, with a snap and a thunk, the seams in the bricks’ mortar knit together perfectly. And just like that, you couldn’t tell anything about the warehouse’s wall was amiss.

Again, she had the brilliant thought of h-h-holy shit.

“And why aren’t we drawing attention to ourselves today?” Zoelner asked from the seat behind them. He had volunteered to sit beside Winterfield in the third row of bucket seats, allowing Chelsea to ride shotgun.

“Because that f*ckin’ reporter has been nosing around again.” Boss put the vehicle in park and switched off the engine at the same time Becky stopped grinding sheet metal and flicked off the boom box. It was strangely quiet all of a sudden, except for the whistling sound of Winterfield breathing through his nose. “No way was I taking the chance she might get a gander at dickhead.”

“That’s you,” Zoelner said to Winterfield, his expression bland. “Just in case you were wondering.”

Since Winterfield was still wearing duct tape, all he could do was glare.

The door beside Penni burst open to reveal Ozzie, leaning heavily on his crutches. His blond hair was mad-scientist wild and his face looked like a storm cloud. He was wearing a black T-shirt with white block lettering that simply read Beam Me Up, Scotty. The tongue-in-cheek sentiment was incongruent with his serious, slightly harried expression. “Hurry up and get out,” he said, glancing furtively over his shoulder.

Well, that’s a fine hi, how are ya. “What?” Penni frowned at him even as she ducked out the door. “Why?”

“Because she arrived early,” he said, noting the bandages on her cheek and the bruises ringing her throat. He frowned, tsked like an old maiden aunt, and gave her a quick, absentminded hug. “Glad to see you made it back safe and sound,” he whispered in her ear, his aftershave tickling her nose. “I swear I didn’t think you’d run into any trouble down there. None of us did. If we had, we never would’ve agreed to send you.”

“All’s well that ends well,” she assured him.

He pushed back to study her face. “And is all well?”

She glanced over her shoulder to see Dan unfurling his tall frame from the Hummer. The vehicle was big, but Dan was bigger. He looked all shoulders and legs trying to exit through the door. “I’m not…” She shook her head. “I don’t know, exactly.”

Ozzie flicked a glance at Dan, his expression turning contemplative before he pulled her into another hug. “There’s still my offer,” he whispered in her ear.

Penni’s heart melted for the guy. Just a little. He was a womanizer, a playboy, and never seemed to take anything seriously. But under all that swagger and mockery beat a true heart. “You know,” she speculated, “if you’re not careful, some woman is going to take you up on that offer someday.”

“Hey, dickhead,” Dan grumped, dragging her out of Ozzie’s embrace. “Keep your dirty mitts to yourself.”

“I’ll flip you for her,” Ozzie said, pretending to dig in his hip pocket for a coin.

“Wow.” Penni frowned at him. “Just when I think there might be hope for you.”

He winked and leered.

She sighed and shook her head.

“Keep your eyeballs to yourself too,” Dan warned, “or I’ll be tempted to plant one on your kisser. See how it affects that silver tongue of yours.”

“You wouldn’t hit a wounded man, would you?” Ozzie leaned more heavily on his crutches, wincing and rubbing his leg like it pained him terribly. Then a grin split his handsome face and he reached forward, dragging Dan in for a bear hug. He slapped Dan on the back so hard Penni was surprised Dan didn’t hork up a lung.

“Missed you like crazy, you sorry sonofabitch,” Ozzie said. Dan couldn’t see it, and Penni figured she wasn’t supposed to see it either, but for just a second Ozzie’s expression was heartbreakingly sad, almost…anguished.

“Whoa,” Zoelner said after he pushed Winterfield out of the vehicle. “Should we give you two a couple of minutes alone?”