The Order: Hit and Run by Emma Cole Page 0,40
to snake an arm around my shoulders, murmuring in my ear, "I'm not him, but I'm glad you wanted to help anyway. Thanks, Cora-Bora." My head twitches away from his breath tickling my ear, and I try to twist in his hold. For recently being a half-dead dude, he sure has a grip.
"Knock it off. We're not in third grade with you pulling on my hair and making fun of my name, Calvin." His scowl is immediate, but I ignore it and try to get up. Only to promptly be pushed back down, and now he isn't the only one scowling.
"If you two are done, we have things to figure out and a missing roommate to track down." Blaise's words are nice enough until they're paired with whatever crawled up his ass and died.
An inkling of what they're doing worms its way in my head— normally I'd be completely flipping my shit and twisting my fingers off because I never know what to do with my hands when I'm anxious, but instead I'm just...okay with everything. Well, mostly okay. "Who is it? Whichever one of you is fucking with me, knock it off. I'm not playing the 'whammy Cora with the mojo to keep her happy' game." My bet is on the one with current skin contact— until Jag can't control the two dusky red spots that appear high on his cheeks.
Further damning himself, he runs a hand through his inky hair, refusing to meet my eyes. "It was only to relax you and Ash enough to get you off Riggs and Ash off you. It may have lasted longer than intended with the prolonged contact."
He's being awful forthcoming, which means he's hiding something. More than just not telling me what they are.
"Uh huh, right. Where did Drake actually go?" I cross my arms over my chest, determined to ignore the arm that's slipped up around my neck even if it's kinda nice to have a peek into the old Riggs.
"Look, Cora, we need you to go hang in your room. You're just going to have to trust us for now." Blaise is matter of fact, and I have to restrain myself from rolling my eyes at him.
Right. Not. I go along with it anyway, and since I really do feel great, even my lingering injuries seem a lot better, my brain goes directly to some unchaperoned time outside of this suite.
"I would, but there's this thing called a contract, and my grades have to stay up past a certain average. I have a big project for my anthropology class, and I need to go to the library for the info— it's not online." Mentally crossing my fingers, I broach my request. "If you all need to go find Drake, and I can't go, you can leave me at the library, then we can all discuss this over dinner when you're done."
Jag stares at me, indecision written all over him from the stiff set of his shoulders to the crease between his eyes. Worried that he’s about to refuse, I add on, “Physical therapy in the city is going to take up most of tomorrow with the trip there and back, and my professors still expect my work to be done on time. If I don’t get some of the materials tonight, I won’t be able to go until after my next anthro class, and we’re supposed to turn in our research subject then. What am I supposed to say when I don’t have my assignment?”
“Just let her go, Jaeger. It’s going to draw more attention to make her miss an assignment than it will to leave her in the library.” Ash pushes to his feet as he backs my request and reasoning. “I’m going to shower. Don’t leave without me.”
I think he’s talking to the guys, but when he doesn’t leave, I crane my head back awkwardly in Riggs’ embrace to find Ash looking directly at me. He raises his brows expectantly, apparently wanting a concrete signal of my agreeance. Nodding in this position is difficult, so I just give him a thumbs up instead. That seems to satisfy him, and he walks off to his bedroom. More than ready for Riggs to let go, I pull back, only to have him draw me in further until his lips are once again against my ear.
“I don’t know what you’re up to, Cora-Bora, but I’m onto your innocent act-- watch your ass. These people aren’t fucking around.” I think he’s