* * *
Her first drive out to the FRoE compound on her own was as easy as if she’d made it a hundred times. When Cheyenne turned onto the unmarked frontage road and saw the gate towers ahead, she smirked. “Drow sense of direction plus Bianca Summerlin’s uncanny memory equals a halfling who never forgets. I’ll have to thank her for that.”
The Panamera rolled into the huge parking lot filled with FRoE utility vehicles, vans, and Rhynehart’s Jeep, all of them black and glistening, just like Cheyenne’s new ride. Spotting Sir’s bright-orange Kia was easy enough.
A laugh escaped her when she recognized Sir’s shitty parking job. The Rio sat diagonally behind Rhynehart’s Jeep like the man had followed his second in command in a hurry and hadn’t bothered to fall neatly in line with the rest of the vehicles. “It’s like he set me up for this.”
Cheyenne drove around the end of the lined-up vehicles and brought the Panamera in behind Rhynehart’s Jeep. She stared at the shiny back bumper just outside the driver-side door, shifted into park, and turned off the engine.
Plenty of room for me to get out. She opened the door and slipped out into the chilly morning air. The Panamera chirped when she locked it, and she gave the top of her car a loving pat before flashing Rhynehart’s Jeep the finger and stalking toward the building’s entrance. Let’s see him try to slip out of that one.
The unmarked door opened quickly when she jerked on the handle, then she stood in the secret organization’s front lobby. Empty again. Why is this room even here?
The halfling made her way across the lobby and down the short hall toward the common room. Low conversation and sharp laughs drifted toward her before she stepped into the larger room, which was half-full of FRoE agents in black combat fatigues, black sparring uniforms, and civilian clothing.
Bhandi sat in the same chair at the same table as the day she’d threatened Cheyenne into captivity. The troll woman’s scarlet braids were twisted up onto the top of her head, several stragglers hanging over the shoulders of the black t-shirt tucked into black combat pants. Her boots were crossed at the ankles, legs sticking out straight in front of her. “Well, look who it is.”
Cheyenne stopped and couldn’t help but return the agent’s smirk. “In the flesh, right?”
Bhandi held up her phone and wiggled it at the halfling. “Saw you got yourself a new ride.”
“What?” The halfling stepped forward to peer at the troll woman’s phone. “Why do you have the security cameras in the parking lot synced to your phone?”
“Eh, it was a department-wide alert. The system sends it out whenever someone rolls through the gates. Every goddamn time.”
“So, you like to spy on each other, huh?”
Bhandi shrugged. “I only pay attention when it’s interesting. Had to do a double-take when I saw that shiny new Panamera roll up. Then I watched you get out, and hey! That was interesting.”
Cheyenne snickered. They all got a personal shot of me sending my love to Rhynehart. Yeah, I’m gonna hear about that one. “I’m an interesting person.”
“Uh-huh.” The troll woman put her phone face-down on the table and folded her arms. “Nice set of wheels you picked up. Only now you and your car don’t match anymore, huh? Looks like Goth drow needs a makeover.”
“Bite me, Bare-ass.”
Someone barked a laugh on the other side of the common room, then a new round of low chuckling and jabs at Bhandi flew across the room.
“Yeah, hardy-har-har.” Bhandi flipped them all the bird and glared, but the smirk remained on her dark-purple lips.
“’Bout time you let yourself have a little more fun, Cheyenne.” At a table closer to the couches and the standing fireplace, Tate spread his arms and cocked his head. “I mean, I know we popped your Empty Barrel cherry, but you took it to a whole new level with that car.”
“Don’t expect me to be a chauffeur.” The halfling pointed at the troll man sitting beside some other agents. Then she glanced at Bhandi again. “And no, you can’t drive it.”
“Pshh. If I got behind the wheel of that thing, none of you assholes would ever see me again.”
Cheyenne glanced around the room and returned the other agents’ nods. “Where’s Yurik?”
“Who the fuck cares?” The goblin playing Texas Hold ’em with two beefy orcs chuckled and dealt another card.
“Probably scouring the internet for another of those sweaters just to make the rest of us puke when he wears it.”
Another round of laughter rose at that, which only partially covered the sound of boots clomping quickly down the hall from the medical wing. Just as quickly, the laughter died again, and heads turned toward the hall beyond the standing fireplace.
Cheyenne caught on to the switch in attention a little late and found herself turning to follow the agents’ stares with a grin. Her smile faded when she saw Rhynehart scowling at her with his arms folded. Someone cleared their throat. Another card flipped onto the table.
The halfling stared Rhynehart down. I’m not walking over there with my tail between my legs. He can say it, or we can stand here all day.
The little standoff lasted only a moment longer before Rhynehart tilted his head. “You gonna move it or what, kid?”
“Just waiting for you to ask nicely.”
Another agent snorted, but that was as far as the laughter went.
Rhynehart unfolded his arms and gestured down the hallway behind him. “Yeah, pretty please with a fucking cherry. Let’s go.”
Cheyenne glanced at Bhandi, who widened her scarlet eyes and whispered, “Goth drow in the hole…”
Rolling her eyes, she jerked her chin at the troll woman and headed across the room. A few of the other agents spared her quick glances and apathetic smiles. They all know I should’ve been here from the beginning, and no one’s saying shit in front of Rhynehart.
As she passed the chairs and couches in front
