Marty rolled her eyes and unzipped her sky-blue down vest, shrugging it off to reveal a sapphire-blue turtleneck and colorful paisley scarf. “Phew. I was so worried you’d starve to death, you human garbage can.”
Wanda hissed in Marty’s direction before tapping Nina the Discontent on the shoulder. “Before you shove that in your mouth, use your words and introduce yourself.”
The brunette sighed, expelling a raspy breath. “What is this, fucking Romper Room? Nobody gives a shit who we are as people. I don’t give a shit who they are either. We don’t need a round-robin of bullshit surface stuff to do what we gotta do.”
Wanda swiped the sandwich bag from her friend’s hand, held it up for a brief moment, a maniacal gleam in her eye, then dropped it to the ground and stomped on it, flattening it until the plastic broke and what looked like tuna oozed out from the crust.
Everyone gasped. Even Cormac.
“I said, introduce yourself.”
Nina made a face up at Wanda but then she peeled off her thick black gloves and said, “Nina Statleon. Hungry. Cold. Hate everyone.”
Marty clapped her hands, a set of bangle bracelets clinking together. “Yay! Look at you, using your words and emotions.”
Nina scraped the crushed sandwich bag off the floor after she flipped Marty the bird.
When it was Cormac’s turn, Teddy turned to look at him, the lines of his face chiseled in granite, a tic in his unmoving jaw. Talk about a long simmer—he was like a Crock-Pot of slow burn.
Nina, who sat on the other side of him, elbowed him in the ribs. “C’mon, dude. I don’t want to see you lose your sacs in front of everybody. Plus, I wanna get the fuck out of here pronto. I like the woods as much as any bitch, but this shit for four days solid is for the birds. All this Grizzly Adams trees and fucking caribou just ain’t my rap, yanno? So stop prolonging my agony and play the game so I can get on up outta here. If you do, I’ll share my Combos with you. I got a shitload of ’em,” she coaxed with an enticing shake of her backpack and a grin that decidedly mocked.
When Cormac finally spoke, he sent a chill up along Teddy’s spine. Calm, his voice was like silk washed in honey. Rich and deep with a hint of a rasp.
“You already know who I am. The question is, why are you here and how do you know who I am?”
Wanda let out a sigh, crossing her feet at her furry-booted ankles. “We’re here to help you, Cormac. Toni sent us.”
Instantly, Teddy was on alert, coiled and ready to spring. Who was Toni?
Cormac cracked his knuckles, making a sucking noise with his teeth as though he was preparing for confrontation and his restraint was close to coming undone. “How do you know Toni?”
It was then that Wanda must have realized Teddy had no relation to this scenario—whatever this scenario was—and from the masked expression taking over her face, Teddy guessed Toni was private.
Which was the moment Wanda set her sights on Teddy, and she realized she needed an alibi. Fast.
Wanda’s perfectly plucked eyebrow rose. “Why exactly are you here, Theodora?”
Yeah, Theodora, what brings you to the outermost reaches of the Colorado forests, with a dart gun, no less? Hmmmm?
Better stall.
“Teddy, please. You can call me Teddy,” she said, hoping her voice wouldn’t crack while she hatched a story in her busy brain.
Wanda swung her long arms in front of her and latched her fingers together in a basket. “Okay, Teddy,” she drawled, her tone making Theodora squirm. “What brings you to Cormac’s—with a dart gun?”
“It’s kind of hard to explain…”
“Aw, fuck,” Nina spat with disgust. “Here we go. Listen, Kitten Pants, spit it the shit out. Just do it and get it over with because if you don’t, I’ll miss dinner with my kid for the fourth night in a row since we got to this strange land of fucking icicles and free-range moose.”
Wanda reached down and tugged on a long length of Nina’s incredibly shiny, unbelievably thick almost-black hair. “Shut up.” Then she turned that I-have-ways-of-making-you-talk gaze back to Teddy. “How about you try? And I suggest you try really hard or this could turn into an incredibly long night of epic, unpleasant proportions for you.”
Nina cackled that cackle that said she took pleasure in another’s pain. “Oh, hold the hell up now. If we’re talkin’ Wanda and torture, don’t say a word, lady. I’d be willing to give up one more night of missed grub if she’s gonna put the screws to you.”
Marty reached around Nina and gripped the cap of her shoulder, making Nina wince and shrink back until there was the glisten of a tear in her eye.
“Get off, ass-sniffer! That stings!” Nina growled.
But Teddy held her hands up as white flags. “Okay. I’ll try to explain. I’m here because…”
Because O-M-G, what, Teddy? What-what-whaaaat?
Wanda sucked in her cheeks, turning her peachy-glossed lips into that of a fish. Meaning she was gonna lose her shit if Teddy didn’t answer.
She swallowed hard before she blurted out, “Because Cormac is my life mate!”
Chapter 3