14.5. DETERRENCE

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It was the day after I came to that decision about Grace, that I'd keep some distance between us, when I already started to accept that I was too hung up on her to put her out of my mind

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It was the day after I came to that decision about Grace, that I'd keep some distance between us, when I already started to accept that I was too hung up on her to put her out of my mind.

I had a meeting with Sam that evening—he had been in New York ever since they moved Rumlow back here, just to make sure things went smoothly. I knew why he thought I was especially interested in Rumlow. It was why he was humoring me, checking in with me like this. He thought I was worried about any old HYDRA ties. And I was. I'd be here anyway.

But there was a different sort of urgency to it now. I wanted him back in prison as soon as possible. It pissed me off that he could be out walking around, making her scared. And I still couldn't help it:

"What's he said about Grace?" I asked Sam.

The sun was setting. He met me a block away from the hotel he was staying out of, in an alleyway, with Redwing hovering obnoxiously over his shoulder.

"Not much," he answered, surprised. "Do you know Grace? Or did Nat tell you to ask about that whole situation?"

"Yeah, Romanoff asked," I lied.

"Well, tell her not much anything. He's either over it or he wants us to think he's over it. Maybe he's got a plan or something. But everything's under control."

I blinked. "Have you asked if he has a plan?"

He blinked. "Have I asked if he has a supervillain revenge planned for Grace?"

"Sometimes if you ask, they just tell you," I said.

"That's true."

"Just bring Grace up and see what he says. Or I'll come do it. Let me ask him."

"No way. I'll do it. You've got a crazy look in your eye."

"That's just how I look."

"No, it's worse right now. You're definitely lying to me about not knowing Grace."

"I just want this taken care of," I said.

"We're working as fast as we can," he argued. "Rumlow's got some connections still, but nobody's exactly itching to give up that serum or whoever's producing it."

"Have they taken other scientists lately?" I asked. "I haven't heard of any going missing. Could be anybody producing the serum, but if they've already got it now, I'm thinking that makes Grace safer. They don't need—"

"Can I ask you something, Buck?" he said tiredly.

"What?"

"Are we having a meeting about Grace right now? Is that what this is? You made me come out here and meet you because—"

"No. I'm just checking."

"How is she? Jumpy? She gets jumpy."

"Yeah, she's on edge," I said, because I thought that was probably true from what I knew about her. But I wished I had a better answer. The thought crossed my mind that it would be nice if people could ask me how Grace was because they'd know I knew, because she'd tell me things and I'd check on her all the time. Just a fantasy.

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