Agent 57 (Book 2)

18. I'm sorry

Cody's POV

I roll my eyes as Devin tries to argue with Chase how he clearly won the game even though the game itself says otherwise. He then goes on to claim Chase cheated.

Jason just smiles, sitting between the two of them with the controller in his hands. He begins to restart the game without their knowledge.

"Mind if I join you?" Nicky asks as she walks into the room. She swings herself gracefully over the side of the couch to sit next to Devin.

"You any good?" Devin questions as he passes her a controller.

She scoffs at him. "Please, there's no video game you can beat me at." She takes the controller from his hands. "Besides, this gives a reason not to get stalked by that Barbie. She acts like since we're both two of the only three girls in this house that immediately makes us buddies."

She shudders. "Uh, no thanks."

"Where is Elaine?" Chase asks her.

Nicky's lips twitch as her eyes spark with mischief. "I have no idea."

"Liar." Devin immediately says, pausing the game they had started. "What did you do?"

Nicky places a hand over her heart dramatically. "Me? Nothing." She points at the paused screen. "You're all losing by the way."

Eight games later and Nicky's the winner, for every single one of them. Devin huffs and tosses his controller to the floor.

"I vote we change games."

Nicky smiles smugly and leans back on the couch. "Bring it on."

"What are you all up to?" Ryder leans in the doorway, bruises and cuts on his knuckles, a cut above his eyebrow, and his overall appearance is that of someone who got into a fight.

"What happened to you?" Chase asks, and Ryder smiles like he's rather pleased with himself.

"There was a rodent infestation at the restaurant. I volunteered to help rid them of that problem."

"So the rodents won?" Nicky questions innocently. Ryder's smile drops from his face.

"No." He deadpans. "But they made me realize how big a cockroach problem this house has."

Nicky glares harshly back at him. "I'm not a damn cockroach."

Ryder holds his hands up in mock surrender. "You said it, not me."

"Why are you even here?"

Ryder feigns getting shot in the chest. "You don't want me here?"

"I don't want you on the same planet."

"And I don't give a f-ow!" Ryder cries out as Henri grabs hold of him by his ear and begins to drag him out of the room.

Nicky and Devin full-on laugh while Chase and Jason just look highly amused. I smile. Ryder comes sprinting back through the door a moment later. Henri renters not too long after.

Ryder runs behind the couch. He stands on one side and Henri stands on the other. He matches every step of Henri's with a step of his own in the opposite direction.

Henri finally throws his hands up in the air in exasperation. "I swear he's six." He mutters before leaving the room.

Suddenly a hand claps me on the back before moving to rest on my shoulder. I look up at Ryder who smiles devilishly.

"Want to go play foosball?"

I narrow my eyes in suspicion but before I have a chance to protest Ryder hauls me to my feet and begins to drag me out of the room, his arm slung over my shoulders like we're the best of friends.