Messages this late at night only ever mean trouble, and just once, I’d love to pretend the world isn’t full of bastards.
Sighing, I give in to the inevitable.
I unlock the screen and read the message three times to make sure I got it right.
Blood:We’ve found a house with hostages. It’s them. We don’t know if Maria and Jonathan are inside, but there are definitely a lot of children. We need your guidance.
A rush of adrenaline floods me. I can’t not go. One more night in the hands of those monsters means more suffering for the kids.
Me: Send someone to pick me up.
Blood:Already on it. They’ll be there in half an hour, tops.
I walk around to the passenger side and lift her into my arms. “Lilly.”
“Amos?”
“Yeah. We’re home.”
She doesn’t open her eyes, and I carry her straight to the bedroom, laying her down gently on the bed.
“I have to go somewhere.”
She smiles and nods, but I’d bet my life she has no idea what I’m talking about.
I take off her shoes and tuck her in.
I decide to leave a note on the nightstand and call her later.
For the first time ever, I feel torn. I’ve never hesitated before heading out on a mission, but I don’t want to leave her. Still, this isn’t about me—it’s about getting those children away from the bastards who are hurting them.
Chapter 25
“Did you find my note?” Amos asks as soon as I answer.
“I did, yes. Thank you for leaving it, or I would’ve thought last night was just a dream.”
“I’m not—”
“Yeah, I know, you’re not a prince. Still, I can’t seem to stay away from you, so I must be crazy.”
He goes silent, and since I’m not in the mood to start a fight first thing in the morning, I go on, “Are you coming back? Actually . . .where did you go?”
“I probably won’t come back there. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”
“Is what you went to do dangerous?”
He takes a while to respond, then finally says, “I can’t talk about it.”
“If you don’t want to talk, why did you call?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t want to talk to you—just that I can’t talk about work.”
“Okay,” I say, trying to hide my irritation.
“What are you doing today?”The shift in topic doesn’t go unnoticed—he’s clearly trying to distract me.
“I was thinking about going to the beach. I’ll stay until midweek, then I have to go back to Boston and start organizing my life. Classes start soon.”
