“No one that you need to worry about. We won’t be together long enough to get friendly.”
“So, why am I here? What do you want from me?”
“From you? Nothing. I just need to have a little chat with my brother, and you were the best way to assure he listens and doesn’t kill me first.”
“Bones?” I asked.
“Nothing gets past you, does it?” she asked.
If my hands were free, I’d be tempted to slap the condescending bitch right across the face. “Bones wouldn’t kill his sister.”
“He killed Matt.”
That name perked my ears up. “Matt Deter?”
She nodded. “Yep. At least, I’m assuming Bones killed him. He and Angel were the last two people seen with Matt and he’s been missing ever since.”
Bones had killed Matt. A part of me had been expecting that outcome, but I was still shaken up about it. Sure, Matt had been an asshole, but we’d had some good times. I didn’t want him dead. My throat started to burn.
“Do you have any water?” I croaked.
She reached into a cooler and grabbed a bottle, unscrewing the top and holding it up to my mouth. Some dribbled down my chin and onto my shirt, but between the two of us we managed to get enough down my throat to cool the burn. I thanked her as she capped the bottle and put it away.
Then I felt stupid for thanking her after she’d been such a bitch and had me drugged and kidnapped.
The floor lurched forward again.
My brain fog was beginning to dissipate, so I looked around, trying to get my bearings. We were in some sort of van with no side windows. The headlights of cars behind us were shining into the back window. A dark-haired man was driving, with another man in the passenger’s seat. I tried to look out the front window, but couldn’t see much beyond road and cars.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Out of the city so Bones can find us without the interference of those Mariani bastards.” She held up my phone. “What’s the code to unlock this thing?”
Wondering if I should give it to her, I hesitated.
“I’m sure he’s tracking it by now, anyway. I could just wait until he calls again and answer it. That’s how I talked to him the first time.”
Since it was obviously useless to resist, I rattled off the code and she plugged it into the phone before dialing and putting it up to her ear.
“Are you on the way?” she asked. “Good. Are you alone? Make sure you’re not followed, Bones. I don’t want to shoot your girl, but I will if I have to.” Her gaze cut to me. “Yeah, she’s awake. Give me a sec and I’ll put you on speaker.” She fiddled with the phone, holding it between us as she asked, “Bones, you there?”
“Yes. Ari?”
Hearing his voice made my eyes burn and my throat constrict.
“Ari, you okay?” he asked, his voice panicked.
“Yes.” I swallowed past a sob. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“I’m coming for you. Just do what Natalia says and I’ll be there before you know it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a sister?” I asked, glancing at who I assumed was Natalia. “Especially one who kidnaps people.”
Before he could answer, she clicked him off speaker and put the phone to her ear. “There. You heard her, she’s fine. She’ll stay fine as long as you show up alone. There’s a campground right before you get to Railroad Pass. We’ll be waiting in the parking lot.” Natalia disconnected the phone and set it in her lap.
“You sure this is wise?” the driver asked. “We’ll be like sitting ducks. If he doesn’t come alone, we’ll be screwed.”
“I’ve been watching Bones for a while,” Natalia replied. “He’ll come alone.”
