“Your lead’s heating up,” Arsenal said, confidence lacing his words.
I tried to ignore the small wave of relief that rushed over me, tried not to focus on what was waiting back home. Tried to be the leader they needed me to be.
“We don’t move until Wrecker has vicinity,” I said, struggling to keep my priorities straight. The conflict within me was brutal and barely controlled.
Doc shot me a knowing look. “It’s go-time, Bronc.”
“Pack it up, people!” I called out, already halfway to the door.
“You heard the man!” Arsenal said, adding a sharp military tone to his words as he corralled the rest of the team.
I grabbed my phone off the table and gave Juliet’s photo one last, lingering glance before shoving it into my pocket. The stark fear of losing her to time and distance consumed my thoughts. I couldn’t shake the feeling that my hesitation had cost us too much already.
We geared up and hauled out to the landing zone, knowing our best chance of finding anything was to hit hard and fast. There wasn’t a moment to spare, and if this lead was solid, it would get us back home in time to hold Juliet and bring her even closer to us than she had been before.
We hoped.
That night I finally heard from Juliet. A brief Facetime. I almost melted at seeing her beautiful face. She’d just gotten out of the bath and was settled into bed for the night.
“Hi baby.” Her voice was so small.
“Hi there beautiful. Miss the hell outa you.” I gave her a smile.
“Miss you more. Wish you were home. I’m guessing you’ve had no luck?”
“No precious. We’re heading to Guatemala tomorrow. There’s chatter. Gonna check it out. Fingers crossed.” I saw her face fall.
“Oh, okay. I’m hoping extra hard that’ll be it. Tomorrow will be the day. Well, hey honey, I’m super tired. Think I’m gonna turn in. I love you so much. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I don’t know if I ever told you that.”
“Sweetheart. You are everything to me. You know that. I cannot wait to see you. We’re doing our best so I can get back to you. I love you.”
The line went dead. Faint feelings of love and something else I couldn’t name poured through the bond.
Chapter 25
Juliet
Harsh fluorescence pierced the early morning dim of the Amarillo truck stop. I’d never been there before. The checkered tiles and endless steel shelving could have been any such place, but they were foreign enough to be unnerving, bleak enough to set my nerves on edge. It was too easy to imagine someone watching from the shadowy parking lot outside. But I knew it was just me and any number of other desperate people making their way to who knows where in the early morning Texas hours.
I moved quickly and deliberately past display after display, the ache of dread a dull and constant throb in my chest. My legs were wobbly with nerves and exhaustion. I was being careful to keep the bond quiet, so Bronc wouldn’t feel my anxiety. The few truckers inside barely glanced my way as I snagged a burner phone from a rotating rack, the plastic encasing slick beneath my fingers. It would be safer than the one I’d brought, less traceable. My pulse hammered faster than the heels of my boots on the tile. I could have sworn the glances grew longer, more curious, suspicious even. My imagination was running away with me.
I bought two prepaid Visa cards and a bottle of water. There’s no way I was the first person the clerk had ever seen make thesetypes of purchases. Any number of people have reasons for moving from place to place, needing to keep off the radar.
“Uh, miss,” he said. He sounded uneasy. “Do you want a bag for that?”
The silence after the words stretched out far too long. I forced a smile, shaky and grateful to be dealing with strangers who didn’t know I was a breath away from screaming.
“Yeah. Sure.”
I snatched the phone out first. Already I was checking flights on it before I stepped foot inside the small diner inside the stop. I couldn’t bear to head outside to do this clandestine business in the late September chill. It was before dawn, and you could feel the crispness in the air. Checking flights, Nashville seemed like my best bet. Seemed, because I was flying blind and desperate. But desperation was better than sitting still and waiting for something awful to happen to my mother. Because of me. Once he took me, I’d contact Bronc through the bond. He’d find me. I knew he would. And this would all be over.
I looked out the window. The blacktop was wide open, except for the looming shadows of eighteen-wheelers and the row of cars with men asleep in them, slumped and still. I hurried past, keeping my eyes on the thin streaks of early light over the faraway canyon walls, hoping they’d be a good enough guide to get me out.
I should have packed lighter. Or heavier. Or differently. The metal bench on the curb bit into my legs as I fumbled through my backpack. No time to dwell on it. The flight was more important than clean clothes or even the fake ID stashed in a leather wallet. I tried to convince myself of that as I booked the 6:15 a.m. flight and slipped the backpack over my shoulders. My palms were wet and shaky around my phone.
It was the same way when I got the Uber called and confirmed. The way the confirmation arrived in an instant, a buzzing satisfaction from the other side of the country, left me raw and wary. I set the cards and phone up in a rush and managed to bookan urgent flight with sweaty hands. I worked the way I always did when I was on edge—fast and efficient, the way I had to before someone could get ahead of me. My mind went to Bronc just for a moment. I’d left my phone at home. It would be a while before Pearl would notice I was gone. She normally didn’t check on me until lunchtime.
I ordered the Uber and finished everything before 5:15 am, with half an hour to spare and fear wrapped like an iron fist around my gut.
