Another pause, and then, “That’s not where you told me. Yeah, yeah, okay, so Mott. Got it.”
Mott? What the…?
I filed the information away, knowing the second I got out of here I’d be searching for every fucking reference of Mott that existed. Because whoever was behind this, behind the emails, the threats, the attempt on my life not once buttwicenow, I was determined to track them down.
“My eyes are on him,” Fuckwad said, and as he started back in my direction, I hung my head and played the unconscious man he seemed to think I was. “He’s not going anywhere.”
That was whathethought. But it was obvious that whoever was on the other end of the phone was more aware ofmy reputation, because they seemed awfully concerned with knowing that I was secure and knocked the fuck out.
Would’ve been smarter to tranquilize me.
“I’ll call tomorrow,” he finally said as two boots stopped in front of me.
I had a quick fantasy about removing the laces and strangling him with them, and, God willing, I’d get to fulfill it. But for now, as the very stupid man crouched down in front of me, I shut my eyes and played rag doll.
He reached out and angled my face up to his, and it took everything I had not to surprise the dumb shit by lunging forward and biting a chunk out of his ugly face. But I was smarter than that, and after the last month with Shep I’d learned a modicum of control.
I was going to wait this motherfucker out and gain as much strength as possible.
He obviously had orders to keep me alive, and while that worked for me, it definitely wasn’t going to work for him.
Oh well, that wasn’t my problem.
But I was definitely his.
3
SHEP
RAGE FUELED ME as dusk fell.
The coming darkness would make my surroundings harder to see, and while I carried a powerfully lit flashlight that at least ensured the path I trekked through was clear, it was shit compared to what I needed.
I carefully scanned every goddamn inch I could see, hoping for anything that would give me a clue to Theo’s whereabouts. King was dead wrong that he wasn’t here somewhere. I could feel it. I could feelhim. If he was off this damn continent, I would know.
Ducking under a low-hanging branch, I readjusted my grip on the handle of the machete I carried and pressed on, feeling the urgency of time slipping through my fingers. King had given me the rest of the weapons he’d been carrying, so I was loaded up on knives, guns, and an assortment of other munitions, though with the way I felt, I wouldn’t need anything more than my bare hands.
Theo better be fucking breathing when I find him…
The alternative literally took my breath away when it flashed, unwanted, through my mind. But the second I saw his tracker, covered in blood on the jungle floor feet from the safe house,I’d known this was a race against time. The fact they’d known he had it, where it was located, and how to remove it sent a searing pain through my chest as I thought about all the what-ifs, each one more morbid than the last. And on top of it all was the heavy guilt, knowing that the last time I saw him I’d been more caught up in King’s surprise arrival than Theo’s feelings. I kept replaying the conversation over and over again in my head as we’d been scrambling to put our clothes back on. I’d been shocked as shit to see my ex standing at the foot of the bed in what should’ve been a private moment between Theo and me. I hadn’t been thinking straight, and Theo being Theo, he’d had nothing but questions.
“Now’s not really the time, Theo,”I’d said.
“Because King walked in? So the fuck what? He was going to find out sooner or later.”
I sighed in agitation and ran a hand over my face, but when I didn’t say anything in response, Theo’s irritation began to rise.
“Youweregoing to tell him about us, right? That was what we’d decided.”
“We don’t have time to talk about this right now.” I started toward the door—heading out to where King was impatiently waiting—but before I could leave, Theo grabbed my arm, halting me.
“Answer me,” he demanded.
He hadn’t been asking for much. He’d wanted a confirmation from me about us, and what had I said?
“Not now, Theo.”
And then I’d pulled away from him and left the room. All while Theo glared after me like he wished he could throw something at my head.
