She shuffled from the room to give him some privacy for his call as she texted Alex.Hey, I need you and Doc to bring a car up for me. You know, when you’re not busy guilting Chris for killing me.
A few seconds later, Alex answered.Any excuse to visit you, Avs. Also, if you’d like a ride along on that mission, hack my system and grab the pearl tracker.
She smiled down at the phone.Sporting a new accessory, huh?
He responded to her immediately.My tribute to you, Sparky.
“Ava!” Sebastian called, wiping any smile from her face.
She shuffled back into the dining room. “You bellowed?”
“My mother’s on her way up, despite me telling her not to. When she gets here, take her car, get the USB from under the driver seat of my van, and drop it at the old warehouse on Pierce. There's a red dumpster in the back under the second window. Leave it under the back wheel. If The Board doesn’t see some activity from me soon, they’ll start asking questions. And if they find out I’ve been out of commission...well, let’s just say they won’t hesitate to finish what they started.”
“Got it. Dumpster, second window, back wheel. Wait, right or left.”
“Ugh, why did I have to get shot?”
She sighed at him. “I can do it…but which wheel?”
“Right.”
She nodded before her eyebrows pinched. “Right as you look at it, or right from its perspective.”
His head thudded against the table. “Right as you look at it. Now, please at least help me upstairs to a comfortable bed.”
“You sure you’ll make it? You’re super heavy. I can’t drag you.”
“Pain killers are kicking in. I’ll make it. Anything to get off this table.”
She shoved her phone into her pocket and eased him up to sit, keeping a firm hand on him in case he passed out.
With that tackled, he slid to stand, leaning heavily against her. They made their way upstairs, and Sebastian collapsed onto the bed. “Hey, Ava,” he said as she lifted his feet onto the bed and covered him with a blanket.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for finding me.”
“Anytime,” she said with a smile. “Now, let’s see if you can hold any food down.”
“You may be worse than my mother.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want to get a lecture when she gets here.” Ava left him behind to rest as she headed for the kitchen, searching and finding broth to warm for him.
As he finished the last of it, the sound of gravel crunching under tires met her ears.
“There’s a gun in the safe downstairs,” he said as she peered out the window.
“It’s your mom, but I’ll take the gun when I drop off this USB.”
Sebastian passed along the code as frantic footsteps pounded on the stairs.
“Sebastian?” his mother called. “Her voice raw with panic.”
She burst into the room a second later, her eyes going wide as she spotted Ava. “Ms. Collins?”
“Surprise,” she said with a smile.
With confusion on her features, Vivienne hurried to Sebastian’s side, taking his hand in hers. “Sebastian, what is going on?”
