“Yes, Anna, I’m pissed. I’m pissed that while I’m stuck in this bed, you’re getting chummy with some stalker brother of a second-generation assassin.”
“I’m doing everything I can to find out what’s going on! That’s it!”
After a few minutes, he’s sitting on the side of the bed. “Where’s the bathroom?”
I point to a door on the other side of the room as Ethan pushes off the bed.
“How do you feel?” I ask.
“Like I got shot and kicked in the head.” And then the bathroom door slams shut.
Ethan is not up to handling whatever Thomas has planned. And I know him—he will push himself into a worse situation just to save me and Teeny. And no telling what will happen when he and Tyler are in the same room.
I have to get him out of here.
As soon as I hear the water running, I tell Teeny I’m taking the trash to the kitchen and sneak out of the room. I pad down the carpeted hall, quietly opening doors, but they’re all empty.
I tiptoe down the steps and through the bottom floor. I finally find Tyler in a small sitting room off the kitchen, laid up on the couch watching a movie. Must be nice to be so relaxed.
He sits up quickly when I enter the room. “What’s going on?”
“I want to talk to Thomas.”
His eyes go big. “About what?”
“None of your business. Where is he?”
Tyler pulls out his phone from his back pocket. When Thomas answers, Tyler says, “Anna wants to talk to you.”
A few seconds later, Tyler ends the call. “He’ll be in here in a minute.”
We wait. In silence.
Thomas finally shows through a door on the opposite side of the room.
“I don’t like being summoned.”
I take a deep breath and ask, “Will you still make Ethan go through whatever you originally had planned? He’s injured and probably has a concussion. I can’t imagine you…killing Vega if you’re worried he may pass out at any moment.”
He doesn’t answer, just watches me closely.
I can’t stand the silence so my mouth takes over just to fill it.
“And what about Teeny? She was never in the plan. No one was looking for her but here she is. She’s just an innocent little girl. Are you leaving her behind? Is she coming with us?”
“Your sister will remain here as incentive for your good behavior. If Ethan is unable to join us, then he can wait here with her. Two reasons for you to cooperate.”
This is what I was afraid of.
“I get this is bigger than me, but you need bait and here I am. I will help you, but only me.”
Thomas chuckles softly. “You’re not in any position to be making demands. You will help me willingly or your sister pays the consequence. It’s really very simple.”
I’ve been thinking about this all afternoon—if I’m brave enoughto pull off this bluff.
“We called someone to come pick us up this morning. If we don’t show—they will go to the local cops. You probably know people there since you were in that uniform the other day, but this person will be very loud and make a big scene. I can’t imagine you want people looking for us. Or you.”
Dead silence.
