Do or die. Jesus.
And what the hell was all of this for? Money?
He didn’t think that Ash guy had done it for the money. Whoever he was, there’d been a zealousness to him that didn’t speak of profit and loss. “What about the one who just jumped? Said he’s not with them.”
“We’ll go after him once we—”
Something occurred him and he strained to get up with Leo in his arms. “My dog! Someone needs to find my dog.”
“Whoa, whoa, stand down, Thorne. We’ll come back. We’ll find him once we get you some medical care.”
“No hospitals,” Elias said, that old fear of being found still at the forefront. Worse, now, with Leo to take care of.
“No hospitals,” the man repeated as his hands reached for Leo.
Elias ignored them, let desperation push him the rest of the way to standing, his limbs so heavy he could do nothing but brace and hold her. “I go where she goes.”
“Understood. But you’ve got to let me send her up there. Come on, man. We’ll get her help.”
He couldn’t release his hands, couldn’t stop touching her, couldn’t trust anyone. Not even one of her teammates.
And then his brain clicked back into place. “Von Krainik,” he said, remembering what she’d said about this man with the scarred face and the dark, empty eyes. He looked like a psychopath. “What’s your call sign?”
The man gave a short, approving nod. “Reaper.”
Elias looked at Leo. “And hers?”
Von’s jaw hardened. “Terminator.” His eyes crinkled, turning his marred face into something from a nightmare. “Arnie when she’s being a pain in the ass.”
“Elias?” Leo croaked, squinting up at him.
Shocked at the sound of her voice, he looked down. “Leo. Sweetheart.” He curled forward. “I’m here.”
“Hey, Arnie.” Von’s voice was a deep, resonant bass, his accent pure Texas.
She turned to stare blearily up at the other man. “Von? That you?”
“Affirmative.” Krainik’s eyes met Elias’s as he held out his arms. “May I?”
Something twisted in Elias’s chest when he released her to Von’s care, his gaze glued to Leo’s the whole time.
“Hey, Elias?” What might have been a smile ghosted over her lips.
He leaned in. “Yeah, sweetheart?”
“Might wanna get some pants on.” She broke out into a full-on grin as Von carried her away.
Chapter 39
The second they touched down in Schink’s Station, Leo was surrounded by people.
Elias fought the hands touching him, tried to shove them aside when they wouldn’t let him stay with her. He was too weak to fight them—and once he’d passed her off to the doctor, the Von guy stuck to him like a damn burr.
Which was good, if he truly was a grim reaper. Elias would rather he do his thing here than on Leo. Leo needed to make it out. He turned, swung his gaze in search of Bo, before remembering that she was still out there somewhere.
The pain of loss made him stumble. “Reaper,” he called as the man forced him onto some kind of gurney.
Krainik waited, expressionless.
