I wait another thirty minutes, making sure they’re not coming back for something forgotten.
At 6:15, I text Beau from the shitty burner phone he gave me that I’ve kept hidden in my boot.
They’re gone. Moving in 60.
His reply is instant.
In position. Watch your back.
Beau’s the only one I trust with this plan. The only one who can help me get Carla to safety. He left all this shit behind, working as a private investigator, normally on the right side of the moral equation, if not always operating strictly within the law.
Marcus has his job to worry about. Beau doesn’t give a shit about anything other than doing what’s right.
The prospect of pissing my father off is an added bonus.
Pete’s on the front porch when I leave again, a plate of toasted stale bread in one hand, and cloudy water in the other.
“Gonna check on our guest,” I tell him casually. “Bring her breakfast.”
He nods, not even looking up from his phone, but his nose twitches, and he winces, smelling how unappetising the meal she’s getting delivered is.
My heart pounds as I descend the basement stairs, food in one hand, keys in the other, phone hidden away safely.
“Room service,” I announce, trying to sound normal.
Carla sits on her cot, knees pulled to her chest. She looks worse today, her skin clammy, eyes too bright. When she sees me, she flinches back slightly and squirms.
“You okay?” I ask, setting the plate down, an uncomfortable feeling taking hold in my chest. If she’s sick, this is going to be so much harder.
Beau’s helping us, but it’s up to me to get here all the way to the meeting point. That’s by no means an easy feat. If she’s too weak to shift and run, it’ll be almost impossible.
“Fine.” The word comes out strained. “Just tired.”
Something’s off. She smells… different. My bear notices too, pushing forward curiously, scenting the air. Whatever it is gets lost behind the disgusting smell of this room, and the layer of grim coating her silky-smooth skin.
No time to figure it out now. If she’s unwell, she’ll just have to push through if she wants to live.
“Listen to me carefully,” I say, lowering my voice. “I’m getting you out. Now. But you need to do exactly what I say.”
She blinks at me, surprised. “What? Now?”
Suspicion flashes across her face when I nod, glancing over my shoulder to make sure nobody’s coming to check on us. My paranoia is sky high. If anyone figures out what I’m up to, myfather will know immediately, and the consequences will be dire. For both of us.
She studies me, and I see the moment she decides to trust me. Not completely, but enough.
“What’s the plan?”
I lay it out quickly. How we’ll get past the guards patrolling the border, the path through the woods to the meeting point where Beau is waiting with a vehicle. It’s risky, but it’s the best I’ve got.
“There are three guards left,” I explain. “Pete’s working the bar. Eventually, he’ll get bored and go in for a drink. The other two patrol opposite ends of the property. We’ll have a ten-minute window to slip out the back and into the trees.”
She nods, taking it all in. “And if something goes wrong?”
My hesitation makes her frown. There’s no point in sugarcoating it. It won’t be pretty.
I hand her the phone and wrap her fingers around it.
“When I call and hang up after two rings, it’s time to move.”
