“Couldn’t make it out. What was that, Ember?” Phoenix asked.
It was still mumbled, but it was clearer this time, “Octavius. Eight.”
Phoenix sucked in a sharp breath and whispered, “What the fuck?”
And then it clicked. “Hold up. Octavius? As in the guy that owns the dairy farm or whatever that fucking place is?”
Phoenix gritted out, “How many people do you know named Octavius? Especially around here?”
Patch stood. “Finished with her side. I want to give her a once over to make sure we didn’t miss anything else. Phoenix, help me turn her on her side.”
They repositioned her and I watched Patch run his hands all over her. It took everything I had not to break his fucking hands. She was mine and he was touching her, a-fucking-gain. I knew he was only doing it to make sure she was okay, but I still didn’t like it.
Patch pushed her hair to the side and ran his hands over her neck. He froze, passed his hand over her neck two more times, straightened his spine, and cursed. “Fucking fuck! She’s got a tracker in her neck!!”
I stepped forward, “You’re shitting us, yeah?”
“Fuck no. It’s right here!” he pointed to her neck. I couldn’t see anything. Hell, I’d had my hands on her neck and never felt anything, but I wasn’t about to share that little tidbit.
“Take it out,” Phoenix growled.
“I can take it out, but I think Byte should be in here. He knows more about how these things work than I do,” Patch said.
“We know how they work. Now get this damn thing out of my daughter.”
I got what Patch was saying, or not saying. “Hang on a sec, Prez. I think Patch is saying he can take it out, but he might damage it in the process, yeah?” Patch nodded. “Think for a minute. If we remove it, but keep it in working order, whoever put it there won’t know we found it.”
Realization dawned on Phoenix’s face. “Right. Get Byte in here.”
Five minutes later, Byte held a still working GPS tracker in his hand and Ember had one stitch in her neck.
Phoenix’s eyes glowed. “I’m going to make them pay for this.”
CHAPTER 16
Ember
I groaned. My arm was throbbing, my side was throbbing, and I had an odd ache at the base of my neck. I groaned again, louder this time, and moved to get out of bed when a warm hand gripped mine, “Where you going, darlin’?”
I didn’t know I wasn’t alone, so I tensed upon feeling his touch and hearing his voice, immediately followed by a sharp wince. Through gritted teeth, I managed, “Dash, what are you doing in here?”
“Answer my question first,” he smirked.
I turned away, “Uh, I need to use the restroom and brush my teeth.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Let me help you up.”
“I don’t need any help.”
“Yes, you do. If you rip those stitches in your side, I’m going to tan your ass.”
I huffed. “Try it and I’ll drop you like a sack of bricks.”
He grinned mischievously at me, “Not while you’re hurt.”
I returned my own mischievous grin, “Fine. I’ll tell my dad.”
He narrowed his eyes, “Just let me help you get out of bed.”
