“What if it’s not true?” I whisper, angling my body into his. “What if we’re wrong and I’ve been quietly hoping for nothing?”
“There is nothing wrong with having hope, but you need to prepare yourself too. We don’t know what this doctor will tell us, but whether it’s good news or not, you know I have your back.”
I stretch up and peck his lips. “That’s why I know I’ll survive this even if it turns out not to be true.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
James Kennedy came through for us in the end, and that’s how we find ourselves lurking in an alleyway, just off the parking lot of the doctor’s office in a small town in Wyoming, freezing our butts off, Tuesday night. James is staying at a hotel in the nearest big city, and he’s on standby to fly us back to Massachusetts either later tonight or tomorrow morning. It all depends on how successful our abduction and interrogation of Dr. Collingsworth are.
“Fuck, my balls are like blocks of ice,” Jackson says, rubbing a gloved hand up and down his crotch.
“I’ve lost all feeling in my legs,” Sawyer supplies. “It’s that fucking cold.”
“What a pity Xavier isn’t here to warm them up for you,” I tease, snuggling back into Kai.
“That shit is getting real old,” Sawyer says, glaring at me.
“Oh, come on, you secretly love it,” I joke.
He doesn’t.
He hates that we’ve been yanking his chain since their hookup, but it’s so fun. Besides, I desperately need distracting right now because I’m a bag of nerves as I wait for the doctor to step foot outside.
Sawyer flips me the bird, and I laugh.
“Maybe next time, you’ll remember to close the door,” Kai deadpans.
“There won’tbea next time,” Sawyer repeats, for like the umpteenth time.
“Tell that to someone who believes you,” Rick says, grinning. Even though he’s knee-deep in assignments, he insisted on coming with us, and I’m happy he’s here. There is strength in numbers.
Xavier had to stay behind because he’s delivering an important presentation that counts toward his graduation and he couldn’t reschedule it despite his best efforts. He hates missing out, but at least he can keep an eye on things back in Rydeville.
Shandra wanted to come too, but both of us absent from school on the same day might raise flags, and my vacation cover story wouldn’t hold up if she’s on the MIA list too. At least this way, with Shandra and Chad holding the fort at school, and the well-timed fake text I just sent her, we are giving substance to our cover story should we need it.
“What the fuck is keeping him?” Kai growls, burying his face in my hair. “I thought the office closed at five?”
It’s now five thirty-seven, and we’ve been out here an hour already. I managed to avoid snow the last time I was in Wyoming, but with the icy chill in the air, I wouldn’t be surprised to see snowflakes form in the dark nighttime sky.
“There are still a couple cars here,” I remind him. “He is obviously seeing some patients after hours.”
Forty minutes later, the good doctor finally makes an appearance. We’d looked up photos of him online so we could identify him easily.
“Showtime,” I murmur, wrenching myself away from the warmth of Kai’s arms.
“Be careful, babe,” Kai says, squeezing my fingers as I reach back for my gun. It’s tucked into the waistband of my jeans, hidden under my bulky jacket. Ensuring the safety is on, I clasp the gun firmly, keeping it out of sight behind me as I stride forward with purpose, exiting the alleyway.
The doctor is almost to his car when he spots me approaching. I’m all bundled up in a puffy jacket and my hair is half hidden under my wooly hat, so he doesn’t recognize me at first. My boots are heavy as I stomp toward him with every nerve ending on my body on high alert. “Dr. Collingsworth. I’ve been waiting for you.”
He frowns a little until I’m up close, and all the blood drains from his face. “You shouldn’t be here,” he whispers, looking frantically around as he fumbles with his car keys.
“I know you know who I am,” I calmly state. “And I’m not leaving without answers.”
“Go home, Abigail,” he whispers. “This isn’t safe for either one of us.”
“I want the truth.”
“They will kill me if I talk to you,” he blurts. “You’re Hearst’s daughter. You know how this world works.”
