I take that as my cue to rest before whatever they’ve got planned next. A headache blooms. Whether from the smack upside my head or being hit earlier, I can’t tell, but it only gets worse.
My phone is in a military-grade case, and it makes a really distinct sound when it bashes against metal shit. And over and over again, something is hitting my phone case. If I had to guess, the back of a gun. Probably the same one I borrowed from the living room table.
Why would he not take it out of the case first?My wolf groans, experiencing this amateur hour like it’s actually entertaining.
The van takes another turn. I’m less familiar with where we arethis far from the house, but we’re definitely headed out away from civilization.
“Enough!” James shouts, and I’m clearly not the only one suffering from the noise. “We’ll destroy his phone when we get to where we’re going.”
“Which is where?” I attempt to figure out more of the plan.
“Nice try, nerd.” James scoffs at a normal volume now that Charlie is done trying to destroy my phone and its military-grade case.
“Again, I thought there was a way I got to live in all this. Survival of the fittest and all that? I’m just trying to figure out how to stay on this side of the grass.”
I know from hostage negotiations training that I need to relate more to these guys, but I’ve known them forever. If there was more I could do to get on their side of things, I’d try, but we grew up playing in the same pack. We already have things in common, and they’re doing this anyway.
“It’s not up to us. Neil is deciding if you’re worth saving,” Tommy answers. “We’re taking you out to the preserve and waiting for instructions.”
God dammit, Uncle Neil.
“The preserve? With notoriously bad cell service?” I force myself to clench my fists rather than break out of these cable ties and smack him up the side of the head as he sputters like it’s not something he considered.
There’s got to be more information about what’s going on. Maybe he knows it. Push harder.My wolf urges me.Or kill them now?
“Alright, so what?” I ease up on the pressure I was pushing with my questions and try a more casual tone. “Neil is framing Antonella, and he’s going to try to kill Valor in his own house?”
“No, that’d be stupid. He’s not doing it in the house. He’ll do it on the lawn, make it look like the D’Medicis showed up and ambushed the place,” Tommy answers with a smug scoff.
“When?” I feel sick to my stomach and start thinking through the movements.
Break the cable ties, assess, grab the closest gun from Charlie or Tommy. Shoot whoever had the gun, then kill James, then finish off Charlie or Tommy, whoever I didn’t shoot the first time.
Moving van. Need to stop first.My wolf catches the flaw in the plan.Could pull James out of the driver seat, but would we drive off the road first? Would have to kill Charlie and Tommy first.
“They should be on their way to Valor and Antonella’s soon. They wanted to make sure you were out of the way first. Couldn’t have you warning Valor or shutting down that smart house of his.” James draws out his words, calculating something.
That’s the most surprising part of the plan. They knew I’d be watching, should have been watching. I was busy watching Leticia.Would I have even noticed?
Of course you would have. You get door alerts for Valor’s torture chamber. If they’re framing Antonella, then Valor would take her there.My wolf continues.Leticia is not the problem. Our mate is not the problem.
The van slows further, and we turn off the paved road onto a gravel one. Without seat belts, or even a seat, I’m jostled around, sliding on the floor, while the van drives too fast on uneven ground.
Five more minutes of plotting, my head throbbing, and suffering in silence pass before the van comes to a stop.
James shoves me out of the way as he opens the door and climbs out. “Gotta take a leak,” he says, and I hear his footsteps crunch in the gravel as he walks to the right.
Another pair of footsteps approaches.
“Get out,” Tommy snaps.
Tactically speaking, this is the right time to make my move. I make my lousy excuse. “Really, guys, not like I can just get up and follow. Cable ties and a bag over my head, remember?”
Tommy pulls the bag off the top of my head, taking a little hair with it. I let out a low growl but force composure.
Luckily, it’s early afternoon in winter, so I’m not blinded by the sun since it’s starting to set. It’s still cold as fuck though, and despite running warm as a wolf, I’m freezing and wishing I had at least a pair of sandals in all this.That’ll teach me for answering the door barefoot.
When Tommy goes to pull me up by my shoulder, I resist, pressing the cable into my left thumb socket. Almost... there...
