He smiled. “I’ll let her know. Just so you know, you and I are friends and always will be. Even when you toss Theo out on his ass.”
She could read people, and if she was reading Jared right, he was greatly amused by something. Was it Theo and her? That was silly. They were temporary and would soon be on opposing sides again. “Um, okay.”
Chalton stopped typing. “Can I see the anklet?”
She nodded and stretched out her bare foot, planting it on the coffee table and pulling up her jeans leg.
Chalton leaned forward, took a look, and then started typing. “Since it can be activated remotely, it sends out waves. Let me see what I can find out.”
Ginny nodded, allowing Theo to pull her back into his heat. She settled against him, trying not to dream about what it’d feel like to have somebody all the time. To be with Theo all the time. He made her feel safe and protected, and that couldn’t last. Yet she snuggled into him anyway, letting him hold her. If she let her heart be broken by him, it was her own fault. And the ride might just be worth it.
Chalton sat back, his gaze on the screen.
“Well?” Theo asked, his breath brushing Ginny’s ear.
She shivered and cuddled closer. “It can’t be deactivated, right?”
Chalton nodded, his full mouth turning down. He always had been the quiet one in the family.
She turned to face Theo’s dark eyes, her stomach churning. “I appreciate your trying to help, but I researched this thing extensively when it was first forced on me. It can’t be removed, and the only way to deactivate it is at its source. Where Saul has it.”
“She’s correct,” Chalton said. “The technology is as good as anything we have. Saul must’ve spent decades perfecting it.”
Theo’s face remained calm, but anger poured from him to surround her. She patted his bare chest. “It’s okay. It really is.”
“It’s not okay,” he gritted out. “Where is Saul? Let’s take him out now.”
“I don’t know,” she sighed. “Believe me, if I knew where he was and where he has my da, I would’ve hired an attack force years ago. But he’s remained under the radar.”
Realization dawned in Theo’s eyes. “Until you actually stole the file. Now he has to meet you to get it.”
She nodded, her gaze dropping to his mouth. “Yes. I can’t wait much longer. The anklet is taking too much of a toll, and I don’t know when it’ll be too late for me to move against him.”
“What was your real plan?” Theo pushed her curling hair away from her face, his touch infinitely gentle even with the anger glowing so brightly in his dark eyes.
“Steal the file, get my dad released, kill Saul.” She was enjoying Theo’s touch entirely too much.
Jared sighed. “It’s not a bad plan except for the last part. Saul will be expecting an attack.”
Theo nodded. “Yeah, but he won’t be expecting us to be part of it.”
Hope flared inside her. Hot and bright. “You’ll help me take out Saul?”
“Yes, but not with the file,” Theo said. “We have to find another way.”
Of course. His family had to come first with him. She understood that. Forcing a smile, she made herself nod. “Okay. That makes sense.”
His gaze narrowed. “Don’t try to play me.”
She had no choice. “I’m not.” Why the hell was he so tough to fool? Her eyelids fluttered. “I need some protein to combat the planekite. Maybe some Vitamin C?” She’d found that oranges and turkey bacon had actually helped somewhat on more than one occasion. Almonds as well.
“Where’s the file, Ginny?” Theo asked.
She dropped the pretense. “I’m sorry.” Her phone rang in her back pocket, and she jumped.
Theo pulled it out before she could and read the face. His face went blank, and he pressed the speaker button. “Answer,” he mouthed.
She glared and then shoved him in the gut. “Hello?”
