I pulled on a pair of jeans, tucking my gun in the waistband before retrieving my phone.
How could I let this happen?
IfI hadn’t been such a pussy and told her how I felt she’d still fucking be here right now.
I slammed my fist to the sheetrock, cracking it. Then spotted her backpack on the table. Her insulin kit sitting right next to it. “Shit!”
Swiping my screen I was about to tap Jameson’s name, but when I walked back out onto the deck I noticed something glinting a couple of feet in front of me. I bent down and picked up one of her diamond studs. Fear lodged deep in my throat as I lifted my head, eyes colliding with those of a fucking dead man.
“Reid.”
I blinked several times, not believing my eyes. At first I thought I was dreaming. That I must have slipped and hit my head in the shower but then he opened his mouth and spoke again. “Where is she? Where’s Cassidy?” he asked breathlessly, his gaze flitting over my shoulder.
His hair was longer and he had a full beard but there was no mistaking those eyes and that voice.
Realization struck me hard and rage clouded my vision, along with the years of grief and pain.
All I felt was betrayal.
All I saw was red.
Dropping my phone, I charged him, my fist connecting with his jaw before he even had a chance to defend himself. “How could you fucking do this?” I tackled him to the ground, landing another blow to his ribs.
“I did it to protect her, to protect you,” he grunted as I dropped another fist to his stomach.
“Bullshit!”
He kicked out from underneath then rolled to pin me to the ground. “You can be pissed at me later, asshole. We don’t have time for this. I need to know where she is. Del Marco is coming for her.”
“She’s already gone!” The words burned like acid on my tongue.
He froze, fear hardening his expression before he shoved me off of him and pushed to his feet. “When?”
I stared back at him with rage and disbelief. Jesus, I couldn’t think straight. My brain kept trying to focus. I knew how to be in these situations, but I just found out my best friend was alive after seven goddamn years. “Go to hell,” I finally managed.
My phone vibrated across the deck, discarded in our shuffle. I walked over and reached down to pick it up, Ryder’s name lighting up the cracked screen.
“Yeah,” I barked as I held the device to my ear, staring at the ghost in front of me.
“Cunningham, shit, I’ve been trying to get in touch with you. Listen, there’s something I need to tell you.”
I still struggled to catch my breath, bracing one hand on the wall nearby. “I’m listening.”
“Remember what we talked about before, how I wanted to look further into your friend’s file because shit wasn’t adding up?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, it turned out to be more than just a hunch, your friend…he’s very much alive. And he’s been working undercover for the DEA for the past seven years, dismantling Del Marco’s organization so they could take him down.”
My eyes shot to Bodie and red-hot fury raced through me. I turned away from him and walked back inside. I didn’t want to be too close to him right now or else I’d fucking kill him.
“You sound winded, you all right?”
“He’s here.”
“Sky?”
“Yeah. Del Marco has Cassidy.”
