“Spoilsport.”
I purse my lips. “Did you find him?”
“No.” Samson frowns. “Shit, I was assuming he was down here.”
I shake my head. “Fuck. He’s not here.”
“Maybe that’s why it was so easy,” Dalton muses. “For a so-called syndicate, this was far easier than it should’ve been.”
There’s a nagging itch between my shoulders.
It was easy.
Too easy.
Just as taking down the three on our estate was.
The hair rises on the back of my neck. “I don’t like this.”
“Wylder’s right,” Matthias says, cocking his pistol. “This feels like a setup.”
Fuck.
“Get off the boat. Get off the fucking boat now!” Neo’s voice is frantic in my ear. Desperate. “Move, move,move!”
None of us question him. We don’t hesitate. We bolt for the doors. I dive overboard a split second before a blast of heat sears me.
I’m unconscious before I hit the water.
27
WYLDER
My eyes blink open, and the first emotion I feel is surprise.
I’m not dead.
I don’t believe in the afterlife, and even if I did, I wouldn’t be going to the one with bright lights such as the ones in this room.
There’s a shuffling sound to my right. Remembering my training, I close my eyes and will my body still. I’m not alone in this room, and I need as much information as possible before whoever’s here realizes I’m awake.
I start with my body. A small wriggle of my toes. A gentle flex of my fingers. Okay. That’s good. No spinal injuries. Various muscles are aching, suggesting I’m bruised, but that’s fine. Bruises I can deal with.
Most of the pain seems to be coming from my shoulder, which makes sense. The blast likely burned me. Given I’ve been laid on my back, it’s no surprise that it’s hurting.
It also suggests that the Umbra aren’t as unintelligent as previously thought, the suspicions that arose just before the explosion making me wonder if this whole thing is an elaborate trap. A trap that we skipped into without even realizing it was going to slam shut.
Injuries cataloged, I turn my attention to my bindings. Zip ties.Not ideal, but I’ve escaped from worse. My legs are free, which’ll make it easier.
Next, I focus on the footsteps moving around me. Two sets. Heavy. Big guys.
I wait until the steps fade away and chance a quick glance around. I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed to be alone.
Please let Neo be okay.
I’m not worried about my brothers. If they’ve been taken too, they’re likely in a similar setup to this one. Escaping from this situation is barely a challenge for any of us, including Harley.
But Neo…Neo isn’t us.
