“Good. Now, we need to get to Wyoming. I need to see for myself where she was taken from. The kidnapper may have left some trace that Zander’s idiot team didn’t find.”
“Trust me,” North said. “He didn’t leave any trace.”
They entered an old building where no one lived any longer. There were barracks for his men on the other side of the large property. What were they doing here?
And what did North mean? Trust me? Huh? How would he know that the kidnapper hadn’t left any trace?
North led him toward a door in the derelict kitchen that he was pretty certain would take them down to the basement.
“North?” he asked in a low voice. “What is going on?”
“Just follow me down. But prepare yourself. It might not be pretty.”
Jared’s heart was racing as North unlocked what looked to be a new door. Why would he put a new door in? Why would North be bringing him down here?
North gestured to him to step into the room. Normally, Jared would refuse. With anyone else, he would have. But he trusted North.
Turned out, he shouldn’t have.
Because as he stepped into the room, he came to a sudden stop.
The scent of vomit hit him first as well as air freshener that only seemed to make the stench worse.
Then he saw her on the bed.
The first emotion to hit him was relief.
The second was horror. Then anger.
He turned to North. “What the fuck have you done?”
North stareddown at Jared and Angie.
They looked right together.
This is what he’d wanted. To give Jared this. To give him what he really wanted.
So now he should back away. Leave.
After all, he didn’t know how to take care of her properly. He’d more than proven that.
“Hey, baby,” Jared said gently, brushing the hair off her forehead. “Fuck. She’s burning up. Have you given her anything for the fever?”
“Ahh, no. I have a First-Aid kit upstairs. I’ll go grab it.”
“Do that. And North?” North turned back as Jared hit him with a glare. “I’m going to concentrate on her. But after she’s better, you and I will chat.”
Sure.
If he was still around then.
Rushing up the stairs, he grabbed the First Aid kit and took it back to Jared. He handed him some pain relievers and fever reducers.
“Right, baby. You’re going to take these.” Jared sat her up and attempted to give her the pills. But she kept pushing his hand away and trying to move out of his arms.
“Shit. Have you got any that can be given rectally?” Jared asked.
“What?”
