“We were hungry,” the blond girl complained.
“We sent someone out for provisions. Now go back to your rooms and stay there until we get you,” Meghan commanded. Then her eyes swept over to Reyna and Beckham. They warred between relief and frustration. “Thanks for scaring the girls.”
Reyna frowned. “You seem all right. Why didn’t you respond to our calls?”
Tye was seated in the corner. “Radio isn’t working. Sorry. The safe houses sometimes mess with them.”
“Drew and Laura?” she asked, looking at Meghan.
She shook her head once. Reyna sagged. Still no Drew and Laura. She didn’t even want to think about the possibilities. One more house at least.
“Where is he?”
Tye nodded his head toward what appeared to be a closet under the stairs. “We restrained him and kept him out of the way until you got here. We didn’t want him to get any ideas.”
“Do you know how he weaseled his way in?”
Meghan and Tye shook their heads.
“Let’s find out, shall we?” Beckham asked, wrenching open the closet door.
Everett sat on the floor of the dark closet like a trussed-up turkey. His hands and legs were tied. A gag was in his mouth, and he had a black eye. He arched his eyebrows when he saw Beckham standing in the doorway. If he could have spoken, some smart-ass remark would have flown from his mouth. Beckham hauled him up with one hand and dumped him like a sack of potatoes into a chair. Then yanked the gag from his mouth.
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you,” Beckham said in his most threatening tone.
“Hello to you too,” Everett drawled lazily.
Beckham punched him in the face. Everett’s head snapped to the side and a sick crunch sounded. Beckham had broken Everett’s nose. Blood spurted out and down over his lips.
Everett coughed twice. “Always thought I’d look better with a bump in my nose. A little more devil-may-care.”
“Let’s try this again,” Beckham spat.
“Oh, I do love second chances.”
“Everett,” Reyna snapped. “Just talk to us. Why are you here? How did you get out? Why the hell should we trust you?”
“Never trust a spy,” he said with a lopsided grin in her direction.
“This is how he went on with us too,” Tye grumbled.
“If he doesn’t speak, then we don’t need him,” Reyna said callously. She wanted to believe that Everett had changed. That everything they’d been through mattered. But he was dangerousand a liability.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Beckham said.
Everett laughed. It was more pain than anything.
Reyna could sense that Beckham was about to break his neck any second for the audacity of it all. His patience wore thin when it came to people who had hurt her.
She rushed forward and batted Beckham aside. His surprise was evident. She liked keeping him on his toes.
Reyna slid one of her guns out of its holster and leveled it at Everett’s head. “We’ve been here once before. You all bloodied up after a beat down you deserved and me questioning you. But unlike last time, we don’t actually need anything from you right now. You had something we wanted—information. You don’t have that this time. I’d wager the only reason you’re here is to save your own skin and hide out as long as you can. Because you’re not just on our shit list, you’re on Visage’s too. Must feel great to be hunted by everyone. And now we’re here and you’re cornered, and you think your bullshit posturing will save you. I’m here to tell you that it won’t.” Everett’s expression shifted from laughter to a hint of fear. “So again, why shouldn’t we kill you?”
“We’re on the same side,” Everett ground out. “You know that Visage has my brother, Edmond. I’ve been gone too long. He’s probably already dead. You think I want to work for Visage? That I ever did? I’m not pro-Visage.”
“But you still haven’t told us how you’re in the safe house. Or even what you’re doing here.”
“An announcement went out in the bunker. A woman on the speaker issued an evacuation. My guards disappeared. I followed a crowd of people and made it here with them. I was on a low enough level to get to the vehicles. Look, I’m not into joining your lot, because it seems like a good way to die. But the way I see it, I have resources, you have resources, we can worktogether.”
