“Sure is,” I reply, hoarse, my thudding heart trying to block my vocal cords.
I lean closer, angling my head for a better view of the latch. “Look to the right, baby.”
She hums softly, a song, as her fingers crinkle the protein bar wrapper. Whatever she’s humming is a lullaby or something sweet as honey.
Here I am looking at what could be an explosive device on her neck and she’s proving just how resilient she is. Once again.
I grumble at myself, draw a breath. I’m trained in explosives. Diffused many devices. None with the woman I love in the blast-zone.
Fresh anger makes my hands clench, and I have to take a step back.
“What?” She asks, her gaze following me.
“Every fucking thing.” I pace, scrub my eyes. Do some controlled breath work.
“Please tell me.”
That soft request shuts down my pulse then kicks it off at a painful, slow thud.
“Vesuviussaid the collar’s explosive.”
Jade blinks at me, her expression crumbling for a second, before flashing hard. “Do you believe him?”
“I’m not sure. It’s a bad time to be indecisive.”
“Ryker, you have to do it. You have to try to take them off. Otherwise they’ll come right to us.”
“I know. Ifuckingknow.” I shake my hands and move close again.
I lean into her ear, letting my breath warm her skin, trying to get my voice to work right. “I’ll try to be easy.”
“Just hurry.”
With a vile curse, I get to work with a flathead screwdriver that I found in the shed that belonged to the dead guy.
Don’t think. Just work.
“Okay. Moment of truth.” I steady my hands. “God, if you’re real, I could use some backup right now.”
The screwdriver clicks against the lock mechanism. I hold my breath. Moving carefully.
Fuck!There’s a wire. A goddamn red one. Sweat erupts on my back, my hairline, all over my palms.
“Are you okay?” Jade asks, sensing the change.
“We’re good.”
I twist the collar slightly, making sure not to stretch the wire. “Don’t move.”
CHAPTER 18
Ryker’s hand pauses by my neck and mutters a word that confuses me.
“Wire.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“Could be an issue,” he murmurs close enough that his reply stirs my hair.
