I feel sick.
“They wouldn’t be happy, but I could say it was an accident. When it’s done, it’s done. There’s no going back.”
I want to ask who wouldn’t be happy, but my mouth won’t work.
“Then you’d be mine.” He smirks, dark eyes shining in delight at that prospect.
I shudder. And okay, fine, I’ve changed my mind. “I’d rather die.”
His eyes narrow, thumb trailing lower to rest on my collarbone. “Maybe you’ll get your wish.” He steps away and faces his men. “The others are on their way. Guard these.” He points a finger at us one by one. “Tie him back up. And if you let any of them out of their restraints again, I’ll kill you my fucking self.”
“They’ll come for us,” Beth says before Birch can walk off.
His smirk doesn’t falter. “I’m counting on it. Why else do you think we let you keep your phone?”
She pales, and he laughs.
“Did you think you were subtle?” He pulls out his own phone to check the time. “Depending how long it took them to realise your phone wasn’t among the ones we trashed, they should be here in the next hour.”
“With all of our fucking pack,” Beth hisses back.
This time Birch turns around and walks back over to her. He still has that knife in his hand, and I flinch as he sets it just below her eye.
Beth doesn’t so much as twitch.
“Your pack are on their way, but they won’t get here in time. We all know Harper won’t have the patience to wait. He’ll want to see for himself that you’re all alive. If he decides to do that from a distance, we’ll just have to draw him out.”
He stands, but one of the FBs catches him before he sets off back down the track. “This wasn’t part of the plan,” he grits out. “The human and whoever was with him, that was the deal.”
Birch whirls and pins him to the nearest tree by his throat. “Shut your fucking mouth. If we give him Lynx and the cat,” he hisses, “then our debt is fucking paid.”
The other FB is either brave or stupid, because he lifts his chin. “Is it? Or will they find something else to hang over our fucking heads?”
It’s like they suddenly realise they have a captive audience, literally, because they both straighten and glance our way.
“Unless you want to join them”—Birch nods in our direction—“keep quiet and do your fucking job.” He turns and marches off, and I draw in a shaky breath, mind spinning with everything that exchange could mean.
The three FBs take up position behind us. All of them within striking distance, if we so much as twitch.
I want to ask the others what they think, but not with the FBs listening to our every word.
“Now what?” I ask instead, dropping to the floor next to Flint.
Flint sighs, head resting back against the tree behind him. “Now we wait.” He closes his eyes before gently nudging me with his knee. “It’ll be okay, Morgan.”
Will it?
As much as I want Flint to be right, I really don’t think it will.
Judging by the snorts from behind me, neither do the FBs.
LYNX
We abandon our bikes about two miles from where we think Beth and the others are. Jet hides them as best he can, but I don’t give a fuck. Someone can steal mine for all I care.
The forest is thick here, and we’re as downwind as we can possibly be, but there’s always a chance Birch has people out in the woods waiting for us.
Again, I don’t care.
