Page 72 of Rami

Toth’s glare sizzled. “Goddammit.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and slapped it in Rami’s palm.

“What’s this for?”

“If I get caught up, you’ll need to wait for my brother’s call. It’ll be Nash or Dare.”

Rami let out a tense breath. “Thanks, man.”

Toth glowered at him then jerked his head toward Taschen. “Let’s go.”

Taschen joined Toth in his truck. Rami and August watched them head toward the rest stop.

“How you holdin’ up?” August asked.

Rami snorted. “Like shit.”

August grunted. He looked down and dragged his hand through his dirty-blond hair. He didn’t bother telling Rami that what had happened wasn’t his fault, and Rami appreciated that.

“Gigi’s a mess.”

August’s comment hit Rami like a hundred sharp nails. He brought his fingers to the collar of his shirt and tugged. The Kevlar strapped to his upper body made him feel confined and tense. In fact, everything, including the air he breathed, irritated his nervous system right now.

Nothing would be okay until he had Ivy safe and the cocksuckers who’d touched her were sporting bullets in their heads.

“Yeah, I know,” he ground out. Ivy’s sister was also someone he couldn’t worry about at the moment. In truth, if he thought about the bond Ivy shared with her sister, and how much it’d hurt her to know that Gigi was in turmoil, he’d probably be even more bothered. But he had to focus on the right sister.

Something hung in August’s voice, though. A pain that made his words heavy. “I take it you’re worried about her?” Rami asked. “Gigi, that is.”

Several years in the Marines and six years in black ops together had made them more tight-knit than Rami cared to admit. He tended to pick up on August’s moods and thoughts on an instinctual level—not that he’d ever tell him that.

A muscle in August’s jaw popped, and he swept his lips to the side. “Gigi was a fling. Couple weeks of fun ’n that was it.” He seemed about to say more but stopped.

“Seems like she got her teeth in ya in a short time.”

August pushed Rami’s shoulder. “You’re one to talk.”

Pain radiated through his chest. He hissed.

“You hit?” Concern brought August’s brows together.

“Nah. Just shot in the Kevlar. Hurts like a bitch, though.” Bringing his attention to his wounds only made his head pound. He brought his fingers to the spot where one of the men had struck him with their gun and felt the tender goose egg. He wiped away the trickle of blood still leaking from the cut.

Ring, ring

Toth’s phone lit up in Rami’s hand. His stomach clenched as he read the name on the screen: Dare. Finally. They’d better have something.

Rami swiped the screen and brought the device to his ear. “Hello?”

Silence met him.

“Dare?” he pressed.

“Yeah, who’s this?” Dare barked.

“It’s Rami. Toth had to step aside for a few minutes and he gave me his phone in case you called. Do you have any information for us? A location on the vehicle that took Ivy?” Goddammit, if Dare had information and he was holding it back for Toth, he’d—

“Last location I got for the van that took her was the rest stop you guys were at. Actually saw the whole thing go down. It’s crazy you’re alive.”

“Well, I am. Ivy might not be though, if you don’t have a lead,” Rami growled.