Page 75 of Vicious Sabotage

His shoulders shook with the force of emotion he never, ever released. Long minutes passed while his food cooled and the knot of pain inside him loosened.

It didn’t fade away—it would be with him forever—but he now had enough ease to go on fighting.

“Livia, I’m coming. I will find you.”

Chapter Seventeen

Ivy hovered over Livia, her brows rumpled with worry. She pulled the edges of the blanket around Livia’s shoulders, fussing over her.

“Can I get you anything to drink, hon?”

Livia shook her head. She knew she was frightening her friend—and everyone else, for that matter. Even Sean Gracey sat at the kitchen table with an untouched coffee in front of him, throwing looks her direction every so often but not speaking to the others who came in and out of the house.

The strange bond she had formed with the rancher was unexpected.

Or maybe it wasn’t a bond at all. Maybe it was fear they shared.

She rested her head against the back of the leather sofa and closed her eyes. Images of Carver floated behind her closed lids. Those intense eyes that followed her everywhere. The way he moved with such purpose, his size and strength a threat without the need to ever open his mouth.

He was experienced at life in a way she wasn’t. A way that made him distrust everyone. Now she saw she’d been so wrong to discount his warnings about the threats aimed at her.

Because of her, he was gone.

Colton stood in the kitchen with a couple guys, their voices low. They had just come in after searching for Carver all night.

And they’d returned emptyhanded.

Colton pushed away from the counter and approached the sofa with the tall unknown man right behind. He took a seat on the edge of the sofa cushion beside her. “Livia, this is Ledger. He’s one of us.”

The man dipped his head and perched on the arm of the leather chair flanking the sofa. “Hi, Livia.”

She blinked at him, unable to conjure the will to speak. Chitchat was out of the question. Actually, everything made her want to scream.

Only, if she started, she didn’t know if she could stop.

As if seeing this pass over her face, Ivy took a seat beside her and wrapped her arms around Livia, blanket and all.

She allowed her friend to offer this comfort, but there was no comfort in her heart. She knew Carver was dead.

“We handed over all the camera footage to the authorities.” Colton’s mouth was grim.

“They’ve got every cop in three states on the hunt for Smythe.” Ledger spoke with a slight Southern drawl. While his voice was calm, his mannerisms revealed just how tense he was. His fingers were curled, and the tendon in his forearm leaped as he clenched his fist.

Colton went on, “Since we know he’s taken off to Canada before, there are roadblocks set up on the border to stop him.”

She found her voice, though it came faint and weak. “None of it matters. Carver is dead.”

The men traded a look, and Ivy hugged Livia tighter.

“You can’t think like that, Livia. You have to hold on to some hope.”

She met Colton’s gaze, then shifted it to Ledger. “Do you hold out hope? After what you saw on that camera footage?”

Colton attempted to maintain a serene expression, and she gave him a lot of credit for that. But to her, it was obvious that his friends believed he was dead too.

Ledger cleared his throat as if it took effort. “Wolfman is the best of the best. He’s been trapped behind enemy lines before, and fought his way back to the team.”

“It’s true.” Colton spread his hands. “He’s one tough son of a bitch. I bet he never told you that he was a prisoner of war.”

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