Page 43 of High Stakes

“You fucking stalked us?” I ask, furious at the idea that I get no privacy, but also a little turned on that he was watching us.

“What can I say? I have an obsession with the people I care about.” His eyes find mine and his gaze turns my insides into molten lava. “Are you okay?”

“My head is ringing and I feel like I’ve been on a boat for the last three weeks, but other than that I’m good.”

“Great. Let’s go. We have a score to settle and I’m not missing this next shot. They’re all dead men walking now.” His voice is dark and it sends a shiver down my spine.

I step toward the door and the room spins. My stomach does another flip and I have to swallow the bile gathering in the back of my throat. I blink rapidly, trying to dislodge the dark spots gathering in my vision, but they only spread.

“Silas!” Hayden calls but his voice is distant. “Dude, your nose is bleeding.”

I reach out my hand to try to find the wall that was behind me, but I come up empty. My body teeters and then my knees give out. I brace for the impact of the hard ground, but instead Hayden reaches out and scoops me into his arms as though I weigh nothing. My head drops back against his shoulder and I choke on the blood now running down the back of my throat.

“Easy. Head forward,” he instructs, and tilts my head until my chin is pressed against my chest. “I’ve got you,” he whispers, and pushes out the door.

The sudden change in brightness has me squinting and blinking rapidly. My eyes cut across the empty lot, but I can’t seem to find Emelia’s bike. Maybe they took that too. She’s going to be so pissed.

My vision swims again and I can’t help but feel like I’m drowning in a riptide, caught in an undertow beneath waves of darkness. My mind feels like it’s being pulled away from my body. My muscles stiffen for a moment before I go completely limp in Hayden’s arms, trusting him not to drop me in the parking lot as we make our way to the car at the end of the lot.

I feel his lips brush across my forehead in a tender kiss and my mind latches onto something he said earlier. Who was he stalking? Me or her? Both? My brain says her, but my heart wants the answer to be both.

My head falls back against his shoulder again and it feels like every fiber of my being has been electrified. Like the tingling you feel after your foot has fallen asleep. My eyes drift closed as I succumb to the dark waves pulling me under.

Both is a good answer.

20

HAYDEN

“Sit the fuck down. You took a beating to the head,” I snarl under my breath as Silas paces back and forth across the living room, looking as much like a caged animal as I feel. It’s like there’s something physically clawing at my ribcage to break free.

“I’m fine,” he snarls back, and shoves his hands through his hair. “How can this be happening? What cosmic entity did I piss off for this to be my life?”

“I can think of at least four,” Declan says, and drops down onto the couch beside me. We both look at him expectantly. He is Mr. Man With A Plan, after all. “I’m thinking, I’m thinking,” he mutters, and spreads his arms across the back of the sofa.

“Clearly we have underestimated the Irish.” My voice is low and full of emotion. “And we have underestimated the levels of betrayal within Em’s ranks. They’re working together, but how closely?”

Silas stops in front of the wall and for a moment I think he’s going to punch a hole through it, but then he shoves his hands into the front pouch of his MIT hoodie. “Do you think they did this to her?”

“I don’t know.” Declan’s voice is unsure as he rubs his fingers across his lips, deep in thought. “I wouldn’t think Hector would do this to her, unless he’s been playing her the whole time.”

“I always got the impression that Em was grooming her for something bigger. Maybe they’re putting that plan into action and giving her an ultimatum,” I muse, and rake my fingers through my hair, tugging on the roots sharply. The bite of pain prevents me from slipping; keeping my mind clear and focused.

“Perhaps,” Declan agrees and stands, stretching his back until it pops twice. “We’re going to find her.” He looks at his brother pointedly. “Track her phone.”

I feel a tiny bit of guilt that they know I’ve put trackers on her, but only a little. Declan’s eyes slide to me. “Don’t think I don’t know that you watch her. Follow her every move. Stalk her in the darkness.”

I stand and take a step toward him until our chests are almost touching, a defensive comment on the tip of my tongue, but he continues in a low voice. “You’re not the only one who likes to watch.” He turns and stalks down the hallway toward our armory closet.

Silas moves until he’s standing where his brother was just a moment before. I take in his serious expression and note the flecks of dried blood still crusted around his nostrils. “I’m not sure which I find more disturbing. The fact that my brother has some massive kinks that he’s yet to unpack, or that you have been stalking us all.” A grin splits his face and he presses his forehead to mine.

“Coming from the guy who hacks into our systems and keeps tabs on our search histories?” I respond lightly, and gently nudge him toward his computer lair. “Go work your magic.”

Twenty minutes later, Declan and I are strapped with ammo, guns, knives, and explosives. We’re either getting her back or blowing the place sky high. There’s no in-between. We standbehind Silas as he types away on his computer, the clacking of the keys the only sound in the room.

“She’s here.” Silas points to a small red dot blinking on the screen. He clicks a few buttons and a geographic map pulls up, revealing the warehouse at the docks she was captured at the last time. “Not very original,” he quips, and shakes his head.

“Maybe they thought we wouldn’t think to check there since they’ve used it before,” Declan responds, his voice distant, like he’s caught in a memory.

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