Page 59 of Beautiful Dark Temptation

“Ruth,” Fox said. “We know. It’s how wefound you. You took the coat tag with you, and they havetracking.”

I glanced at Kieran, he wasn’t looking atme. “Where were you going to go?” Kieran asked tightly.

“Back home. Far away from this place and…”you. I almost said.

“Well,” River started. “If Jack was seekingvengeance,” he looked at me, “for his father’s death, how did heknow you are a Brennan?”

“I’m not a Brennan,” I shot back.

“Did Jack say anything in the car?” Wrenasked.

“He killed my father!”

I didn’t want to tell them I was a Moya. Ididn’t want to tell them I sold myself out to the man who killed myfather. So I latched on to the lie I knew to be true. Kieran’slies. “I don’t know. In the car he mentioned something of atakeover. Something big, lots of money exchanging. I don’t know. Hewas high.” I dared to lift my eyes to the people in the room andsaw all eyes on me. The back of my neck prickled. I realized itwasn’t only Kieran who was dangerous. Everyone in this room werekillers.

Kieran dragged his seat back and got to hisfeet. “Fox, take Wren and River back to Arcadia with the Jeep.Tomás and I will stay here until I can drive Wren’s car out.”

Fox shook his head, already intending toargue. But he didn’t.

As they walked out, Kieran picked up thephone to speak with Henry in private.

A few minutes later, he came back into thekitchen. “If you tell me what’s going on, maybe I can help you,” Isaid.

“No.”

I jumped to my feet, the chair fell behindme. “Why!”

“Because I don’t trust you!” The veins onhis forehead bulged as his anger reached a boiling point. Hecharged me. “You used me! Tricked me into taking you out so youcould escape me.” My back hit the wall and he struck it with afist, inches from my head. A slight wince of pain replaced hisanger. His chest heaved as he took in breaths of air. “Get out ofmy face.” His voice turned so low, so deadly. For the first timesince the games, I feared what he’d do to me.

I moved around him and made it to the stairsbefore he called me. I didn’t turn to look at him. I couldn’t.

“If you try to run,” he said, his voicetaking on a deadly pitch, “I will hunt you down.”

I didn’t think he could’ve ever hurt meagain. But that was untrue. It hurt just like the first time.

I climbed the stairs and locked myself inthe room I’d woken up in.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Kieran

Fox had been right all along. I should’vecut Tomás loose. I should’ve buried my feelings for him before itgot me here. This whole shitstorm had my body out of whack. Iwasn’t like this. My missions tossed me to the remote places of theworld, and I’d always been prepared. My meds neatly packed,available. Everything in order. If I didn’t regulate my glucose, Iwas a dead man. If I didn’t hide that weakness from the world, Iwas a dead man. I tended to my levels and changed into snow gearbefore heading out with my bow and quiver. I didn’t trust that Jackhad been working alone so I decided to secure the area. If Cillianknew about the takeover, I was fucked. Fox may have been pissed,but I wasn’t leaving until I found some answers. If we couldn’t getout in Wren’s car in the morning, I’d call a flatbed to tow it backto the school.

The cold landscape was just what I needed tocalm my mind. Fox’s hunting cabin lay about a quarter mile off thebeaten path, only found if you were looking for it. I’d turned onthe cell jammer in the cabin before leaving, which meant Tomáscouldn’t contact anyone while I was away.

I needed to debrief Tor about Jack. Tor wasa strategist by nature. He did nothing that he hadn’t calculatedfor risk first. And unlike Fox, he wasn’t biased when it came toTomás. I trusted his judgement.

I reached the jamming perimeter and dialedTor. He didn’t answer. I hadn’t expected him to. There was noinvitation to leave a message. Just a beep. I snorted. “Sorry bud,wrong number,” I said in a deep voice and hung up. That was mypasscode for a callback. Wren had a drunk code where he giggledendlessly and hung up. Henry would act as if he’d dialed hismother. River had a southern accent that had him sounding likeLucas Black. And Fox’s code word was pressing random numbers on thedial pad. He refused to leave a voice message anywhere. A fewminutes later, my phone buzzed. “Dude?” I said evenly.

“You’re good. What’s up?”

I told him what Tomás said about Jack andthe takeover. “We need to move up our timetable. If everything isstill good, don’t wait for me. I don’t have to be there.” Though Ihad wanted to see the devastation on my grandfather’s face when hefound out he no longer owned his own company. And Tristan’s. Themission came first, not my hubris.

“Do you trust Tomás?”

Wasn’t that the million-dollar question.“No,” I said. “I don’t trust anyone.”

I could hear the smile in his voice when hesaid, “Good, means you’re learning. Where are you?”

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