Page 91 of Fate's Unseen Shadow

She rolled her eyes at the corny line. They wouldn’t kill her before Atlanta. They had some other motive if they took her all the way there. “You both realize that if you kill me, Damon will kill you. I mean, look at your face for just touching me tonight. And he only stopped because of Xavier.”

The threat hung in the silent van for seconds before Walker reacted. He readjusted his hands on the steering wheel, his focus flicking to hers in the rearview mirror. But she spotted the concern in his eyes the same way she’d spotted it when Damon had threatened him at the bar.

She pushed forward, hoping to drive home the point. “You saw firsthand how far he’ll go to keep me safe. He will kill you.”

Davies didn’t even acknowledge she’d spoken. He crossed his ankle over his knees, cleaning his nails with a large knife. Did he have a gun? Teddy had been shot. She wished for the gun at this point but quickly pushed the thought away. No. She wasn’t going to die.

Once again, Walker looked at her in the mirror.

She nodded. He knew. He had to realize that he’d never get away with this. Her phone vibrated.

She coughed to cover up any of the humming sounds. God, she was tempted to answer, but she needed to keep it quiet to ensure Damon found her.

“How did you find me?” she finally asked.

“Pure luck,” Walker said. “Davies was traveling through and looking for fun and came to my bar. He said he was asking everyone if they had seen your picture, and he asked me. I was surprised when I saw the woman with that pearl necklace who’d rejected me in the picture. But I tried to do the right thing.”

“Really?” She heard the humor in her voice, displaced for the situation.

“I came to Cager tonight to ask you one more time to work for me. When your boy toy overreacted, I went back to Davies. I told him, yeah, I know where she is, but it would cost him.”

Ella chewed on her lip, wondering if that could be a strategy. If Walker could be bought to kidnap her, he could be bought to give her up—probably not with Davies sitting there, though.

Davies held up the knife, the light hitting against the extra shiny metal. “I polished it for you. Nothing but the best, dear.”

“Don’t call me dear.”

He grinned back at her before continuing his nail grooming.

Bile rose in her throat, but she wouldn’t get sick. She didn’t have time to be weak right now. That weakness would get her killed. Damon would try to find her, but she couldn’t sit by and wait. When they tried to transfer her next, she would make a run for it.

26

Damon’s heart stopped for a moment as he read the text.

Damon:How’s Ella? FBI and Jeff are still here. Let her stay there for the night if that’s okay.

Ryker:What are you talking about? She’s not here.

Damon shot toward the door,but Detective Moore stepped in his way. “Move, Jeff.”

Jeff held up his hands. “I’m afraid that we need to figure this out before you’re allowed to leave.”

“The fuck we do.” His phone rang. It was Ryker. “I need to take this.”

“Then take it in here.”

“Some things aren’t privy to the FBI or you, no matter your history with Slater.” He answered the phone, changing direction and heading to his bedroom. He slammed the door for privacy. “What the fuck do you mean she’s not there?”

“She’s not here. Why should she be?”

“Jeff showed up here with the FBI. I told her to go to your house before they saw her.”

He heard a door open and close on Ryker’s end. “How long ago did she leave?” His bike cranked, and the audio switched to Ryker’s helmet. “I’ve been at home this entire time. I heard sirens earlier but didn’t pay any attention. But they were close in the neighborhood.”

“I sent her your way about an hour ago. Check it out. I’m going to track her.” He pulled up the app in his phone.

It showed her on the highway to Atlanta.

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