Page 40 of Echoes of Danger

I lean forward. “Mind if we stop somewhere to pick up some supplies? It’s been a long few days, and I want to make sure Delphi has everything she needs.”

“No stops,” Raven snaps, his tone curt. “We’re almost there.”

Right. Almost where?

I glance at Delphi, her eyes half-closed, barely holding on. Her breath is shallow, and I can tell the pain’s getting to her despite her attempts to mask it.

“Look, man,” I say, keeping my voice calm but firm. “This arrangement feels… rushed. I don’t go anywhere without confirming with my people first. How about you pull over and let me make a call?”

Raven’s grip tightens on the wheel. “Like I said, no stops.”

I tense, fingers curling around my knife. “Pull over. Now.”

The silence thickens, and for a split second, I think he’s going to argue. Then he curses under his breath and swerves the car onto the shoulder, gravel crunching beneath the tires. “Make it quick,” he mutters.

I get out, keeping one foot on the ground and the other in the car to keep the door open. I pull my phone out and power it on. I don’t have any choice but to use it. If my gut is correct, it wouldn’t matter anyway.

“Why are you calling me with your personal phone, Steel? You know the rules.”

“You send backup?” is all I ask.

There’s a pause, then Ghost’s voice comes back, low and sharp. “No. Why? Where the hell are you?”

That’s all I need to hear.

Tossing my phone towards Delphi, I reach forward and slice my knife across the man's throat. I don’t need answers. I just need to get this woman to safety.

“Well, that wasn’t very nice,” a new voice says. I feel the barrel of a gun pressed against the back of my head, so I don’t dare move. “I didn’t care for him much, anyways. So, thanks. Anyway, the name is Paston. Not the coward your men are protecting. The one they’re protecting him from.”

Fuck.

My mind races. Paston. The guy we’re supposed to be keeping Mark safe from just put a gun to my head. How the hell did this happen? Reynolds is going to lose it when he finds out. If I live long enough to tell him, that is.

Delphi gasps in the backseat, her voice shaking. “Steel?”

“Stay calm, babe,” I say, my tone steady despite the storm raging inside me. “Everything’s gonna be fine.”

Paston chuckles, low and mocking. “That’s cute. Real cute. But let’s not pretend, alright? You’re in over your head. And her?” He jerks his chin toward Delphi without taking the gun off me. “She’s Reynolds woman, right? Pretty one, though. Shame.”

I clench my teeth, rage boiling under the surface. I can’t lose control. Not with Delphi so vulnerable, not with Paston holding all the cards. For now.

“You went through a lot of trouble to get us here,” I say, keeping my voice even. “What’s the plan? You gonna shoot me on the side of the road? Doesn’t seem your style.”

Paston grins, the kind of grin that crawls under your skin and makes you want to punch it off a man’s face. “You’re right. Not my style. Shooting you here would be too easy, and I’m a man who appreciates effort. No, I’ve got something much better in mind.”

I feel Delphi shift in the backseat, her breathing quickening. She’s in pain and scared, but she’s trying not to show it. Hell, I’m afraid, too, but fear doesn’t get to run the show right now. Pissed off, though? Yeah, pissed off is in the spotlight. No safe words here, motherfucker. I’m just biding my time.

“You’re making a mistake,” I say, keeping my voice low and measured. “You want Reynolds? Fine. But dragging her into this? That’s going to end badly for you.”

Paston tilts his head, the barrel of the gun still trained on me. “You think I’m scared of Reynolds? I’m the one holding the gun,Steel. I’m the one calling the shots. The only mistake here is you thinking you have any control.”

I’m always in control.

Always.

He moves, a subtle shift to adjust his stance, and I take in every detail. The way his weight is distributed, the hand he’s keeping free. Probably reaching for another weapon. He’s good. I’ll give him that. But he’s not invincible.

“Don’t even think about it,” Paston laughs. “I know what…”

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