Page 36 of Memphis

“King, what’s going on with you? Why’d you pass out?” he probed, pissing me off.

“Because I walked miles in a dark, dank, disgusting-ass tunnel with no food or water! Isn’t that obvious?” I spat.

Shaking his head, he said, “Nah, it’s more than that. I know you. I know your body. Something is off. Something’sbeenoff.”

“Nowyou wanna be concerned? You weren’t concerned when you decided to take me hostage.”

“I ain’t doing shit to you that you don’t want done. If you didn’t want to be with me, if you didn’tloveme, you would’ve killed my ass by now.”

“You ain’t worth the trouble.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“And if you’re so worried, why didn’t you take me to a doctor?”

“I brought one to you. Your vitals were fine. He said you probably just needed rest.”

“See? Exactly.”

“I wanna hear what your regular doctor has to say.”

“Where are we going?” I asked. Finally realizing we were on The Agency’s jet.

“Home, baby.”

I sighed, and then a thought hit me. “Shit, Jerryn?—”

Bo held up a hand while dialing a number on his phone with the other. I could hear it ring, heard Jerryn answer.

“Proof of life, as promised. Here she is. I’ve been taking care of her, just like I told you I would,” Bo said into the phone before handing it to me.

I stared at him until he got the message and left the room.

Once I was alone, the words fell out of my mouth. “Jerryn, I don’t know what the fuck is going on. I made the kill and Bo showed up and accosted me and?—”

“You were set up. I told you this felt too easy. I got word from a source that the senator’s illegal business partners were on their way to eliminateyou. Bo Pierce got you out of there just in time.”

“What? Why would…they’re the client?”

“Looks like it.”

“Damn. Oh! There was a child there. They might’ve seen me. I don’t know…”

“Don’t worry. As soon as I realized what was going on, I contacted the authorities—anonymously, of course. The kids were all rescued. The partners were taken into custody. None of the kids have said anything about seeing you. It was dark. You had on black, as usual. You’re being paranoid.”

“Can you blame me?”

“No. When I lost track of you, I fucking panicked, and then your guy contacted me, and I was like what the hell is going on and how the fuck did he get my number? Anyway, he said you’d been in a tunnel and that’s why I couldn’t track you. The whole thing is protected from signals, air tags, all of it.”

“Wow. I just don’t know what to say.”

“Shit, me either. Hey, are you okay, Raja? You fainted?”

“I’m…I’m fine.”

“I don’t think you are, and this job is too dangerous to lie to yourself about something like this. I’m not working another job with you until you get checked out.”

I bolted up in the bed and instantly regretted it. I was dizzy as hell and extra pissed off about it. “Are you threatening me? Let’s not forget who pays who!”

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