Page 33 of Coming Up Aces

“Henrick has led our people in my absence before. He can do it again.”

“I’m going to numb the area after I clean it, then I’ll apply the stitches.”

“Fine,” Abraham muttered.

“Where will you go?” Silas asked as he worked.

“South. I’ve prepared a place in the event something like this happened.”

“Could we come with you?” Claudia asked.

“We have somewhere to go. No need in asking that of our leader,” Silas chided the woman. “Hand me the needle and sutures.”

Ace struggled to stay awake, and he managed a little longer. After Abraham was fixed up, the doctor said goodbye to him, wishing him well, then he and Claudia argued about staying there. In the end, Silas won. They didn’t take any of the medical supplies, leaving them for whoever ran the clinic next. Silaschecked on Ace’s wound one last time before he and Claudia left. Ace needed to get out of there, but he could barely hang on to consciousness. Someone would find him there, but would they be as kind as Silas? Hopefully, the drugs he’d been given would run their course quickly so he could remain awake longer than a few minutes at a time. He’d never been this vulnerable.

Rayna’s coming for us.

How do you know?

Her Cheetah told me.

That was good, except there were guards with guns. Spencer was still out there, and…

Rayna

Instead of drivingdirectly to the compound, they met with King where Asher and Viper had parked their bikes. After introductions were made, King filled them in.

“Spencer is nowhere to be found, and we still haven’t located Ace and Viper. About thirty minutes ago, Abraham left the compound after giving instructions to someone named Henrick to take over again. He also told the man to bury Ruth and the guard who were killed. Fury is following him since it doesn’t sound like he’s coming back.”

“Uh, is that possibly Viper?” Rayna asked, pointing at a naked man stumbling toward them, his left arm tucked against his stomach.

King whipped around, putting himself between Rayna and the male. “Viper. Shit, Brother. What happened to you?”

“Some teenage fucker thought it would be fun to shoot at an eagle. He clipped my wing. I’ve been shifting back and forth until I had the strength to walk back. Why are you all here, and where’s Ace, and who’s this?” he asked, pointing at Rayna.

“We don’t know where Ace is. We’re here because neither of you checked in, and Sutton couldn’t reach you.”

“As for me, I’m Rayna Bellamy, Ace’s mate.”

Viper snarled at her. “Since when does Ace have a mate, especially one who looks like a Fed?”

“It’s recent,” she quipped. “I am an agent, but I’m supposed to be undercover at Haven. Some shit went down with my boss and David Spencer; therefore, he doesn’t know I am here instead of there. If question time is over, I’d like to go find Asher.”

Viper waved a hand in the air, as if telling her to go ahead. She overlooked his rudeness since he was injured. Viper pulled some clothes out of his saddle bag, and King helped him since his arm was useless. Then, while King, Lucy, and Tamian discussed how best to get inside, Rayna stepped away from the group.

Can you reach Asher’s Gryphon?

Let me try.

Rayna remained quiet, and after a few seconds, her Cheetah’s words brought her to her knees.

He was shot, almost died. He’s in the clinic.

“Rayna?” Lucy knelt beside her. “What’s wrong?”

“Asher was shot. He’s in the clinic.” To King, she asked, “Do you have any idea where that is?”

“No, but we can ask once we get inside.”

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