Page 106 of Turn That River Red

That stabs me like a knife. I almost want to call this whole damn thing off, toss her back in the car, and start driving south until we pass into Mexico. Just start over. Let her disappear and not have to put her through what I’m about to put her through.

But then she says, “All my life, the Gunners said they were protecting me.” She looks over at me, hair falling into her eyes and her lips wet from the water bottle. “That’s why they brought me into the church. But he was just shaping me into whatever he wanted. You’re—I know you’re a killer, but I feel like you actuallywantto protect me.”

Bloodlust surges through my veins. Not just at the thought of killing—but at the knowledge of who I’m killing. That I’m doing it for her.

“I do want to protect you.” I nuzzle against her neck, breathing her in. “And I’m going to.”

“What are you doing?” She laughs a little, and I just keep nuzzling at her.

“Getting your scent.” I kiss her pulse, then move up along her jawline. “I’m not gonna lose you out there, Mercy. I swear to you.”

“I know.” She winds her hands through my hair, holding me in place, and I bite down gently on her tender neck flesh, making her moan and shudder. It’s not enough for her to bleed, but it is enough for me to taste her.

“It’s almost time,” I whisper against her skin. Against her heartbeat. “Finish your water. And then we can set our trap.”

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

MERCY

We hike to the coordinates, walking side by side across the scrubby landscape, the dogs trotting beside us. Ambrose brings a big duffle bag with him, long enough I know a rifle’s in there, although I don’t know what else. It’s clearly full, and it lets out a metallic clatter every time he takes a step.

By the time we arrive, the sun is just above the edge of the horizon, and the light is clear and bright across the desert. I wipe sweat away from my brow with the back of my hand, grateful that Ambrose made me drink the entire bottle of water.

“Here we are,” he says suddenly, stopping in the middle of a dried-out stretch of scrub brush. Even though it’s not even seven o’clock yet, insects trill and rattle around us.

“How do you know?”

“Because I’ve hunted out here before.” Ambrose tosses the duffle bag to the ground and points off to the left. “Got a blind set up over that way. That’s where me and the dogs will be. Watching you.”

Max barks once as if he’sagreeing.

I follow the direction Ambrose is pointing, but I don’t see anything, just the glare of sunlight.

“You,” he says. “Are gonna go right there.” He points to his right, and this time when I look over, I do see something: a metal post jutting out of the ground.

“Did you put that there?” I ask, vaguely dizzy.This is real. We are really doing this.

I’mreally doing this.

“Nope. Used to be a fence out here. But it’ll work just fine for our purposes.”

But before I can step toward the post, Ambrose grabs my wrist and pulls me around to face him. His expression is firm. Serious. He reaches up and brushes my hair out of my eyes, his gaze deep and searching.

“This is your last chance to back out,” he says in a low voice. “If you don’t want to do this, we’ll leave right fucking now.”

My breath shudders. I understand the gift that Ambrose is offering me. The thing is, the thing that scares me?—

I don’t want it.

“I want him dead,” I say, my voice harder than I’ve ever heard it. Ambrose’s eyes widen and flash with something like delight. Something like madness. Something like lust.

He leans close and brushes my lips with a kiss. “Your wish is my command, humanita.”

Then he presses his hand against the small of my back and guides me over to the post. It’s one of those little possessive gestures that would make my skin crawl anytime Reverend Gunner did it. But with Ambrose?—

I know I’m in good hands.

He helps me sit down in the dirt beside the post. I know what he’s going to do because we talked about it earlier, when we worked out the details of our plan, but it still feels bizarre and frightening toactuallygo through with it, to fold my hands behind me so hecan tie me to the post.

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