Page 54 of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

“What?” I ask. Hero steps closer to wrangle him if need be. Brave kid. Most men don’t want to deal with Boss when he’s lost his shit.

Boss punches the contact and puts the phone to ear. Sneak’s voice come out loud enough to hear clearly. “Boss, brother. Where are you?”

“In the middle of fuckin’ nowhere. Where’s my wife?”

“She was here, man, when I opened the video he sent. Sorry, I had no idea. She had to have been in the kitchen.”

“I’ll repeat, where is my fuckin’ wife?” We can all hear his panic rising.

“They left the kids with Hannah.”

“They?” A vein bulges in my friend’s neck and I’m afraid he’s on the verge of having an aneurism.

“Caity.” Sneak finishes. “She and Caity. I guess they left a note. Elise said she wasn’t gonna let Liv die for her.”

“What the fuck is that woman thinkin’?”

I know what she was thinking. Liv’s her friend, and these women are Brimstone through and through. Even if they don’t always make the smartest decisions, they sure as hell show their bravery and loyalty at every turn.

“Go,” I tell him.

Boss hangs up on Sneak, then glares at me. “What?”

“Go. You gotta get back. Make sure she doesn’t get herself caught again.”

“He’s right,” Hero says, but then adds, “I hate saying this—you know what Elise means to me. She’s my friend, but, brother, maybe we can use her to lure him out. It sucks, but this might be our chance to take him out.”

Boss looks torn.

I make the executive decision. “Both of you—go. Plan. I’m getting Liv. You get Houdini.”

Nothing more to say, I don’t bother to stick around and take off in a fast walk along the tracks, sidestepping the large animal blocking the rails.

For a moment, there’s no movement behind me, then the sound of boots clapping against wood moving away.

It shits me, those stupid women leaving the safety of the compound, but if we can use them to draw out the sick fuck, at least that’s something in this mess.

My ears as well as my eyes stay alert, looking for movement, listening for animals.

A twig snap.

I whip my head around and squint, searching the spray of dense trees. I’m sure there’d been a twig snap.

Then I hear it, the soft sound of breathing. Something’s stalking me. From behind one of those trees.

Gun still at the ready—since the wolf I’d decided not to take any chances—I leave the track, cautiously stepping onto the stones. A couple tumble against each other.Shit.Alert the beast thatyou’re hunting it, why don’t you?

Another twig snap, then a quiet, “Crap.” That’s no animal.

Bingo.I zero in on the tree in question and step closer, rounding the trunk, gun aimed. “Stop,” I order. She gasps and jumps.

Jesus, I’d know that hair anywhere. Know that woman’s body, know her heart and soul.

Slowly, she turns around. “Gage,ohmygod,Gage. You came for me.” Tears stream down her beautiful face, streaking over her cheeks and lips. Fucking gorgeous lips I need to kiss right now, to prove she’s here, alive.”

“Liv,fuck, Liv.” I pull her to me, crushing my mouth to hers, tasting her salty tears, feeling their wetness against my skin. My Liv.

She forces my hands to roam her body, wanting me to touch her everywhere, probably to prove I’m real, too. But damn, she feels like she’s dropped weight. Weight she didn’t have to lose.

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