Page 77 of Shades of Mercy
She slipped inside and closed the door.
As they passed the street in front of the apartment building, she spotted Jag and Mateo walking out of the doors. They were already onto her. She hated deceiving them, but she was determined to fix all her mistakes.
*****
One good kick from Jag and the door splintered.
He pushed it open and entered, followed closely by Mateo.
Jag raced through every empty room and when he got to the bathroom, he saw the wire sitting on the back of the toilet. A cocktail of anger and worry ripped through him. Swiping up the device, he stepped out, dangling it from his hand. “Looks like we have a runner.”
“Fuck!” Mateo ground out. “I should have known better. She never listens.”
“I know this about her, and I anticipated this would happen. So, this morning, while she was in the bathroom, I placed a tracker in the insole of her shoe.” This alleviated some of his concerns, but not all.
“Let’s go before she gets too far.”
Stomping through the debris left from the splintered door, they hurried back to the truck. The tracker was connected to the GPS on Jag’s phone and he pulled up the app. The blue dot representing Mercy blinked and moved on the map. “She’s in a vehicle moving west out of the city.”
Mateo slowed down at a stoplight, but instead of stopping, he glanced both directions and kept going. He pressed the gas pedal. “How long have you been sleeping with her?”
Jag clenched his jaw. “Mateo—”
“Before you answer, make sure it’s complete honesty,” Mateo glanced over at Jag, his gaze harsh.
“I wouldn’t lie to you. The night of your wedding, and I realized immediately that I had crossed a line. I thought I was doing the right thing by not pursuing anything with her, but it turns out I still have feelings for her. Last night, I realized I love her.”
“You love her?” Mateo huffed.
“I do, and I plan on being with her.”
They crossed a bridge that took them into the country.
Mateo ignored the speed limit.
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?” Mateo ground out.
“Look, you and I have been friends for a long time. I respect you and understand that you want to protect Mercy, just like any big brother would. However, she’s an adult now. She’s not the girl I met when she was eighteen. She’s a grown woman who is smart. While she sometimes takes unnecessary risks, she's also very independent and capable.” He exhaled. “If she decides she can see herself with an asshole like me, then I can promise you that I’m going to protect her, love her, and do my best every single day to show her that I appreciate her. Now I don’t know about you, but I think we have bigger fish to fry now than my relationship status.”
“We’ll put a pin in it for now,” Mateo said.
“Take a right on Blain.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Once Mercy exited the Uber, she quickly took stock of her surroundings.
The secluded farm appeared to be something out of a horror film.
As she began to ask the driver a question, the car pulled away.
She held the burner phone in her hand. At any moment, she could call Jag or Mateo, but she wanted to be brave. She needed to show her brother that she was a grown-up, capable of handling difficult situations as well.
This need to be seen encouraged her to call Howie. “I’m here at the farm,” she told him when he answered.
He gave her instructions and she started walking up the dirt drive
She heard the rumbling of an engine and used her hand as a visor against the bright sunlight, watching the car turn into the lane, kicking up a cloud of dust. As it got closer, she recognized it as the car that almost hit her in Shades Cove.
