Page 87 of Fatal Thrill
Jon opened his mouth to say something but the blaring of the phone cut himoff.
Their eyes met, Jaya’s heart beating like a drum inside herchest.
He nodded at the phone. The ID showed it was Finn’s number. “Showtime.”
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Jaya hit the connect button. “Finn?”
“Jaya?” Her brother’s voice was faint and echo-y. “Is thatyou?”
“Yes, it’s me.” She shut her eyes for a second.He’s alive. “Are you allright?”
He chuckled. “Define allright.”
Crud. “I’m coming to get you, so hold on,okay?”
“Did you find it? Thecross?”
“Yes, I have it. Tell your kidnapper I’ll meet him in…” She glanced at Jon and he flashed all ten fingers at her. “Ten minutes. Runner’s Break. He knows theplace.”
The voice that came back wasn’t her brother’s this time. “Jon will bring the cross tome.”
She picked up the phone and gripped it. “No deal, you bastard. How do I know you won’t kill Finn? You’ll meet me with Finn at theBreak.”
“And expose myself like that to Jon’s buddies?” The voice was husky, mean. “Put your lapdog on thephone.”
Jon held out a hand but Jaya waved him off, pushing to her feet and sending her chair scraping back on the worn wooden plank floor. “Jon isn’t here. You successfully ruined that relationship for me, you dirtbag, so listen up. I’ve had it with you. You want the cross? Then meet me at Runner’s Break in ten minutes, like I told you. I’m not kidding when I say I have three buyers for it, and one is more than willing to hunt you down and make your life miserable if you don’t release my brother. It’s amazing what a couple million dollars can buy, you know? Assassins, law enforcement, you name it. You hurt my brother and I will make your life—what’s left of it—a livinghell.”
Jon was on his feet now giving her a wide-eyed look and making slashing motions across his neck. She’d gone off-script again and he was none too happy aboutit.
There was a tense silence from the other end and Jaya felt her insides crumbling. Had she overplayed herhand?
“Look you little bitch,” Watt snarled. “I’m not meeting you at Runner’s Break. That place makes me easy pickins for anyone you brought with you. You wanna meet somewhere besides ol’ man Wolfe’s cabin, fine. There’s a cabin near the Break, two hundred yards east of the cistern. Jon knows it. I’ll meet you there. Come alone. First sign I see that you brought company, Finn is dead. You leave the cross outside the cabin and I’ll send your effing brother out. Gotit?”
Her eyes darted to Jon’s, and she raised her brows inquestion.
He nodded, annoyance still twisting hisface.
“Jon’s not here,” she repeated to Watt. Her eyes went to the map, to the other red circle.Watt’s cabin. “But I’ll find theplace.”
The line wentdead.
Legs trembling, Jaya sank into her chair. Jon touched her shoulder then cheek. “You did good,J.”
The strain in his voice saidotherwise.
“I’ll get my coat.” The bag with the cross sat next to her phone and she picked it up and forced her knees to lock as she stood. “Let’s get this overwith.”
His hand went back to her shoulder. “You’re notgoing.”
“You heard Watt,” she argued. “I come alone and bring the cross.” She motioned at the group. “Even if you guys are doing your ninja routine in the trees, it has to beme.”
Jon shook his head. “The cross is stayingtoo.”
The other men were already suiting up, checking their weapons, and pretending not to eavesdrop. Parker and Charlotte had no qualms about listening in, however. “Watt won’t take the chance of dragging Finn from my dad’s place to his,” Jon said, dragging a finger on the map from one red circle to the other. “That’s nearly a mile out in the woods, exposed. That means he’s either already got Finn there and that’s where he planned the meeting all along, or Finn’s at my dad’s place and Watt has no intention of hauling him through the snowy woods. We can work with that. Half the team will go to my dad’s with me, the other half to Watt’s cabin. We’ll get Finn back and take downWatt.”
“Meanwhile, I sit on my butt and donothing?”
“Charlotte and Parker will stay here with you. Ruby’s on her way. I’ll stay in constant contact with you, Ipromise.”
