Page 28 of Ravens
“Your wheels are turning so hard there is smoke coming out.”
I don’t turn around and continue forward.York—first name David, likely York because he’s from Yorkshire or a beloved relative was. I march out of the camp into the woods, hopping over a few logs until I hit an incline and march up a bit of a hill.
Likely to have a service history too based on the scar on his left bicep where a tattoo was removed—probably an airborne division, based on the shape—and likely a currently serving member of the SAS or MI6. Shorn dark brown hair, blue eyes, six foot one, proficient with guns and close-quarter combat. I could probably string together a bunch of his contracts just from the unique kill pattern alone.
The sun is high now, and my stomach grumbles softly, but I ignore it as I set my sights on a large maple ahead and step around it, resting my back against the trunk and taking a quiet breath.
York has three scars on the back of his right hand, lacerations from glass most likely, one large one on his left—from a knife—and a bullet graze across his lower left side.
“I don’t like chasing you.” His voice comes from the other side of the tree.
“Then fuck off,” I mutter.
“That’s not how this works.” He steps around the tree and stands in front of me. “This works by you staying where I can see you.”
“Do they know who I am?”
“Does anyone?”
“Do they know there is a contract on me?”
“Unlikely.”
“What are they getting out of this?”
“I’m running an op that you are a component of. They need to buy into you to buy into the op.”
“Fuck!” I shout and his hand slaps over my mouth as I blast air out my nose and drop my head back against the tree.
“Domination,” he whispers. “You might not want or be capable of it, but I am, and I will enforce it, and I will dominate you and everyone else here to that end. Do you understand?”
I don’t fucking understand anything anymore, but I nod all the same, and his hand slips away from my mouth. “This is what you wanted me for?” I shake my head.
“No, this is just convenient.”
“You say I can talk to you, but then you do shit like this . . . I can’t trust you. How can I talk to you?”
“I’ve already got you, Theresa.” His eyes climb over my face. “What’s trust got to do with it?”
“My life!” I shove him back.
He starts to grab at me but stops himself when I wince at the pressure on my wrists. Taking a second, he pinches the bridge of his nose and then raises his eyes to mine. “There are things you won’t tell me, right? Things you won’t say because you don’t trust me or are too afraid to reveal. Did it ever occur to you that that’s a two-way street? There are things Ican’ttell you, things I can’t share . . . not yet. Not while you’re in your feelings with a temper and too much lead time to fuck it up.”
“I’m not going to fuck anything up. In fact, I’d fuck less up if I knew what was going on.”
He places a hand above my head on the tree and leans into my face, eyes pinning me. “You show me yours, I’ll show you mine.”
We stay like that for a minute before he leans away. “That’s what I thought.”
“You come from the unfortunate position of subterfuge, David.” I slip out from under him. “It’s going to take something pretty impressive on your part to convince me every breath you take isn’t a masquerade to pry me open and then leave me for dead.”
“You come from that same position, Theresa.”
“Exactly.” I look over my shoulder. “I’m not a fucking idiot.”
I stomp back down the hill and hop over the logs at the bottom before making my way into the campsite.
“Steak?” William asks as I approach the fire.
