Page 94 of Delta
God, why? Why are You not rescuing us from this? Please, God. Please. I shut my eyes tightly, trying so hard to calm my mind. But how can I do that when death is likely waiting for us when this truck stops?
As if he can sense my nerves, Dylan reaches down between us and takes my hand, threading his fingers through mine. He squeezes gently, which means the world to me, especially given how much I know simple touches can cost him. I glance over at him, but he’s glaring straight ahead.
Does he think we’re going to die too?
How long have we been driving?
I try to gauge our location through the window, but truth be told, I have no idea where we even are. Did we fly around and return back to Dallas?
“How did you do it?” Dylan asks.
Heath glances back at us. “Nothing a false flight log couldn’t accomplish. As for Jesper, like he said—he owed me a debt. I collected.”
“And even though he delivered us, you still took his life.” My stomach churns as I replay the sight of him being shot and falling to the ground. Blood, so much blood. All of it still coating me.
I haven’t been able to look down at my shirt since it happened. Every time I accidentally do, my stomach rolls, and I nearly vomit all over again.
“It wasn’t a debt that could be repaid with anything but a life. He was just too arrogant to know that.”
“What debt did he owe you?” Dylan asks.
“Let’s just say your pilot had information that wasn’t his to have. He then handed that information over to the wrong person, and—well—here we are. His death was a long time coming.”
The SUV veers off the main road, following its twin in front of us, as it heads down a long driveway surrounded by thick trees. Dylan squeezes my hand once more before releasing it.
Is this it?
“I’d say I was excited for you to meet my mother, but you already did,” Heath tells me. “How is the monstrosity that birthed me? I haven’t had a chance to collect her yet but plan to soon.”
“The only monster I see is you,” I snap.
He glances back at me. “So you do have claws.” The way his gaze rakes over me makes my skin crawl. “Good to know.”
God, please don’t let him touch me. Please, God, get us out of this mess.
Heath switches his attention to Dylan. “Don’t worry, cowboy, I plan to let you live until after the wedding. What kind of monster would I be if I robbed Emmaline of having any friends to see her walk down the aisle?”
“There won’t be a wedding,” he growls, hands clenching into fists at his lap.
“And who’s going to stop it?”
Dylan grins. “Oh, I was never one for spoilers. Seeing your reaction will be half the fun.”
Heath’s grin fades just slightly. “I can’t wait to break you. It’s going to make all the trouble you gave me worth every minute.”
“You won’t touch him!”
Dylan grabs my hand again as I lunge forward, likely to keep me from doing something stupid like hitting a man who would probably enjoy it more than anything.
Heath turns back to look at me again. “You have no idea what I’m going to do. But that’s okay because you will. Pretty little small-town princess. How I am going to love ruining you.” He shifts his gaze out the windshield. “And look, we’re here.”
The SUV comes to a stop, and my stomach lurches. Dylan releases my hand as the doors open. A man grabs him by the arm and yanks him out, while the man who was sitting beside me drags me out of the car and lifts me into his arms.
I want to kick.
Scream.
Fight.
