Page 81 of Preying Heart
As soon as Lucy was freed from the trailer, I carried her in my arms back to my truck. She was dehydrated and dizzy but unharmed. She assured me she hadn’t been broken—that she was reserved for the big boss who didn’t show up after the sisters escaped.
“You came for me, Heath. You came for me,” she kept repeating in semi-delirium. It wasn’t until we crossed into Idaho and she’d had several meals and long naps that she turned her attention to my situation with Remi.
“You left her by herself?” she asks as we turn off the road to the trail leading to the Fortress.
“She should be okay.” I point to the security box near the gate. “I gave her the codes to arm the booby traps. She has the cameras.”
“But you left her without Glock.” Lucy turns toward the extended cab portion where Glock has his head out the window.
“We thought we might have had to storm the hotel or a camp. Or track you guys through the woods. I don’t think anyone expected the tractor trailer.”
“Ugh, I get nauseous thinking about it. It’s horrible. When those two sisters got away, the traffickers started moving us. I didn’t think you’d find us.”
“Glock came in handy.” I get out and deactivate the traps. “He sniffed you out at the last rest stop.”
“I don’t stink!” Lucy mock-punches me. “Well, maybe a little. They didn’t let us shower once we were on the move. No johns to service. Thank God!”
“I can’t wait to let Remi know you’re safe. She was so worried. She wanted to come along, but of course, that wouldn’t have been safe.”
“You didn’t call her?”
“Can’t risk it. I left her a burner for emergencies, but we can’t afford to let her calls get traced to the Fortress. She’d have to throw it away as soon as she uses it.” I let the main gate close behind me. “Don’t worry. She’ll be fine. She has access to the internet, and I transferred her crypto to her. She’s probably been busy minting NFTs.”
“What happened to you?” Lucy raises an eyebrow. “Giving her the security codes and her own crypto wallet? I can’t believe you gave her the keys to the kingdom. Did she bewitch you?”
I give her a smug smile. “I’d say the bewitching is mutual. She’s really opened up to me. She’s a different person than when we first met her. She’s no longer ruled by her fears. She’s confident and strong. It took some time and a lot of waiting, but I think she now believes in love, and she believes in me.”
“Sounds like you’re in love. Are you sure? I mean, she’s dependent on you. She might just be biding her time.”
“With boosters like you…” I shake my head at my sister who’s hung up with doubts. “Don’t worry, Lucy. Someday you’ll know the feeling of having a man look in your eyes with that same devotion you have for him. Just knowing this is the one—the real one marked in the beginning of time and reserved for you.”
“She’s bewitched you. This I’ve got to see.” Lucy jumps out of the truck when we get to the front door. “Remi! Where are you?”
“She might be in the basement watching movies.” I let Glock out of the back.
Instead of rushing up the porch steps with his tail wagging, he sniffs the ground and circles the pickup.
The prickles in my scalp pierce like a crown of thorns as I watch Lucy disarm the alarm and let herself in. I stand frozen while Glock looks back at me before crossing the threshold. His tail is down, and his shoulders slumped. Inside, Lucy keeps calling for Remi.
I don’t need her fallen face full of pity when she returns with a sheet from a yellow legal pad to say …
She’s gone.
ChapterThirty-One
Remi
Gavin arrives unannounced early in the morning. I hear the lock click and the door swing open. I’m barely out of bed, stiff with chills and weak with nausea. My eyes are swollen and my tear ducts bled dry. My head pounds like a nail gun stabbing through my brain. I’m not ready to deal with him, but I must be strong.
See what he wants, and what I can do to get Slade out of his clutches. I’m dizzy, and I can’t remember what I was supposed to ask first. What I’m supposed to offer and hold back. It depends on what he wants. Do I have enough money to bribe him?
Hardly.
Gavin’s inherited his father’s billions. He’s in charge of Operation Persephone. He has the police in his pocket, and Claudia’s father funneling donations to his campaign. He doesn’t need a thing from me, except—
“Remi, you’re back!” He barges through my bedroom door. “What are you doing still in bed? Is this my welcome gift?”
He removes his jacket and leans down on me.
