Page 85 of Tabitha

My father just gives a negligible shrug. “If I knew, I would tell you.”

I’m so incredulous, I can do nothing but gape at him.

A sad smile crosses my father’s face. “I know I didn’t treat you right as a child. I did my best to train you, tried to prepare you for the harsh realities of the world, but my broken mind went about it the wrong way.”

It isn’t an apology—I never expected one from him—but it’s the best I’m going to get.

The old man straightens, and his eyes narrow as he assesses me. “You’re not leaving.”

It’s not a question.

“I won’t leave without my man.” I straighten under his perusal, feeling defensive and a little vulnerable. “You doubt I can get him back?”

“They don’t stand a chance.” Pride gleams in his eyes when he looks at me. “Just be careful. You’re playing a dangerous game.”

With that warning, he turns on his heel and disappears behind a tree. When he doesn’t emerge from the other side, I know he’s gone. Pierce follows, no doubt to demand more answers, only to emerge from the other side with a baffled expression. He looks at me and shakes his head. “He’s gone.”

Chapter Twenty-six

GAGE

As we head down the mountain, I can’t keep my gaze off Tabitha. She sheds the paintball gear and tosses it aside, her expression so blank that I know she’s plotting something that we’re not going to like.

The rest of the guys must sense the same, because they’re sticking close to her side, already feeling her slipping away.

I’m torn between fear and annoyance.

I won’t allow anything to happen to her, but I worry if she does something rash, the others will risk their lives to keep her safe. I’m not sure if she’s aware of how attached we’ve become to her in such a short time.

We lack purpose, each of us aimlessly focusing on our jobs to just survive.

She is our obsession. She is River’s light, Bast’s lodestone, Pierce’s whole universe, and much to my consternation, she’s become my family.

I scan our surroundings, waiting for an ambush, but Tabitha has no such fears.

They have what they need to draw her out.

My insides churn with acid at the thought of her doing something rash—like trading herself for River. They will kill us in a heartbeat, but I fear they have much worse planned for Tabitha if they get their hands on her.

We’re silent, each lost in our own thoughts, when we reach home. We gather in the kitchen, the other guys watching Tabitha like she will vanish if they take their eyes off her for even a second.

The same dread that’s churning in my gut.

“What’s your plan?” I don’t like beating around the bush, so I ask her outright. I’ve come to learn that Tabitha doesn’t lie—she doesn’t see the need for it—and I appreciate that about her.

Tabitha purses her kissable lips, and I blink to stay focused.

“You’re going to stay here and run things from behind the scenes.” She reaches across the counter and pulls a tablet toward her. She presses some buttons on the front, and the screen flickers and reboots to a hidden software setting.

I open my mouth to protest, but my curiosity gets the better of me. I accept the tablet and flick through the systems, then my mouth drops open when I see a map of the entire town. “You have the place rigged! How? When?”

I can’t get over my awe…then I blink, the tablet forgotten. “The bomb…you used it?”

“It’s attached to one of the drones on the rooftop. The other drone is a thermal scanner, You should be able to use it to keep track of us and any approaching targets.” Mischief dances in her silvery eyes for a second. “The rest of the buttons are just happy little accidents.”

I can’t hold back my own grin, and I feel a rush of excitement, curious to discover what she built for me. “What about the bomb?”

“Banks only cares about two things in this town.” Tabitha walks toward the wall and grabs one of the many boxes before returning. “The gold—"

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