“How’d I do that? I didn’t know they were coming.”
“No, but I did.”
He turned towards his brother. “Can I have a minute?”
“Of course. I’ll wait outside.”
“Where’s Gibson?” Austin asked.
“He assigned himself as Nina’s bodyguard, so he’s outside your door.” Bryce chuckled.
He did?I feel like I’m three steps behind in every conversation.
“Good. I may need him.”
Once Bryce was gone, Austin said, “Sit.”
When I moved towards a chair, he pulled me back. “Here.” He patted the bed beside him.
I sat and waited. The fear and guilt in Austin’s eyes made the seconds feel like hours.
My frustration grew as the wait continued.
“Austin, what aren’t you telling me?”
“I knew they were coming because we asked our contact at Shepherd Security to inject all three of us with tracking devices.”
I blinked once. Twice. Three times.
Tracking devices. All three of us?
“What?”
I had a tracker under my skin? When? How?
“I’m sorry, Nina, we thought it was best not to tell you.”
“You injected… a tracker… in me?” My voice broke as it rose in disbelief and frustration.
“In all three of us. I wouldn’t have authorized it if it wasn’t completely necessary.”
“Why?” Couldn’t they have just injected him?
“You were their primary target. I didn’t want to risk losing you if they separated us.”
I stared out the window. Too frustrated to cry. Too sad to scream.
Those three steps behind I’d felt earlier had turned into miles. So much had happened, and I was clueless.
“When?”
“The night before we left. We did it while you slept.”
“It wasn’t a dream…” I reached towards the back of my shoulder.
“I’m sorry. If there’d been any other way...” Austin squeezed my hand and begged, “Please forgive me.”
“Why didn’t you just ask me? I would’ve said yes.”
