Desire rides my body at her words. My focus had been on making sure she was okay after Tommy’s attack, but I don’t need to be told twice. I wrap my hand around her neck and draw her up, pressing my lips to hers and parting her mouth. I kiss her until she’s breathless, until the pressure in my head disappears and her sweet, honeyed taste is on my tongue. Marking me.
We pull apart and Hazel looks up at me with lazy eyes. “Do that again after all this is over.”
“Every day for the rest of our lives,” I promise, then Hazel lies back down and I close the trunk.
Lachlan steps out on the porch, arms crossed. “Be safe, Flynn.”
“You’ll take care of the body?”
He dips his head in acknowledgement.
“For Hope,” I say, both of us knowing Claren is finally going to pay the price for what he did to our sister.
“For Hope,” Lachlan echoes.
I go to the front of the car and get in the driver’s seat.
Tommy’s vehicle is as disgusting as he was with fast food wrappers strewn across the passenger side and a layer of grease and dust over every surface. I’ve got my gloves on, and I don’t want to think about why the black leather sticks to the steering wheel.
We used Tommy’s dead face to unlock his phone. Hazel replayed the video and it didn’t take me long to recognize where Derek is being held so I pull out of Hazel’s drive and head towards the free clinic.
It’s pretty smart really. What better place to orchestrate an abduction than an unfinished building site that you have private ownership over? The thing I can’t figure out is why Claren wants Hazel. If she was bait to lure me in, then it would make sense. I have the video Ana gave me, the evidence that will be his downfall. But they clearly think Derek is her boyfriend.
Part of me wants to turn around, to leave Hazel with Lachlan and go to the clinic by myself. Except Claren has the home advantage. He’s had time to prepare and the chances of me walking into that clinic without Hazel are practically zero.
It takes fifteen minutes to get to the neighborhood the clinic is in, and the roads are quiet at this time of night. Quiet enough that I should have noticed we were being followed. But I’m distracted thinking about Hazel and it’s not until I’ve parked outside the clinic that I clock the motorcycle across the street.
My brow furrows, something about the bike seeming familiar. I keep half an eye on it as I round the car and pop the trunk. I shouldn’t have been looking at the bike though, I should have been looking for its rider.
Hazel scowls up at me. “You drive bumpy.”
I laugh. “I’ll work on it for the next time I’m lugging someone around in the trunk of my car.” I pick her up and set her on her feet but when I turn to close the trunk fire slices into the side of my stomach, a knife clanging against the car.
“Hazel, run!” a voice from behind me calls.Wright.It’s Wright’s fucking bike.
I stumble, bracing myself against the car as I press my hand against my bleeding side.Motherfucker.
“Flynn,” Hazel cries.
“I’m okay,” I grit out. “It’s just a scratch.”
“Wright, no!” Hazel spins, her hands still tied behind her back. I turn to find Wright standing a few feet away, another throwing knife at the ready.
“Let her go. Now,” she demands.
“Wright, it’s not how it looks,” Hazel rushes to explain. “Put the knife down, please.”
“Are all your friends this stabby?” I ask, trying to disassociate from the pain.
Wright glares at me, looking like a gothic warrior with her leather jacket and piercings. “He put you in the trunk, Hazel. He tied you up.”
Hazel pulls on the rope, tugging her hands free and holding them up. “See. I’m fine. It’s not what you think.”
Wright looks between us then lowers her knife. “Okay, what the fuck is going on?”
34
OH SHIT
