Page 21 of Drowning in Darkness

“Your lilac safe house.”

“Do I even want to know how you got that information?” She knows Eleanor is one of the most skilled hackers alive. I give her silence as an answer, and she sighs. “Fine, what’s your ETA?” she asks.

“Two hours.”

“I’ll be there. And James?”

“Yep?”

“I am not fucking happy right now.”

“You’d be even less happy if she’d been taken, Camryn. As it is, she spent the better part of this morning sipping coffee while seated across from him. If you thought he was working on a timeline, one that you could predict, you couldn’t be more wrong. The biggest danger with Burnside is how he adapts to every hunt.”

“I’m not unaware of this morning.”

My hands tighten on the steering wheel. “That makes it worse, not better, agent.”

“Where am I?” Stephanie murmurs.

“Gotta go, Camryn.”

“Wait, why doesn’t she know where she is, James?”

“James, is that you?”

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Camryn growls. “You kidnapped her, didn’t you?”

“Er, more like forceful removal from a dangerous situation.”

“I have no words.”

My lips twitch. “I doubt that.”

“Two hours, and you best come with excuses for the crime you just committed and the operation you just fucked up.”

I end the call to give Stephanie all of my attention because I’m under no illusions that she’s going to be chill about this turn of events. She shifts, and her head touches the cool window, making her jerk upright.

One… two… three.

“Where the hell am I?” she snarls. “James, why are you here?” Her head whips around. “You drugged and kidnapped me? My brother is going to end you.”

“No, he’s not. He wanted you out of there.”

“And moved in with him, not you.”

But she’s not moving in with me. I couldn’t think of a worse torture.

“You know that’s a dangerous move. It’s where Christopher would look if you disappear.”

She folds her arms and huffs. “So being sequestered with the leader of the trafficking ring that Christopher is part of is, what? A good idea? A better option?”

“I’m the removal, not your safety net.”

“Then where am I going?”

“FBI safe house.”

“Take me back.”