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Blake said, “Clear.”
There was no response from Jasper.
“Jas?”
“Suspect in the trees, fleeing northeast. I’m in pursuit.” His voice was breathy, like he was running.
Liam took off after him. “On my way.”
“Blake, go with. I’ll clear the cabin and catch up.” Gage wanted to know if Clare was inside.
He hit the front steps at a run, a prayer on his lips, then shoved the door open, gun first. Cleared it before he looked at the floor in front of him.
Clare lay in a heap on the entryway tile, eyes closed. He kept part of his attention on the room around him and crouched. Shook her shoulder.
“Clare, wake up.” He put one knee down.
She moaned and rolled onto her back. Her eyes fluttered open.
“It’s just me.” He didn’t want her to react in a panic and get scared. She had enough training she could hurt him in a way that made him respect her a whole lot.
She gasped, and her hands moved to her pockets.
“He took the diamonds?” Gage wanted to be mad at her, but if it’d been her that was captured, he’d have done the same thing.
Clare sat up. “You tell me.”
Gage wanted to chuckle, but it wasn’t exactly the time. “Fine. I dumped them out into a different bag and gave you dirt from outside Vanguard to trade.”
“We need to find Selena. Later we can talk about how you lied and didn’t trust me.”
He shifted back on his heels and stood, they clasped hands, and he hauled her to her feet. “Really? Cause that’s gonna be an interesting conversation.” Considering she’d done the same thing.
They broke off from each other and circled the cabin.
“Nice place.”
She didn’t reply to his comment.
Gage checked the bedroom, as there was only one. Huge king-size bed and fancy shiny material comforter. Ornate headboard that would hurt like the dickens if you whacked your head on it getting into bed too fast. Or sitting up too fast. He had a tiny scar on his forehead from doing that when he was a kid. It’d bled like crazy.
“Pantry is clear. Where else is—”
Gage pushed open the door to the bathroom. “Got her.”
Selena lay in the tub, tied up. Eyes closed. Too many bumps and scars on her. He crouched and pressed two fingers to her neck. Her eyes flew open.
Gage pulled the tape from her mouth. Clare disappeared and came back with scissors, which she used to cut Selena free of the zip ties around her wrists and ankles. Her clothes were rumpled but didn’t look like they’d been removed. Aaron hadn’t hurt Katrina like that—as far as she’d told Clare—and he prayed the same was true of Selena.
“I couldn’t save myself.” Tears filled Selena’s eyes. One slipped down her cheek.
Clare crouched beside him and gripped the edge of the bath. “That’s why you have us, honey.”
Gage nodded. She couldn’t possibly think they expected her to have rescued herself and got away. Gage and Clare were both trained, and they couldn’t get free of everything. “We all need help sometimes.”
“Even if needing help sucks all the time.” Clare chuckled, but it sounded hollow. She reached over and hauled Selena to her feet. She glanced at Gage. “Maybe you could go get the car.”
Gage agreed it would be faster than calling an ambulance to come all the way out here, and Selena needed to get checked out at the hospital. “The guys are catching up with Aaron. They’ll find him.” He needed to get on the radio and see how that was going.
