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Zig meets me halfway, with Oz hot on his heels. “Go with them and do everything they tell you. I can’t think straight if I’m worried about you,” Zig orders before he kisses me and waits for my nod.
Oz tugs me to him and squeezes me tight before releasing me.
“Please be safe,” I whisper.
“Go. We’ll find you when it’s safe.”
They make me no promises beyond that, so knowing what needs to be done, I take a deep breath, pull up my big girl pants, and let Wilder drag me away as Crew comes around the other side of me and takes my other hand.
I knew this day would come. We all did. We had hoped that everyone who knew about us would think we were dead, but there was no guarantee that the people sent to collect me were the only ones in the know. That was just wishful thinking on my part.
So I ignore everything else around me and let their strength bolster me as we run for the tunnels. I do exactly what’s expected of me and pray to God that this isn’t the day that the house of cards I’ve been living in comes tumbling down around me.
* * *
The lights aredim down here, providing just enough glow to light the way. I don’t know how far we’ve gone; my mind on what could be happening upstairs. When Crew abruptly stops, I plow into the back of him, groaning when my nose collides with his shoulder.
“Oww. Warn a girl next time.”
“Sorry, Salem. You okay?” He turns and tilts my head back to look at me.
“Ugh, I’m fine. Stop looking up my nose. It’s weird. You don’t see me checking out your boogers, do you?” I ramble, wondering why we can’t hear anything down here, not sure if I should count that as a good thing or not.
He smirks at me as Wilder nudges me with his elbow. “Crew was raised in the wild. He has no idea how to act around beautiful women.”
“Fuck you, Wilder. All the ladies love me. Just ask your mother.”
“Hey now, you leave Mama Wilder out of this. She’s a good woman, damn it.”
That's when I hear something. Something that sounds like beeping.
“Guys—”
“Oh, she’s good, alright. Real good,” Crew continues.
I hear the beeping noise I heard a second ago again.
“Guys—”
“You know, maybe I should introduce myself to your sister. Pretty little redheads were always my favorite,” Wilder fires back.
“Guys! What the hell is that beeping?”
They both shut up and turn to look at me, which is when I realize neither of them really seems mad at the other.
“You did that on purpose. Why?”
“Because I know you’re freaking out,” Crew says softly.
“I’m not. I’m worried, of course, but I’m not freaking out. Not yet, anyway. Now tell me what the beeping means.”
Crew looks at Wilder for a second. Wilder nods.
“It’s a message from Oz sayinghold.” He lifts his smartwatch to show me.
“That’s it? Hold.”
“That’s it, and that’s what we’re doing.”
