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I was pulled back. “Wait. What the fuck? Where are you going?”
“Got a call. I have to go. Don’t know when I’ll be back.” I said, mind halfway on the road and what state I might find Sophia in. I shoved my feet into my boots as I grabbed what I needed. Two gun holsters, knives, tasers.
“I thought it was your night off. And you’re going alone?” He sounded more frustrated than mad. It was the frustration that threatened to unravel me, an emotion I knew he’d feel over and over again when I had to hop out of bed at a moment’s notice. I got it. It was tiresome. Annoying. Interrupted moments and lonely nights. When we stayed on different military bases, it was something the spouses commented on. And our lifestyle involved a lot more last-minute disappearing acts with no communication.
Panic gripped me in its clutches, making it hard to think beyond the pain of us ending before we really started. This was the first time I’d gotten a call out, and we were already fighting about it.
“This is my job. I love it. It’s unconventional. Dangerous. This isn’t the first call out I’ve had to drop everything for. It won’t be the last.” I shook my head, snapping on my holster. I should’ve been halfway out the door. Should’ve been driving away.
“I get that, Peyton. I just don’t get why you have to go out alone. It isn’t safe. Fucking slow down for a second and make a fucking phone call to your team.” He fisted his hands at his sides, still naked.
“This is the job, Reaper. It’s not common that we do shit alone, but it happens. I was supposed to have a night off. They would’ve kept the line closed if anyone else was available to take the call. It’s procedure.” If someone was scheduled to be off, they only got messages when everyone else had marked themselves as busy in the system.
I finished grabbing all my equipment, disappointment and heartache settling in my stomach for what I had to do. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this. You’re mad that I have to leave, and that’s valid. But?—”
“No fucking way. You’re not using that pathetic reason to break us up. I understand your job. I love that you love it.I love you. I accept everything that comes with loving you. I’m not thrilled to have our night cut short, but that’s fucking fair of me. But don’t tell me I can’t ask questions. I respect that there are things you can’t tell me, but something is off here. You need someone to watch your back. Call anyone. Wake Betty up at least.” His jaw worked, the muscles feathering as he seemed to war with himself. “I won’t ask to come with you because I know you’ll say no.” He waited a moment for me to disagree. I didn’t. My heart was too busy trying to escape my body.
“You keep getting ready. I’ll make the calls.” He demanded, snatching my phone out of my hand and dialing the number. I waited as he hung up and dialed the next number down.
Reaper hung up, and repeated it, waiting for someone to answer. No one did.
“Fine. Have it your way. No one answered.” After a moment’s hesitation, he slid my phone in my back pocket with one hand and tilted my face to his with the other, giving me a soft kiss. “Come home safe and in one piece. I’ll be waiting for you.”
He’d shut down the argument before I was ready, but instead of fighting a losing battle, I nodded and left. As I flew down the driveway, I stopped myself from checking the rearview mirror. I had to focus and everything at home only served as a distraction.
Twenty minutes. That’s how long it took me to get to the abandoned barn we had told Sophia to meet us at. It was smack in the middle of where we were and where she lived, off the road and hidden by the woods.
I checked my phone for the seventh time since I’d gotten in my car. Both my calls to the office had gone to voicemail, and I’d sent out an alert to let the team know I received the message and was heading out for a retrieval. Twenty minutes and nothing back. And now there was no cell coverage. They weren’t coming, and even if they answered now, it would take too long for them to get here.
Eyes open. Listen. Control.There were a hundred different reasons Sophia would have sent that message. All of them boiled down to her being terrified. Even if she wasn’t in danger, I needed to keep my cool.
I ignored the gnawing at my gut that had become harder to dismiss with every mile I put between Reaper and me.
Something was off, I knew it the moment I pulled up. I’d been on enough missions to listen to my gut. My instincts led me to pause and scan the woods beyond the barn, but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. I swallowed hard before getting out of the car, closing the door so it made no sound. I had my gun out, pointed down but ready to shoot if I needed to.
The barn creaked, trees and leaves shaking from a heavy gust of wind. I stayed low, going around the barn on the tree-lined side to figure out what was setting my off my internal alarm.
A feminine whimper came from inside the barn.
“Sophia.” I spoke just above a whisper. Another whimper answered me. I pushed the door open hard, causing it to swing and hit the wall. From the spot that gave me the best coverage should someone shoot, I waited.
The whimpers were louder now, the sobs growing closer. I took three steps in the door, gun at the ready, head on a swivel to find her.
It was dark, but the roof had enough holes in it that there was some light coming in from the full moon. The barn used to hold horses, five stalls in total on one side. A figure, thinner than I remembered, stepped out from the third stall in.
“What’s the—” White hot pain lanced from my left shoulder down the rest of my body. I dropped to the floor, convulsing, trying to push the mind-bending pain away to figure out what was happening.
Sophia dropped to her knees, body heaving with uncontrollable sobs, mouthing something that I thought was an apology. It didn’t matter anyway, not when two figures stepped out from behind her.
Lyle Lowenstein and Chad Pearson.
The pain ebbed away enough that I recognized Steven Pullbar walking around my body. He held a taser in his hands, the cords of which were connected to my shoulder.
The asshole had the audacity to wave at me before pressing the button to send more electric shocks through me.
I was going to fucking murder him.
And I was going to enjoy every second.
