She comes to a stop in front of the cage, looking over me with a slight smirk ticking up her lips. “Card?” she asks, thrusting her hand out towards me.
My brows furrow. Card? What fucking card?
Seeing my confusion, she raises an eyebrow at me. Obviously, one not much for words. I like her already.
Rolling her eyes at me, she snaps her fingers. “Do you have the card, or not? I don’t have all day.”
Card. Car—oh! Reaching into my bra, I withdraw the card the man gave me in the bar. Passing it through, she glances at it then hands it back to me.
“Don’t lose that,” she orders, then steps back and whistles. Two men come into the room, and using bolt cutters, break open the lock and help me out.
My knees wobble for a moment but fuck if I’m going to show any weakness in front of these people. Holding my hand out towards the woman, who is obviously in charge, I say, “Dutch.”
She grins, her eyes dancing as she grasps my hand in a firm shake. “The Duke. Now, let’s get you out of here.”
“Uh, before we go, I gotta piss. And then I’d very much like to know what the fuck is going on.”
“Sure thing. Bathroom is across the hall. Just hurry up, I’d like to get out of here in case your captor comes back.”
Me too, Duke, me too. Wait, what am I thinking? I’d quite happily put a bullet or ten between his eyes.
Once I’ve finished my business, I find my way outside, squinting against the sunlight that filters through the trees. “Where are we?” I ask, spinning around. There’s nothing but trees and rocks for as far as I can see.
The Duke turns towards me. “About eight miles outside of Flagstaff. Come on, we need to go.”
My head spins for a moment, and I stumble over to the nearest tree, leaning against it for support. Fuck, I hate looking weak. This morning? Afternoon? I don’t even know what time it is—feels like one huge lesson inwhat the fuck.First, I wake up in a cage, followed by discovering who the mole is, then I get rescued by this badass pixie look-alike that I’m both annoyed with and jealous of.
She’s got a team. And, wait—is that a whip coiled over her shoulder? Fucking hell. Maybe I’ve caught Susannah’s affliction and am getting my first girl crush. We laughed our asses off about that one when she confessed it to me. Shit. She’s going to be worried if I don’t get home soon.
“Haven’t got all day!” she calls over her shoulder to me, repeating herself.
Ha. Just to be obstinate, I fold my arms over my chest and straighten my shoulders, jutting out my chin. Raising a brow at her, I reply, “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the fuck is going on.”
I can hear her sigh from here.
“Either get in the fucking car, Dutch, or I’ll leave you here. Fancy walking back to Flagstaff? Want to deal with rattlesnakes and coyotes? Or would you like to move your ass, get in the car, and I’ll tell you everything once we’re on our way?”
Folding my arms tighter, I glare back at her, calling her bluff.
She grumbles something under her breath and ducks into the car. Rolling the window down, she shouts out, “Thirty seconds, then we’re gone.”
Motherfucker.
Rolling my eyes, I start following when the driver revs the engine. I don’t like this, not at all. But no way am I going to be stuck out here. Fucking coyotes. She just had to bring them up, didn’t she? Sliding in the backseat, I eye the mountain of a man sitting next to me. He looks like he could choke me with one hand and win an arm-wrestling match with the other. At the same time. While in a sinking boat surrounded by crocodiles.
The thought of being choked makes me squirm. It’s been too long since I’ve gotten laid, apparently.
“So, Dukey, wanna tell me who exactly you are, and why you’re out in the middle of the forest rescuing me?”
The driver sniggers as The Duke swats him on the arm. I swear I hear her grumble “just like her fucking brother” but I figure it’s a figment of my imagination because I don’t have a brother.
Maybe my head’s still fucked up from whatever drug that motherfucking traitor gave me.
“You don’t need to know who I am, not really. I’m helping out a friend by keeping an eye on someone. Just so happens our mutual friend also had us watching over you.”
Looking out the window, I chew this over, rubbing my head. “I’m guessing this ‘mutual friend’ is about six foot six, tawny hair, amber eyes?”
“That’ll be him.”
