Page 110

Fate

Today

Pure adrenaline pumpsthrough my veins, making my tight grip tremble on the wheel. One more hour till DC. We all agreed the dungeon won’t be the final destination; no, Jace has something grander in mind. Which was why Drake insisted on putting this additional tracker on, though I’m not sure why he didn’t tell the others about it. His only response was “The fewer people who know, the better, Pops,” whatever that means. Either way, hopefully he and Mac have already thought through all the different possibilities Jace has in mind for the night and put backup plans into place.

Nope, not going to let my mind go down the rabbit hole of possibilities. This is what needs to happen, and I've survived worse. Recently, in fact.

Get the visual and get out. Easy. I can do this.

The phone between my legs vibrates with an incoming call. Careful to keep an eye on the highway, I check the caller ID—Mac.

"Hey," I say and flip it to speakerphone. "I'm driving toward DC right now. Are you and Matt getting everything set up there?"

And then it happens—the something grander.

"I'm sorry, but your friend can't come to the phone right now. He's a little... tied up at the moment."

"Jace," I whisper into the dark cab. "You said this was between us. What are you—"

An amused chuckle rattles the speaker. "I lie about a lot of things. Are you surprised?" He pauses, apparently waiting for an answer, but I can’t when my sole focus is on keeping this damn SUV in my lane. "And that little Mya. She's a spunky one. Can't wait to meet her next."

"What do you want? Tell me what you want!" I scream to the windshield, my white-knuckled grip shaking the steering wheel. "Don't hurt them." My last words are barely an audible plea.

"We'll see how you behave. And you want to know what I want? I want you, you conniving little bitch. You've fucked things up for me. You realize that, don't you? I want you to tell me how you fucking found me. Tell me what gave me away. If you behave, this can all end with you. Only you."

Frustrated tears clog my throat, making it hard to breathe. Pulling over on the shoulder of the highway, I grab the phone from the cup holder and stare at the screen. Only me. How can I believe him if he's already lied about so much? But can I risk not believing him is the real question.

And the answer is no, I can't.

But I don't have to do it alone. With the tracker Drake applied to my skin, plus the one in my pocket that the FBI is using, someone will notice I'm diverting off course. Nash will notice and come for me.

I can stake my life on that fact. No way Nash isn't sitting there watching the beeping dot on some screen as he paces around the house, annoying everyone within hearing distance with his ramblings.

"I’ll tell you. I'll come to you, but let him go. If he's hurt, I'll broadcast your clients' information, bringing the full force of the CIA right to their doorstep. You're not the only one with a bargaining chip here, Jace."

"Maybe you should come, see how he's doing for yourself. How long does it take for a man his size to bleed out? Guess we’ll find out soon enough. Exit 97, take it. There's an old Honda in the Waffle House parking lot with keys and a new set of clothes inside. Change clothes, everything, and leave this phone in the bathroom. Instructions on where to go next are in the glovebox."

Silence fills the car when the line disconnects.