Page 48

I look up and see Deck strolling forward, stifling a yawn, Brighton and Ryder on his heels. Since when does everyone get up at the crack of dawn around here?
“Can I tell them?” Addie asks. “Pretty please?”
I roll my eyes. “Go ahead,” I relent.
Addie clasps her hands together, grinning widely. “Our Knox is falling in love!”
“What?” Brighton’s green eyes nearly pop out of her head.
“Good luck with that,” Deck grunts.
Ryder, still half asleep, pauses scratching his chest. “You’re serious?”
“Is that so hard to believe?” I ask.
“Well, yeah,” Ryder says. “You’re not supposed to fall in love. Your job is to beguile, bewitch and bewilder.”
“Not Hunter,” I state. “She’s not just a mark. She’s more than that.”
“Exactly how much more?” Deck asks, keeping his tone neutral.
“Once we get back to the States, I want us to start seeing each other. Exclusively.”
“Is she on board?” Ryder asks, fighting to hide his smile.
“Not exactly. But she will be once I convince her why we’re so good together.”
“Oh, Christ. Sounds like drama,” Deck grumbles. The former fighter hates the combination of women and drama with a passion. “Good luck. I need some coffee.”
Brighton shakes her head then confidently predicts, “One day, Lincoln Decker, a woman is going to sweep into your world with all her drama and you’re going to love it.”
He scoffs. “Fat chance.”
Now that my crew knows I’m head over heels for Hunter, I feel better. They’re my closest friends, my found family. And if everything goes my way, they’re going to be spending a lot more time with her.
I’m contemplating all the best arguments to present to her about how good we are together when my phone buzzes. Setting my glass mug on the coffee table, I pull my phone out of my pocket and glance down. “Unknown” shows on the screen and I frown, sliding the message open.
The picture I see of Hunter will haunt me for the rest of my life.
My heart locks within my chest and I let out a vicious curse. Everyone’s attention snaps in my direction, but I’m too focused on Hunter, wrists zip tied to a chair, blood smeared on her face.
“What is it?” Addie asks, voice full of concern.
My phone buzzes again. This time it’s a text message and I quickly scan it.
“Torres has Hunter,” I tell them between gritted teeth.
Everything seems to tilt, like someone just ripped the ground from beneath my feet, and a potent wrath consumes me.
My crew gathers closer, and I turn the phone around, not able to look at the disturbing image a second longer. My stomach twists, and the assholes who took her? Who dared touch her? I want to smash their heads together.
“We’ll get her back,” Addie assures me.
“He wants to exchange Hunter for the emerald. And we only have an hour before his offer expires.Fuck,” I hiss, raking a hand through my hair.
Torres and his men are as good as dead. Once we get Hunter back, we’re going to have to get out of this country fast. Because I’m leaving a string of dead bodies in my wake.
My murderous energy must be palpable, because Ryder slaps my shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll get your girl back, Knox. Count on it.”