Page 44 of Broken
“We’ll think about that some other time.”
“Why? Do you think we’re not going to make it?”
“I don’t, but we have more important things to worry about.”
“Yeah,worry.” I chuckled. “I was hoping we wouldn’thave to do that all the time. They say it’s bad for your health.”
“Can’t be worse for your health than that burger you just ate.” A smile tugged at his lips. “And those fries full of oil.”
“Says the guy who mostly fed me pizza.”
“Alright. I’ll take some cooking classes and make you the best healthy dinner you’ve ever had.”
“Don’t joke about it.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’mgoing to hold you to that.” I waggled my finger at him.
“I’d never joke about something like that.”
I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him in for a long kiss, and for a moment, the world around us didn’t exist.
Chapter 25
“WHY AREN’T THEY ATTACKING?” I asked as I paced up and down the room. We’d been stuck in the Cobras’ hideout for days, but neither Walter nor the Spiders had shown up anywhere. What the hell were they waiting for? “They must’ve realized this was a trap, so they’re not going to do anything. They’ll wait for us to emergebecause they know we can’t keep hiding forever.”
“Patience,” Tobias said. “My men tell me that the Spiders are definitely preparing for an attack, and that it’ll happen soon. I know this isn’t a place where you want to be, but we’ll be out of here soon enough. Trust me.”
I took a deep breath and hoped he was right.
“Walter isn’t the type of person who likes to wait if he thinks hecan get what he wants,” Theo said.
“If he’s going with the Spiders, then he has to do what Jerome says.” Tobias crossed his arms. “I’ll send a few more of my trusted men out there to see if they can find out more about the Spiders’ plans.”
“I’m with Chiara,” Vix said. “I don’t like this at all. They haven’t even reacted to your message.”
Tobias ran his hand through his hair. “Maybethis is exactly what he wants. He wants to confuse and divide us, but it’s not going to work. We can stay here for a few weeks, and if nothing happens, then we’ll find a way to get anyone who doesn’t want to stay here out of the city.”
I wondered if we should’ve gone with the initial plan and pretended I’d run away to some city across the country. Then maybe we might’ve been able to catchWalter, or maybe it would’ve only made things worse. Theo stepped forward and pulled me into his embrace.
“It’s going to be fine,” he said, planting a soft kiss on my forehead.
I glanced at Tobias. “Walter or the Spiders haven’t been seen anywhere near my family, right? Because if they want to lure me out, all they have to do is grab my...”
“My men are constantly watching over yourfamily, and everyone is aware of the risks, so they’re very careful. Trust me, no one’s getting to your family,” Tobias said.
“Maybe I should’ve brought them all here.” I’d certainly feel better if they were with me.
“Mick can set up a video chat for you so you can talk to them over a secure network,” he said.
“Yeah, tell him to do that.” I had to see them, even if it was just fora minute or two. “I’m going to freshen up.” Stepping away from Theo, I headed for the door.
The bathroom was just down the hallway, and it had multiple stalls, sinks, and showers. One of the Cobras was in front of the door and he nodded at me in greeting. I glanced at the main door, which was locked, and I wished I knew when I’d be able to go through it and leave this place.
I made myway to the nearest of the sinks and let the water run. As I splashed some water onto my face, I thought I heard something move behind me. I immediately looked up and turned around, but everything looked calm. My mind was probably playing tricks on me, so I turned off the water. After wiping my face with a paper towel and drying my hands, I took a good look at myself in the mirror, then headed forthe door.
When I emerged into the hallway, I noticed the guard was sitting on the floor, his back turned to me. A frown creased my brow. What the hell was he doing? I inched toward him, wondering if I should say something, but there was something very strange about the position of his body. A gasp escaped my throat when I spotted a pool of blood right under the guard’s leg.
I rushedtoward him, but as soon as I touched him, he slumped to the floor, blood covering his stomach. A gun wound. My heartbeat was in overdrive. Someone had killed the guard. I looked toward the entrance, but the door seemed to be locked and undisturbed. Shit. Someone had betrayed us, or the Spiders had found their way inside. But where had the killer gone?
The sound of an alarm pierced the aironly for a moment before it went quiet again. I hurried to get back to the room where Theo and my friends were, but as I pushed at the door, it wouldn’t budge. I banged at it, but it was useless. The door was locked. Fuck. I raced back to the guard’s body, but he didn’t have a keycard or a weapon on him. Whoever had killed him had taken everything that I might’ve been able to use.