Page 47 of Envy

I almost say yes, but we’re an hour outside of L.A. and only twenty minutes from the golf course. “If this is another dead end, we’ll follow up tomorrow.”

“Noctis won’t like us doubting his intel,” Mavors rumbles, but there’s amusement in his tone.

“Which is exactly why we’re doing this now.”

Sirens blare to life a few cars behind us. Instinctively, we drop speed and change lanes before they catch up. My speedometer reads three over the limit, not enough to draw attention, but my shoulders still tense as they get closer.

“Fuck,” Mavros growls as the cops shift into the center lane behind us. “Noctis would’ve had a scanner running.”

True, I think, signaling to the slow lane and hoping they’ll pass.

They don’t.

“Are you fucking serious right now?” Erik snaps as the blue and red lights flash behind us.

I flip comms back on, hoping Noctis and the others are still in range.

“I’ll go over everything tonight, Silas,” Noctis grits out. “I’m almost back?—”

“We’ll deal with that later,” I interrupt, watching as the cops close in. “Right now, we’ve got a problem.”

30

SILAS

Abeat of silence rings from the other end before Noctis is all business.

“Where?” he asks. I hear the hum of his engine dull into a low thrum as he pulls over.

“Fifteen minutes outside of the Blue Lagoon on Highway Five,” I say, glancing in my mirrors as the officers exit their cars. “Two cop cars, lights on. Hands on their guns.”

“Cause?” Noctis asks.

“Officially? Probably speeding.” I rush the words, already knowing we’re not getting off with a ticket. “Unofficially, they look ready to shoot.”

“Comply,” Noctis barks.

“Like hell we will,” Erik growls.

“They want a reason to kill you,” Noctis insists. “Our interviews have been clean. All tracks covered. They can’t hold you on anything unless you give them cause.”

“Thank fuck,” I breathe, my mind flashing to the gore we just left at the old zoo.

“Keep the mic on as long as possible.” Noctis’s voice takes on a slight echo, and I can hear the faint tapping of fingerson a screen. “I’m sending locals to distract and occupy the precinct. Then we’re coming to get you.”

“Good afternoon, officers,” I say, keeping my hands on the handlebars. “What can we do for you?”

“Put your hands where I can see them,” spits the shorter, stockier man with his palm hovering over the open holster at his waist.

“Can’t get more exposed than this,” I say. I hear Noctis curse, but I keep my breathing steady as I wiggle my gloved fingers. “Can you tell me what we’re being stopped for?”

“Turn the motorcycles off,” says the taller one with a buzz cut.

“They have to tell you why they pulled you over,” Noctis chimes in.

“Why are we being detained?” Erik asks through clenched teeth.

The shorter one wrinkles his nose as he looks Erik over. “I gave you a command. Put your hands in the air and step away from your vehicle.”