Page 65 of Inked Desires

I jolt and turn to see the man I was just speaking to. Five seconds ago.

How the hell did he get up here so fast without anyone noticing?

“Where is Andrew?” I demand.

The agent steps forward. A cold authority radiates from him, his green eyes shining with intensity. His dirty-blond hair is slicked back with precision. Broad shoulders. Perfectly tailored suit. At least he’s not just another desk jockey.

“Get in your car and take your ass back to the tattoo parlor,” he orders.“That’s an order, soldier.”

My question goes unanswered.

“We don’t want any trouble,” Kev interjects.

The others get to their feet and pull me up with them. I want to stay, to wring more answers out of that asshole, but Kiran grabs my arm and drags me toward the car. The guys shove me into the passenger seat and slam the door. Breathing hard, I glance in the side mirror. The agent is still standing there, waiting for us to leave.

My fingers wrap around the door handle, ready to jump out again, when Kiran’s voice stops me cold:

“Don’t even think about it. You stay in that seat. If this asshole finds out you want to kill your lover’s husband, you’ll end up in jail—and then you won’t be able to help anyone. We need more information, A.C.”

Furious, I kick the dashboard. It doesn’t even crack. No one says anything about my outburst as Kiran steers us away from the hill.

My phone vibrates again—this time a text.

Glove box.

I don’t hesitate. I yank it open and burst out laughing. That bastard. While we were lying in the grass, listening, he was rigging our damn car.

I pull out a prepaid phone from the compartment and slam it shut. Right on cue, the device starts ringing in my hand.

“Yeah?” I bark.

“Stay away from that building,” a voice replies.“We’ll handle it.”

“Where is Andrew?” I demand, the only question that matters.

“At the hospital,” he finally answers.“For now, his identity hasn’t been confirmed. That’s the only thing keeping him safe.”

The hospital… So something happened to him, and I wasn’t there.

Fuck! Ishould’vebeen there. I should’ve protected him.

“Is he okay?” I press.

“As much as he can be, given the circumstances. I had to stab him myself to get him admitted as a John Doe.”

“You son of a bitch!” I scream inside the car.

“Calm down, Clark,” he hisses.“It was the only way to make Andrew disappear. Even the FBI has leaks.”

“What hospital is he in?”

“I’m not giving you anything,” he snaps.“Jace got away, and if too many people know where Andrew is, he’s in even greater danger.”

A faintshitechoes on the other end of the line. The kind of curse that only means one thing: something just went terribly wrong. My stomach knots. Ifeelit in my bones.

“What’s happening?”

“Jace found Andrew,” he tells me.