Page 36

Tory

The cruiser hit the on-ramp for the Bruce Highway with a jolt, and Jaxson floored the engine.

The car shot forward like a missile, veering into the flow of traffic with terrifying speed.

He didn’t merge so much as dodge; zigzagging around slower vehicles at least fifteen miles faster than anyone else.

For once, I was grateful we were in a cop car. “You didn’t answer my question. Why would B want to kill Aria and her team?”

Jaxson waited until we’d thundered past a double semi-trailer.

"Aria and the Alpha Ops team have come closer to catching B than anyone," he said. "That's why she wants them dead."

I leaned forward, gripping the back of his seat. "Then that means we can trust them, right? If B's targeting them, then they can’t be working for her.”

Jaxson's eyes met mine in the mirror, and his expression was thoughtful, calculating.

His knuckles whitened on the wheel. "I think she's tying off loose ends and getting ready to vanish."

"But why now?" I frowned. "Nobody knows who she is. She could disappear before anyone figures out her identity."

Whitney twisted in his seat to face me, his eyes bright with realization. " She tried to destroy those boxes in that fire. So they must contain something that could lead us right to her."

"I agree,” I said. “This evidence is the key to bringing that bitch down. The fact that she came back for that body, too, is?—”

“Hey, lucky I kept all those specimen samples,” Whitney interrupted. “She may have taken the body, but with the photos and samples I took, I’m hoping we can still ID that body.”

“That’s a great start. What about that skull?” Jaxson asked as he dodged around a semi.

“With a bit of luck, the dental records might match a missing person’s record from forty years ago. No promises though.”

“I can’t wait to see what’s in those boxes," Jaxson said. "We need to go through them, ASAP."

My stomach twisted as I thought of the warehouse collapse. "But what about Aria's team, and those missing men? You said you and Onyx would search for them."

"Yes. We'll do both." Jaxson's gaze caught mine again, and hard determination burned in his eyes. "Onyx and I will search for those men, while you two go through these boxes. As long as you’re sure about your wounds being okay.”

“I’m sure,” I said.

“And I don’t think you should go home either,” he said. “If B is tying up loose ends, the three of us are on her list.”

I nodded, but my thoughts drifted to my cats again. Were they missing me yet? Probably not. They would only start missing me when the food and water ran out, which wouldn’t happen for a few more days, at least.

“Tory?” Jaxson’s voice was soft, careful. “What is it?”

The way he could read me so easily made my chest tighten. I hesitated, then gave him a small smile. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about my cats.”

His smile spread slowly, reaching his eyes and softening the hard edges of his face.

"I think it’s time we contacted Aria," he said, refocusing. "Anyone have her number? "

Whitney and I shook our heads.

"I have Whisper's," I offered. "She can reach Aria."

“Okay.” As Jaxson nodded, his expression hardened. "We’ll get you two and the evidence in the trunk somewhere secure. Then Onyx and I will go to that warehouse. But first, we need a phone."

"Hey, we’re coming up to a petrol station." Whitney pointed at the sign through the windshield. "Might get lucky."

"I'll go in," I said. "Looking like this, someone's bound to take pity and let me use their phone."

"That could work," Jaxson said, "except we can't have you climbing out of a police car."

"Might give the wrong impression." I managed a weak laugh. "Last thing we need is someone thinking I'm an escaped criminal."

"You don't look that bad." Jaxson's eyes caught mine in the rearview mirror, and the affection in his gaze sent warmth spreading through me.

"Yeah, right. I look like I've been dragged through a rubbish dump backwards.

" I brushed my hand over my uniform, and my finger snagged on the loose flap from the bullet hole on my upper sleeve.

"Um, I have a bullet hole in my uniform.

So, I need a different shirt. One that screams 'help me,' not 'call the cops. '" I let out a weak chuckle.

"Whitney, give her your shirt."

Whitney twisted around to face me. "My shirt isn’t exactly fresh."

"That’s okay. Your black soot is better than my bullet hole and dried blood."

"Fair point." He grimaced. "But I should warn you, it's pretty ripe."

"I'll survive."

I started with the buttons, and my injured arm protested every movement. The sleeve was the worst, drawing a hiss of pain as I worked it free.

"Easy," Jaxson murmured as his stunning caramel eyes found mine again. "Take it slow."

My heart did that stupid little skip it seemed to do whenever he looked at me like that.

Whitney passed his shirt back. "Don't say I didn't warn you about the smell. "

I pulled it on, doing up the buttons.

"Sweet mother of . . ." I wrinkled my nose. "You weren't kidding."

"Hey, I told you." Whitney's protest trailed off when he caught my grin.

"Just messing with you." I winked at Jaxson, and the smile that crossed his lips reached his eyes, transforming his whole face.

Holy smokes, he’s handsome when he lets his guard down.

The shirt hung almost to my knees, so I knotted it at my waist, trying not to think about how weird I felt dressing in his brother's clothes while Jaxson watched.

Jaxson eased up on the gas as we took the exit ramp. "Okay, Tory, if you get a phone, you make two calls and then get out of there. Keep it brief with Whisper. Tell her about the corrupt cops and that Parker's our only clean contact. Have him coordinate with her directly."

I nodded, locking away each detail, determined to get it right.

"Whitney, write down Parker's number." Jaxson glanced at his brother.

Whitney rummaged through the middle console for a pen and paper and scribbled down the number.

“Here.” He handed the note to me. “Parker can get bossy, so tell him you don’t have time to fill him in, but we will as soon as we can.”

“Got it,” I said, shoving the note into my pants pocket.

"And tell Parker I'll meet him at Rosebud Wharf in fifty minutes, an hour at the most," Jaxson said. "Make sure he connects with Whisper about where we can secure you two and these files."

Jaxson guided the car into the darkest corner of the petrol station, well away from the handful of other vehicles.

My legs shook as I climbed out, and when I caught my reflection in the window, my breath hitched.

Christ. My hair was a rat's nest, my face was streaked with dirt.

And I was missing a shoe. I definitely looked like I'd crawled through hell.

I squared my shoulders, praying someone would let me use their phone before they called emergency services. Or worse, the police.

Jaxson's hand caught my arm, and his touch was so gentle it reached right into my heart. "Be careful."

"I will."

"Any sign of trouble, you get out and we'll handle it. Okay? "

"Jaxson, I'll be fine." I squeezed his hand, ignoring how that brief contact sent warmth spreading through my chest. As I walked away, trying to finger-comb my hair, I told myself his concern wasn't special. He would show the same care for anyone in this situation.

The fluorescent lights hit me like a spotlight as I pushed through the entrance to the petrol station.

Keeping my head down, I walked through the cafeteria scanning the signs until I spotted the restrooms. A teenage girl manning the counter stared as I passed.

I quickened my pace and stepped into the bathroom, grateful that it was empty.

The mirror confirmed my worst fears. Dried blood crusted my temple, and what I'd thought was dirt on my cheek was actually a nasty bruise blooming purple. I grabbed paper towels and turned on the tap, trying to make myself look less like an escapee from a horror movie.

Even with the blood gone and my hair somewhat tamed, I still looked like crap, but maybe now people would think "rough night" instead of "violent criminal."

I stepped out of the restroom and scanned the dining area. A middle-aged couple was at a table in the corner, eating hamburgers.

I shuffled over, channeling helpless and harmless. "Excuse me, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but could I possibly borrow your phone? Mine's dead, and my friend's probably having kittens because I promised to call her an hour ago?—"

"Oh, honey, of course." The woman's concerned frown took in my appearance as she unlocked her phone. "Here you go."

"Thank you so much. I'll be quick."

I settled two tables away, and as I dialed Whisper, the fluorescent lights hummed overhead. A tired-looking trucker shuffled between chip packet aisles.

"Yello?" Whisper’s voice was like being thrown a lifeline.

"Whisper, it's Tory."

"Holy mother of tacos! Where the hell have you been? We've had half the country looking for you!"

"I know. I’m sorry. But listen, I don't have much time." Speaking low enough so the couple couldn’t hear, I quickly outlined Jaxson's rescue, the corrupt cops, the orphanage fire, and the boxes we saved.

"Damn, girl. That’s one hell of a story. You okay though?"

Deciding to skip the bullet wound, I said, "Just tired. But Whisper, this evidence is huge, and now that we know corrupt cops are involved, we need to keep this between us and find somewhere secure to take the boxes and for us to stay under the radar. Any ideas?"

"For you, I'll find the Batcave itself. Give me five to work my magic. What's this number?"

I nodded at the couple who hadn’t said a word, possibly because they were trying to hear me. "I borrowed this phone, so I'll call back after I reach Jaxson’s brother, Parker."

"Fine, but, girlfriend, you better be ready to dish out all the details later. The suspense is already killing me.”

"Of course. Hey, Whisper, we heard about the warehouse explosion on the radio. They said two people were missing?"