Sparrow’s Flight by Jenika Snow Page 0,21

hell do.” He pulled his hand away and glared at him.

“We are going to get her back, okay?” Mason assured. Ash kept a hard face but nodded once. “I know this town better than any other. I’ve passed through it a lot of fucking times and know the road they took off on leads to the lake. No doubt they are camped out there.” He turned and looked at the road in question and then turned back to Ash. “But we have to be smart about this. It’s going to be dark soon, and we need to get moving.”

“Good, because I can’t fucking stand to think of her with them.” They had only been with Sparrow for a handful of days, but it was clear Ash was attached. Mason couldn’t blame him though. He might be an asshole and made her feel like she wasn’t welcome, but he could only admit to himself that he liked her around, and his shitty past and the fucked-up things he had done in his life made him this bastard trying to push her away, because he thought that was what was best.

He’d never be sweet and kind like Asher, never be gentle-talking and easygoing, making her feel all fucking girly. He was hard and mean most of the time, but that was how he had survived this long. He had no remorse for the shit he had done and the lives he’d taken. Time was not their friend any longer; that was for damn sure. He had to take what he wanted when it was presented right in front of him, because who the hell knew if there would be a tomorrow? He stared at Ash’s profile. There was clear worry etched in the other man’s face, and even though he had been a trainer for illegal fighters and had done fucked-up shit himself, he was a lot softer in the heart department than Mason was.

“We’ll get her back, Ash.” He and Asher were the same build and height, but where Asher lacked the clear disinterest and apathy in taking a life, Mason more than made up for it. That was the clear difference between them, but then again war would do that do a person, and having to take the lives of two people he loved more than anything also helped in chipping away the human nature of empathy and sympathy. But as strange as it was, Mason did feel something spark inside him when it concerned Sparrow. He just didn’t know what it was or if he was really comfortable with the feeling.

They headed back inside and grabbed their bags. Mason saw Sparrow’s lying over by the clothes rack, stalked toward it, and grabbed it off the floor. When he stood, he faced the supply room and saw the back door partially open. So that was how the fat fucker had gotten in. He scrubbed a hand through his hair and pulled at the longer strands at the base of his skull.

“You know there are probably guys watching us and making sure we leave town.”

Mason nodded. “Yeah, and that’s what we’re going to do.” He saw the curious look on Asher’s face. “Right outside town, we are going to cut through the trees. If memory serves me correctly, there should be a small, if not already grown-over path that leads to the other side of the lake. That’s where that truck was headed, since the road they turned down leads right to it. We can head through there. It will take a bit longer, but it is the safest path.”

“You don’t think there are guys staked out in the woods?”

He shook his head and gestured for them to head out. “No, they aren’t smart enough to think people would cut around.” At least Mason hoped not. “They might not even know you can get to the lake that way. But something tells me they’re arrogant in thinking they can drive someone out with some threats and waving a few guns in the air.” He stopped and looked at Ash. “Clearly they don’t know us very well.” He reached out, gripped the back of Asher’s neck, and pulled him forward. Their mouths pressed together, and Mason swiped his tongue along the other man’s bottom lip. “I don’t know what the hell she has done to us, but I don’t want to let that go either.” There was a flare in Asher’s eyes and a sharp intake of breath. “You know what a