about you. We all are. Brody has a fix on your phone. If someone approaches do you think you have time to get somewhere where they can’t see you?”
“Yes, I think so.” If her legs would cooperate.
“We’re about an hour out. And by the way, I know you’re lying about being okay. Sunny said they shot you and you hit your head.”
Poor Sunny, she must have been terrified.
“Just a flesh wound. The bleeding’s stopped, I think. My head hurts but it’s tolerable. My nose is still stuffed up though,” she tried to joke.
His growl through the phone told her it didn’t work.
“I…I…Ink, I’m so scared,” she blurted out. She didn’t know if it was a good idea to tell him. She didn’t want him to do anything rash to get here.
“I know you are, brown eyes. You know how I know? Because I’ve been going out of my mind for the last fucking six hours.” Just listening to his voice was calming her down. A wave of dizziness assaulted her. She wanted to sit but was worried she wouldn’t get back up again. Fat drops of rain hit her face, making her decision easier. She moved back under a tree, hoping that Ink didn’t cut out. She sank to the ground, keeping her gaze roaming around.
“Brown eyes, what happened to the men who took you? Are they still around?”
“No. They’re dead.”
“Dead? How?”
She cleared her throat. Should she tell him? He was already freaking, should she add to his worry? There was nothing he could do, after all. Nothing either of them could do.
“Betsy, answer me. Now.”
“I…I…there was a man.”
“What fucking man?” he roared.
Her mouth opened. Closed. Another shiver rocked her. She tried to huddle into the jacket, to keep herself warm. She didn’t like wearing someone else’s jacket.
“Betsy, baby, I’m sorry for yelling. I didn’t scare you, did I? Button, are you all right? Talk to Daddy.”
She let out a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
“This man appeared out of nowhere and killed them. Then he led me out of the woods to this clearing and then he…he left.” She decided not to tell him that she’d been sitting in her own grave.
“He left!”
“Daddy, don’t be mad,” she whispered
“I’m not mad at you, button. Never at you, understand?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Do you know where he went? Who he was? What was he doing there?”
“He said he knows Sunny. And he called himself the Fox.”
There was a minute of silence. “Daddy? Are you still there?”
“That goddamn motherfucking bastard. He knew you’d been taken, injured and he didn’t fucking call one of us? Fucking bastard. Gonna fucking kill him. Wait, and he just left you on your own? That fucking douchecanoe, asswipe, jerkface…”
She pulled the phone away from her ear, wincing as he continued to roar out his displeasure.
“Ink? Daddy?” she asked. “Daddy?”
There was silence then she could hear him take a deep breath. “Sorry, button. Shit. Sorry. Lost it for a minute there. Can’t believe he fucking left you.”
“He did save me.”
“Yeah. On his own fucking terms.”
“Is he…is he dangerous?”
Ink sighed. “He saved you? He didn’t threaten you?”
“Well, yes. He said that he killed Forrest’s guys, he was really furious that they captured and hurt Sunny. And he led me out to this clearing, gave me his phone and jacket. So yeah, he saved me.”
“Then I’d say you’re as safe as any of us. Well, except Sunny. She’s likely the only one in the world who’s truly safe from him.”
“What? Why?”
“He loves her.”
“Umm…” She didn’t want to point out the obvious.
“Not like that. Or at least, I don’t think it’s like that. Nah, if it was then he’d have taken her from Duke.”
“What?”
“Not that Duke would let her go. The Fox would have to fucking kill him for that to happen. Then Sunny would hate the Fox. Which is possibly the only reason he hasn’t done it. The Fox doesn’t seem to have much of a moral code but he does care what Sunny thinks. It’s likely why he helped you. For her. He probably knows that you’re her friend. It wouldn’t be for me.”
“He…he seemed to know things about me. How?”
“God knows. If he’s bugged us again, I’ll track him down and kill him. Don’t care that he’s a fucking assassin-for-hire.”
36
“He’s a what?” she squeaked. Her breath came in sharp pants. That ended in a coughing fit. Damn cold.
“It’s okay, brown eyes, you’re okay. He wasn’t there to hurt you.”
“A-a-assassin? S-sunny is f-friends with an a-assassin?”