need to get dressed." Knox didn't try to soften the hard edge to his voice. "Company is driving up the road."
"Company?"
"Gray and Olivia." Knox turned and headed for the door.
"Does that mean they have the chip reader?"
The hopeful note in Josie's voice only twisted the knife in Knox's gut. "Well, they ain't coming for Sunday brunch."
The coppery taste of blood provided a fleeting distraction, enough to make Josie bite the inside of her cheek even harder. Anything to get her mind off the fact that Olivia was digging into her skin with a sharp boning knife that had been sterilized by the flames in the fireplace. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, fat, salty tears rolling down her cheeks.
Something slammed into the side of the house…again. Knox's fist, if Josie had to bet. He'd begun pacing and snarling and growling even before the first cut.
"Don't let me see your face until I'm done," Olivia had warned him. Josie had marveled at his almost meek compliance—until he started hitting things.
"I'm sorry," Olivia told her now. She'd been probing for the tracker for no more than five minutes, but it felt like days to Josie. "I know it hurts."
Josie appreciated that Olivia had been through the same thing, having had one of the blasted trackers embedded in her arm too. The omega hadn't even had the benefit of a topical anesthetic when Gray had removed it—not that the lidocaine wipe Olivia had brought did much good after she'd sliced down past the first few layers of skin.
Josie had endured tear gas, being struck with batons, and even rubber bullets—but having someone dig deep into her flesh with a kitchen knife was the most excruciating pain she'd ever experienced.
But at least she was getting it over with. Just like Olivia had said, the chip reader had pinpointed the location of the device in seconds, and if they'd had a trained surgeon on hand, she could have plucked it out in no time flat.
Unfortunately, Josie had to settle for a wildlife photographer with an aversion to stabbing people.
"I'm going as fast as I can," Olivia said softly.
"Try harder," Knox growled from around the corner, his voice thick with anguish.
"Cut her some slack, Knox." Gray was leaning against a porch post where he had a good view of the proceedings. "Olivia's doing her best."
"I don't know how much more of her best Josie can stand." Another dull thud landed against the outside of the cabin, followed by the sound of splintering wood and cursing.
"I'm fine," Josie ground out. "I can do this. Keep going."
She wasn't fine, though, and also wasn't sure how much longer she could stand the pain before she passed out. Knowing Knox, he'd lose his shit and try to take over or something—the thought of which made Josie grit her teeth and redouble her efforts.
"I see something!" Olivia exclaimed. "It's shiny. It has to be the tracker."
"So get it out already," Knox growled.
"Watch it, brother," Gray warned. "That's my omega."
"And that's my…" Knox shot back before his voice trailed off. Josie wondered what he'd been about to say—his friend? His jerk-off buddy?
But she would never know because Olivia gave one last twist of the knife, shattering Josie's composure and making her scream.
"Got it!" Olivia crowed.
Josie tried to focus through her tears on the tiny silver speck Olivia held between her fingers. No wonder no one had been able to detect it by feel.
"Congratulations," Knox said, coming around the corner without being invited. When his gaze fell on Josie, he blanched. "Stitch her up, goddamnit, before she bleeds to death."
Josie glanced down to see that her shirt was soaked with crimson, the snow beneath her splattered with her blood. If she wasn't already feeling faint, that would have done it.
"Gimme a second," Olivia said, carefully slipping the tiny cylinder into a metal container that she had explained was designed to block radio signals.
"She doesn't have a second," Knox snapped.
Gray narrowed his eyes. "Watch your mouth when you speak to my mate, and there won't be any trouble."
Knox shot the other alpha a dark look. "Not today, Gray. Remember, you're on my land now."
"Cut him some slack, sweetheart," Olivia told her mate, putting down the container before carefully picking up a surgical needle. "Imagine what you'd be like if it was me sitting in this chair."
"I don't have to imagine," Gray retorted. "I had to dig one of those things out of you a few months ago, remember? At least I was alpha