back, sharp, like a lightning bolt. Knowledge exploded through his head and he panted against the pain.
Angelina. Chad. Oh God.
He was an idiot. He’d trusted the wrong person and now Angelina would pay the price.
He closed his eyes and swallowed, forcing himself to focus, to shake off the nausea and the pain. He wiped at his head, and his fingers came away red and sticky with his blood.
With shaking hands he grabbed at his cell phone, swearing when the buttons wouldn’t work right. He punched the speed dial for Connor because he knew he couldn’t navigate through his address book for another number.
“Hey, man,” Connor said, and Micah winced as the too loud voice seemed to crack his skull all over again.
“Chad Devereaux,” Micah rasped. “He has Angelina. Came here. It was him all along.”
“Whoa, back up. First, are you all right? You sound hurt. What the hell happened?”
“Get here,” Micah gritted out. “Need you to call it in. Get everyone looking. Find what you can on him.”
“On it,” Connor said and the line went dead.
Micah dropped the phone and tilted his head back, closing his eyes as an agony of a different kind flooded him.
Bits and pieces of the exchange between Angelina and Chad came back to him. He’d drifted in and out of consciousness, but he’d heard her agree to go with Chad if Chad wouldn’t shoot him.
Fear and rage slashed viciously through his chest. Fear for her. Rage at Chad.
She’d given herself to a man who’d tormented her for a year—to save Micah.
I love you, Micah. You may not want it. You may not need it. But you’ll always have it. It doesn’t come with any strings or expectations. It’s given freely.
Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. She loved him and she’d just sacrificed everything for him.
He’d been so afraid to love again, to open himself up to the kind of pain that came with losing someone. He’d loved Hannah deeply, the kind of love he thought he’d only feel once in his life. And he’d lost her. He hadn’t wanted to love Angelina. Hadn’t wanted to form an emotional attachment to her. He’d lost her anyway.
Shut the fuck up. You haven’t lost her yet. You’ll get her back.
He sagged against the couch and then tried to elbow his way up by putting his arms on the cushions and levering. It took longer than he’d have liked, and he felt like a goddamn wimp, but he finally managed to get himself off the floor.
I’m coming, Angel girl. Don’t give up. I’m coming for you.
Angelina looked up wearily when Chad pulled onto yet another bumpy backwoods road. They’d been driving forever. She’d tried to keep up, to notice road signs, landmarks, but all she knew was that they’d driven north of Houston, and he’d taken her on a veritable maze of unmarked, shabby roads. On purpose she was sure. He wasn’t a man who left anything to chance.
The road narrowed and the surrounding woods grew thicker, until they were following what looked to be an old ATV trail. At the end, they came upon an old frame house that looked like the woods had tried to swallow it up.
Gnarly bushes grew up the sides. Two trees stretched their massive branches over the roof, dipping low as if they’d punch a hole right through it.
The house looked intimidating. It looked isolated. Like it hadn’t been lived in for years.
“How did you find this place?” she asked helplessly.
“Spent a lot of time looking for just the right spot after you left Miami. I knew you’d wind up in Houston sooner or later. You were so transparent. Like a bitch in heat after Hudson. I just had to wait for you to appear.”
She closed her eyes. All that work for nothing. Her predictability and her love for Micah had been her ultimate downfall.
“What are you going to do to me?” she asked calmly. As calmly as she could when she was afraid she’d die. He’d picked the perfect spot. Who would ever find them here? Who would hear her screams? Or a gunshot?
He ignored her question and opened his door. None too gently, he hauled her across the seat, forcing her out his side. Still attached to him by the cuffs, she had no choice but to scramble out or have her arm ripped off. She winced when her bare feet hit the ground and immediately picked up at least three stickers.