He stalks out of the barn, and we both follow on his heels. Jasper’s always been better at the leaps in logic. But damn. My heart rate picks up. Dom and Beau are going to take out four hunters. This isn’t a hiking trip.
Hell, she probably didn’t even manage to follow them. She could be lost. There are tons of treacherous trails in those woods, and wild animals, and other hunters. It gets cold out. It’ll be night soon. Did she even think to bring a jacket?
I mean . . . it’s nothing personal or anything. Obviously. But she’s like a kitten. I don’t want to see a kitten get hurt either.
Might have grown up rough, but I’m not a complete asshole.
Not all the time, anyway.
“Why didn’t you realize she was gone?” I snarl, feeling dizzy. “There’re cameras all through here. Outside the barn, the kitchen, the cave—”
Jasper stops sharply inside the glass sliding doors and then pushes into the kitchen. “She was in here earlier.”
Impatient, I shrug. “Yeah, she made me breakfast.”
“She made you breakfast?” Lucky shoots me a disgruntled look.
There’s a piece of paper on the counter. Snagging it, I read the short note.
Good morning!
At least, I hope it’s morning when you get this. If not, I’m so sorry. I assumed Lucky would go to the kitchen because he never stays out of here and . . . well, it doesn’t matter. I’ve decided to help Dom and Beau with the cameras. Don’t worry, I’m used to the woods and I’ve brought everything I need. I’ll catch up with them soon, so please, there is NO reason to come after me.
I’ll see you when we get back!
Lots of l
Warm regards,
Eden
Stomach dropping, I hand the note to Lucky, who skims it with a groan and passes it to Jasper. He glances at it, then crumples the paper between his fingers. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he smooths it back out and puts it in his pocket.
“It seems Dom was right. Eden is in dire need of discipline.” Icy stalactites drip from his words.
I roll my eyes at him even as my own panic sets in. “She ain’t a prisoner. She can leave whenever she wants.”
Jasper’s upper lip curls. “She’s going to get herself killed.”
He’s so tense, I brace myself, wondering if he’s dumb enough to take a swing at me. The shrink might be good at a lot of things, but brawling ain’t one of them.
Lucky places a gentle hand on Jasper’s chest. “She’ll be okay, Jasper. She’s smart—she’ll have caught up with Beau and Dom. They’ll keep her safe.”
Jasper stills at Lucky’s touch. His chin drops as he looks down at the hand on his chest. After a moment, he takes another breath and nods sharply. Then, wrapping his long fingers around Lucky’s wrist, he removes his hand from his chest.
Without looking at the other man, he starts moving again.
“I’m pulling the cameras up.”
Lucky’s fingers curl into a fist, but his face stays expressionless as we follow Jasper upstairs. It only takes him minutes to flick through the cameras. We catch glimpses of her on C7 and then C14. Oblivious to the screens catching her movement, Eden walks confidently, a small smile on her face. She stops only briefly to examine the ground or the leaves.
Out in nature, with the trees and dappled light all around, she looks more than pretty. She’s . . . she’s one of those stupid words Jasper would use. A word like extraordinary. Sublime.
Breathtaking.
Damn it. Maybe it’s not heartburn. Something is seriously wrong with me if I’m quoting I-only-drink-water-with-a-squeeze-of-lime himself.
“What were the stamps on those?” Lucky asks, then whistles low. “She’s making good time.”
Jasper flicks through a few more screens, and a flash of color on one makes him stop. A pink scrunchie is pinned to a tree.
Lucky leans in. “Which one is that?”
“C17.”
Jasper pulls up the logs and rewinds through the video. When the time hits less than an hour, three figures appear. Beau and Dom loom over Eden, who is trapped between them, looking miserable. After a moment, she turns to the camera and mouths, “Sorry.” She wrings her clasped hands.
Dom looks at the camera and shakes his head firmly. Grasping her by the back of the neck, he turns her and pushes her in Beau’s direction. Beau grimaces, then walks her out of view. Dom gives us a final look, raising one hand in a clear “stop”
motion.
“Pft,” I mutter. “I’m going after them.”
“Don’t,” Jasper tells me, sounding tired. “Just stay put. They have her. She’s safe.”
“Yeah. Right. Like they won’t choose each other over her if it comes to it.”
Worry scrapes at my insides. Anything could happen to her out there. Shit happens all the time—my brother is proof of that.
Maybe she should be our prisoner. As soon as we get her back, I’m putting a collar on her and tying her to the damn wall.
Princesses shouldn’t be let out of their towers . . . that’s what monsters like us are for.
“Beau wouldn’t let that happen.” Lucky frowns.
“He wouldn’t,” Jasper agrees. “Neither of them would. We have our own job to do.”
“Then maybe you should do it.”
I work up a smirk at him, the one I know he hates, and let myself enjoy the flash of rage behind his eyes. In a lot of ways, he’s just like her. Pretty, pampered. Something snarled and starless curls in my chest, beating alongside the panic. Someone like him couldn’t protect someone like her. He’d never get how dangerous it could be for her, not really.
My sneer turns ugly. “First you didn’t notice three cameras are down, and now Eden walks out. How did you miss that?
You even know how to work these things? If she gets hurt, it’s on you.”
Jasper stiffens, lips pressed together. Beside him, Lucky sighs and gives me a disapproving look.
My smirk fades, and I glower back at Lucky. Whatever. Eden is out there, about to be in the middle of a firefight because of him. He should have been watching her. He should have made sure she was safe.
We all should have.
I should have.
Restless and uncomfortable, my eyes drift back to the camera where Eden dropped out of frame.
“They’ll keep her safe,” Lucky repeats.
I shrug. My tongue presses against the edges of my teeth until I taste blood. “Whatever. She dies, she dies.”
Lucky shoves me then in a rare burst of temper. “Oh, shut the fuck up, Jayk. Don’t say shit you don’t mean.”
I round on him, but Jasper stands and yanks Lucky behind him, giving me a warning look. My stomach clenches bitterly.
Yeah, like I would take the stupid kid’s head off for a shove.
Jasper spreads his hands. “Jaykob, I understand you must be feeling—”
I roll my eyes and flip Jasper off, heading for the door, sick of this. Sick of every-fucking-thing here.
If she’s not back by tomorrow I’m going after her, whatever any of them say. I’ll make sure she gets back to Bristlebrook and that every inch of her perfect little ass is safe—but then I’m done. These days, there’s probably more than enough groups ready to take an asshole like me. Trained soldiers are in high demand, especially ones who know how to crawl in the mud.