Page 149 of Sawyer

“Girl, we can cry about it after we are safe, or as safe as we can be,” she calls back to me.

I follow her until I get to the aisle where my last name would be and look at the tags. My heart sinks when I see all the names upon names on little sticker tags stuck to clear totes.

They kept the evidence. There are so many.

Sadness tries to consume me until I finally get to my tote.

“Got it!” Violet yells to me from somewhere. “I’m going to wait for you by the door. It is too dark in here for my blood!”

“Got mine. I’m right behind you,” I shout back while dragging my tote down. I can either run with the tote or grab the only important part in there—the camera.

I cast the flashlight around as the hair on the back of my neck raises, and then I pop open the lid and tuck the flashlight under my armpit.

“Come on, come on.” Dread spills over me like icy water, making my hands tremble. I don’t want to be in here alone, and I need to hurry the hell up. Finding my jacket, I flatten it out with shaking fingers.

The pin is still where I left it.

Heart pounding, I grab it and fasten it to the bottom of my top, keeping the camera facing my skin.

As I check my backpack for any uneaten protein bars, my hand lands on something smooth. Fingers shaking, I pull out a burner phone. Unease crawls up my neck, and I stuff the phone down my underwear and spin around.

Light catches on a shadow, and I squeak.

“You’re all the same,” the shadow says, making my heart pound, “coming back for your belongings first. Attachment issues, Sawyer? I thought you were better than that.”

My light quivers until I settle it on the face of Sin’s father. His emerald eyes gleam at me with self-righteousness, as though he’s won and I am the prize.

“You’ve lost. This whole place is going to blow.” As Sal advances toward me, I steady my hand and step over my tote, moving backward to get away.

“Yes, I’m well aware of that.” Sal takes another step toward me, unhurried and uncaring. Shaking out his arm, he rolls up his dress shirt. “The doctor issued evacuation orders when he found a bomb.” Sal smirks and glances up at me from beneath his eyelashes. It’s a look Sin’s given me so many times in the past, it almost unsettles me.

Almost.

“They evacuated you?” I damn near stutter. They left all of us to die down there, including the guards.

“Look around you, Sawyer. Don’t you find it odd that there are so few guards fighting right now? And I bet at any moment, Rumor and Bryn will find that level two is empty.” He goes to move on to the next cuff.

My heart falls into my stomach, and I close my eyes briefly. We might have won this battle, but the war rages on.

I had such high hopes.

“Aww,” Sal coos. “Listen, it isn’t your fault. The doc noticed something different with a guard, Rumor, when he took you back to your room. You can’t blame yourself. Well, you can.” He laughs at me, drawing my eyes open again.

“I’ll just find the next lab, and the next and the next. I won’t stop.” Perseverance. I won’t ever stop.

“There are so many things against you right now, Sawyer.” He takes another step toward me as shouts ring out in the hall. “My backup is here. I hope Violet gets out, don’t you?”

Tears burn my eyes. I hate this man. I hate everything he stands for. Everything.

“There it is.” His voice softens. “Now, you, my sweet mate, will come back with me.”

“I won’t,” I say, even though I will if it comes to Violet’s safety.

“Oh, you will, for several reasons.” He steps forward, and I take two steps back. “One.” He ticks off his fingers. “My son has a mate, so there’s no point pining for them anymore. I’ve already given my blessing, and Thea is a well-behaved omega. That is what a council heir deserves, a well-behaved omega, and you are not an omega or well-behaved.”

“I will never behave for you.” In fact, I will make his life a living hell, and I do my best to project that with a sneer on my face.

“I count on it,” he purrs. “And two, Violet. Come with me, and I’ll guarantee her freedom.”

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