Page 151 of Sawyer

She averts her gaze before she recovers and plasters a smile on her face. “You don’t have to go.”

“I won’t leave a single woman behind.” That isn’t what Sawyer would want.

“They aren’t there!” she blurts out, her voice echoing in the stairwell. “We need to go,” she says quieter.

Rumor slowly comes to stand beside me, and I can feel his fury vibrating through him.

I’m trying hard to give this woman the benefit of the doubt, but she’s making it damn hard. “Explain,” I bark at her. I hate to use it, but the moment she fell into my arms and tried to impale herself on my dick, I knew something was off with her.

I can’t explain it, but I’m going to trust my instinct. It’s what keeps me safe, and it’s kept me alive for a long time.

“I mean, the good doctor already moved them.” She smiles, and it’s full of darkness. She’s broken, so fucking broken.

“The good doctor,” I repeat slowly.

“We got played,” Rumor mutters, his eyes shooting to the stairwell. I know what he’s thinking because it’s precisely what I’m thinking. Do we trust her? Or do we risk our lives even more?

“They aren’t there,” Thea repeats, taking a few cautious steps toward us. She doesn’t smell of lies. All she smells like is that noxious sugar that is a little too strong to be normal. “I wouldn’t lie. My life is on the line here too.”

“Explain,” I command her again, already sick and tired of her bullshit.

“He promised me you would come for me. Bryn, Rumor, and Sin.” She blinks innocently at me.

“I never questioned how she knew our names,” Rumor says for only my ears and my ears alone.

I didn’t question her either.

“He said you would save me, just like the princess in the tower,” she tells us.

There’s so much that’s fucked up about her words beyond the blatant evasion and childlike innocence. I can’t figure her out. Her mind is like a child’s, but there’s a darkness there that was implanted by another.

“Where is he?” I ask, referencing the doctor.

“Gone.” Her smile is full of excitement. “He’s free to continue his work.”

“Fuck me, she’s telling the truth.” Rumor pinches the bridge of his nose. “We need to get out of here.”

It’s the same conclusion I’ve already come to. I dart up the stairs past Thea, who tries to reach for me. Ignoring her whimper, I order, “Stay between us,” because despite feeling like she’s working both sides here, she’s still a woman, and I’m still going to protect her.

Back at the door, I push through. There was no one in the hall, and we took care of everyone in the security rooms. Thea’s explanation clarifies why this was so easy.

Too easy.

They evacuated everyone.

Shaking my head, I dart into the main room, finding the woman who was with Sawyer by the door. “We need to go!”

“Not without Sawyer,” she snaps.

“Where is she?” Fear speeds through my veins as I skid to a stop before the desk.

“Bryn!” Rumor shouts, running past me, and Thea screams.

Swinging around, I grab her by the waist and roll behind the desk, dropping her there. Turning to the woman, I order, “Get her.”

She nods with wide, fearful eyes and turns to a door to another room.

“Stay,” I tell Thea, and launch myself over the desk. Men in tactical gear rush me, all deltas. I don’t want to kill them because they are doing only what they are told. Deltas follow orders. That is what they trained to do at the base.

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