Page 73 of August

The artery in August’s neck ticked. Jesus, he was bent out of shape.

Todd shifted his nervous, watchful gaze to August. “They’ll kill me, you know that, right?” he called over the drone of the boat.

August laughed. He couldn’t stop it. A full-blown fucking belly laugh that teetered on the edge of hysterical. The dumb shit hadn’t just tried to make August feel sorry for him, had he?

Leaning forward, August glowered. “The only reason I hope they don’t kill you is because I want them to make you suffer in every way imaginable first. Now, you’re going to tell me everything you know about Val Alvarez and where the fuck he could be hiding Gigi.”

Todd’s face went blank. “They—They have her?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know. Somehow, the cartel figured out about our meeting today. I’m going to bet you alerted Alvarez as soon as the senator told you we were coming for you.” Either Todd or Radcliffe had told Alvarez. Putting the heat on Todd might elicit a confession.

Todd shook his head. “I—”

“Did you know Roy was giving you up? Did he tell you before we arrived?”

Todd swiped his hand down his sweat-streaked face. “I—Yes. I knew. He told me if I tried to run or escape, they’d kill me. Said you knew about their work with Alvarez and he couldn’t hide me anymore.”

“And then he called Alvarez.”

Again, Todd looked panic-stricken. “I don’t know. I swear. They had me locked in my room.”

Satisfied the guy was telling the truth, August sat back. Once they got to land, they’d call Alvarez and give him what he wanted.

Todd’s head on a fucking stick if necessary.

***

Just great.

The one thing she’d been trying to avoid for months and here she was, at the mercy of the cartel. Needless to say, her future didn’t look bright.

Especially from her current location: the inside of a damn trunk.

Sweat dampened her scalp and brow as she struggled against her tied wrists. The rank stench of her own panic filled the confined space. Her lungs ached with every inhale of the stale, musty air. Her heart pumped tirelessly, erratic and frantic.

She wet her lips and tried counting down from ten while breathing slowly, but nothing short of getting out of the car and seeing August would help.

Focusing on stilling her trembling limbs, she tried again. If she didn’t calm down, she’d pass out.

Come on, just think. Ivy was in a way-worse situation. If she could survive that, you can get out of this.

Bringing her twin sister’s face into her mind’s eye, Gigi felt her pulse reduce to a non-life-threatening rate. By now, August or one of the guys would’ve tried to reach Taschen to check in. They’d know something was wrong. August might be hours away, but he’d send someone to the apartment to make sure everything was okay. They might already know she was missing.

All this could be over as fast as it’d started.

She just had to keep the faith and stay alive. Stay alive and pray that somehow Taschen had survived. She swallowed over the lump in her throat as the memory of being taken from the apartment replayed in her mind.

She’d kept her gaze down as she was ushered quickly through the lobby. Desperation had made her want to scream, to make eye contact with anyone and give a sign that she needed help—but she hadn’t dared. The man who’d walked at her side and slightly behind her had his gun concealed, but the recollection of those silent bullets and the harm they’d caused was seared in her brain.

And if the men kidnapping her had shot Taschen without blinking, they’d certainly shoot innocent people, too. She couldn’t allow it.

Worry churned in her stomach and fresh tears burned her eyes. Taschen was likely dead because of her. Oh, god, would August blame her? Would the others?

Tears coursed down her cheeks. As if it freaking mattered. She’d never see August again. There was no way out of this. They were probably taking her to the woods to chuck her body off a cliff. She’d be lucky if her remains were ever found.

It might not matter if August blamed her for Taschen’s death, but it sure as hell mattered that she’d never see him again. That she’d never get to thank him for doing everything he could to protect her, that she’d never get to bury herself in his arms or tell him she—

Her heart stopped and started.

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