Page 92 of August

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August ran through the woods with Rami and Toth steps behind him. Every muscle in his body jumped with anxiety. They had an address and no way of knowing whether Gigi was actually there, but Christ, it was something.

He leapt over fallen logs and swatted branches from his face. In three minutes, they were at the Tahoe. Rami ran around to the driver’s side, August took shotgun, and Toth got in the back.

“Go, go, go,” August chanted, as Rami started the engine. Urgency rushed through him and threatened to singe his skin.

Rami gunned the vehicle onto the highway and headed toward the city. Toth spoke on the phone, but August couldn’t register what he was saying. As Rami sped down the road, August typed the address into Maps. The annoying voice came on, far too fucking chipper for the situation, and promised they’d reach their destination in eighteen minutes.

“We’ve got her,” Rami said reassuringly. “Just hang in there.”

He must have sensed that August’s sanity was on the brink of collapsing because Rami wasn’t typically the reassuring type. Then again, for Ivy’s sake, Rami would want Gigi back as much as anyone.

“That was Ghost,” Toth said. “He’s going to meet us at the address. I hope to hell someone’s there.”

August grunted. “Gigi better fucking be or Radcliffe’s a dead man.”

The temptation to put a bullet in Roy’s leg had almost won out. But if they didn’t find Gigi, they’d need Roy. And if August put him in the hospital, it’d only get the police involved. As of right now, they’d left the senator’s house with a stern warning not to involve the cops. Roy wasn’t stupid. He’d seen what August was capable of and wouldn’t take the risk.

“He’s already a dead man. I’m surprised Alvarez hasn’t killed him yet for hiding Todd. I’m sure Radcliffe’s obituary will be headline news any day now.”

“Wrong.” August shook his head, his voice sounding foreign to his own ears. “Alvarez’s death will be headline news tomorrow. Radcliffe might have just been kissed by an angel.”

But if Gigi wasn’t alive, Radcliffe would pay. He might not have directly harmed Gigi, but August would bet everything he owned that the senator knew more than he’d let on.

And August would get to the bottom of it if it was the last thing he did.

CHAPTER 28

With her head resting on the wall and tears welling behind her closed eyelids, Gigi couldn’t summon any calm. Sadness closed in around her, stealing all hope.

The hard truth was that she had only hours, if not minutes, before Alvarez arrived and decided to either put a bullet in her head or sell her to the highest bidder. If he chose to keep her alive, there was a good chance he wouldn’t cut out her tongue, as Alec had mentioned earlier. That’d only make her harder to sell... probably.

She’d rather a quick bullet. At the thought, tears rolled down her cheeks.

No, she wouldn’t prefer immediate death. Because if she didn’t die right away there was at least a chance of escape. A chance to survive and find August. He wouldn’t stop searching for her. She was as certain of that as she was that Alec was a demon in human form.

They’d found Ivy. They could find her, too.

She just had to stay alive. Not anger Alec again, or Alvarez if she could help it.

Outside, Micha barked. Had someone arrived at the house? She couldn’t look out the window with the cardboard back in place. Her nerves bounced, and she opened her eyes as if doing so would help her determine who was outside. Could it be August? Had he found her?

Or was it Alvarez?

She inhaled a shaky breath as voices drifted from the front of the house. She sniffled. Devastation clawed its way up the back of her throat. There was no chance the new arrival was August because there sure as hell wouldn’t be comfortable chitchat. Who’d have thought the blast of bullets could offer comfort?

Right now, that’s what she prayed for.

Bullets. Violence. August storming in and shooting every one of Alvarez’s men.

None of that happened. No forced entry. No battle cries.

Just conversation.

Footsteps scuffed down the hallway. Gigi squirmed. With her arms bound behind her, she couldn’t do a damn thing to protect herself. She wet her lips as the snap of the metal lock opening echoed in the tight space.

The door swung open and Marko entered. His expression stoic, he barely skimmed her face as he stood to the side to let the man behind him enter.

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