Page 35 of Memphis

Once I hit the bottom of the ladder, I was assaulted by an odor that had to come from bodily waste. It almost took my breath away, but I held it together, following Bo and his flashlight as he moved forward.

The tunnel was tight but tall enough that we didn’t have to crawl, probably to accommodate the kidnappers who accompanied the victims to prevent any escapes. It was stuffy, dank, dark, and I had to keep resisting the urge to use my own flashlight to check behind us to see if we were being followed when I knew we weren’t. We walked for what felt like ten hours before Bo stopped at another ladder and just stood there.

“What are you—” I began, but he shushed me, which almost made me shoot his ass for real. No one shushed me.

No one.

We stood there for I know a good thirty minutes waiting on God knows what or who before I heard a scraping sound and dim light shone on his beautiful face.

He smiled, blinking against the light. Reaching for my hand, he said, “You go first.”

I frowned and didn’t move a muscle. “Who-what’s up there?”

“Safety. Go! I’m right behind you, baby.”

As much as I hated when he called me that, it did give me some comfort. After all, he wouldn’t let something happen to his “baby” would he?

Shit,would he?

Fuck it. I got a big ass gun, I thought, and I’m good at using it.

Taking Bo’s place at the ladder, I began climbing it, my muscles sore from all the walking in combination with the anxiety that was plaguing me. I wanted out of this tunnel andthis country before some shit popped off. I was also hungry and tired and beginning to feel light-headed.

Shit.

Once I made it to the top, a hand appeared, reaching to help me. I hesitantly took it, emerging from the darkness to find myself in the middle of a damn desert. The hand belonged to a man I’d never seen before. Tall, olive skin, kind of handsome. He still held my hand when Bo joined us above ground.

“Motherfucker, let her fucking hand go!” Bo bellowed.

“Shit, sorry. Just making sure she’s okay. That’s all,” the man said after dropping my hand like it was boiling hot.

Bo snarled at him before turning his attention to me. “You good? He hurt you gripping your hand and shit?”

I shook my head, which was a mistake because it seemed to knock something loose in my skull. Before I could reassure him of my wellbeing, I felt myself sinking to the ground…and everything went black.

20

Iawoke in a dimly lit room. I was on a bed, and the only sound I heard was a hum. My ears felt full, and my stomach felt empty. My body just felt…tired.

“Hey,” came a voice that belonged to a familiar energy.

“You were following me? Watching me?” I asked, my eyes to the ceiling, my hand cradling my forehead.

“I’m always watching you. Always making sure you’re safe,” he told me.

I turned to see him sitting next to the bed, disquiet in his eyes. “I can take care of myself.”

He nodded, leaning forward, his eyebrows in a tangle. “I know that. I do it for my own peace of mind because I love you.”

Returning my attention to the ceiling, I queried, “How long have you been watching me?”

“For The Agency? Since you joined. For me? Since the first time I met you face to face.”

“So, you’re trying to say you’ve loved me that long? Bullshit.”

“You know I have.”

Nothing from me.

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