Page 43 of Tactical Lies

Here she was, sitting safe and sound in an adorable little cabin, in the middle of a picture-perfect landscape, knowing that people she trusted were monitoring the security systems in case anyone found out where she was staying.

All while her best friend in the whole world was out there somewhere hurting.

Where was Isabella?

Had she been hurt physically?

Raped?

What were the plans of the men who had taken her?

Were they going to traffic her to someone who would keep her prisoner and abuse her until they eventually killed her?

Of course, they were.

Becca didn't make a move to stop the tears that tumbled free, rolling down her cheeks.

There would be no point in abducting Izzy if they were going to let her go. They weren't. They’d taken her to traffic her, there was no other plausible reason.

And Isabella would fight them.

Her best friend was a four foot eleven tornado of energy. She was strong, loyal, and determined. Nothing fazed her, she would give anything a try once, and she was fearless.

Fighting the people who took her sounded like it would be a good thing, but in the end, it wouldn't be.

It would only make her captors more determined to break her.

A broken Izzy sounded like an abomination. It went against nature. But that was what would happen. Those men would destroy her, and even if Prey Security were able to find her and rescue her—and she wasn't kidding herself, she knew that was unlikely—Izzy would never be the same again.

That wasn't right.

It wasn't fair.

The only reason the village had been attacked in the first place was because these people Connor and his family were hunting had come after her. If either of them should have been taken it should have been her, not Isabella.

How could she be sitting there worrying about her love life, trying to decide what her answer to Connor’s question would be, when her best friend, who had stood beside her through everything, was out there suffering an unimaginable traumatic ordeal?

What was wrong with her?

Priorities, Becca.

Get them straight.

Did it really matter what her future held, whether Connor would be part of it or not, and if he was in what way, when Izzy was out there suffering?

No, it didn't.

Yet it seemed almost impossible to tear her thoughts away from the man who had always been destined to be hers. Connor hovered constantly at the back of her mind like he’d been there all along, only she couldn’t remember the last time before he showed up in Cambodia that she’d consciously thought of him.

Mostly she’d just shoved him out of her mind because thinking about him was too painful. But these last few days he’d taken up permanent residence inside her head. He’d filled her dreams, and she felt an ache in her chest that had nothing to do with the bruised ribs because he wasn't there with her.

Crazy.

If Izzy could see her all hung up on Connor, her best friend would freak out. Isabella had been such a rock for her throughout everything, and she’d hated Connor for hurting her.

Only … that wasn't quite true. Izzy hadn't really hated anyone, and the only reason she’d been angry with Connor was because Becca herself was. One thing she knew for certain about her best friend was that if she wanted to give Connor another chance, Izzy would be her biggest cheerleader.

Because in the end, that’s what friends did. They supported you, guided you, offered their opinion, and did their best to ensure you didn't make mistakes, but whatever you did, they were there for you. Isabella was the very best friend in the entire world, and she would have supported whatever decision Becca made.

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