Page 50 of Tactically Acquired

Fuck, she already knew and she was screwing with me. I clenched my jaw and refused to say a word. It would only get me in trouble for years to come.

“That’s classified,” I growled.

“Right,” IRIS snorted.

“Is there something I’m missing?” Spencer asked. “Why would a nickname be classified?” Then he turned to me. “Is it because of your bald head?”

Now, that was just offensive. “Do I mock you for your fancy hair and your prissy suit?”

“There’s nothing wrong with my suit,” he said defensively.

“You know male pattern baldness is a growing epidemic. A genetic predisposition. I can’t help it if my family has bad genes!” I retorted.

“I didn’t?—”

“Oh, you think you’re so special with your thick, luscious hair and your GQ smile. Well, let me tell you something, Mr. Hotshot Hollywood actor. I would take you and your hair any day of the week and twice on Sunday.”

“Isn’t it Friday?” Spencer asked.

I clenched my jaw, ready to kick his ass, and I would have if it wasn’t for IRIS tugging me to the side and flinging his arm around my shoulder.

“Cool off, man. You’re letting him get to you for no reason.”

“Can you believe that shit? He thinks I was named Slider because of my bald head?”

“That’s just fucking ridiculous,” he scoffed.

“Exactly.”

“Everyone knows it’s because…”

“Nice try. I’m not giving that up.”

He sighed, releasing me. “Well, it was worth a shot. So, Rae. Who are these elusive characters you found our lovely lady with?”

“I’m so glad you asked.”

And by the smirk on her face, I knew we were more than fucked.

14

AUDREY

When I woke, it was very dark and I was bouncing around like a piñata in the back of a vehicle. The trunk, to be precise. It was at that moment that I wished I had listened to Baldy about how to survive a kidnapping and what to do if I were in a trunk. That would really come in handy right now.

As it was, my head was pounding and I had the feeling that not even my really awesome skills as an action star would save me this time.

“Think, Audrey. Think,” I hissed to myself. But as I closed my eyes, the only thing I could think about was the impact of that vehicle hitting us and the deafening crash as we hit more than one object.

Heat overwhelmed me and my heart started racing as I remembered every terrifying second after the impact. But it was the darkness after the fact that left my body shaking like a leaf. I didn’t like not knowing what happened or how I got here. More than that, I didn’t like that I hadn’t been able to defend myself.

And if I was here, that meant Craig and Alec were?—

No, I couldn’t think about that right now. They had to be okay. I survived and I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. They were both strapped in. That had to mean that they made it out alive.

Suffocating heat pressed down on me, making it difficult to swallow. I was never going to survive back here if I didn’t figure out how to calm the hell down. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths, then opened them and tried to see around the black blobs dancing in front of my eyes.

“Holy hell, this is bad,” I whispered.

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