Page 107 of Inside the Wicked

“I have a feeling I don’t want to.”

“It’s like a drug,” Rix says. “Bad, but fucking addictive.”

“Thirty seconds,” I inform them.

“For what?” Ana asks, but we’re here.

Driving down into an underground parking lot, I cut the engine and swing out. Rix and Adam are a heartbeat behind as I open Ana’s door.

“The best way to get out of a police chase is to never let one begin,” I say close to her ear.

“That’s kind of cheating,” she says with a devious smile. “I was looking forward to you wreaking havoc on the streets.”

“I will wreak havoc onyoufor the little stunt you pulled.”

Two of my guys emerge from each of the awaiting two cars. I toss the key to our getaway car to one, and they get to work on changing the plates before they drive out of here.

“I guess you’ll be working remotely while the smoke clears,” Rix says.

“For a few days. Keep me updated if you find anything.”

“Will do, boss.”

“Stockbridge,” Ana mutters.

I turn and find her with the book open, but she’s holding a card she found within it. Her eyes light up, scanning the front before she flips it over.

“He’s in Stockbridge, Massachusetts,” she says, more hopeful, before holding up what I see is a postcard.

“What does it say?” I ask.

“There’s only a number on the back.”

Rix crosses the space and plucks the postcard from her. “It has to be coordinates,” he says. “I think I like this guy.”

“Let’s hope it leads us to Allie. Can you take care of it? I want to be in on it, but we have Silas and the upcoming Forthson venue opening party.”

It’s tearing me apart not to be able to put my full focus on getting Allie back, but we have so many high stakes on the edge of collapse.

“Of course,” he says, studying the picture with new hope as he heads to his car.

I walk around with Ana to the passenger side, but before she gets in I catch her wrist, spinning her to pin her against it with my hips.

“Good work, little bird,” I say and kiss her hard.

“No reprimand?”

“So eager for punishment,” I muse. “Don’t worry, I’m not finished with you yet.”

I open her door, and her eyes, sparkling with desire, make my cock twitch as she slips inside.

Half an hour later, we’re parked down a deserted dirt road ten minutes from the warehouse apartment. I don’t want to take any risks to compromise that place, and so we’ve switched cars again, and now we’re waiting to see if anyone followed.

In the silence I’m left to reflect on the hour under Oma’s intense interrogation. She dragged all my demons to the surface. Thing is, once she did, they were mine to fight head-on.

I find myself needing to show them to Ana. After all she’s risking for this, for me, I owe her that, in case all of this is for nothing if she decides she wants to leave.

“Alistair kept me in a room. There was a mattress and a TV screen to watch you on almost every day. I think he wanted me to believe you were moving on, that he was succeeding in making you his.” It comes out of me before I can seal it all away again, the beginning of a hellish three months.

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