Page 93 of Zain

“Yeah?”

Dana focused on his voice, trying desperately to gauge his location.

“Good. Scratch the meeting point. I need youin the woods near Weeks Falls. Bitch is on foot.”

No!

Zain, where are you?

***

Zain’s expectations forTaschen’s driving fell short. “My mom drives faster than you.”

“Man,” Taschen grumbled, “I want to get there more than you do, but I also don’t want to get pulled over and have this take even longer. I’m already doing twenty over the speed limit.”

All right, he had a point about the cops. But moving at the speed of light probably wouldn’t be fast enough for Zain. He also wanted to point out that there was no way in hell Taschen wanted to get there more than he did, but the argument would be a waste of energy.

Instead, he pulled out his phone.

His brother answered after two rings. “Hey, Brick told me you’re on your way.”

“Yeah, about fifteen minutes out. I take it they’re still not there?”

Rami grunted. “Nope. I’m beginning to think this was a setup.”

“Well it wasn’t. Ghost spotted them en route on I-90. They can’t be far.”

“Should’ve been here by now, though.”

A vise clamped around Zain’s stomach. He didn’t want to acknowledge the possibility they’d been given the wrong location. Didn’t want tobelieve they could have already killed Dana before sending men to take care of him. “Keep me posted.”

He hung up and pinched his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger. Dana couldn’t be far. The fact that she was so close and he couldn’t see or touch her was next-level torture.

As he flicked his gaze out the window, something in the side mirror caught his attention. A large black SUV sent sizzles of awareness through him.

Anyone could drive a fancy SUV. But in the middle of a workday, and heading in the same direction...

“You see that?” he asked Taschen softly, almost afraid the people in the SUV would hear him.

“What? They’re not tailgating.”

“No, but check out the vehicle.”

Taschen drummed his thumb on the steering wheel. “I’ll let them pass. See if you can get a look.” The car slowed a fraction.

A couple of minutes later, the SUV changed lanes and accelerated. Zain looked as it passed. The vehicle had fully tinted windows, so he could see only the outlines of two male figures in the front. “Hard to say if they’ve got anything to do with Maxine.”

“I agree. It’s possible but anyone could—They’re turning off.”

Zain cocked an eyebrow as he watched theSUV slow and take a dirt road off the highway. Following the gravel path, it snaked into the trees. “Well that’s fucking fishy.”

“No shit.”

Zain sat forward in his seat. “Follow ’em.”

“Obviously.” He took the same road but paused at the top of a hill. The thicket of forest that sandwiched the road concealed them from whoever was at the bottom.

“What’re you doing?” Zain said, failing to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

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