Page 150 of Valor

“Wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Silas replies. “What do we know so far?”

“Just that it was a dark sedan. I’ve put out an APB on it, and Tucker is scanning camera footage in and around town to see if we can get a match.”

“Elijah is checking highways using some satellites he borrowed.”

I don’t even care that what the other former Army Ranger is doing is highly illegal. All I want is Lani to be found. By whatever means necessary.

“We need something to give because right now—” I can’t even begin to finish the sentence. “I’m going to head back out. Retrace some steps.” My cell rings. Deputy Brown’s name flashes across the screen. “Anything?” I ask as I press it to my ear.

“I found the car,” she says. “It looks like it’s been wiped, but there was an empty syringe in the trunk.”

“Where?”

“Just outside of town. It’s off in a ditch and shielded by some brush. Whoever left it didn’t want it to be found.”

Hope.It’s not much. But it’s something. “Send me the location ping. I’m on my way.”

LANI

“Sorry to cut this short,but I’ve got someplace to be now.” Deputy Brown shoves her cell into her pocket, then turns to face me, a sadistic smile on her face. The fact that she’s no longer hiding her identity from me means she has no intention of letting me live this time around.

“Why are you doing this?” I can barely speak, and my words come out more like a whisper than anything from where I’m propped up against a wall in her kitchen.

I tried to scream, but even if I’d been able to, the acres between her and her neighbors mean it’s unlikely that anyone would even hear my cries for help.

She’s still in uniform, her hair pulled back from her face. The moment she took that mask off—anger unlike anything I’ve ever experienced rushed through me. I trusted her. Gibson trusted her.

But she shot my dad.

She kidnapped me.

And for what?

“You could have lived, you know. When all this started, I had no intention of killing you. Honestly, if you’d just stuck to doing your job, then none of this would be necessary. But no, nothing I did worked to distract either of you.”

“You sent the emails.”

“Yes. Not too difficult, either. Your brother gave me some fabulous advice on an uncrackable password. He really should be more careful who he talks to.” She hops up on the counter and looks down at me as though she’s delighted to tell me everything now that it’s unlikely I’ll ever get away. “I really did feel terrible for breaking the diner window though. But it had to be done. Because you stepped out of your lane and went after what wasn’t yours to have.”

“He’s not yours,” I tell her. Every word scratches against my dry throat.

She ignores me. “You were supposed to only be gone long enough for him to notice me. Then I would’ve let you go. You could’ve had any other man in town. Any other future. Yet you just had to go and steal mine.”

Gibson.My stomach churns, and I try to clear my throat. The tranquilizer she gave me is wearing off slowly, but not nearly as fast as I need it to. Still, I fight against it as best I can. “Is he why you’re doing this then? Because you’re in love with Gibson?”

“You know, I’ve spent the last year watching you, Lani Hunt, and I cannot believe someone as self-centered as you would garner the type of attention you have. Not just from everyone in this ridiculous town. Or even your family. I get how you’ve fooled them. Big, pleading brown eyes. Tragic backstory. They’ll get you anything, huh? They think you can do no wrong.” She crosses her arms. “It’s the Sheriff I can’t quite figure out. He already made the wrong choice once. Why is he so eager to do it again?”

“I’m not the wrong choice.”

“But you are the wrong choice. Just as Manny was the wrong choice for me. Boy, was he the wrong choice. I took care of him though. Just as I’m taking care of you.”

“You killed him?”

She smiles. “I made him disappear. Just as I’m going to make you disappear.”

“Just like you made Carla disappear?” I ask, tears rolling down my cheeks. I try to move my toes, but nothing happens. My fingers wiggle ever so slightly. But not enough to mean anything—yet.

“Carla knew too much,” she says. “She escalated my plans. Just like you did when you escaped.” She shakes her head. “If you hadn’t, Carla would still be alive. So really, her death is on you.”

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