Page 92 of The Verdict

I tensed as Ty seared the skinny metal tongs with a lighter. He met my eyes once to mutter an apology and then dug the metal into my flesh.

Fuck.

The pain was blinding. Black spots ate away at my vision as it felt like he was carving straight through my chest with a knife.

Harm’s voice broke through it all. “That was where the drive was. There was no one else to follow.”

“Almost there.” Ty’s voice was muffled as I felt myself starting to pass out from the pain.

No.I had to stay here. I had to know…

“I looked, but I didn’t see any sign of her or Morte, so I came back here.” Harm continued to talk, but I couldn’t see him anymore. And the pain—the pain was there but wasn’t. It was in me, but it was also a million miles away.

His voice started to slip. Reality started to slip. Darkness encased my vision, and consciousness began to fade.

“It’s out.”

Something burned in my chest again. Sharper. More potent. And I gasped like I’d come out of a dream.

Ty took the belt that had fallen from my mouth and gave it back to Talon as he pressed gauze to my wound. “Bullet’s out. Going to bandage it in a minute.”

“Did you check the hotel? The party?” I croaked.

“I checked what I could. Rob is there, somewhere, observing the fundraiser. She didn’t see Merritt come back, and she put out word to her people working at the hotel, but no one has seen them.”

Fuck.

“The diamond. She has to be taking him to the diamond.” I started to shake my head. “I have to find her.” I sat straighter, ignoring Ty’s warning growl. “I have to find?—”

A knock fluttered on the door, insistent but unsteady. We looked at each other because we were all here, and I wondered if I’d been too loud. If someone walking in the hall had called down to the front and reported strange sounds from our room.

“I’ll handle it,” Harm said low, and Dare and Talon fell into place, shielding Ty and me from view as he quickly packed the gauze tight and taped it over my wound.

I didn’t care who it was out there—hotel staff,cops. Hell, even Ivans himself could show up wrapped in a bow, and I wouldn’t care.Couldn’t.Not until I found Merritt.

I yanked my shirt back over the bandage just as Harm opened the door, the tension in the room so thick, a pinprick could make it explode.

“Please, tell me he’s here.”

No. It couldn’t be…

I stood and barreled through everyone to get to the door—to see with my own eyes.

Harm stepped to the side, and I stopped short.

She was here. In the doorway. Alive.Safe.

“Merritt.” I breathed her name like she was a vision—a hallucination. And if that were the case, I’d happily live crazy for the rest of my life.

But then she rushed forward and cupped her hands to my face. “Are you okay?”

“You’re okay.” I groaned, and when her bottom lip quivered, all I could do was kiss her.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close, not caring how much it hurt my shoulder because it meant she was real. The last time I saw her, she’d been lifeless. A prisoner to the man who’d tried to gut her. A man who was evil. A criminal. A man who’d smiled at me with such fucking certainty that I’d never see her again.

“Rhys…” Harm’s deep rumble reminded me we weren’t alone, and I broke the kiss, my gaze roaming over her face, still struggling to believe she was really here.

“How?” I rasped the question every other look in the room silently carried.

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