Page 41 of Hunted Innocence

But not just Brody. It’s Brody and Landon Tate.

Brody is sitting in a folding chair, and Landon is standing next to him, holding a gun, the barrel pressing against his temple. I expected to see something like this. I hoped it wasn’t the case, but I just had that sinking feeling that Brody was somehow dragged into this, and I was right.

But now, running out of here is out of the question. I will never knowingly harm my brother.

“Welcome to the party,” Landon announces.

I don’t ask him what he wants, mainly because I already know, but also, I don’t want to hear him say it out loud. I don’t want to hear him say anything. I wish he would just fade away.

Never to be seen or heard from again.

But I, of all people, know that wishes don’t come true. At least not for long. If they did, I would have been with Grayson for a lot longer than just a few days.

As much as I want to be angry about not having him for long, I need to be thankful, and I am, for the time we had together. At least I was able to know what it was like, and it was better than I ever imagined.

“Where is my drive?” he demands.

Brody growls from his seat, but I can’t look down at him. If I do, I might cry, and I refuse to cry in front of Landon Tate… in front of my husband. How gross. I cannot believe I am married to this asshole.

“Considering I was kidnapped, I don’t have it on me,” I snap.

Landon's eyes narrow on me, his lips press together, and I know from vast experience that he is ready to snap. I do not cower in the fear that fills me from the expression he’s wearing on his face.

I am not eighteen any longer.

He does not own me.

I refuse.

“Then you can take me to it,” he states.

I almost, almost laugh in his face, though I decide against it because while I’m not scared of him, I also know that he can and will hurt Brody to bend me to his will. He has proven that to me more than once over our relationship in many different ways.

Ways that I don’t ever want to think about again.

“It’s at the Night Devils clubhouse,” I say. “In my purse.”

Landon’s eyes widen, then they flick over to my parents, who are now standing together to my right as if they’re supporting one another. Or maybe they’re scared of what Landon will do to them when I piss him off.

Oh well.

Landon drops the gun from Brody’s head, the move causing my breath to hitch. I can see it in his eyes. He’s pissed off. No, he’s irritated. Likely because my parents are incompetent and didn’t get what he wanted the way he wanted it.

Which, to be honest, I’m not sure why he thought they could get the job done. They’re junkies and deep in their addictions, judging by their outward appearances. I do feel bad for them… no, I feel pity for them.

They’ve thrown their whole lives away. They threw me away, and in turn, Brody left, too. They have nothing but one another and drugs. Maybe that’s all they’ve ever wanted, though—one another and drugs.

To be able to just drown in both, and if that’s the case, then they have achieved it all.

“You took her without ensuring she had the thumb drive?” Landon asks, his focus on my mother.

Apparently, she was the brains behind the operation. I almost burst out in laughter, but instead, I shift my gaze to Brody while Landon berates my parents for beingidiot junkies. His words, not mine.

I would probably just call them addicts and actually not ask them to do anything for me, since the last time I was involved with them, they sold me to this asshole to save their asses.

Brody’s gaze holds mine, and I tilt my head slightly to the side in a silent question of,Are you alright?He jerks his chin once, then again, but the second time, he jerks it toward the front door.

My lips twitch into a smirk because that front door was the first thing I noticed in this room, too. But I’m not leaving without him, and he’s tied to that chair somehow. Otherwise, he would have already been up with Landon being distracted.

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