Page 18 of Risky Passion

"She was tracking drug runners, Jaxson." Parker's voice cracked. "The bastards opened fire on her."

"Fuck." I drove my fingers through my hair, pacing the edge of the pit.

Onyx tracked my movements with her tail low and hackles slightly raised.

"What’s her last known position?" I asked Parker.

“Hang on,” Parker said, and as the noises down the line increased, I pictured the last time I’d seen Tory at the Christmas party. She’d worn a red dress that hugged all the right curves. She'd been with Whisper all night, and their laughter had carried across the room with the kind of easy joy that made everything else fade away. I hadn’t been the only one watching her, though. The date she’d arrived with was some hotshot from the drug squad with more ego than sense, and he had nearly put his fist through the wall when she’d left with Torres from paramedic unit two. Didn't blame her. Torres at least knew how to smile.

"They think she went down near where they found those trafficking victims last month," Parker said.

My head snapped toward the eastern tree line. The wall of greenery was impenetrable beyond the first few feet. Between us and the coastline stretched miles of nature's deadliest obstacles: mosquito-infested swamps, deadly snakes, and mud that could swallow my Jeep without a trace. The image of Tory out there, maybe bleeding, maybe worse, made my stomach twist into knots.

"That's what, ten miles from here?"

"Jesus, you’re right. You're closer than any of the rescue teams they’ve scrambled. You need to find her."

Whitney hauled himself out of the pit, joints cracking from being cramped too long. He peeled off his face mask, revealing tracks of sweat cutting through the grime on his face. "Something more pressing than our Jane Doe, Jax?"

I held up a finger, silencing Whitney and earning a scowl that could curdle milk.

"Did she go down?" I asked Parker.

“We don’t know. The Mayday cut off mid-transmission.”

"Fuck." I swallowedhard.

Onyx pressed against my leg, her ears pricked toward the woods, nose working overtime. She'd caught my rising anxiety, shifting her weight between paws, ready to move. Ready to hunt.

"If she crashed in that swamp . . ." The words jammed in my throat. “Onyx and I will go now. We’ll find her.”

Whitney ripped off his gloves, the latex snapping in the humid air. "Like hell you are! We've got a fresh corpse and a crime scene that needs processing. You're not walking away from?—"

"Parker," I cut in, halting Whitney, and his face darkened. "This body we found is going to crack every cold case you've got from this hellhole wide open, so you need to take over from me up here."

"Christ. I can’t. They’ve got everyone working on finding Tory and the bastards who shot at her."

"Parker, listen." I fixed my gaze on Whitney. "Whoever buried the woman here, they're going to be real pissed that we found this body. So keep a lid on it."

Parker groaned as another burst of shouting filtered through his end. "Chief needs an update, Jax. You know that."

"Damn it." The hairs on my neck stood up, and the center of my back tingled like a sniper's crosshairs were zeroed in. "Fine. Tell him. But only him. We can't risk this getting to the wrong ears."

Whitney was photographing something in the pit, his movements precise and controlled despite the sweat dripping from his chin.

"Text me Tory's last known coordinates,” I said to Parker, “and keep me updated if anything comes in."

"Copy that. And, Jax?" Parker's voice dropped lower. "If Tory was shot down, those bastards could be hunting her, too. Watch your back out there."

"Always do." I brushed my hand over the grip of my Sig. "Same goes for you."

I ended the call and stared down at our Jane Doe.

A woman arranged with rotting flowers. A plane shot from the sky. Mass graves of trafficked kids. This place collected nightmares like they were gems.

"Damn it, Whit," I said. "Tory’s plane went down. Ihave to find her."

Whitney looked up from where he was photographing the body. “Ah, shit. Okay, at least give me a hand to lift this body out of here.”

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