Page 67 of Law

But he wasn’t going to do that. He wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. “We’re getting out of this damn field. Then you’re going back to the warehouse. We might as well have painted targets on our backs.” Law pulled Zane to his feet and shoved him back toward the trees. “Stay low,” he ordered.

With a death glare in Law’s direction, Zane did as he was told. Thank god.

When they reached the trees, Zane spun to face him. “What is your problem, man? You don’t have any right to keep me from going after my sister.”

“True enough,” Law admitted. “But the least you can do is tell me your plan.”

“I don’t have to tell you a damn thing. What’s your deal?”

Zane’s gaze shifted to the side. Law called him on it. “Yeah, it’shard to look a man in the eye when you’re being a dick, isn’t it? Look, I can’t force you to go back to the warehouse. You’re right, I can’t do shit to stop you from ruining your life. If that’s what you want to do, you’re going to do it no matter what I say. But a man owns his shit. He tells his friends what he’s doing. He doesn’t sneak off and do it without telling anyone. If you want to be treated like a man, act like one.”

Indecision flashed in Zane’s eyes, and for a minute, Law thought he’d reached the kid. Then it was gone, and the angry resolve was back. Law braced.

Red patches stained Zane’s cheeks. “I don’t have to tell you anything. I didn’t ask you to get involved in this. I know what I’m doing. If you’d just?—”

Law was just about over the teenage attitude. He growled, cutting Zane off. “Don’t even try to lie to me. Do you think I don’t know what you're doing? And why you’re doing it? If you think this is what your sister would want or expect, then you don’t know her at all.”

But Law did. Personally. Intimately. He was being honest with Zane, and deep down, the kid knew it.

“If you tell me what you plan to do, I might be able to help. If nothing else, I can tell you what Sabre’s doing. You can jump in and help. I know Sawyer can use another computer guru. The point is, we’re a team. You don’t have to do this alone.”

Zane swung his gaze back to Law. The fear in the boy’s eyes gutted him.

“I always have to deal with this alone,” Zane said, shaking his head. “Always.”

Law shook his head. “Not anymore, you don’t. Now let’s go find Lovelyn.”

CHAPTER 28

The ground continued to get colder, and the air, too. It was growing darker.

Lovie wished she had her phone. If this was it, she wished she could talk to her Daddy one more time.

And Zane. It would have been nice to spend more time with Zane. But it was almost impossible to keep her eyes open. If she could keep her eyes open, she could watch the stars come out. She’d like to see the stars.

She’d just close her eyes for a minute. She could picture her Daddy. Picture talking to him. Kissing him. Making love to him.

She loved him so much. He would be here any minute. She knew that. Her one job was to stay safe. It seemed she’d never gotten very good at that.

She wanted to play, but it was so hard to breathe. Maybe she hadn’t moved enough dirt… maybe she should rest.

Just until her Daddy came…

She’d wait… maybe with her eyes closed…

Just… just for a few minutes.

Just a few…

And… and then…

Then her Daddy would come…

Her eyes were so heavy…

She’d rest them… and wait…

For her Viking…

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