Burying my head in his chest, I can’t look at him for fear of giving myself away.
This is the last time I might be with Kurt, so I want to savor the moment. My eyes closed, I smell the scent of hot sex and Kurt blended together.
If they bottled that smell I would purchase a lifetime supply.
The visions I had all day of sneaking out of my house were never ones where I was still covered in sweat and the remnants of the sex we had.
With Kurt snoring and thankfully rolled over on to his side of the bed, it made sliding out easier than it could have been.
Silent tears stream down my face as I ever so slowly close the door to the bedroom, leaving behind the two loves of my life.
Kurt and Coco.
One foot in front of the other, I walk as quickly as I can to the end of the road to meet up with Scott. Seeing him leaning against his car makes me nervous and relieved at the same time. I was worried I’d come down here in the dark to no one, and then I’d be in danger.
I might not like Scott, but I feel like he will keep me safe.
I trust him, but I just don’t like him.
“Asha, did he hear you leave?” Scott grumbles, holding open the car door for me.
“No,” I say, sliding into the car.
Closing it, he heads to the driver’s side, getting in, and the car engine springs to life.
As the car starts to go forward, Scott hands me a phone from the front seat.
“Well done, Asha.” Davina’s voice is on the other end.
“Right. Now where are my parents?” I’m desperate to know. The doors of the SUV lock as the car picks up speed.
“I’m sorry to tell you, Asha, but your parents are dead.”
My blood instantly freezes in my body, right to my core. “What?” I can barely manage a whisper.
“It’s true, and Kurt killed them.”
Her words disappearing, I can’t breathe, and the shock taking over my body is the last thing I remember.
Chapter Twenty-Two
KURT
The shrill ring of my phone startles me awake.
Reaching out and grabbing it from the bedside table, my adrenaline is already racing seeing Scott’s name, and I’m straight away aware Asha isn’t in the bed with me.
“Talk to me,” I bellow down the phone as my feet hit the ground, and I’m moving, searching for her.
Coco barks at me, from the phone waking her and my frantic movements.
“I’ve got Asha, but you need to listen. She’s safe for the moment.”
Standing naked in the moonlight streaming in the window of the living room, my heart feels like it has stopped. It’s only for the split second, and then I feel my anger, fear, and rage take over my body.
“You fucking hurt her and I swear I will kill you as painfully as possible.” My voice is the deepest growl I’ve ever spoken, so he knows how much I mean it.
I’m already in the bedroom, dressing, with Coco running in circles around me; she knows something is wrong.
“I will hunt you down!”
“Bull, shut up and listen, we don’t have a lot of time. I have Asha, but I have just given her a sedative to put her to sleep for a short while. She is safe, but I don’t have time for her drama. There is something not right with Davina. I don’t trust her, which I was trying to tell you this morning.”
“Why should I believe you? Trust is a word you use loosely, Hawk.”
“Fuck, just shut up! Davina told me to remove Asha tonight, and we are headed for another safehouse because you were compromised. But when I check the database, there is no record of this move or any authorization. Davina has been acting strangely since I first arrived on this case, not letting me get too involved. And you can’t tell me it’s normal that she kept you a secret from the boss. No matter who you are, she should have reported that.”
“I thought she was protecting Asha! But with everything I’ve learned over the last few days, I shouldn’t have trusted her!” I know I’m screaming into the phone, but I can’t stop. “Now tell me where the fuck you are, asshole.”
“You’re such a hardhead. If we could trust her, then why would she be moving Asha and not telling you?”
The silence between us is deafening as my thoughts are battling.
“Exactly,” Scott snaps. “Now listen. I’m going to tell you where I am so you can come and take Asha and get the fuck out of here. Something isn’t right, and we are both feeling it in our bones. Even if you don’t believe me about Davina, you can’t tell me that there isn’t bad air hanging around.”
My thoughts are torn, but one thing keeps repeating in my head: bad air.
I’ve felt it for days, that sense that has my nerve endings twitching but not in a good way.
“Where are you?” I pat Coco on her head and tell her to stay, knowing my dad will come for her.
I’m running down the road as Scott starts giving me directions. I thank small mercies that I already have the car packed and ready with all the supplies I need to disappear, thanks to Seth.
“On my way. Don’t move, and for fuck’s sake, watch your back.” Ending the call, I hope I can get to them before something else goes wrong.
I jump into the waiting car after finding the keys Seth secretly planted. I knew he wouldn’t give me a piece-of-shit car. I didn’t know he would give me his gunmetal-gray Range Rover that hardly leaves the shed. It’s got all the trimmings, because that’s just Seth all over. But what matters
