Decker

by Summers, Eden

  I lunge forward, head butting him right above the eyes. The impact ricochets through my skull, temporarily blinding me. But it does the trick.

  It’s nighty-night for the big, bad Hunter.

  15

  Decker

  I grab his belongings—keys, wallet, phone, gun—you name it, I’ve got it. Then I run for the car, hightailing it back into town.

  I pull over at the start of the main street and scan the shopfronts, looking for any reinforcements who may have arrived to protect Keira.

  I could keep running. I should keep running.

  It’s not like I’m capable of taking down Luther from the inside anymore. But Hunter’s right. I’ve dragged him and Sarah into this. Torian will kill them as soon as he finds out I’m the informant. He’ll consider them accomplices. At the very least, he’ll hold Hunter responsible.

  And as trigger-happy as my friend was moments ago, I’m not going to let them take the fall for something I’ve done. I don’t want him punished.

  But Keira…

  I clench my teeth, fighting back anger. She set me up. She manipulated me with her body, making me sink head deep into her game.

  It’s her fault we’re all in this position, and she’s the one who has to fix it.

  I park the Porsche behind the diner and run back to Hunter’s Chevy. The Suburban will attract less attention, and I guess I get a kick out of stealing Hunt’s car.

  I fill the tank with gas and wash up in the bathroom, cleaning away the blood and gore the best I can.

  I get supplies. I make calls. I do everything and anything possible to set my next move into action before I park in front of the diner and spy on the traitorous woman inside.

  Keira and Sarah are seated against the wall. Smiling. Laughing. The only sign of apprehension comes from the way Keira continues to glance at her watch—waiting for me? Or waiting for her brother to save her?

  I climb from the car, my clothes covered in dirt, and jog up the sidewalk, meeting her gaze through the window.

  Her smile is instantaneous. Immediate deception. There’s no glimmer of fear or panic. Then a split second later the expression flickers, flittering away as she scrutinizes my swelling face.

  I shove past the glass door and meet her near the counter.

  “You’re hurt.” Her eyes are wide, her lips parted in shock.

  I keep one hand at my back, near my gun, as I lead them toward the door. “We need to leave.” I’m on edge, every muscle tense, waiting for her to end the charade.

  “What happened?” She rushes to follow, bathing me in fake concern. Her acting skills are in full force, which is a great sign. It means she’s still playing the game. “Who did this to you?”

  “They know we’re here. We need to hit the road.”

  “They?” Her voice fractures.

  Sarah comes up behind her. “Where’s Hunter?”

  “He’s tying up loose ends.”

  “Loose ends?” the little liar whispers.

  I ignore her, pinning my stern focus on Sarah, wordlessly telling her that’s all the information I can give. “He won’t be long. Be ready to leave once he gets here.”

  She gives a tight nod. “Is he okay?”

  “He faired better than I did.” I continue to the door. “We’ve swapped cars. Hunt has the Porsche to try to take the heat off us as we run. I’ll take the Suburban.”

  “Why don’t we go back to Portland with them?” Keira’s voice is frantic. “Aren’t we better to stay in a group?”

  “No.” I can barely stand to look at her, can hardly glance her way without wanting to wrap my hands around her neck. “We need to get off the grid.”

  “But—”

  “Trust me,” I growl.

  I gain the slightest solace betraying her, manipulating her, lying straight to her beautiful face. I gain even more when she nods, seeming to come to terms with the plan.

  “Okay…” Her throat works over a heavy swallow. “I trust you.”

  Everything inside me revolts. My pulse. My heart. My stomach takes a dive, too. Even though I know she’s acting, I still can’t see it. Not the slightest flicker of a charade.

  She’s fucking brilliant in her deception.

  Entirely flawless.

  I squeeze her arm in a fake show of support, then turn back to Sarah.

  “I’m sorry.” I hate that she’ll soon see me in the same light I see Keira. She’s going to hate me. Despise me. “I don’t want to leave you here like this.” The depth of my apology runs far below the surface. She won’t understand it now, but hopefully, once I’m gone and my actions become clear, she’ll make sense of it.

  “It’s okay. Go. Keep Keira safe.”

  “I will. But I fucking hate this.” I’m not like the snake at her side. I don’t enjoy lying to people who trust me.

  “You’re getting soft, Deck. And making me uncomfortable at the same time.” She frowns and jerks her chin toward the door. “Hurry up and get moving.”

  Fucking hell. I don’t want to leave her. I’m struggling to walk away. Sarah has become a major part of my life. She’s a gorgeous woman. A moral woman. Lethally so. It’s a good thing I’m not going to be around when she finds out what I’ve done.

  “Don’t miss me too much.” I paste on a grin and lean in to kiss her temple.

  She rolls her eyes as I retreat, not allowing a second of softness. “Be careful. Guard her with your life.”

  “I’ll do everything I can.” I shove open the door. “When Hunt gets here, you need to remind him to go to my house. There’s stuff I need him to pick up.”

  I don’t look back as I escape onto the sidewalk, Keira following close behind. We jog to Hunter’s car and climb in. I don’t spare a second as I gun the engine and pull from the curb.

  She doesn’t talk as we speed down the highway, her hands fidgeting in her lap. She’s giving me the same act she did when we fled Portland. An exact replica of the innocent actress.

  I can’t blame her, seeing as though the duplicity worked so well the first time. Obviously, it’s a familiar role, a default, because beneath the fragility is a calculated bitch planning her next strike.

  “Do you still have that phone?” I ask.

  “Yes. But it’s flat. There’s no battery.” She fumbles in her cardigan pocket and pulls out the device. “I need to buy a charger.”

  “No, you don’t.” I lower my window and grab the cell to throw it to the wind. I watch in my mirror as it bounces and shatters along the road behind us, the destruction a comforting sight.

  “Sebastian.” She raises from her seat to stare out the back window. “Why did you do that?”

  “I don’t know how they tracked us. I’m not willing to take any chances.”

  “What about your cell? I need to call Cole. I want to know what’s going on.”

  “Sorry, babe. I’ve already ditched mine. We need to get off the grid as soon as possible.”

  Those fingers increase their nervous wringing. Her leg begins to jitter. “Where are we going?”

  Her panic is an aphrodisiac. I can’t get enough. “As far away as possible. I’ve already filled the tank with gas. I have no plans to pull over until we’ve disappeared.”

  “Are you sure going home isn’t a better option? If people are coming after us, I’d prefer to be moving toward my family. Not away.”

  I glance at her and give a grin filled with pure menace. “Aren’t I good enough anymore?”

  I want her to bite. I need her to. My blood rushes with adrenaline, waiting for the finish line. But now isn’t the time to let her know I’m already aware of her lies. Not when I’m behind the wheel.

  “It’s not that…” Her leg jolts faster. “I’m just nervous about being out in the open.”

  “Don’t worry.” I reach over, sliding my hand behind her head to squeeze the back of her neck. It takes all my strength not to grip hard. To sink my fingers into muscle and inflict pain. “Hunter and I dealt with the issue
. Moving forward, I’ll be more cautious. I promise nobody will find us.”

  Not a fucking soul.

  Not until I’m ready.

  My palm itches, needing to feel her pulse quicken beneath my touch. I hunger to cause more fear. Instigate more panic. Instead, she leans into my hand and briefly closes her eyes, pretending to gain comfort from the connection.

  Conniving little bitch.

  She’s brilliant in her betrayal. Mesmerizing.

  I keep my hand in place, lazily tracing silent threats into her skin while she pretends to enjoy the affection.

  It’s a romantic picture from the outside. A curious state of normal I would’ve liked to explore if this wasn’t the fucking Twilight Zone.

  But it is.

  All of this is fake—the vulnerability, the friendship, the beauty.

  “Are you okay?” she whispers, breaking the stable silence.

  Out of all the questions she could’ve asked, this one fills me with the most anger. She should be curious about the imaginary men following us. Or how I plan to keep her safe. Or when she’s going to see her family again.

  Instead, she pretends to care about me. Me. The man she’s slowly leading to execution.

  “I’m tough.” I shoot her a wink and place both hands back on the wheel. “It takes a hell of a lot more to get me six feet under.”

  “Your face is pretty beat up. You’re bruised everywhere—your jaw, your cheek, your bottom lip.”

  I keep smiling through her nauseating charade of pity. Keep pretending, just like she does. There’s a beat of silence, an awkward, fractured beat that thickens the air between us.

  “Sebastian, I need to tell you something.”

  My lungs tighten, my ribs restricting my breathing. “I’m all ears.”

  The quiet returns, the moments passing with building anticipation.

  I glance her way, seeing her brow furrowed as her teeth dig into her lower lip. “What is it?”

  She sucks in a breath and lets it out slowly. “I lied to you.”

  “Oh, yeah?” My hands tighten around the steering wheel.

  She nods. “This morning…When I said I didn’t care about you being with that woman.”

  For fuck’s sake. This shit is already getting old.

  “I do care, Sebastian. The jealousy is eating me up.”

  I focus on the road, my knuckles turning white with my harsh grip.

  Not only is she saying my name in that sickly sincere tone, she’s playing the endearing card on top of the stacked deck of deceit.

  Fuck her.

  Fuck those soft eyes that seem to blink with genuine honesty. And the tempting lips making her lies easy to believe. She was born to fool me.

  “I told you, she means nothing.”

  “I know.” Her voice fractures. “And I believe you. I guess I just wanted you to know I wasn’t unaffected by her. She made me realize how much I’ve enjoyed this time with you, despite the reasons behind being stuck together.”

  I grin. At her. At the lies. At the fucking absurdity of this entire situation. “I’ve enjoyed it, too.”

  I’ll enjoy it even more once she knows the truth.

  I turn my focus her way, needing to shoot her a smug glance she will hopefully look back on later. But I regret the glimpse immediately.

  She’s staring at me, her body turned my way, her cheek pressed against the head rest. That gorgeous mouth of hers is kicked at one side, her eyes gentle.

  I don’t understand how she can be so undeniably beautiful and entirely monstrous at the same time. The body of a goddess with the strategic mind of the devil.

  “You should get some rest.” I press my foot harder on the accelerator. “It’s going to be another long day.”

  “I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to. I’ve got too many questions.”

  I bet she does.

  The more answers she has, the better she can control me.

  “Now isn’t the time. My head is killing me.” Not a lie. My brain is seriously fucking with my vision. My bottom lip is swollen and throbbing. And my ribs protest with every inhale.

  “I understand. But I need to know, Sebastian. Once you’ve had time to decompress and think things through, I want you to tell me everything that happened while you were gone. It’s important.”

  I nod. “We can talk tonight.” We’ll talk about everything. Every fucking thing she’s been hiding from me. “For now, just let me concentrate on getting us somewhere safe.”

  * * *

  Hours go by with nothing but the sound of asphalt beneath the tires and the crinkle of junk food wrappers as we decimate the stash of snacks I purchased at the gas station.

  The further I drive, the less I see. There hasn’t been a house in miles, or a street sign, for that matter, which means I’m headed in the right direction. The eerie desolation is familiar.

  “I think I’m going to have to ask you to pull over again.” Keira stretches her arms above her head. “My bladder is beginning to protest.”

  “We’re almost there. Can you wait ten minutes? Maybe twenty?”

  She sits up straight. “There’s a town nearby? I haven’t seen any sign of life for half an hour.”

  “There’s a house up ahead. That’s where we’re staying.”

  She leans closer to her window, scanning the scenery. “You had a destination in mind all along? I thought you were aimlessly driving.”

  “I don’t usually do anything aimlessly. And if memory serves, the house should come into view once we get over this hill.”

  As predicted, my brother’s home appears as a small speck toward the horizon. It’s all alone. A solitary building in the middle of nowhere. A hermit’s dream. A kidnapped victim’s nightmare.

  Twenty minutes later, I turn onto the long dirt drive, a trail of dust billowing in our wake as we approach the place I chose to have our showdown.

  There’s no sign of life. No cars. No crops. No cattle. Not a glimmer of help in sight. Just a house and more than enough room for a scream to die on the wind.

  She inches forward in her seat. “How do you know about this place?”

  “From an online rental site. I’ve stayed here once before.” I drive into the house yard, the smaller block fenced off from the mass of vacant land. A pebbled path leads to the front door, but I steer onto the grass and park by the side of the garage to hide the car from the road.

  “It looks nice.” She unfastens her belt and opens her door. “What are we going to do about food? And both of us are back to having no clothes.”

  “Don’t worry. The host told me the fridge would be stocked. And I’m not seeing the lack of clothing as a bad thing.” I wink at her and slide from the car, my bruised muscles aching in protest.

  I’m not looking forward to checking my injuries, but my heart pounds in anticipation as the seconds tick down to the moment when I get to tell Keira she’s far from safe with me.

  I can’t fucking wait to wipe that saccharine smile from her face. For those eyes to blink at me in fear instead of sweet manipulation.

  “Is the front door unlocked?” She starts walking for the house, probably trying to reiterate the story about needing to use the bathroom, when I’d bet my life she wants to hunt for a phone.

  “The key should be under the mat.”

  She increases her pace, disappearing inside while I open the trunk and take inventory. There’s a laptop case, a new phone, and a gray duffle bag—Hunter’s trusty tool kit.

  I leave the computer and phone, not wanting Keira to know she has a way of communicating with the outside world, and lug the bag.

  I don’t see her again for ten minutes. I hear the flush of the toilet as I enter the kitchen and dump my supplies on the counter. Then her footfalls trek through the rooms, the pace frantic.

  “Did the rental listing mention a landline?” she calls out. “I can’t find one anywhere.”

  I smirk as I pull two beers from the fridge. “There’s no landline. Or
internet. We’re on our own little island out here.”

  I crack a can of beer open and take a gulp as she comes to stand in the doorway.

  “I need to call Cole. He’ll be worried.”

  “Don’t stress. Hunter would’ve told him the plan.”

  “What plan?” She pads forward, her feet devoid of socks. “You still haven’t told me anything.”

  “I will. First—drink.” I hold a beer out in her direction. “We’ve got all the time in the world to talk.”

  She takes the can from me, her brow furrowed. “Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to avoid the conversation?”

  I laugh, and the rushed movement of my chest produces a stab of pain through my ribs.

  “Sebastian?” Her frown deepens and she steps closer, her concerned gaze flicking between my eyes. “Those bruises on your face aren’t the extent of your injuries, are they?”

  The sharp stab turns into one motherfucker of a throb, her charade weighing down on me. I’d once thought she was a phenomenal woman. I guess I still do, just not in the admirable ways I’d once assumed.

  “It’s okay.”

  She steps closer, stopping toe to toe. “No, it’s not.” She grips the bottom of my shirt and tries to lift, only to have the tight material restrict around my stomach. Then she sets her sights on my buttons, frantically undoing them to stare at my chest.

  “Jesus.” She clasps a hand over her mouth and steps back. “What did they do to you?”

  I don’t avert my gaze from hers. My injuries aren’t going anywhere. But her affection soon will—the meticulous act.

  “You need a doctor,” she demands.

  “I’ve already told you, you can’t get rid of me that easily. I’ll be fine.” I take a deep pull of alcohol and lean back against the counter.

  She peers up at me, her eyes pleading. “Sebastian, please. Let me drive you to a hospital.”

  I hear the truth through the lies—Let me drive you to civilization where I can find a phone.

  “We’re not going anywhere.”

  “I’m worried about you.” Her hands raise to my face, her palms cupping my cheeks and the heavy stubble beneath. “And you’re scaring me. What happens if there’s internal bleeding? What do I do if you pass out?”