Corbin (The Theriot Family 2)

She’d likely go right to the room where I was supposed to be since she no doubt had more sense than Guidry. I would have to move as fast as I could.

I didn’t dare make my exit while she approached the cabin, but as soon as she stepped through the door, I headed for the trees. Depending on how much she knew about my background and how determined she was to hold on to me, I could get lucky, and she’d assume the swamp would kill me. If not, she’d be after me in a very short time. Either way, the faster I got out of there and got to a place where I could make contact with Corbin, the better.

Thirty

Corbin

We didn’t learn much at Beau’s apartment. Like Sam said, it was obvious someone had been wounded, presumably Beau since he was gone, and we hadn’t been able to reach him. He must’ve been attacked while he was standing at the fridge based on the bloodstain. All we could do was guess about where they’d taken him and pray he was still alive.

When I called him, Ambrose actually answered on the first ring. I knew he and Dax had been texting about what was going on. He gave me directions to meet him in the parking lot of a general store not far from where he lived. I got all of us moving.

I hated that I didn’t know the first thing about survival in the swamp. Remington hadn’t questioned me taking the lead today, even without Beau there to back me up, but I knew I had to hand that role off to Ambrose now. He and Dax had both been working their own networks of contacts. They thought they’d pinned down the area where we’d find Guidry’s hideout and hopefully Beau.

I prayed he would be there, and he would be okay. If he wasn’t… If… No. No way could I have found someone who affected me like he did, someone I loved with all my heart and then lose him just as fast.

After we listened to Ambrose explain some rules for our nighttime trek into the swamp, Remington put his arm around me. “You’re doing a great job.”

I turned to look at him. Was he serious?

“I’m sorry I waited so long to let you take charge. I haven’t been fair to you.”

“I’m not dreaming, am I?”

He shoved me away from him with a scowl. “I can admit when I’m wrong.”

“I wasn’t sure.”

“Brat.”

I grinned. “Sometimes.”

Ambrose led us through the swamp, making his way along what he referred to as a path. It didn’t look like a path to me at all. His knowledge of the terrain combined with Lance’s tracking skills gave me more confidence than I would’ve had without them.

I wanted my family to take me seriously, but that didn’t mean I wanted to do everything on my own. I needed them. I never wanted to go through something like this without them.

We’d been walking for a long time. I was concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, following along behind Lance and Ambrose, trying not to think too hard about why we were there.

Lance held up a hand. “Someone’s been through here recently. Someone in a car and then someone in an ATV.” He pointed at tracks I wouldn’t even have noticed.

It wasn’t much to go on, but it was something. At least I could still have hope. That was assuming they’d kept Beau alive, but if they were going to kill him right away, why not just leave him for us to find.

I felt a hand on my back and realized it was Dax. “Beau’s tough. He’s going to be all right.”

I nodded, certain my voice wouldn’t work if I tried to speak.

We kept going. I’d lost all sense of time, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was an hour or so before dawn. The sky was beginning to lighten just a little. Ambrose signaled for us to stop. “Someone’s coming. Be ready.”

I hadn’t heard anything. How had Ambrose detected movement?

As I held still, hand on my gun, I heard the slightest rustle and something that could be footsteps.

A man appeared in the distance. I held my position behind a tree. My heart fluttered. The man was the same size as Beau. Could he have escaped? I bit my lip to keep from calling out and waited as he moved closer, and I grew more confident the man was Beau. I was about to announce myself when I realized there was someone behind him.

“Take another step, and you’re dead.” It was a woman’s voice. Elandra? It had to be.

No way in hell was it going to end like this.

I leaned close to Dax and whispered, “Keep her talking. I’m going to circle behind her.”