The Chase

“Damn, we should have worn disguises.”

“Amateur. We don’t need disguises. I do this for a living. Heavenly won’t know we’re here until we want her to.”

Beck raised a brow. “You’ve been hiding out in people’s bushes way too long, man.”

Seth shrugged. “It pays the bills.”

Once inside the gates, Beck scanned the multiple paths forward. He’d forgotten how sprawling this zoo was. “How in the hell are we going to find her?”

“Your lack of confidence pains me.”

As Seth flipped open the map they’d received at the ticket counter, both cell phones chimed again. The minute Beck saw the dark waters of a lagoon and thick green foliage surrounding it, he grabbed the map from Seth’s hand.

“That’s familiar. She’s in the Lost Forest.” He pointed to an area north of their current location. “Let’s go.”

“Hold on. We can’t go hauling ass over there. She’ll be looking over her shoulder for us, and she’ll see us coming a mile away. If we’re going to trail her, we have to do it stealthily.”

Beck hated to think of himself as a stereotypical egocentric surgeon, but he liked the fact that when he charged into an operating room, people got the hell out of his way. Since stealth wasn’t his strong suit, he wasn’t about to challenge the guy who made his living by being covert. “How? By slithering on our bellies like lizards?”

“What the fuck is wrong with you? No. We swing wide this way.” Seth traced a path on the map. “That way we’ll come out in front of her. We’ll have time to scout a good place to blend into the background. When she passes us, we’ll fall in behind, and she’ll be none the wiser.”

“If you say so.”

Less than fifteen minutes later, he and Seth stood beneath a shady tree, watching Heavenly stride up the midway. She was easy to spot because the sunlight reflected off her hair like a blinding halo. Beck tamped down the urge to gather her into his arms and claim her beaming smile in a toe-curling kiss. Instead, he hid in shadow, satisfying himself with the delight lighting up her face as she watched a silverback gorilla munch on a banana. She plucked out her phone and snapped pictures of the primate, completely oblivious to him and Seth standing mere feet away.

They trailed her through several more exhibits, eye-fucking her as excitement transformed her face.

When Heavenly veered to the underwater viewing room to watch a big white polar bear swim, they followed, taking up a spot where they could glimpse her gaping wonder reflected in the plexiglass. The sight filled Beck’s heart with equal parts joy and sadness. He loved seeing how happy she looked…but hated how trapped she’d been by years of being nursemaid and breadwinner.

We’re men of our word, Abel,Beck silently sent up to the heavens.

Seth tugged his sleeve and nodded toward the exit. Yeah, they needed to leave or risk Heavenly spotting them in this small enclosure.

After taking in the pandas, elephants, and giraffes, she wound her way toward a dark cave with a waterfall. He and Seth broke from a giant rock formation and jogged after her. If she turned around now, their cover would be totally blown.

Stealthily, they followed her into the man-made structure. Beck had to admit he was loving their cat-and-mouse game. There was something so primal and satisfying about stalking Heavenly and seeing her unvarnished reactions.

Inside the cave, they ate up the distance to her, the thundering waterfall concealing the sounds of their hurried steps. Heavenly leaned over the railing, hand outstretched, admiring the fine mist shimmering in front of her.

When she reached for her phone again, he and Seth exchanged a knowing grin, then eased in beside her, each wrapping an arm around her waist. Heavenly jolted with a startled gasp.

When she caught sight of them, she tucked her phone away with a laugh. “You already found me? How?”

It was hard to hear her over the waterfall, so Beck took her by the hand and led her out of the cave, into the late-afternoon sunshine. “Because we’re clever.”

Seth followed, holding her other hand. “It’s kind of my job, angel. We’ve been stalking you for hours.”

“Dang it. I’ll have to be more creative with the photos I text you tomorrow.”

“You can try.” Beck chuckled.

“In fact, we want you to,” Seth added with a sly grin. “But don’t be surprised when we track you down again.”

“We’ll see.” She slanted them a challenging glare.

Oh, she would be so pissed if she ever discovered that little chip inside her necklace. Still, if it weren’t for Seth’s paranoia, they might be combing the crowd at Sea World now instead of smiling at her adorable sass.

They wandered the park until sunset approached. As talk turned to dinner, they made their way to the cars. Heavenly handed Beck his keys. She had no clue how her submissive gesture impacted him.