Grave Secrets (Manhunters 1)

“Trust you?” she snapped, pulling away. “Are you serious right now? Who’s us? For that matter, who the hell are you?”

“I’ll answer all your questions when we’re safely out of this town.” He pulled away, gave her one more “Home, Savannah” warning and slammed her door.

Ian jogged to his truck, turned over the engine, and followed on Savannah’s bumper as she made the short drive home. Having to expose himself and their mission that way made him sick. He’d envisioned something far more congenial. Something actually planned for the appropriate place and time, when he had his explanation all figured out.

Now, he was fucked.

He broke the tail by turning down a side street and entering the alley behind the duplex to avoid Corwin’s watchful gaze.

Everly parked behind him but stayed in the car. “I’m calling Roman,” she told him through the window. With a better-you-than-me look, she tossed out, “Good luck with her.”

14

Savannah stood frozen in the middle of her bedroom and pressed her hands to either side of her head. She couldn’t stop her mind from pinging in every direction. She didn’t know what to do—or not do. How could she trust Ian when he was involved in something she didn’t understand? Something he’d kept from her.

“Grab a few things for Jamison.” Ian’s voice made her jump. She hadn’t heard him come in. He tapped the face of his phone and dropped it on her bed with the blocking app filling the screen. “There’s no telling how much time we have.”

She stabbed her finger at the phone. “That doesn’t work. He knows we were together last night.”

“It works,” Ian told her. “If it didn’t, that safe would have been empty and he would have been waiting for you.”

He turned for the door, crossed the hallway in three strides, and opened Jamison’s dresser. “You don’t need much. Make sure you bring medications and identification.”

Savannah crossed the hallway. “What would you do if I said no? Shoot me?”

He gave her a that’s-a-stupid-thing-to-say look. “I’d have to force you. Please don’t make me do that.”

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on, how you know Everly, how you pulled Rosen in on this, and how you know you can even trust him.”

“We don’t have time—”

“Then talk fast.”

He glanced around the room. “Does Jamison have anything he can’t live without? Like a stuffed animal?”

Furious and frantic, she ripped Jamison’s clothes out of his hands and threw them on the floor. “Stop it. Just stop. I don’t understand.”

He gripped her arms and gave her a little shake. “Do you want to get away from him or not?”

“You know I do.”

“I know it feels like your world is imploding,” he said, voice steady and deliberate, “but if you’ll trust me just a little longer, I’ll get you and Jamison through this.”

“You aren’t exactly giving me a choice, are you?”

He bent, swept the clothes off the floor, then grabbed a throw blanket from Jamison’s bed. He pushed past her, crossing the living room and disappearing into the kitchen.

Fear twined around her lungs and made it hard to breathe. Every muscle in her body was coiled tight, her fingernails digging into her palms. She took shallow sips of air and closed her eyes, fighting to find level ground.

“Savannah.” The woman’s voice pierced her bubble of terror. Savannah opened her eyes and had to fight to remember the woman’s name. Everly, that was it.

“Are you with him?” She had no idea why this felt like a pressing question considering the circumstances, but she had to know. “Are you two together?”

A look of dismay flashed across Everly’s face. “Romantically?” She scoffed. “He’s like my brother. They all are.”

“All of who?” A new layer of confusion piled on. “There are more people involved?”

“We’ll have to explain on the road.” She started toward Savannah’s room. “Jamison will be here soon.”