Safe at Last (Slow Burn 3)

“We have to go now,” Ramie said hoarsely.

Even as she spoke, she shoved away from Caleb and scrambled to her feet.

Beau’s face froze into an implacable expression even as he held his hands out.

“Tell us where, Ramie. We’ll get her, but you, Ari and Gracie are staying here where it’s safe.”

The three women exchanged quick looks, once again confirming their solidarity. Then Ramie’s chin came up.

“We aren’t staying here or anywhere else,” she said calmly. “We’re going to get Eliza. She needs us, and we aren’t going to let her down.”

THIRTY

ONE could break a stone on the faces of all the men assembled, including Wade’s, which surprised Anna-Grace because she’d thought he was accepting of the women’s plan. But then maybe he, like Beau, had thought that the women would only provide pertinent information and then be left behind wrapped in cotton while the menfolk handled the dangerous stuff.

Annoyance gripped her but she shook it off. It didn’t matter what the men wanted. Ramie would know where Eliza was and no one was going to keep Ari where she didn’t want to be, so regardless of whether the men gave in gracefully or pitched a fit, the end result would be the same.

“I don’t think you understand,” Ramie said in a measured tone. “We aren’t asking to go. We are going. Furthermore, I am the only person who has the knowledge of her location, so without me, you—and Eliza—are fucked.”

“You’re weak and hurting,” Caleb said bluntly. “You need to rest and recover from your ordeal. I can’t—I won’t—put you in harm’s way, Ramie. I can’t do it. It scares the hell out of me.”

“My gift may not be as powerful as Ari’s or as intuitive as Gracie’s, but I can read things by touching items and you may need me to see, to discern information that we otherwise wouldn’t have access to. And we need to pool all our resources so that we take out every last person in this organization so that no more people are hunted, tortured or murdered.”

Ramie moved to stand beside Anna-Grace and Ari and they all stared resolutely at the men.

“They are no match for my powers,” Ari said in a calm, confident tone. “They cannot hurt me.”

“Bullshit!” Beau exploded. “They did hurt you! Or don’t you remember the fact that you almost died! I was this close to losing you.”

His eyes were so haunted that it hurt to look at him. It was then she grasped Ari’s words about understanding Beau’s concern for her. It was written all over his face. Fear. Abject terror.

“And I can read their thoughts,” Anna-Grace said quietly, taking the focus from Beau’s imminent meltdown. “Which means I can gather valuable information that we may otherwise not be able to get.”

“And this is all why we’re going,” Ramie said firmly. “With or without you. It’s your choice. But only I know where Eliza is and none of you are a match for Ari. Walking out of here will be a piece of cake with minimal effort on her part.”

Caleb closed his eyes. “Fuck.”

Wade shot him an incredulous look. “You aren’t seriously considering this insanity, are you? Isn’t one woman hurt enough? Hell, make that two since they already got to Gracie.”

Beau’s expression went utterly grim. “Oh, they got to Ari as well. They are due some serious payback.”

“Then why the hell would you risk them again?” Wade roared.

“Okay, Superman,” Isaac drawled sarcastically. “You lead the way. Tell us where Lizzie is. We’re more than happy to take them out and keep our women out of harm’s way.”

Wade’s eyes narrowed as he stared pointedly at Ramie. “Every minute you withhold the information you have is another minute Eliza undergoes indescribable pain. A minute that could mean the difference between her life and death. This is not the time to make a stand against the confines your husband places on you.”

Ari bristled next to Anna-Grace, who flinched, wondering just how close Wade was skating the line. A pissed-off Ari certainly couldn’t be good news. For Wade.

Ramie stared coldly back at Wade. “I don’t give a damn what you think or think you know about my relationship, but get it through your head. We are not the ones wasting time. It’s every one of you men. We’re going. Right now. With or without you. So make your choice. And make it fast. Because Eliza is our friend, and we aren’t leaving anything to chance when we get her back.”

There was resignation in the eyes of every man present.

“Fuck,” Beau muttered. “Goddamn it.”

Anna-Grace shared a look of triumph with her new partners in crime. They all knew they’d won.

“Whoa, Superman,” Isaac said, holding out a hand when Wade would have gathered with the others. “The women may have us by the balls but you don’t and you aren’t part of this mission. You aren’t going.”

“Fuck off,” Wade said crudely. “Anna-Grace goes nowhere without me. Now stop wasting fucking time and let’s go. I won’t be a hindrance. I think you’ll find me to be a valuable asset.”

Wade’s eyes grew cold. “I suffer no fits of conscience over killing a man who would waterboard a woman, who would beat a woman as they beat Gracie. In fact, I would relish it.”

The other men exchanged raised eyebrows. Anna-Grace picked up on the current of surprise and unease as the men absorbed Wade’s blunt statement.

“Okay, you’re in,” Beau said. Then he turned his stare to Ramie. “You win. It’s a fucking rescue party. Everyone is going. So now can you tell us where we’re going?”

As soon as the plane touched down in Houston, Zack turned on his cell phone and then frowned when he saw his screen light up with more than a dozen notifications. Unease gripped him as he saw they were all from Beau. Beau knew he was traveling, in the air, so if he’d been blowing up Zack’s phone it wasn’t good news.

He didn’t bother reading texts or listening to voice mails. He went straight to the source and punched the call button.

“Come on, come on,” Zack muttered when Beau didn’t pick up on the first ring.

His gut was churning like hell and he had a tight grip on the handrest with his free hand. His knuckles were completely white and he wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t end up breaking the damn piece of plastic.