45. GRAYSON
45
GRAYSON
My left arm burned. This asshole was going to pay with his life, but not for shooting me—for taking a shot at Ivy. That bullet might as well have been inscribed with his name, and that tree trunk it hit might as well supply the wood for his coffin.
With the element of surprise no longer on his side, I listened intently as his heavy footsteps grew more distant. He was fleeing like a coward, and I had become the hunter, stalking my prey.
Never before had my gun felt so important in my hand as I moved through the trees with resolve. The fog’s tendrils clung to my skin as I navigated the terrain with a steely calm until, finally, a dark silhouette emerged in the haze.
The man ducked beneath a low branch, but I raised my weapon, aimed at his unprotected leg, and fired.
The gunshot rang through the forest, and a handful of remaining birds squawked and took flight as the man jerked and crumpled to the earth’s floor.
Before he could even roll onto his back and lift his weapon, I lunged forward and slammed the base of my gun against his skull, wrestling his weapon from his grasp. Shoving his gun into the back of my waistband, I pressed the cold barrel of my own weapon between his eyes.
“How many men?” I demanded.
The man gritted his teeth. Ex-military maybe.
“You’re alone,” I deduced.
A lone operative? Or a scout with another carload of agents on their way?
“Are there others coming?” I pressed.
“Fuck off,” he spat.
I cocked my head. “Are you really willing to die for him?”
“You’re going to kill me, no matter what I do.”
True. No one would ever live after threatening Ivy’s life. Hell, this guy was lucky I didn’t have tools on me to skin him alive for shooting at her.
“Answer my questions, and I’ll make your death quick and painless. But if you don’t…”
The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, a flicker of doubt crossing his features. He seemed to weigh his options, perhaps questioning the depths of his loyalty to Daniel and wondering, Would Daniel be willing to endure such torment for him?
“I’m a tracker,” he said through gritted teeth. “My job was to find you.”
“Well done.” I raised my eyebrows, a hint of mockery in my voice. “You were supposed to call for backup before engaging, weren’t you?” I asked.
The tightening of his jaw was his answer; he thought he could be the hero. Sneak up on us and take us down. I didn’t know what career path this man had, and frankly, I didn’t care, but in his attempt to impress Daniel, he’d made a fatal mistake.
“How many men does he have working for him on this?”
His thin lips curled up. “You have no idea what’s coming for you. If you did, you would’ve let me put a bullet in her skull to put her out of her misery.”
Dread turned my blood into lead, and my fingers clenched on the trigger.
“Meaning?”
His attention darted to the side, perhaps realizing this forest wasn’t far enough away from the motel. Fog might conceal us visually, but screams…those could be heard far and wide.
“If you torture me, someone will overhear it and call the police,” he said. “Matter of fact, after those gunshots, the cops are probably on their way.”
My molars ground so hard, I thought they might crack.
“How many men are working for Daniel?” I repeated, my voice a low growl.
But the man merely smirked at me. It was clear he had no intention of answering any more of my questions, and in this environment, I didn’t have the upper hand I needed.
But if this motherfucker thought his heart would continue to beat after firing a shot at Ivy, he was sorely mistaken.
“Your death warrant was signed the moment you tried to kill her.”
Bam.
The gunshot rang out, and his head went limp, his lifeless eyes staring at the sky.
But relief evaporated quickly, thanks to his words haunting me.
“You have no idea what’s coming for you. If you did, you would’ve let me put a bullet in her skull to put her out of her misery.”