Nate
My phone chimed as Tony and I were heading back toward the entrance to the underground maze to see if the other dregs were interested in going with us. I fished the phone out of my pocket and swiped the screen.
Never mind. False alarm. Wanna hook up? Tell me where to meet you and I’ll be there.
Tony glanced over my shoulder, then snorted as he read the text. “She wants to hook up? Seriously?”
That text seemed too flippant to be from Alissa after she’d just asked for help earlier, though I wasn’t sure why I thought that, since I didn’t even know the woman. My gut told me someone else had her phone and that text was either a joke, or an attempt to lure me out. And if it was an attempt to lure me out, then whoever had her phone knew I was a dreg.
“I don’t think it’s from her.”
Tony nodded slowly. “Me, neither. Why would she say help me, then never mind, let’s hook up?”
I met his gaze. “Exactly.”
“So, what you gonna do?”
“I don’t know.” I really didn’t. Was someone playing a joke? Was someone trying to lure me out? Or did Alissa really want to hook up with me?
I couldn’t deny the idea of getting my hands on her was an intriguing one. Having that woman in my bed would be a wet dream come true. But I couldn’t fool myself with that fantasy. I was a dreg. A woman like Alissa was way out of my league. She hadn’t taken me up on my offer to get her out of the city a few weeks ago, which meant she likely hadn’t been as blown away by me as I’d been by her. She probably hadn’t even thought about me since.
She’s thinking about you now. She needs help.
Did she? Or was I being played? What if it was a setup?
Should I respond to the text and see who, if anyone, showed up? Where should I tell them to meet me?
“Go ahead and tell her to meet you somewhere,” Tony suggested, as if he’d read my mind. A malicious gleam entered his eyes. He wanted some thugs to show up so he could rough them up. I did too, but not as much as I wanted to see Alissa. “I’ll watch from the shadows, amigo, and we can interrogate whoever shows up, find out what’s up.”
“And if she’s the one who shows up?”
He shrugged. “Then we interrogate her and find out what kind of game she’s playing.”
Uneasiness settled into my gut. Alissa was in danger. I sensed it. I just wasn’t sure what to do about it. I had no idea where she was.
“I don’t think she’s behind this last text. I think she sent the first one, and that whoever took her sent the last one.”
I stared at that last text for a long moment.
Where was a good place to meet? An open area like a park. With trees where Tony and the other dregs could hide and watch. There were several such parks in Augusta. One in particular stood out.
I typed a response.
How about Riverwalk? Say, two a.m.?
That was almost two hours away. It would take us nearly that long to gather weapons and get there. I showed the message to Tony to gauge his opinion before sending.
He nodded. “There are lots of places along the river and around the park that we can hide and watch. Riverwalk’s perfect. But you should make the message sound like you’re really into her. Say something that makes her feel like you really want to be there.”
I cleared my throat. “Like what?” I wasn’t a ladies’ man like our dreg brother Ryan, and neither was Tony. But we were both observant. We’d seen Ryan in action.
Tony snickered. “Add ‘babe’ to it.”
“Babe?” I scoffed. “Hell, no. I’m not calling her Babe.”
“Doll?” Tony choked out, his eyes gleaming with rare laughter.
“Never.” I let out a growl. Ryan somehow got away with calling women “Doll” without getting slapped, but I personally couldn’t stomach the endearment. “What about darlin’?”
Tony’s lips twitched. “Yeah. That’s more like you.”
“Okay.” I changed the text.
“Wait.” Tony put a hand on my arm. “Tell her to wear something sexy. That should work even better.”
I changed the text to read: How about Riverwalk? Say, two a.m.? And wear something sexy, darlin’.
I hit “send” and waited.
About twenty seconds passed before a response came in.
Where in Riverwalk do you want to meet? That place is huge. How will I find you?
Tony and I exchanged a glance.
“It’s not her,” I said. “She’s seen me. She knows what I look like.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “But we’re naming the time and location, so you can’t be trapped. They might be using her as bait. Just keep your head on if she shows up, and the rest of us will have your back. What I want to know is why she’s suddenly contacting you now, when she refused your help a few weeks ago. You think The Company somehow got to her?”
That seemed unlikely, though possible. She’d said the Spartans had found her, so my gut told me the Spartans had her phone, and they were the ones contacting me.
And I believed she really did need my help now. The best thing to do would be to go to Riverwalk and see who showed up.
“No, I don’t think it’s The Company. I think it’s the Spartans.”
I glanced back at my phone, contemplating my response. It would be best to act like I knew Alissa well and that this wouldn’t be the first time we’d hooked up. That way, whoever was on the other end wouldn’t be suspicious.
So I typed: Same place as always.
Tony nodded his agreement, so I hit “send.”
A minute passed. Two.
Then, finally, a response: Okay. The fountain it is. Don’t be late.
Tony and I exchanged another glance.
His brow shot up. “Did that mean in the fountain? Kinky…Please tell me she’s not a whore.”
Heat crept into my face. “No, I don’t think she meant in the fountain, you moron, probably just by the fountain.”
I really had no idea who Alissa was. But I couldn’t deny the thought of hooking up with her while water flowed down on us would be the ultimate fantasy come true, even though it would likely never happen. And I sure as hell wouldn’t want it to occur in the giant water fountain where others might see. If I ever got lucky enough to get my hands on Alissa, it would be where no one else could see. I wanted her all to myself.
I cleared my throat. “And don’t call her that. We don’t know that she’s a whore.”
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You really want to do this?”
“Yeah. I do.”
He studied me for a long moment in silence, his black gaze burrowing into me. “I hope you’re not making a serious mistake.”
So did I.
I wasn’t sure why, but I was willing to risk my life to see Alissa safe.
A woman I barely knew.