Forsaken (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen #3)(64)

Tellar and Liam have some sort of silent exchange before Liam reaches for Amy, and I reluctantly release her, allowing him to move her in between him and Tellar. Tellar pushes open the door and inches part of the way outside, scanning to ensure a safe departure, before announcing, “We’re a go.”

Liam’s hands settle on Amy’s shoulders, urging her forward, but she glances around him at me and whispers, “Please don’t disappear.”

“I’m not going anywhere, little sis,” I promise a moment before Liam’s big body blocks her from view, and the three of them step outside. Staying tightly on Liam’s heels, I exit the building only seconds after him, scanning for danger, expecting to find Jared and Gia waiting in the SUV. By the time Tellar has safely escorted both Amy and Liam into the back seat of the vehicle, it’s clear Jared and Gia aren’t present, and a low burn is rising in my gut.

“Where’s your plus-two?” Tellar asks, as I join him at the back door.

“Good question,” I say, digging my phone from my front pocket. “Drive around the block until I figure out where to pick them up.”

I expect an argument. I get a nod and a quick “Understood,” that stirs suspicion, but then, what the hell doesn’t in my world.

Surveying the area once more, hoping for any sign of Jared and Gia and finding none, I enter the backseat and slam the door shut, already dialing Gia, certain Jared can fend for himself. I get her generic outgoing message. I try Jared and it goes straight to voice mail. I dial again and my phone beeps with a call I try to pick up, cursing when it seems to go dead too soon. “Fuck,” I curse, waiting for a message that isn’t registering. Leaning around Amy, I find Liam and ask, “Did you see where Gia went when she left you?”

“Toward the side door where you parked,” Tellar calls out. “She should have made it to the vehicle.”

That burn in my gut is now on fire. My voice mail finally beeps and I punch the button, holding my breath as Jared’s voice plays. Where are you? There are men following us. I’m going into the subway to try to ditch them. If I can’t find you . . . It breaks off in static and comes back in: coffee shop . . . we’ll go to the apartment. More static and then nothing.

I end the recording and for a moment, I am frozen in hell, living the fear that my best friend and a woman who has quickly come to matter to me could be lost. Throwing caution out the window, I grab the driver’s seat and lean forward to talk to Tellar. “Do you know where the Two57 Tower is? Jared said that they were being followed and he’d go there.”

Tellar eyes Liam in the rearview mirror and I curse, leaning back in the seat to replay the message on speaker. About halfway through it, Amy covers her mouth, and the unreadable Liam Stone hears it out before ordering, “Two57 Tower, Tellar. Now.” Tellar cuts left on the next street and Liam glances in my direction. “Who is Gia? Is she a potential target?”

“She’s a chemist who worked on a top secret project for Sheridan. She found out I was being held captive and risked her life to save me. Now she knows things he doesn’t want known, and he will come after her.”

“Like he has us,” Amy says, her voice low, gravelly.

Drawing her hand into mine, I know now isn’t the right time for explanations, but more and more it feels like tomorrow isn’t a guarantee. “I started working for a group of treasure hunters—”

“The Underground,” she supplies. “We know. Jared told us. What does Sheridan want from you?”

“Knowing what it is puts you at risk.”

“Are you kidding me, Chad? You’re actually going to try to keep this a secret? I’ve lived six years in hiding. I deserve to know why.”

“I know that, little sis, and I’m not unwilling to share the details you want, but you have to understand that while you trust Liam and Tellar, I don’t. I can’t imagine you did at first, either.” We stop in what looks like a traffic jam and my mind races with worry over Amy, and absolute fear for Gia and Jared. I look at Liam’s hand on Amy’s leg and my mind is made up. “I believe that Sheridan wants you alive. But I’m not confident he won’t kill Gia and Jared to punish me. I have to get to them before it’s too late.”

She grabs my arm. “No. Please. No, you can’t leave.”

“I have to do this, Amy. Give me your phone so I can input my number.”

She twists around trying to find her phone. “Oh no. I left everything at the table in the coffee shop because Liam was watching it.”

Liam hands me his phone. “We’ll meet you at the building. Call us if you need us to meet you someplace else.”

I key in my number and dial it to log his number in my call log, handing it back to him. “Protect her or I kill you.”

“Losing her would kill me,” he replies, and when I look into his eyes, I think I might just believe him. I pray I’m right.

Grabbing Amy’s hand, I kiss it and promise, “We’re connected. We’re always connected.” I let go of her and reach for the door, her sob following me as I exit onto the street and force myself to shut the door. Digging my phone out of my pocket, I try to call Jared and then Gia, both calls going to voice mail. Street by street, I redial them both, and each time I hear a voice mail pick up, my insides twist a little more.