War of Hearts(43)

“Now that you’ve barged in without an invitation,” she said, glaring and covering her breasts with one arm while she held out the scissors with another, “you might as well try pulling out the bullet.”

Stunned to silence by her seething anger that dared him to question her further, Conall could only stare. What the fuck was going on here?

“If you aren’t going to help, get the hell out.”

Scowling, Conall took the scissors. “Face forward,” he said gruffly. He dug the small forceps into her back and other than the rigid line of her spine, Thea gave away nothing of her pain. Just when he worried the bullet had moved too deeply inside her, Conall felt it. She made a low sound in her throat as he tried to catch hold of it.

“Sorry, lass, this one is tricky.”

She merely nodded.

Finally, Conall got hold of the misshapen bullet and pulled it out. He watched in awe as the bloody, swollen hole in her back closed over, good as new, as if it had never been there. Their eyes met in the mirror and he held transfixed, watching her pallor brighten to a healthy glow.

What the hell was she?

“I’m naked here.”

Conall glanced down at where she had her arms wrapped around her bare breasts. She covered her nipples well enough, but her arms were too slender to cover much else of their full lushness.

Heat flushed through him and he wrenched his eyes away, dropping the forceps and the bullet in the sink. He gave his hands a quick wash and turned from her.

“I’ll see about transportation.” He strode out, willing the sudden and throbbing need from his body. To do so, he mentally forced his last image of her out of his head and replaced it with that of her scarred back. Just like that, the heat transformed from desire to rage. The vehemence of it took him aback but he couldn’t deny he felt it.

It was obvious Thea didn’t want to talk about it, but as much as Conall wished this whole fucking situation between her and Ashforth was black and white …

Och, it wasn’t.

Before he returned her to Ashforth, he needed to know who whipped her so brutally her back was a checkerboard of scars. Then Conall had to find out what Thea was. The clue would be in whatever was used to harm her. Whatever was in those syringes. Her weakness would lead them to her origins.

Gritting his teeth in frustration at the mess he’d found himself in, Conall pulled out his phone as he exited the hotel and googled the nearest bus station. It was a two-hour walk toward Dresden. He’d have to go back for Thea but first, Conall wanted to check they had the all clear out of town.

Following his phone’s directions, Conall approached the exit onto the road that would lead out of the typical Saxon gingerbread town and abruptly retreated. There were two police cars stationed on the road out of town. Cursing under his breath, Conall disappeared up a side street.

The girl had probably given their description to the police. He didn’t blame the wee lass.

He considered their options. There was a huge possibility the police were stationed at all exits. After all, they were looking for not just two but four suspects. It would be a shitshow if anyone dug up those bodies before Conall could tell Ashforth about them.

Ashforth.

As much as he hated asking for help and especially asking that arsehole for aid, they were trapped. Conall needed to get on the road again so he could work out what the fuck was really going on.

It shouldn’t matter, he knew that.

All that should matter was Callie.

But if Thea wasn’t who Ashforth said she was …

“Fuck,” he bit out. Since when did he overanalyze shit? Indecisive arsehole, he huffed at himself. He called Ashforth, and the man picked up on the second ring.

“Is something wrong?”

“Aye, you could say that. Someone knew what car we were driving, Ashforth, so someone betrayed you.”

The man was silent for a moment. “I … see.”

“No, you dinnae see. They chased us off the motorway and caused a civilian accident. It was two female wolves. Thea killed them and I buried them in the woods. I’ll text you the coordinates and I’ll need you to clean that up.”

“Very well.”

“We’re also trapped in a town called Wilsdruff. There were witnesses and now the police are manning the exits out.”

“Witnesses? Who?”

Something made Conall hesitate. “I dinnae know who or how many,” he lied, “but it was quite a scene we caused.”

The usually stoic businessman let out a string of curses.

“Where are you now?” he finally snapped.

That rage simmering inside Conall began to build, and the wolf revealed itself in his voice when he replied, “I’d be very careful how you speak to me.”

Ashforth cleared his throat. “I apologize. It’s just a little bit of an inconvenience.”

“Can you get the police off our backs here or not?”

“Yes, but it may take a few hours. Do you have somewhere to hide?”

“We’re staying in a small hotel on the edge of the town but if the authorities come calling, the owner will identify me right away.”

“It’s a risk you’ll just have to take. I’ll call you when the coast is clear.”

Conall hung up and walked back the way he came, sticking to the shadows. He tapped into his connection with Thea without even thinking about it, and he took a second to realize that she wasn’t bloody where he left her.