Defy (Brothers of Ink and Steel Book 3)(54)

“Then you’ll know,” Patti says. “We’ll give you the signal to board the streetcar.”

“We’ll all have communication devices, except for you.” Briggs opens the black electronics case. “Ryder will stay next to you—masked so he’s not recognized by any of Miguel’s men.”

“I’ll board the streetcar right behind you. You’ll never be alone,” Ryder reassures me. “And Patti will be at the exit door to secure Lemy.”

“And any * who tries to make that difficult will have two thousand volts of electricity to contend with.” She flashes her taser.

“Patti is also a woman’s Golden Gloves champion,” Bryan says proudly. “She’s very adept at hand-to-hand. She’s kicked my ass a few times.”

My eyes shift to Ryder’s and his to mine.

Dear God, I hope this works.





Chapter Thirteen



Ryder





We stand with a myriad of revelers—in the middle of a sweeping celebration of color and pageantry—but we’re on an island of trouble all our own.

Farrington is in the simple clothing I got for her—a red t-shirt so we could detect her in the crowd and a purple mask so she wouldn’t be recognizable to law enforcement.

I hate that she’s here, but I can’t think—I can’t feel—not now. Especially not now.

We’ve almost reached the streetcar stop on Toulouse.

“Rachel, you’re going to have to go from here. But I won’t be more than four paces away from you at any time.”

Her lips purse and she turns to walk away, but I pull her back to me.

“I’d kiss you if it wasn’t so f*cking risky.” My fist squeezes urgently around her arm. “I need you to understand. I’ll protect you to my death. Do you understand?”

What more can I say? What more can I do? I need her to get it, get me.

I watch the rise and fall of her chest beneath the red fabric. “I’ve never told anyone except for my mom and dad and Lemy that I loved them.” She nods and tenses. “I’d never felt it before. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next few minutes . . . or hours—but I think it’s safe to say tomorrow isn’t guaranteed for me.”

“Rachel—”

She sets three soft fingers to my lips. “Shhh.” I can see her eyes close behind the mask. “You gave me a beautiful gift. Love. Love like I have never experienced before. You make me high, Ryder. You make me feel secure and strong, and weak and soft, and happy and pissed off, all at the same confusing time. And I absolutely love the way you make me feel.”

I watch her eyes open as she peers into my soul. “I love you Ryder.”

Before I can respond, she whips around and stalks into the crowd towards the streetcar stop.

“Your heart still beating?” Briggs voice squawks through the ear comm.

“Barely,” I confess, my senses filled with her every word and motion.

“Get your head in the game, Ax. I’ve scouted this streetcar for the last twenty minutes and haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary except for three Grecian goddesses, a couple of dudes in rainbow glitter bikinis and Elvis,” Bryan says.

“Height differences?” Patti asks.

“There are several children on board,” he informs her. “I’ve tried pinpointing one traveling with a single adult but keep coming up empty.”

“Maybe they’re not on yet?”

“It’s possible they’ll board at the designated stop together,” Briggs says, thinking out loud. “Any kids, Ryder?”

“No, almost everyone at this stop either has a bottle of booze or a cigarette in their fingers,” I say, reminded how good some nicotine would feel right now in my lungs. “Hey, check for a child with two men—or even a very unhappy kid with a set of parents—Miguel could have easily tried to put Lemy into the most inconspicuous situation so as not to be recognized.”

“It’s possible she isn’t even on the streetcar, Ryder, you know that.”

“Miguel has no need for the girl,” Patti states, and I’m grateful.

“We just stopped at Camp Street. Give me a minute.” I know Bryan is doing mental inventory—who’s been on, who’s getting off and who’s boarding now.

Toulouse is only four stops away. We have to get that visual.

Farrington turns her head to spy me, mixed in with the mass of people. Once her eyes settle on me for just a fraction of a second, she keeps looking around casually.

Good girl. She doesn’t give me away.

More tense minutes pass with nothing discovered.

“Canal out of the way—only one more stop before Toulouse,” Bryan announces.

“Hey, handsome. Got a light?” A woman dressed in a sexy Alice in Wonderland costume waves her Marlboro Light at me.

“No, ma’am.”

“Ma’am? Honey, how old do you think I am?” she drawls with a thick accent.

“Excuse me.” I quickly detach myself from the situation so she can’t distract me or make a scene.

“Oh, Ryder, you’re so attractive.” Briggs feigns a female voice—it’s hysterical, considering how low and deep his normal tone is.