Chapter 12
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BOONE CURSED AS THEYwaited for a tow truck, Cooper, and Xaden to arrive.Firetrucks were already on the way, and he heard sirens wailing in the distance.He’d moved Radley away from the burning cabin, feeling even more on edge than he’d been earlier.It felt like they were damn sitting ducks waiting here without transportation.Someone had tried to kill them.And yet—they’d left a fucking note on his truck.
Had they expected Boone and Radley to escape the fire?
In all likelihood, the note wasn’t from anyone in the damn terror cell.The cabin was as deserted as they’d believed it to be.The message was from the asshole who’d been following Radley.It burned him up to know they’d tracked Boone and Radley here.What if they’d hurt her—taken her?
“This doesn’t make sense,” Radley said, looking rattled.Her gaze swiveled from Boone to the truck to the burning cabin.She paced back and forth, waving her hands around.“IT reviewed the camera feeds the other day.There’s been no unusual activity around the perimeter of Shadow Security.The guards said there’s been no unauthorized vehicles attempting to gain access either.”
“They recognized my truck—my bad for thinking you were safer in it than your own vehicle.”
“But how....”She trailed off, frowning.Boone searched her face, noting the way she sunk her teeth into her lower lip as she worked it over.Hell.There could be someone in the forest watching them right now, and he was staring at her damn lips.
“You followed me home the other night!”Radley suddenly said, recognition dawning.“From the bar.You followed me all the way back to my condo.They must’ve seen you—seen us.”
“Fuck.I followed you to your condo to keep you safe,” Boone said, agitation winding through him.
“I know you did, but these guys are good.If they worked with Schultz and me at the agency, they’ve been highly trained by the U.S.government.And while I’ve been watching every time I leave my building, they must know that, too.Somehow, they tracked me to the bar and then followed us both—or saw us together in the parking lot there.”
“They could’ve hurt you,” Boone said.
“Right now, they’re just trying to scare me.”
Boone’s gaze whipped to hers.
“It’s true.If they wanted me, I’d already be gone.”
“And lighting the damn cabin on fire wasn’t trying to eliminate you?”he asked sarcastically.
She shook her head.“They had to know we’d escape.They slashed your tires—left a note.They wanted us to get out and see this.”
Boone tensed as they heard the rumble of a vehicle, but it was Cooper in his big SUV, gravel flying as he sped up the road.“Holy shit!”he yelled as he jumped out of his vehicle, his eyes widening as he took in the burning cabin.
Flames had almost entirely destroyed it, thick black smoke filling the air.Given the isolated location, it was taking a damn long time for emergency vehicles and fire crews to arrive.Boone hoped the nearby trees wouldn’t start to go up as well.They’d edged further and further away as the minutes passed, the heat and smoke nearly intolerable.
“How’d you get here so fast?”Boone asked, his brows creasing.
“Broke a few traffic laws,” Cooper admitted.His gaze moved from Boone to Radley.“Are you both all right?”
“Couldn’t be better,” Radley said weakly.
Boone showed Cooper the note, listening to his buddy swear.
“We’ve got another problem,” Radley said.“When we were searching the cabin, we found the wordhelpwritten in sawdust.”