My eyes land on a rack near the back. Black leather pants. A skin-tight top that's more daring than anything I'd normally wear. I stare at them for a second, then shove them into my basket along with everything else. "I should go. Eh, these cramps. They're killing me."
I can almost feel him recoiling in disgust as he hangs up before I can gross him out any more.
Conscious I don't want to be away from the motel for long, I shove my phone into my back pocket then head to the register. It only takes so long to eat a take-out, and I still haven't picked up any food. The cashier rings everything up at a glacial pace, but thankfully, without comment, and I pay without really looking at the total, my mind elsewhere.
Underground fights. Could it all be connected?
I'm still turning it over as I bundle my shopping bags into the back seat, and my stomach growls at me again. I spot a drive-through up ahead, and suddenly, I'm ravenous in a way that's almost painful. Really, I should head straight back in case they leave, but I don't.
What I do is order more food than I can possibly finish and eat half of it before I've even made it back to the motel, the brown paper bag perched precariously on my knee as I shove fries into my mouth.
The hunger is intense, almost desperate, and it takes two burgers and most of the fries before it finally eases.
The sun is setting, painting the sky orange and pink, by the time I pull in and clamber out, shoving my new purchases into a backpack and heading for reception. Their vehicles are still there as I pass, the lights still burning brightly in the room with all their gear.
Terrified I'll get caught, I duck my head and hurry by. The clerk barely looks up when I push through the door into the reception area, shutting it behind me.
"I need a room for the night."
21
BEAU
Van and Tripp's room is a mess. Laptops cover every flat surface, and maps and surveillance photos are pinned above the bed because we don't have enough tables to spread everything out on.
Van has been hunched over his keyboard since we arrived, pulling data and cross-referencing intel with the focus of a man who loves the hunt. Tripp is on the floor between the beds, doing push-ups, restless after hours in the car, adrenaline already coursing through his veins.
"Chase is calling." Van shifts in his chair, wincing as his bad leg protests. He's been in pain all day but won't say a word about it. He never does but still refuses to take any strong medication when we're in the field like this because he swears it makes his brain fuzzy.
Tripp stops mid push-up and jumps to his feet as Van angles the laptop so we can all see the screen.
Chase looks like he hasn't slept in days, but his voice is sharp when he speaks. "Mr. Black is on the move. Heading in your direction."
My bear, who's been unsettled all evening, snaps to attention. Mr. Black is Kozlov's boss. If Dimitri'sdesperate for help, and a way out of the country, this is who he'd turn to.
"You're sure it's him?" Van asks, never completely trusting information he hasn't gathered himself.
Chase nods and leans in close. "As sure as we can be. He's been quiet for months, but our sources have him travelling for the fights tomorrow night."
The entire organisation has been keeping a low profile since Kozlov's operation was torn apart, literally, and his businesses raided. That's what's made them so difficult to track.
"Even after the raid?" Van asks, fingers already moving across his keyboard. "Surely he knows going to an illegal bare-knuckle fight is giving the police a chance to lock him up, even if it's just temporarily."
With a shrug, Chase accepts a piece of paper from someone beside him. "Turns out boxing is the only thing he'll leave his house for. I guess everyone has their vices."
Tripp drops onto the edge of the bed, angling himself so he's in the camera frame. "And Dimitri?"
"If he wants to reach Mr. Black, this is how he does it. He's not going to be allowed onto any of Mr. Black's properties in case he brings the police."
I've been chewing on this for weeks, and it always comes back to the same answer.
"Dimitri's stuck with a girl he can't sell without using Mr. Black's network. The fights are the only place he can hand her over and still demand some money so he can disappear."
We're banking on him keeping Amber alive as the only valuable asset he has left, either to sell or use as a hostage while he flees.
"So, we wait for him to show and hope he leads us to Amber," Van says.
"That's the plan." Chase looks at me. "Which means these two have to go in alone. He'll know you're a Lennox, and after what went down at the cabin with Bodhi, well, he'll bolt the moment he sees you."