Page 120 of Split You Open

“Fuck, they’re moving fast,” Santi says anxiously. “I can take an ATV and comb the woods?”

Before I can answer, Wes bursts through the back door and joins us in the kitchen.

“We need to move, quick,” I snap at him.

Ignoring me, Wes says, “Any eyes on who’s controlling the drones?”

“I see no one,” Rhett answers anxiously, as he stares down at his phone.

Santi checks and shakes his head. “Yeah, no clear view of the users.”

“There’s got to be someone parked on the roads near the property but not on it,” I announce. “If we find them, we can bring them back and interrogate them.”

Santi nods. “No ATV then. We need to get our trucks.”

“I’ll stay back with Blair, you three go in separate trucks to check who’s sending them out,” Rhett says. “Blair said she’s going to shoot them down.”

“No!” Wes and I bark at the same time.

We look at each other and for a second, there’s a sense of comradery that hasn’t been there since I pointed my gun at his face weeks ago.

Looking back at Rhett I add, “She can’t be seen. One image—that’s all they need to confirm that she’s here. Then the real danger returns. Right now, we’re probably dealing with desperate assholes who don’t have a good idea where she could be and are just hoping she doubled back.”

“Just like the hikers,” Santi mutters.

Wes grimaces, this clearly meaning something to him.

“What hikers?” I snap.

“Not now!” Wes barks at me before giving his attention back to Rhett. “You can’t be seen either, Rhett. They know you’ve been with her.”

“But then what do we do?” Rhett snaps back. “Someone has to shoot them down and if neither of us can, then who⁠—”

“Ledger’s good enough to knock ‘em out of the sky. He needs to stick back this time,” Wes cuts him off. “I’d offer to do it but, when it comes to long distance, I’m not great. Not like Ledger.”

Santi shakes his head with a dark scowl. “We’re not leaving him here with Blair alone!”

“Yes, you are,” Blair announces as she enters the room. “Now let’s move it.”

With a rifle slung across her chest and a pistol in her hand, she looks ready for war. She looks around at all of us, probably expecting an objection but prepared for it. Her eyes have gone cold and her expression unreadable. There’s an eerily languid ease in which she moves that only the daughter of the world’s most infamous hitman could accomplish.

Rhett snarls at her, his fists curling at his sides. “You can’t expect us to⁠—”

“Rhett!” she hisses, shooting him a dark glare. “We’re wasting time. Let’s go. I’ll hold down the fort with Ledger. Grab a hat, cover your face, and go hunt down these fuckers.”

Wes, Santi, and Rhett hesitate a moment longer—trading looks with each other before shooting me murderous glares.

“There better not be a single hair on her head harmed when I get back or you’ll be praying for death before the day’s over,” Rhett hisses before turning and grabbing his keys off the hook by the door.

Blair crosses the kitchen and blocks his exit. She tilts her chin up and rolls to the balls of her feet. Her lips brush against his chin. “Be safe.”

Her words are soft despite the lack of life in her eyes.

Jealousy tickles my insides.

Rhett bends down and gives her a real kiss.

“I’ll be back shortly,” he grumbles to her and then storms out without another word.