Page 275 of Romeo

That got him moving. I heard keys beneath his voice when he finally asked, “Why am I looking for Webb again? Thought you handled that asshole.”

“So did I.”

The keyboard stopped. Nav knew me too fucking well to miss what was sitting underneath those three words.

“What happened?”

I looked across the dark road and saw brick instead of trees. Fiona’s face instead of shadows. My stomach went hard all over again.

“He went after her.”

Nav was quiet for half a heartbeat before the keyboard started again, faster this time. “How bad?”

“He would’ve raped her if I hadn’t pulled in.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

“Find him.”

“I’m looking.” Nav’s voice changed as he worked, the irritation gone now, replaced by the clipped concentration that made him worth every aggravating thing about him. “Give me the exact location.”

“Sugar’s Creamery. Rear lot. The bastard took off on foot.” I closed my eyes. “He headed east between the buildings. Anything else, or can you use the expensive shit in front of you now?” I knew my voice was sharp, agitated. I didn’t fucking care. Nav muttered something about ungrateful Cajun assholes before telling me to stay off the phone and hanging up.

I paced beside the bike while he worked, too full of rage to stand still and too fucking focused to ride without a destination. Every time my mind tried to wander, it went straight back to Granny’s porch and Fiona clutching my cut with both hands because she didn’t want me to leave. Walking away from her had taken more out of me than beating Webb the first time ever had. She’d needed me, and every instinct I possessed had screamed at me to take her inside, lock the fucking door, and spend the rest of the night with her wrapped around me where nothing could reach her.

But Webb was still out there.

I had left him breathing once.

That mistake belonged to me.

My phone rang seventeen minutes later.

“You owe me,” Nav said before I could speak.

“You found him?”

“Yeah, asshole, I found him.”

A cold, ugly satisfaction settled through me. “Where?”

“I picked him up on a city camera about three blocks from the shop. He cut behind businesses until he reached the south side, then got into his own car near a tire place. Apparently, he thought parking away from Fiona’s work made him fucking clever.”

“Where’d he go?”

“Home.” Nav continued talking. “You gonna tell me what you’re planning?”

“No.”

“Figured.”

“I’ll call you later.”

“Romeo, if you’re about to do something spectacularly fucking stupid...”

“I’m already in Virginia. According to you, that qualifies.”

“Fuck you.”