Page 123 of Ravage
Joe chuckles. “If you so happen to turn the girl and yourself over sooner, you can cut her time here short. Tick Tock.”
Portia’s screams are cut off when the connection ends.
“No, no,” I breathe and dial her back. It rings again and again, and then cuts over to voicemail. I try again.
And again.
“Portia.” My voice comes out in a pained whisper. I’m tempted to chuck the phone at the wall, but it’s my only connection and hope for her. I steady my grip on it and shove it back in my pocket to take away that temptation.
A gaping pit of rage swirls in my gut. I close my eyes and feed it with more and more until my skin is brimming with it.
Someone touches my shoulder and I snarl at them. Dane watches me solemnly. “Put your gift away. Now isn’t the time.”
I look at my hands. My arms. All of my exposed skin has a soft reddish glow. I didn’t even realize I’d activated my gift.
The others are standing and staring at me as well.
“Did you find her?”
“Not yet.”
I can’t sit around here waiting while she’s being tortured. “Call me when you do.” I tug away from his grip and turn to the door.
Jackson somehow beats me to it. “Where are you going? The hour’s not up yet.”
“I can’t just stand around doing nothing while she’s being tortured! I’m leaving.”
“To go where?”
For once, his calmness doesn’t soothe me. It has the opposite effect. I have to go. Now. Portia has been there for me since the first time we met. She’s listened to all of my crazy stories, supported me in any of my choices, and never once judged me for anything I said or did. The girl has the biggest heart, and I can’t let her lose that because of me.
She deserves so much more from me. I’ve been selfish dealing with my own problems and asking her to wait for me to help her with hers.
I should have done more. To help her. To keep her safe.
“I’ll check every building in this city if I have to,” I snap. “I have to try.”
“You’ll be wasting your time and energy,” Aiden chastises. “Wait here, get sleep if you need to, and we’ll wake you when we’ve found something.”
“You think I can sleep after hearing that? You think I’m just going to roll over and do nothing?”
“The alternative is you burning yourself out until you’re useless to us when the time actually comes.”
“I won’t.” He’s not wrong. I could easily do that if I don’t control my gift and let it run wild. I finally reel it in, leashing it.
I look to Jack, who’s still standing in front of the door. He tilts his head and smirks at me. I take it that he’s not planning on budging from his spot, but then he side-steps from the door. That was unnervingly easy. I’m shocked he’s letting me go, but he’s always been able to read me well. He must see how determined I am and that they can’t stop me.
I grab the door and wrench it open.
Elias storms inside and surveys the room. His slate eyes fall back on me. “Well?”
His dirty blond hair is in disarray and his suit is unbuttoned and wrinkled. His face is tight and dark, and he’s working a five-o-clock shadow along his face and neck. There are dark circles under his eyes.
Another guy steps inside behind him. He’s tall and lean, but his jacket clings to his arms to show off that he’s no pushover. His skin is like milk chocolate, and his eyes and hair are both dark. He keeps his gaze on the room and the others in it.
“We haven’t found her yet,” I admit. There’d be no point trying to lie to him with his gift, though I wouldn’t ever lie to him about Portia regardless. I’d hoped to have her back before he returned.
“Where have we looked so far? Do we have any information on GE-owned locations in a fifty-mile radius?”
