Page 65 of Retribution
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
“Dakota?”
“I’m still here. I’m uh … I’m confused, about everything … about you and me … none of it makes any sense anymore.” He heard a strange rustle in the background. “I need you to meet me.”
Cobra wanted to tell her that he knew where she was, but he doubted that Dakota was calling him of her own free will. It was so fucking transparent that Big Pat was using her to lure him.Damn amateurs.“Sure. When?”
“Uh … tomorrow morning.”
“You gonna be okay until then?”
“Yes. I’m staying with a friend.”
“Okay. What time tomorrow?”
“Early, like at seven in the morning. Can you make it?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. So this is a for sure, because weneedto meet at the park.”
Dakota’s voice sounded tinny and faraway, so he figured she may be on speaker phone. Cobra wanted to keep her on as long as possible so he could hear her voice.
“Okay, darlin’, I’ll come to the park like you want me to at seven in the morning. We can talk, and everything’s gonna be just fine.”
“I know.” Dakota’s quivering voice hit him square in the heart.
“We’ll be back on track. Don’t worry about anything.”
“I won’t,” she whispered, and empathy thrummed through his veins.
“Is your friend there with you?”
“Uh-huh.”
Cobra wanted to reach through the phone and pull her to him. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and keep her safe … forever.
“Can your friend hear you?”
“Not really. I know seven o’clock is early.”
Good job, sweetheart—you’re not on speaker phone but the bastard’s with you.“I need you to listen to me. Be careful, don’t piss off the fucker, and sit tight for me. I’m coming for you. You’ve gotta be strong for me. Can you do that, Dakota?”
“Of course.” A small giggle.
That’s my woman.“Good. Now you need to act like I bought this stupid phone call and tell the bastard that I’ll be in the park tomorrow morning. But I’m coming for you. Just know that.” His throat squeezed tight until his voice sounded like churning gravel. He nearly broke the cell, he was clutching it that hard. “I need you to be my strong, brave woman.”
There was a muffled, strangled sob on the other end of the line.Sonofabitch.He was gonna rip off Big Pat’s damn balls then tear out his fucking throat. A rage unlike anything he’d ever known consumed him.
“He hasn’t …” Unable to say the words, not wanting to imagine the possibilities, he left the unsaid in the air between them hoping against hope that he wasn’t too late.
“No, I’m okay.” Dakota sniffled and whimpered. “Cobra, I love you—”
A wave of mixed emotions shot straight through him as whoever was with her must have ripped the phone away from her hand. He let out a long breath, swearing that each fucker who was in that house would pay for what they did to his woman.
Cobra still held the phone to his ear when it rang again.
“Dakota?”
