Free Blind Salvage by Shannon Mayer Page A

keeps me eyes on hers.”
    Much as I appreciated what he was willing to do, Charlie staying with her wouldn’t work, not on Eve. “Charlie, give me second. I have to think this through.”
    I put the phone down on the desk and relayed what Charlie had told me to Liam; though he didn’t need me to, I needed to say it to clear it in my own head. I couldn’t believe that someone would hold Eve ransom, or that they’d be able to for that matter.
    Liam went directly into agent mode, which was what I needed. “Blackmail? Have you run into it before?”
    “No.” I shook my head. “I have to say this is a first.”
    “And Charlie can’t tell you anything about the kid or the parents?”
    Charlie squawked through the phone. “Nots if yous want your bird kept off the rotisserie. My instructions were clearer than a mid summers night sky. No telling yous nothing.”
    Liam and I stared at each other. We had no choice but to go along, or Eve was done. And if they—whoever they were—could take out Eve so easily, I wasn’t so sure that we weren’t in for a wild fucking ride of a salvage.
    “Send Pamela and Alex back to keep her calm; you can’t go if the parents are coming this way, and you can’t save Eve and the kid if you go to Eve,” Liam said, his voice calm, casual as if it was the logical solution.
    “You’re just trying to get rid of Pamela,” I countered, irritation flaring in my guts. “You have to learn to deal with her; she’s a part of this family, pack, whatever you want to call it, as much as you or I am.”
    He ground his teeth, and when he answered me, he did so without acknowledging my words. “This time around, you need her to help, but not at your side. She can keep Eve calm, and if necessary, she can probably get Eve out of there if the shit hits the fan.”
    Damn, he was right, that was the sticky part. Not that I couldn’t let someone else be right, but that he was neatly avoiding Pamela, without actually having to avoid her.
    I picked the phone up, but my eyes never left Liam’s. “Charlie, I’m going to send Pamela and Alex to you. Tell Eve that they are coming, that should help. Tell her that I will find this kid, where he is—”
    “It be a girl, I can tell yous that much.”
    “Fine, I’ll find this kid wherever she is and bring her home.”
    “Okays. Be quick about it, Rylee.” He hung up the phone, the line going dead in my ear.
     

P amela was eager to go ‘save’ Eve. Maybe a little too eager.
    “Are you sure you want me to just go and sit with her? I can get her away from them, I know I can.”
    Before she’d even finished speaking I was shaking my head. “No, I don’t know what these people have, but if they can hang onto a Harpy, they aren’t to be messed with. Just keep her calm. That’s your job.” Only an hour since the phone call from Charlie. An hour and things were already ramping up. We waited outside the Landing Pad in the cold, winter night for Pamela and Alex’s ride. Dox had shut the bar down early, and had put the word out through the locals that we were expecting some hostiles. Shit, not even home twenty-four hours and life had tossed a twist at us I could never have seen coming.
    A cold nose shoved into my hand. “Alex’s job?”
    “You keep Pamela safe. That’s your job. Protect her.”
    Alex sat back on his haunches and saluted me, albeit a bit sloppily. “Gots it.”
    All but bouncing, Pamela stood in front of me, eyes bright, ready to face another challenge. There was no regret in her over killing the red caps, as there shouldn’t be. A part of me was pleased, she would suffer a lot less in our world doing what had to be done and not getting her panties twisted up with guilt. Yet, another part of me was sad. To be so young, and hardening up so quickly—I wasn’t sure that was a good thing. I’d been two years older than she was when Giselle had found me. And even then I’d hardened plenty fast enough.
    “You have Terese’s phone