Page 42 of Innocent Target

“I love you too, you stubborn man.”

A cough from the doorway had them both looking that way to see Beth watching them with a soft look in her eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt, but I thought we could talk.”

“Not interrupting anything. I was just adjusting your brother’s expectations of himself.”

Beth moved into the room and sat beside him, leaning into his shoulder. “Yeah, he’s a pain in the butt.”

“What did you want to talk about, brat?”

“I have a diary, well, more of a book really, with a list of who the Henchmen are in bed with. Their associates.”

Mercy perked up, her adrenaline spiking with interest at this information. “Should we wait until we can share with the whole team?”

“Makes sense, but where’s the book?”

“Miles has it in his apartment, here in Daytona.”

“Who is Miles to you, Beth?”

Beth looked at the hands in her lap as she picked at a cuticle on her finger. “He was a friend who helped me, and then he became more.”

“You trust him?”

Beth nodded. “With my life. He loves me, James. Really loves me, not like Scorpion loved me like a toy or a thing he owned until I was no longer useful, but like you love Mercy.”

Mercy felt her heart thud in her chest to hear it from someone else. It made everything more real somehow as a lock clicked into place, securing how she felt about him too.

“Why did you leave Abbie with me?”

“I was certain you’d do everything you could to keep her safe.”

“I failed.”

“No, he has inside help. He has cops, FBI, judges, and rich, powerful people on his payroll. It was wrong of me to disappear and leave you with no information, but I was so confused and scared I didn’t know what to do.”

“Yeah, we’re finding that out.”

“Miles tried to convince me to come home, and we were going to call when we hit land.”

“It was clever to stay out on the water,” Mercy offered, and Beth gave her a smile of thanks. “Do you know about the organ sales?” Mercy asked gently.

Beth gave a sharp dip of her head. “Yes, I was going to become the next victim, although not for profit this time.”

“Oh?”

“Scorpion’s mother has a bad heart. He’s a pig, but he’s also a momma’s boy. Everyone thinks his father ran the MC, but that’s bullshit, his mother is the true power behind it all and Scorpion is just the face. She has the same heart condition that killed her daughter, and yours truly is a match.”

“Did they test you?”

“It came out when I was pregnant with Abbie. I was six months pregnant when I heard Scorpion talking with Rao, his brother-in-law. He said I was a match and would provide a heart as soon as I delivered, and his child had been given a clean bill of health.”

“So Abbie doesn’t have it?”

“No, thank god, she was clear. I had her tested after I had her at the hospital.”

“Wow, so it’s not for money, you’re a live donor.”