"You can stop checking for broken bones," she said with a small laugh. "I only have the one."

"Did they hurt you? Tell me what happened. G.o.d, I was worried when the ransom video came through."

"You saw the video?"

"We both did," French said, having caught up.

"But how is that possible?" Ava asked. "I thought Venom had taken Remy."

Remy shook his head, jerking his thumb in French's direction.

Ava's eyes widened in realization. She launched at French. "You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! You knew the entire time! You blew up my boat!"

Remy scooped Ava up into his arms. She was so enraged that she'd wind up hurting her leg again. And, he wanted her close.

"Put me down! I'm going to kill him."

"He just wanted me," Remy said, calmly. "He didn't want you to get hurt. He was keeping you out of the picture because he . . . cares about you." Remy had nearly spilled the "L" word, but that would've given him an ulcer to say.

"I thought we were a team!" Ava snarled, taking swipes at French from around Remy.

"We were," French said. "Until I knew you were getting too close. You don't know when to back away, to get reinforcement. You and Remy are like twins, both charging ahead. You were going to get yourself killed." French ducked and blocked. "I had to keep you safe."

Ava crossed her arms. "I don't believe you. You took Remy and blew up my boat."

French raked his fingers through his hair, tugging at the ends before he tossed his arms up. "You were the only one who could get Remy onto a boat. I remembered how much he hates them. When he said that you weren't on the boat and after it was searched, I thought he was telling the truth. He's more stubborn than you are. I was sure he took off in the boat, leaving you on sh.o.r.e."

Ava glanced up at Remy for confirmation. He shrugged and said, "French is more pompous than he used to be, but we've come this far."

"Thank you," French clipped.

Remy glanced over at French, realizing that he was holding Ava and French was taking exception to it. What a screwed-up mess, Remy thought as he gently set Ava back on the ground.

"Were you on the way to find Venom?" Remy asked.

Ava nodded. "We're really close," she said, biting her lip in thought. "Do you know already?"

"Yeah."

"I still can't believe it's Boyer."

"Neither can I," he said.

"You can talk later. We need to keep going," Natan said.

Ava nodded to Natan. He gave an order and the band of merry misfits moved out. Ava held onto Remy and French as she hopped along. This was ludicrous. Even if the medicine was masking her pain, it still wasn't wise for her to be hopping around.

"You shouldn't take pills from strangers," Remy said.

"Natan is a doctor. I trust him."

"He also kidnapped you," Remy gritted.

"Technically, they were after you. I was a parting gift."

"Me?"

"You're the key to this."

Remy grimaced. Yes, he'd already found that out. He felt French's stare but ignored him.

"Hang on," Ava said, stopping them. "You're both too tall. I need Natan and Mikael's shoulders."

Like h.e.l.l she did.

Remy bent down, giving Ava his back. "Hop on. I'll take you."

"No. You'll be worn out. I don't want you to get hurt."

"We only have a mile or so to go. Just get on. I'll be fine."

"Brock-" Ava started to argue.

"It's Remy," he corrected. "Get on."

"Sorry. I've really been trying to remember. But when you irritate me, I forget."

"We can talk about who irritates who on the way. Get on," he repeated.

She hesitated.

"Get on now or I'll throw you over my shoulder. I guarantee your leg and bottom won't thank you."

French took Ava by the shoulders and nudged her to Remy. "Stop being stubborn. You two will get us all killed."

Ava sighed and hobbled behind Remy, wrapping her arms around his neck. When he stood, she curled her uninjured leg around his waist. He tucked the other one under his arm, holding it next to him.

French gave an annoyed glance at the pair and tromped after the group. Remy felt ill. He had only been thinking of Ava when he'd insisted on carrying her. He never once thought about French's reaction.

"Let him be," Ava said, her voice soft in Remy's ear.

"He's upset."

"I've learned to deal with French's mood swings. He's merely annoyed at us. He'll be fine in a few minutes."

Remy followed, keeping the group close but still far enough away so that no one else could talk to them.

French was speaking with Natan and . . .

"What's that guy's name?"

"Who?"

"Sungla.s.ses."

"Mikael."

"What have you learned about them?"

"They're a.s.syrian, and their cousin had a run-in with Venom . . . Boyer. G.o.d, I can't believe he's Venom! It just doesn't . . . It's not . . ." Remy felt Ava's huffed breath across his neck.

Remy understood Ava's unfinished sentence, her frustration and hurt. How could Boyer turn on his own? How could he turn on the innocent?

"Is that why they're after Boyer?" he asked. "Are they looking for revenge?"

"Natan is hoping for an antidote, but I don't think revenge would be turned down."

"His cousin is alive, then?" Remy asked. "I had heard no one survived Boyer's experiments." Except himself, but he wasn't going to tell Ava that.

"He survived, but I'm not sure for how long. Whatever drugs Boyer used aren't wearing off. In fact, he's getting worse."

"How so?" He kept his voice calm, but it rattled him to know the man was getting worse. Were the drugs still in Remy's system, weakening him little by little, eating away at his mind?

"It'll sound crazy, but he keeps getting stronger. I had escaped, and he found me. We fought, and I had no problems defending myself at first, but then he got better. It was like he was learning and improving."

"Is that how you broke your leg?"

"He stepped on it."

"And where was Natan?" Remy clipped, targeting the soon-to-be dead man in his sights.

"He was getting his a.s.s kicked too."

"By the cousin?"

"It was like he didn't know Natan."

"Where is he now?"

"Back at their base, knocked out on tranquilizers. I think Natan is planning to keep him asleep until they find an antidote."

Remy didn't want to say it, but he was sure there wasn't one. Boyer wasn't into saving lives. If he had been, there'd be more survivors.

It made him wonder what had happened all those years ago. Why did Remy survive while the others had died? And why wasn't he affected like the cousin?

But there was one question that ran a marathon in Remy's head: Why him? Boyer was a mentor, someone Remy looked up to. Why would Boyer choose him? Did he have no regard for Remy at all?

"I think he has a crush," Ava said, startling Remy.

He glanced over at French, who was quick to look away.

"What?" Remy asked, pretending he didn't hear.

"French. I think he has a crush."

"Yeah. I think you're right." It was pointless to deny something so obvious. Ava was a grown woman who could make her own decisions. Remy wasn't about to block compet.i.tion just because he wanted her. She should be with someone who loves her.

"You mean you know?" she asked.

"Of course I know. I'm not blind."

"I didn't say you were. I just thought . . . well, it doesn't matter."

It mattered. It mattered a great deal.

"It seems we have company," Boyer said, looking out a small window at the front. He held a large pair of long-range binoculars to his eyes. "That's the nice thing about this place. You can see unwanted guests before they see you." He smiled.

David glared. It was all he was able to do at the moment. His arms and legs were strapped to a metal table, his head was entrapped by a leather strap that slashed across his forehead, and a filthy gag polluted his mouth, cutting off his curses.

How had he not seen this coming? But he knew the answer. David never would've believed it, even if someone had warned him. Jared Boyer was Venom. He was the one who had injected Remy and then let him run wild in the desert with barely a marble left.

And he got the jump on David.

"I wasn't going to use you for my research," Boyer continued. "You're not the specimen I look for; a little bit smaller than my usual picks. Not the perfect specimen at all."

Smaller? David didn't know which offended him more: being outsmarted by a madman or being called small. He already knew he wasn't perfect, but small? He wasn't small in the least. Maybe compared to Remy. But who wasn't when compared to him?

"It'll be a shame you probably won't make it through," he said as if an afterthought. "Only two have. And, you know, for the life of me, I can't figure out why. I wonder if it has to do with seeds. Maybe they were harvested differently. It's enough to drive a man insane."

Too late.

"Never thought you'd be here," Boyer said, eyeing David. "I'm sorry about your wife. Pretty young thing." He shook his head and returned to the binoculars. "Nothing like being a dad. You never know. One day my research will lead to great discoveries. Might even save your boy someday, especially if he follows in your footsteps. Can you imagine it? Soldiers honed to perfection. Perfection. That's the key."

David struggled against the restraints.

"Are you ready, then?" he asked, turning his attention to David. "We might as well begin before we're interrupted. Had that happen once. Ava found me. Clever girl, I always said. But I turned her around in time. Well, not in time for the subject. Quite a mess. Quite a mess."

David frantically thrashed, hoping for a strap to break or loosen. He screamed through the gag.

"They're still a ways off," Boyer said, crossing over to a steel table. "We still have time."

Boyer picked up a syringe and brought it over to David. A dreamy look cast on his face before turning to face David. In horror, David helplessly watched as Boyer inserted the needle into his vein.