“I know that,” Alex interrupts, nodding. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t have backup waiting in the wings in case things don’t go according to plan.”
My heart painfully squeezes when he glances at me through lowered lashes. He’s doing this for me as much as he is Isabelle.
After a few seconds of contemplation, Isaac informs Alex, “He has Isabelle at a warehouse in Harbortown. You can follow me there.” He locks his eyes with Hunter. “Get Tallis out and call Ryan. Tell him we’re going back to where it all began.”
Not waiting for Hunter to reply, Isaac exits Alex’s office. Alex briefly squeezes my hand in assurance before taking off after him. Watching him bark orders at the agents milling around the space is a thrilling experience. He’s in his element. Tough and commanding, but he has the full respect of his crew because they trust he’d never place them in harm’s way. He has everything under control.Except me.
Alex balks when Isaac pauses halfway into his Bugatti to say, “Get in. This will be quicker than the piece of shit car you’ve been tailing me in the past few weeks.”
I shouldn’t smile at Alex’s stiffened state, but I do. Isaac knows everything, and it’s about time Alex realizes that.
“Be careful,”I mouth when Alex flings open the passenger door of Isaac’s car to slide inside.
His grin reveals he appreciates my concern, but his cocky wink exposes it isn’t needed. If you remove our relationship from the equation, he’s not the least bit worried.
Within seconds of Alex shutting his door, Isaac’s Bugatti flies out of the parking lot, leaving me in a cloud of dust and with a heart just as smudged.
Thirty-Two
Alex
I could charge Isaac with numerous offenses as he races his sportscar through the packed streets of Ravenshoe. He pushes his pride and joy to the absolute limit until we reach the isolated streets of Harbortown. I would if I hadn’t silently pledged to Regan to help him with this. Isabelle is an agent of my team. She’s smart and independent, which means, just like Regan, she doesn’t need a man rushing in to save her. But this is different. If the man holding Isabelle hostage is who Isaac believes it is, we could already be too late.
Col Petretti doesn’t take prisoners, especially not when it’s a woman who belongs on the other side of the team. I’m not referring to Isabelle’s relationship with Isaac, either; I’m talking about her birthright—the surname she went to great depths to hide before she joined my team.
Although surprised Isaac was aware I’ve been tailing him the past few months, I doubt he’s aware of Isabelle’s family lineage. If he does, the large monetary amount he deposited in her father’s account will be a bitter pill for her to swallow. I don’t see even the strongest relationship surviving that.
I flatten my palms on the roof of Isaac’s car when he takes a corner so quickly, his tires lose traction with the road. I wait for him to correct his oversight before asking, “What’s your plan?”
“To get Isabelle out, uninjured and safe.”
I’m about to reply,duh, before the quickest collision of our eyes steals my words. He has the same mortified look my face held when Jay had Regan captive in my childhood bedroom. He’s truly panicked, immersed in his worst nightmare.
I look at him through the eyes of a man instead of an agent. “Col will check you for a weapon the instant you enter, so the only one you have at your disposal is your body. You’ll need to use it to shelter Isabelle.”
Isaac peers at me then nods. He’s surprised I’m helping him but still wary of my intentions. He’s not the only one riding the uneasy train. I’m sitting in a car with my arch nemesis, walking him through the process I used to keep Regan safe a year ago. I couldn’t be any more shocked.
While Isaac pulls his vehicle down a street with numerous empty warehouses, I continue my instructions, “Get her down as quickly as you can, cover her with your body, then roll her until she is facing away from danger. The likelihood of a bullet traveling through your body then piercing hers in a life-threatening way is highly improbable. You may not come out of the exchange intact, but Isabelle will be safe.”
The knot in my chest loosens when Isaac nods again. Just like me, he’ll put his life on the line if it guarantees Isabelle’s safety. I’d say it’s admirable for him to do if I didn’t loathe him so much.
When Isaac brakes, I check that the safety on my gun is off. He pulls his dark car down a concealed road at the end of a bank of old textile warehouses before nudging his head to the one he believes Isabelle is in. It’s a few spots up from where we’re parked.
“How do you know she’s in there?”
Isaac shifts his gray eyes to mine. I don’t know what he sees through them, but it must be something decent since he feels compelled to open up to me. “This is where my empire started, in a dingy, dusty rundown warehouse. So where better for him to end it?”
Not waiting for me to reply, he slides out of his car. As I follow him, I catch sight of a stream of black SUVs traveling the route we just took. I smile, pleased my team kept up with Isaac. Considering how many times he’s slipped from their net the past year, I didn’t think they had it in them.
After introducing me to a man I swear I’ve seen before, Isaac gives us an update on the warehouse layout. “He’ll most likely have Isabelle out in the open. Col likes showboating.”
Both Ryan and I nod. Col’s grandstanding has seen his slice of the mafia pie significantly trimmed the past five years.
“I just need to get close enough to Isabelle to shelter her, then the rest will be up to you two.”
Isaac’s massively dilated eyes drift between Ryan and me. Although he appears to be staring straight at us, he isn’t. He’s here, but he’s not. He’s trapped in a parallax, unsure if he should act on his heart’s desires or his head’s.
“Work with facts, Isaac, not emotions. Facts are evidential. Emotions are fact-blockers. If you can keep your emotions out of it, Isabelle will come out of this alive.” I wait for him to nod before adding on, “You know Col; use your knowledge against him.”
