* * *
Our showdown with Col goes as predicted. He wanted to gut Isaac as efficiently as Isaac has disemboweled his business the past few years. To do that, he needed Isaac within touching distance of Isabelle. He wanted him to have a front row seat when he killed her. With Isaac following the instructions I gave him, Isabelle came out of the incident without being shot. Col wasn’t as fortunate. He lost his life this evening.
“Where are they taking her?” I shout to the paramedic loading an unconscious Isabelle into the back of his van.
“Ravenshoe Private.” Isaac answers on his behalf, his gruff tone revealing his guilt is still paramount. He shouldn’t be so hard on himself. His tackle may have caused Isabelle’s head to hit the concrete floor, but when you’re outrunning a bullet, you don’t have time to stop and assess the situation. If you ask me, a concussion is a good scenario compared to what could have happened.
My eyes flick up from the dust covering my polished shoes when a set of keys smacks into my chest. I assume they’re from my crew, but the fancy emblem on the leather-stitched key assures me they’re not. They are the keys to Isaac’s pride and joy.
“Watch the brake. She’s a little touchy since she rarely gets used.” A wink finalizes Isaac’s cocky pledge.
Before I can reply that I’d rather eat shit than be seen in his ride again, the ambulance doors slam shut, carting both my target and one of my agents away from me.
Once the ambulance is nothing but a blur in the distance, I shift on my feet to face my team. They scurry in all directions, acting busy. I want to pretend it’s because they’re skilled agents who know the importance of stamping our seal on this case, but the disdain hanging in the air doesn’t allow me to believe this. They’re wary about what my reaction will be to their snooping. . . and perhaps inquisitive about why I let the man I’m striving to prosecute leave a crime scene without handcuffs around his wrists.
Not having the time nor the interest in easing their curiosity, I head inside the warehouse where Isabelle was held hostage. On the way, I yank my cell phone out of my pocket. Although business should always come first, I pledged a long time ago that this woman would come before anything. Although she’s no longer my girl, I plan to keep my promise.
“Hey.” Regan only says one word, but the ones she doesn’t speak are the loudest of them all.
“They’re safe—both of them.” I lower the sneer in my voice before adding on, “Isabelle is being transported to Ravenshoe Private. Isaac is with her.” When she inhales sharply, I push out, “She’s okay. Just a bump to her head. Nothing life-threatening.”
“Oh, thank god. We’re still waiting on news about Hugo.”
“Hugo?” Surprise resonates in my tone.
“Yeah, he was shot.” I hear her throat work hard to swallow. “He and Izzy were running when she was snatched. From what I was told by Hunter, he was shot while chasing the assailant.”
My eyes stray to the man sitting handcuffed on the dirty concrete floor during her last sentence. I’m already having trouble working out why Enrique Popov would kidnap his sister, and now Regan’s confession is making me even more baffled.
I push my phone in close to my ear when I miss what Regan says next. “Sorry?”
“Are you coming to the hospital?” she repeats.
I shouldn’t love the hope in her tone, but I do. Although I’d give anything to answer her silent pleas, I can’t. Not yet.
“I’ve got matters to tie up here before I can leave.”
I can’t see her, but I imagine her nodding when whooshing sounds down the line. That, or she’s sighing in disappointment. I hope it’s the latter.
“I’ll get there as soon as I can. Okay?”
Her breathing quickens before she whispers, “Okay.”
An ill-timed smile creeps onto my lips as I drag my phone away from my ear. Halfway down, I hear Regan call my name. My eagerness to return my phone to my ear causes it to smack me upside the head. I rub the sting while asking, “Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
Two words and the entire fucking world lifts from my shoulders. I swear I feel a million pounds lighter.
Grinning like a loon, I reply, “You’re welcome.” Before I can say any of the stupid thoughts running through my head, I bid her farewell then disconnect our call.
“What?” I snarl at Reid a few seconds later, hating the gleaming stare he’s giving me.
He shrugs. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You won’t get the chance if you keep looking at me like that.”
Taking my threat as a joke, he laughs it off before nudging his head to Enrique. “What’s the deal? I thought he was one of us?”
