And he had.
It made Ethan sick to his stomach.
Gene kept talking.
“I’m going to get to the hospital to get out of this cast and into a new one. Then, I’ll get our techs to analyze this bullet. I need you to hold it together until I can get back to you, Baby. I need you to be strong because if you break, I’m breaking.”
Ethan let him lead because he was ready to commit homicide himself.
This killer had crossed a line.
Not.
His.
Man.
There was no fucking way he was letting Gene leave him. If he did, he was done.
“You’re not going alone,” he stated. “Fuck that, Gene,” he whispered.
Gene got it.
“I’ll get the detective to get me there. This nut is going to put distance between us and him now, so he doesn’t get spotted. The media won’t let up, and that will give him access to us later, and he knows it.”
Ethan was barely holding it together. That rage had him by the balls at what could have happened.
At what had happened.
Gene stared into his midnight-blue eyes and got him to focus on him.
“Go research. I’ll get back to the hotel as quickly as I can. We’ll crash then. Hold it together for me,” he begged. “Please, Baby.”
Ethan was to the point.
“Fine, but you keep that detective with you at the hospital, and to bring you back. Don’t be out there without someone, Gene. We made a mistake thinking he wouldn’t come for us like any other collector would. This person didn’t shoot at me. He shot at you.”
Gene knew why.
When they’d been assaulted by the media at the school, Gene put himself in front of Ethan to scare the media off of them. It was all on tape, and the killer likely thought he was in charge.
Add to that convenience, and Gene had been screwed over this.
“Only because I was out in the streets and an easy target. I have to get a gun to protect myself. If not, I’m a sitting duck,” he said, not bringing up the first part.
That’s all he had to hear.
Blackhawk hadn’t turned in his backup piece when he’d given Gabe his gun. Instead, he’d packed it in his suitcase when he’d flown to DC. Because he’d flown as an agent to get to DC, his bag wasn’t checked when he’d boarded to head there.
He needed to keep his official gun, but he could give Gene his personal piece.
Pulling up his pantleg, he slipped the holster off of his ankle. Then, he passed it to Gene, making sure to do it on the DL.
Just.
In.
Case.
