Page 103 of Thaddeus

“You’re right, it wasn’t okay, but now it is. You found me. You made it okay. I’m fine.”

“I didn’t find you. Autumn did.”

What? Autumn? I wanted to know more about that, but that was a question for another time. Making sure Thaddeus was all right was more important.

“Maybe so. But it was you who came for me. I knew you would. Never doubted it for one minute.”

“They were—”

“Stop. It doesn’t matter what anyone was going to do. They didn’t. I’m safe in your arms, and we’re going home—together. That’s all that matters. All I care about is this right here, me being in your arms, safe.”

Thaddeus fell silent, but his hold didn’t loosen.

Sitting in Thad’s lap as the boat sped us farther away from the stupid container, it hit me. A few days ago, I needed him to be strong and hold us together—but now it was my turn to mend the fear. He needed me to be strong so he could move past me being taken.

I could do that.

I could do anything for him.

Thad

Everyone was back at the hotel gathered in Brooks’ and Tatiana’s room. I wasn’t stepping foot back in that other room and Emerson wasn’t either. There was zero chance I was taking her back to the place where her nightmare started.

It would take a long time, if ever, for the images of Emerson’s unconscious body being carried out of that room to leave my mind.

As soon as we’d walked in, Tatiana demanded I set Emerson down—not even the feral growl that slipped out made Tatiana back down. She’d continued to press me until I finally gave in. She yanked Emerson to her and hugged her tightly while tears streamed down her cheeks, muttering how happy she was to see her.

When Tatiana stepped back, I reclaimed my woman and planted my ass in a chair with Emmy on my lap. No one said a word about my behavior. Not that I would’ve given a shit if they had.

Worst two hours of my life and that was saying something. Bar none, it was the scariest. The cold detachment I’d tried so hard to hold onto splintered when Emerson came flying out of that box like a wild animal going in for the kill.

Not the fear I’d felt, not the fury, but I couldn’t hold my emotions in check any longer. I couldn’t pretend any longer Emerson was a target to acquire. When I saw the terror on her face, everything fell away, leaving only my need to hold her.

“I ran the names Garrett sent me,” Tatiana shared.

She’d stayed behind to help Garrett and Tex continue to find the men responsible for Emerson’s kidnapping.

“Both are tied to Harry Landry,” she continued.

At the mention of Landry’s name all of my senses went on high alert. I was going to kill the man. It was going to be slow, it was going to be up close and personal, and he’d know why my blade was piercing his flesh. And if I had it in me, it would last four hours. The same amount of time my woman had to endure hell.

“Where’s Landry now?” I asked and Emerson’s arm around my shoulders tightened.

“Connecticut. Meeting with Emilio Ruiz,” Tatiana answered and passed her tablet to Declan. “That image was captured outside of a hotel.”

Declan turned the screen toward me and I saw Harry Landry shaking hands with a well-dressed, older Mexican man.

“That makes no sense—”

“I also talked to Zane,” Tatiana spoke over me. “This meeting was why we had the stand-down order. Word is, Emilio is not happy his daughter was targeted. Families are supposed to be off-limits. Ashaki Maloof checked in and word is, Emilio wants out of Omni.”

“Ashaki Maloof? How credible is her intel? Thought she turned,” Max questioned.

Ashaki Maloof had been a loose end none of us understood. Her role in our last op was still unknown. Brooks and Tatiana had both witnessed the CIA agent intimately engaged with the prince who’d tried to convince his peers Ashaki was his daughter, and one of the prince’s sons, who under that rouse was supposedly her brother, had also been seen kissing the woman.

“With the info-dump she turned in, I find it unlikely she’s turned. Garrett gave it to Violet to go over as well. With her connection to the agency, I’d be interested to hear her take on it.”

Violet had worked at the CIA until she’d been blackmailed. She was extremely smart and had a great eye for bullshit and data analysis.