Page 104 of Kyle

“Really?”

“How are you two holding up? Either of you hurt?”

“No. We’re both fine. But, Zane. We had to leave Jeremy behind. I’m so sorry, but we couldn’t—”

“You did the right thing. I’ll send someone to pick him up.”

“He tried, Zane. He tried to protect us.”

“I know he did.”

Zane’s eyes drifted closed and his head bowed.

Yeah, he was feeling that, too. Another man’s death he’d unnecessarily take responsibility for. Jeremy didn’t work for Z Corps but he’d died while protecting our own. That would never go unappreciated or unnoticed.

So Zane would take that mark to his soul.

“Keep the phone plugged into the charger and on. I’m giving Garrett the number before we leave.”

“Okay. One more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Emmy and I were talkin’, we don’t want you telling the guys.”

“Anaya—”

“No, please listen. Please, Zane. They’ll worry. And someone could get hurt if they don’t…you know…have their heads in the game or whatever it’s called. Them coming home is more important. Everyone coming home is. So don’t tell them. We’re fine. Me and Emmy can do this.”

“Kyle, Thad, and Dec are back in the US after a successful mission. They’ll be notified when we end this call. I appreciate the both of you having their backs, but I was only waiting to hear from you again until I called them in.”

“Do you think—”

“I don’t have the right to think. This isn’t about me, it’s about them. And I would burn someone to the ground if they withheld info about Ivy from me. I’m callin’ them in. You two stay the course, drive careful, and we’ll see you soon.”

“Thanks, Zane. Appreciate your help.”

Anaya disconnected and Zane’s body turned to granite.

“You heard her,” I told my boss. “She sounded strong and capable. Do not fuck this for Tom and smoke Landry. He’s never given you reason to doubt him.”

“I’d like to gut the motherfucker. But it ain’t me Tom needs to be worried about. Thad and or Kyle may not be able to be contained.”

“You’re wrong. Once they clap eyes on their women safe and unharmed, I think you’ll be surprised. Amazing what a good woman by your side does. Goes a long way helping a man keep his shit in check.”

Not that I’d know about that. It had been a long time since I’d had a woman by my side. Good or otherwise.

Chapter 31

“Any word from Anaya?” Thad asked. “I’ve texted and called Emmy but she’s not responding.”

“Same.”

“The cabin’s remote,” Dec reminded us. “Doubt they have service.”

Just a little while longer, I kept repeating to myself, happy for once that Dec didn’t understand the meaning of a speed limit. It was more of a suggestion to him, one he chose to ignore.

It had been hours since we’d passed our group of girls off to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and checked in with Lincoln. He and Leo had run into some issues and two girls had been injured during their rescue. No one else had any issues and the RCMP had called in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to handle the compound the girls had been held in.