Page 58 of Kyle

“Exactly. He was nice—non-threatening. He wasn’t leering at the women in the room, or acting strange. He was just normal.”

“You didn’t see him leave with anyone?” Zane continued.

“No. But again, I wasn’t paying attention to him.”

“Sucks I have to ask, Anaya, but we need to talk about the men who took you.”

Now that I wasn’t having a come apart and my temper was in check, I really didn’t want to talk about being kidnapped.

Kyle’s hand landed on my thigh and I jerked in surprise, but he didn’t move it away. He gave me a gentle squeeze then waited for me to relax.

“Okay. What do you want to know?”

“Everything. Take us through it from the time you and Kyle parted ways.”

I took a deep breath and told them everything I’d told Kyle back in Darwin. From start to finish, I didn’t leave anything out, save my regrets about Kyle.

“This Italian guy, he said he already knew who Kyle and Dec were, he just wanted to hear you say it?” Zane asked.

“That’s what he said. And I don’t know that he was Italian. He just looked like he was. Olive complexion and dark hair and eyes. I think he was from Jersey or Philly. Not quite a New York accent but definitely east coast.”

“He was the only American?” Lincoln, I think his name was, clarified.

“Yeah. The others were local, they all spoke Tetum.”

There was a knock at the door, and after Zane shouted for the person to enter, the door opened and a man appeared with a deep scowl on his face.

“Check your tablet. I sent you more info on Monica.”

“Thanks, Garrett.”

“Tex called in. He thinks he identified the man who interrogated Anaya. I sent you that intel as well.”

The man backed out of the door and closed it behind him and the room was silent as Zane swiped his tablet and stared at the screen. His face a mask of concentration, the only indication he didn’t like what he was reading was the small tic in his cheek.

“Let’s get this shit over with,” he said.

A large flat screen TV mounted on the wall flickered to life. A second later an image filled the monitor and I flinched. Kyle’s arm came around me and he held me close. I wanted to tell him not to baby me in front of his team but I couldn’t inhale enough oxygen into my lungs to get the words out.

“He can’t ever hurt you again,” Kyle whispered.

“That him?” Zane clipped.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Yeah,” Kyle confirmed.

Thankfully the image disappeared but it was too late, I was shaking and my head was spinning.

“Anaya,” Emerson called softly. “Look at me.”

My gaze swung from the screen to her and she smiled.

“You’re safe here. No one’s going to hurt you again.”

I nodded because what else was there to do? The man who’d beat me up was dead. Logically I knew that. But the fear was still raw, the bruises on my face still fresh. I wanted to believe, but right then in that moment, I couldn’t. What if there were more of them? What if—

“Anaya,” Max snapped and my back shot straight.