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While he does finish each word in that delightful recounting of recent-ish history, and with lovely annunciation, Eddie stops abruptly at the end of his last sentence, focus fully on the road, but his thoughts very much somewhere else. His brows drop and draw together for a moment, and then he shakes his head like he’s refusing whatever just made its mark on his consciousness.

Then he looks at me, at the boot clutched in my far hand—just in case the need to vomit arises again—his gaze dropping to my belly before returning to the rain-slicked road.

To me he says, “We’re going to revisit this later.” Then he addresses Teague again. “Thus, Hibou had no business being near my daughter. Not in the same room, not in the same house. And sure as hell not fucking her mother under the same roof. And now he has her—Evie? Is this confirmed?”

“It is.”

“Motherfucker. I’m eight minutes out. Are you there? What’s the status?”

I don’t love that Eddie’s upset, and I unequivocally hate that Evie is involved in this to any degree, but something is happening with my ovaries at his command of this situation.

Or it could be the imminent threat of puke again. It’s a crapshoot at this point.

“We’re assembled and thermal imaging confirms two people inside consistent with the doc and a toddler. You want us to breach and take him down? I didn’t think to bring the nanny here or I’d have gone in already. I don’t want your little miss to be any more traumatized than she is now.”

“Can you tell if there’s movement?” He turns sharply, slowing only enough to be in the neighborhood of safe with his driving. Urgency battles with preservation as he slows at an intersection, checking both ways before blowing through it.

“There is.” Even through the speaker in the car, it’s evident that Teague is being careful with his words now. “And while thermal only goes so far in this case, we’ve pulled scopes and it looks there are some, ehm… additional challenges present. Though from what I’ve seen Evie is as safe as she can be.”

“The fuck does that mean? Two minutes.”

I really don’t like the sound of what Teague’s not saying. “There’re sn⁠—”

Eddie cuts me off with a decisive no at the same time Teague says, “Tons.”

I retch over the boot, my eyes stinging, stomach cramping, and the only thing that appears is the mouthful of water I just swallowed. Nice of that to make a reappearance.

“Motherfucker.” Eddie spits out again. “We’re here.” He throws the gear shift into park but keeps the engine running. “I want you to stay here, Jess. Lock the doors, and Teague will keep this line open if you want the play by play but, baby, you have been brave enough already today.”

I suck air in through my mouth and exhale through my nose because my breath is not as fresh as I’d like it to be. I do the rinse-and-spit, swallow the next sip, and swipe at my eyes. A lot of steps toward looking no better than I did before. “I’m okay. I can do this.” I hit the release on my seat belt and set the boot on the floorboard.

“Baby, stop. Stay here where you’re safe. Be our eyes if anything changes out here but let me do this.” He presses his lips to his thumb and then slides it against my trembling mouth. Because I can talk a big game, but I do not want to go in there, I don’t want to face that particular horror ever again.

“But Evie…”

“I will bring her to you. Trust me.”

I do. I trust him with my life, with everything I am. So I nod, small and shaky, but in agreement to stay put.

“Teague, tell me where you want me or I’m busting through that door.” Eddie flips from concern and caring to lethal calm.

“The van north of your position. Come to the back door and move with a quickness.”

And then Eddie’s gone. Out of the SUV, down the street, and into the back of the unmarked van, he’s the picture of a dapper gentleman with murder on his mind.

Chapter 26

Tango

EDDIE

“Tanks are everywhere, man. Lining the walls, along the floor, stacked on top of each other as high as the ceiling. But if you lean a little to the left”—Teague shoves at my shoulder—“yep, there. You should have eyes on Evie.”

I stare through the scope and take note of the excessive concentration of snakes that definitely shouldn’t be privately held, and certainly not with my kid in the same fucking room. “Christ,” I mumble. “Why does he have a highchair? Is she even strapped in properly?”

“That’s your concern? Jesus, and here we are trying to figure out how to get her away from the psycho with the snake addiction.”

“When she could wiggle her way out of that seat and make her way to something deadly, yes.”