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“Haven’t gotten close enough for a good count. Six, possibly more.” I edge closer, continuing to stay in the shadows, not making a sound. When I’m sure no one is close enough to hear me, I whisper into the phone, “Dominic went inside. I’m going to try to get close enough to see in the windows before I head back.”
“Is that advisable?” Xavier asks lowly. They have me on speaker. Good. I won’t have to repeat anything.
I’m confident that no one will see me. I laugh under my breath, “I’m not going to get caught. Standby.” I slip the phone back into my pocket to hide the glow from the screen and sneak between the guards into the overgrown bushes growing under the windows at the back of the house where there is more than enough cover. The smell of cigarette smoke and frying food permeates the air around me. Straightening slowly, I peer through tan curtains partially obscuring my view into a small room.
Margot’s granddaughter Grace is basically in the same position she was earlier, barely dressed and huddled on the floor in the unfurnished room. A tray of food rests beside her on the floor, it looks untouched. I pull my phone out and switch to video chat and hold it up to the window while I take stock of the situation. She has more bruises than she did in the photo Dominic sent Margot. So, it was either an older photo or someone beat on her since this morning.
Rage explodes bright red behind my eyes and my heart pounds in my chest, adrenaline making my hands shake. A low, angry growl rumbles in my chest. I hate people who mistreat children more than anything. Fucking disgusts me.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Blake.” Travis demands. I flip the phone around and shut off the video before I reply.
“I know Trav. I’m heading back, but we are getting her away from here tonight. We’re going to need more men.” I’d be going in alone, right fucking now, if the odds weren’t so badly stacked against me and we both know it. Ins
tead I will do the smart thing and go back for the rest of my team.
“Agreed,” Travis bites out.
Xavier’s voice follows not even a second later, “Agreed.”
We’re all on the same page and there’s nothing more to say. I make a dismissive sound and hang up, texting Travis the address before slipping deeper into the darkness closer to where I saw two men smoking when I approached the house. A few more minutes of recognizance won’t hurt anyone.
Slamming on the breaks, I stop the SUV in the middle of the parking garage when I see Travis and Xavier step off the elevator followed by Geno and Grayson. I jump out of the vehicle and stride toward them, burning with the anger inside of me at what I overheard before I left the house
“Grace isn’t the only one they have in there.” I bark. “I was able to get close enough to hear the guards talking. Margot was right. There is an auction tomorrow.” That doesn’t give us nearly enough time to plan and execute a rescue of this complexity. My brain is already whirling with ideas, but I think simple is going to be our best bet in this case. Old fashioned smash and grab. There isn’t going to be time for anything else.
“After we get Grace, and whoever else is there, I’ll tip Agent Weaver off about the auction and let the FBI step in and stop it.” Xavier growls, “I’m sure Dominic isn’t the only one who plans to be selling tomorrow.”
Travis nods, “Sounds like a plan.” He turns to me, “Who else should we bring in on this? Right now, it’s the three of us, plus Geno and Grayson.” He motions to the pair standing behind him.
I’ve been thinking about that and I have a few guys in mind already. “Let me see who might be available.” I’m reaching for my phone and going to the back of the SUV to take out my always-present laptop…never know when I might need one.
“Why don’t we go up and see the girls before we head out,” Travis suggests. Xavier agrees and I’m already heading that way. Seeing Ellie is exactly what I need right now.
*I stalk into the penthouse amid the clatter of boots against hardwood floors and sidearms being set on the long table just inside the door. The girls are spread out around the living room watching a superhero movie on the flatscreen. My eyes immediately seek out Ellie, but she keeps her eyes locked on the TV pretending that I’m not here while her friends rush to their men. Pissed and more hurt than I care to admit, I stomp into the dining room and set up the computer in my usual spot with a view of the city lights outside of the big windows.
Disappointed doesn’t even begin to express how I’m feeling that she didn’t even look at me when I came in. I slump into the chair and go to work, my fingers flying across the keyboard, trying to ignore the fact that she’s just across the room. Grayson watches Ana and Faye with an odd look on his face, a cross between longing and anger that doesn’t make any sense. I really need to find time to figure out what is going on with him, but not until I get things settled with Ellie.
Travis crosses to my side, Faye still clinging to him, to watch over my shoulder as I pull up K&S personnel files, reviewing who to bring in on this not-entirely-legal operation. I try not to show it, but every cell in my body seems to freeze when Ellie stands and shuts the TV off before hesitantly making her way into the dining room. My teeth clench with the effort it takes to stay seated when every cell in my body is screaming at me to lunge and pull her down onto my lap. I can feel her eyes on me making my skin prickle with awareness. My hands physically hurt with the need to touch her, but I don’t miss a single keystroke. Out of the corner of my eye I watch as she eases closer, the sweet smell of her natural perfume invading my senses.
Suddenly, with a sharp little intake of breath she stumbles back a step and I push my chair away from the table and turn, grabbing her hand and tugging her toward me. I thought she was going to fall, instead she lands in my arms where she belongs. Her cheeks flush as she rights herself, tugging free of my grasp and mumbles, “Thanks. Sorry about that,” before rushing into the kitchen with hot spots of color staining her cheeks.
Ana and Faye meet each other’s eyes, silently communicating, before they follow her from the room leaving me alone with the guys.
“How long are you going to avoid telling her how you feel?” Travis asks quietly.
“Did you stop to think that maybe she already knows?” I snap back, careful to keep my voice modulated enough that she can’t hear me from the kitchen even though I feel like a bomb that’s about to explode.
“If she knows... then you’re doing something wrong, brother.” Travis says, slapping me on the shoulder. He’s right. I am doing something wrong. I haven’t insisted that we talk this out. If these feelings weren’t so new to me, I would have acted sooner. It’s not like me to hesitate. Well that is something that I’m going to rectify right now. I’m fixing this, and the rest of the world can damn well wait.
Travis takes my chair without a word when I rise, taking over my task of perusing our files as I walk toward the kitchen. I slow at the sound of female voices trying to be quiet. They aren’t doing a very good job.
“Did you miss the part where I was hovering there like a creeper?” Ellie’s voice sounds watery, like she is crying. Or about to. Fuck! Tears are not something that I’m equipped to deal with.
“He’s the stupid one.” That’s Faye’s voice and I can’t help but smile because I know she’s she means me. Even though we have become friends I can’t deny that I like the thought of her, and Ana, having her back.
My smile gets wider when I hear Ellie give a little chuckle, but then she plaintively begs her friends, “Can’t I just go home?”
“No!” I can’t let her go home. Not like this. Not without talking to me! I walk into the kitchen, every single fiber of my being focused on Ellie. There’s no room for anyone else to even register as a blip on my radar.
