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I waited until Hannah seemed to drift off, then I called Levi. “How does it look over there?” I kept my voice down, trying to let her rest.
“I’m surprised you had the nerve to call me,” he said by way of an answer, “after the crap you just pulled back at the scene. I know you think you might be better than me at my job, but you don’t have the right to put my mission and my men’s lives at risk. Do you understand?”
I swallowed hard, biting back the urge to argue. “Yes.” Admitting I was wrong had never been my strong suit.
“You’re not cleared for that sort of activity, and Agent Marks from the FBI’s going to be livid.” Levi paused, letting that sink in.
“I’m…I’m sorry.” I was sorry. I could’ve been killed, or worse—I could’ve gotten one of the crew killed. My cheeks burned with remorse, and I was glad my brother couldn’t see me. “I shouldn’t have gone ahead of orders. But I had a clean shot—I felt like I had to take it.”
“I’d dig into you, but I’ll save your hide for Lauren to deal with. If I were you, I’d think about moving into the guesthouse tonight.”
“Ha-ha,” I said, but he was right, and I knew it. “We’re on our way back to the house now.”
“Is Brian driving? Is everything clear so far?”
“Yeah, and there’s no sign of trouble. The security team’s following us, and the doctor’s meeting us
at home to check Hannah out.”
“How is she?”
“She seems okay—she’s asleep. She’s too skinny and she’s bruised, but her spirits seemed good.”
“I’m so glad.”
“So am I. But I’ll feel better when we get her home.”
“The team has strict instructions. They’re going to secure the premises as soon as you’re through the gate. No one gets in except for the doctor, and they already have shifts to guard the perimeter.”
“Good. One more thing.” I swallowed hard. “Promise me…promise me you’ll bring Lauren home. Please.”
My brother sighed. “I’m here with seven armed men—some in cars, some in the building already, some on rooftops nearby. Ash is already on his way here too. I’ve got her. I promise to bring her home safe and sound. Text us as soon as you’re secure at the house, and keep an eye out. Li Na’s going to be on the warpath.”
“Will do,” I said. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Yes, you will.”
LAUREN
Hannah’s alive. Hannah’s on her way home. I repeated the information over and over to myself for a few minutes after we hung up. I had to let it seep in; I had to calm myself before I dealt with the next part of this day.
I refused to think about what Gabe had done—it made my head and heart pound with a dull fury. I’d deal with him later. I practiced yoga breathing to try to calm down on our way into the city. I didn’t get an angry text or a phone call from Li Na, which I hoped was promising.
Ash texted me the address for a parking garage downtown, and we pulled in. I hugged him as soon as I saw him, waiting for us by the exit. “Thank you for saving Hannah.”
He smiled tightly. “Don’t thank me yet. I want to hear from Gabe that she’s home safe, locked up like Fort Knox. Have you heard anything from Li Na?”
We headed down the steps to the street below. “She hasn’t called. I hope that’s a good sign.”
“She might not know what happened, still,” Ash explained. “We took them by surprise, and I personally confiscated all three guards’ electronic devices first thing. Now the authorities have them. I doubt they’ve been given the opportunity to reach out to her.”
“But I’m sure she knows something’s up. She would have been in constant contact with them—she knows something’s gone wrong.”
“We’ll see what happens,” Ash said. “Also, Agent Marks said you owe him a phone call, and he needs to interview Hannah.”
“I’ll have Bethany call him—he’s going to have to wait until we’re both up to it.”
“Fine.” As we walked, Ash pointed at the rooftops of the nearby buildings in the Financial District. “We’ve got eyes all over the place, so you’ll be safe. We’re going to get you out of here, no matter what happens.”
