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“I didn’t see it on the sidewalk.” I had combed the area around the entire block. Someone must have circled back and collected it.
“How did I not see it coming?” she asked. Her voice cracked. “What did Kimble and my father always say to me a thousand times? Assess. Assess. Assess. I didn’t assess anything.” She stared at me as if I was going to scold her.
I shook my head. “Hey, this is not your fault.” I wanted her to believe it. She was the one who had been attacked, not the other way around.
She huffed. “On the way down to the street…in the elevator all I could think about was you. What we were going to do with the building. The offices. The merger. How we were going to save your sister. I had other things on my mind, more important things than my safety. And look what happened.”
“It’s not your fault.”
Her eyes blinked with a distant look as if something had gone cold inside her. “What happens to him is my responsibility. It is my fault. He works for me. I should have protected him.”
I disagreed. How did she expect to defend herself and Crew from an armed group, prepared for an attack? It was an illogical assumption. Not realistic on any level.
“I need to get you out of here.” It already felt dangerous that we were alone in the building. What if they came back for her? I didn’t have my security detail with me. We didn’t stand a chance against more than one armed man.
“What about Crew? We have to find him. We have to get him back. I need to look for him.”
“We will. But first, I need for you to be safe. I’m going to hide you.”
“Hide me?” she balked. “No.” She shoved off me and stood. It was as if she wanted to pretend she had never fallen into my arms.
“Someone tried to kidnap you. Again.” I stared at her. “They will come back. It’s not if they will. It’s when they will.”
Kennedy turned toward the windows. “I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe someone has Crew.”
“Let’s go somewhere safe and then we’ll figure it out.” The longer we debated, the more likely they would return. This wasn’t a safe place to stay.
Kennedy’s arms were crossed in defiance as she stared out on the city below. A city she had ruled and controlled for years.
“I won’t let them keep him,” she stated. There was something cold in her voice. Something I’d never heard before.
I reached for her hand. “Come with me. Please, Kennedy. We’re running out of time.”
“Aren’t we always?” she whispered. I knew it wasn’t defeat in her voice, only fatigue. She was stronger than that. No one in New Orleans had that kind of power over her. She had proven it over and over.
I could barely breathe. I had come so close to losing her again. The fighter in her, her strength, and her resilience are what saved us both. I pulled her against my chest. She was reluctant to soften into me, but I didn’t care. I wrapped my arms around her in a more protective shield than before. She was alive. She was in my arms.
3
Kennedy
I was afraid. Afraid if I let myself fall apart now; I’d never stop. I didn’t have that kind of luxury, not with Crew missing. Possibly being tortured. Threatened. I closed my eyes, reacting to Knight’s arms circling my waist. He made it hard to resist, but I still couldn’t give in. I pushed away from him.
“We should go to my compound. The security is excellent. It’s a fortress.” All I could think of was getting behind the gates. It was my sanctuary.
“Speaking of, where is your excellent security?” he tested.
I gave him a warning glance. “Kimble is working on a project for me.”
“He seems to miss the excitement when it matters the most.” I saw the way his jaw tightened.
“I’ll call him, and he’ll be here by morning.” I said it as if I could snap my fingers and he’d appear. It was mostly true. Kimble always operated on scales of danger. He would prioritize my safety over any errand to discredit Knight.
“Until then, you’re going into hiding,” Knight countered. “Immediately. It’s the best plan right now.”
“Hide in my own city?” I shook my head. “No. Then they’ll know I’m scared. They’ll know I can be intimidated. That is the wrong message to send. I’m not about to show fear. To let them think they won any part of this battle. They won’t get that kind of satisfaction from me.”
“And who is they?” he asked. The question sounded more like a test.
