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Isaac grabbed her arm as she was pulling up her jeans. "You can't be serious about going. There's got to be another way."
God, she wished there was. Dread sat like a chunk of concrete in her stomach. There would be more coming her way when she stepped inside the compound. She knew it. Isaac knew it. Whatever Jarrod had planned for her would be, at the very least, a lesson in public humiliation.
"We don't have a choice." She shook his hand off and yanked up her jeans. "Anyway it's just a delay until Marko and Elisa get back and you three make your move. I wasn't part of that plan, remember. This changes nothing, but if it keeps Jarrod from forcing Essie down the aisle before you guys can get there, then I have to do it
."
Isaac stood up and tugged her T-shirt out of her hands before she could put it on, anger making his body rigid. "You have no idea what he's really up to. It's a trap."
She peeked around the corner of the window blinds. Across the gravel parking lot, a dust-covered sedan sat idling in front of the diner. Turning back, she drank in the sight of Isaac. He looked like a naked avenging angel, all righteous fury and determination.
"It doesn't matter what Jarrod's up to." A calmness slid through her at the sight of him. "I trust you. I know you'll come for me."
And she did. As surely as baton twirling would always get mocked as the most useless of beauty queen talents, Isaac would always be there for her. Just like she would be for him. That's just how love worked.
She slid the T-shirt from his grasp and slipped it on before raising up on her tiptoes and brushing her lips across his. "I'll see you soon."
He didn't like it, but he didn't stop her when she walked out into the early morning quiet.
* * *
Isaac
The sound of gravel crunching under tires was the first good thing to have happened since he stupidly let Tamara walk out of the motel room fifteen minutes ago. He picked up his nine millimeter and went to the window. Part of him was hoping for some of Fane's men. Busting heads sounded really fucking good right about now.
He didn't recognize the truck, but there was no mistaking the couple who got out and headed straight for his room. He hustled across the room and yanked open the door.
Marko had one hand up as if he'd been about to knock. He was wearing jeans, a western-style button-down shirt, and a baseball cap advertising some kind of corn seed. He looked like a good old boy farmer. Elisa looked like she'd just walked off the set for a movie about pioneers.
"Where in the hell have you been?" Isaac asked, standing to the side so they could come in.
Elisa drew her sunglasses down and peeked over the tops at him. "I thought we were smack dab in the middle of crazy town, but it looks like that's actually here."
They strode inside and he closed the door. "Tamara's gone. Fane used Essie's phone to call her. She's on her way there. You probably passed her on the road."
Marko and Elisa jolted to a stop and turned to face him.
"What the glorious fuck," Elisa muttered.
Yeah. That just about summed it up. Half-grateful for having something to do instead of sitting her twiddling his thumbs like an asshole, Isaac hit the highlights and brought them up to speed. By the time he was done, he was jacked up and ready to go in and tear Fane apart, limb from limb.
"We have to go in," he said, fisting his hands. "Now."
Marko and Elisa just looked at each other. He didn't like that look. He knew for sure he wasn't going to like what came out of Marko's mouth when the big man drew himself up and stiffened his shoulders as if he was expecting a blow.
"The Feds will be here in an hour," Marko said. "We can move up the exfil timeline, but not to now."
Fuck 'em. Isaac would take care of it himself. Bianca had called him a lone wolf. Well, maybe it was time he really lived up to the reputation.
"Fine. You wait." The words exploded out of his mouth. "I'll go now."
"You can't do this on your own." Marko's voice was calm but firm. "You need us. You need the team."
Fury rushed like lava through Isaac’s veins. He wanted to roar in frustration. Hammer his fists into Jarrod Fane. Take out anyone in his way. He did not want to wait.
"We have to operate under the assumption that it's a trap," Elisa said as she started to pace the small room. "Fane may not realize who we are or who you are, but if he does then he's expecting us. That place has enough firepower to blow us out of the water. Marko's seen it. The Feds totally want in on this. We have to do this smart. We need to give Blackfish's ATF friends a heads up about what to expect on the ground. The last thing we want is for everything to go south and Tamara or Essie to end up getting hurt—or worse."
The idea of a world without Tamara sucked the air out of Isaac’s lungs. Goddammit, he did not want them to be right…but they were. He took a deep breath, trying for that yoga calm his mom was always talking about. He failed miserably. The urge to bust open Jarrod Fane's head was too strong for anything else. He'd have to content himself with knowing that he'd get his chance to take the bastard down—soon.
