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Franco stepped out of the room, leaving Hazel with the unidentified man in the house.
“Now!” Agent Bishop commanded as the SWAT team broke down the front door and barreled inside, guns drawn, announcing their presence.
Gunfire erupted from every angle. I shivered and swallowed the bile rising in my throat. I was used to being in the field, not watching from a monitor. It was painful knowing there was nothing I could do to help.
I wanted to go outside, be part of the action, but that wasn’t an option. Agent Bishop had made it clear that we were allowed in the command post as a courtesy of Colton Carr.
I paced the small length of the trailer, finding it impossible to stand still while I kept my gaze on the monitors and surveillance footage from around the property.
One camera lost visual footage, but the audio was still patched in, which felt almost worse with the sound of gunfire and gut-wrenching screams.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, pushing down memories of my time overseas in the military. The horrors were resurfacing at the sounds of men screaming.
There wasn’t more I could do, and so I waited with Aiden and Lincoln. SWAT apprehended Franco as well as several other individuals in the household before bringing Hazel outside.
I hurried out of the command post with Lincoln and Aiden on my heels.
Her eyes were puffy and red, her cheeks flushed. She tore outside, hobbling away from the armed agents when she saw us. Her brow furrowed, and tears welled in her eyes. “Mason,” she whispered.
A single word, and I understood all the fears that were likely flooding through her. “We got to him in time. He’s at the hospital,” I said. We had called and checked on him the moment we arrived in Chicago to make sure that he hadn’t declined. “He’s stable,” I said, hoping that would ease her mind.
She exhaled a heavy sigh. “Thank you.”
Agent Bishop came up from behind. “We have a few questions for Hazel,” he said.
“Sure. I’ll answer anything I can.” Hazel wrapped her arms around her chest.
Aiden grabbed an emergency blanket from the command post and pulled it over Hazel’s shoulders.
“Thanks,” she said.
Agent Bishop nodded his appreciation to Aiden before returning his attention to Hazel. “Do you know where your brother Nikolai is right now? We know this is his property.”
“We were waiting for him to fly home. He was in Breckenridge looking for me.” She exhaled a heavy breath and stared at the ground. “He should have returned home by now.”
I spun around on my heels, noting the road had been closed off. He’d probably been on his way home and saw our agents. “He didn’t call or reach out to Franco while you were in the house?” I asked.
Hazel shook her head. “Franco was focused on me.” She swiped the tears as quickly as they’d fallen down her cheek. “Victor had been the one to call him, not Franco, but they did talk on the phone. I don’t know what was said, I was in the shower at the time. Can we be done? I want to go see Mason.”
Agent Bishop jotted down the little information that Hazel was able to provide. “Yes, of course. I believe we should be putting you into protective custody. With your brother out there and running the mafia, it’s only a matter of time until he finds you.”
“She’ll stay in our protective custody,” I said. Hazel had reached out to us, and without a doubt, it was what Mason would want for her.
“Are you sure that’s what you want, Hazel?” Agent Bishop asked. “We have a safe house that we can transport you to, provide you with a new identity, and ensure your safety.”
She lifted her gaze and met Agent Bishops hardened expression. “As much as I appreciate your offer, the U.S. Marshals weren’t able to protect me. I doubt you can either. I’ll take my chances with Eagle Tactical. Besides, I want to see Mason.”
“You do realize that is probably where Nikolai is heading, to the one person who he knows you want to be with,” Agent Bishop said.
“You have the contact information for Eagle Tactical. If you need anything from me, you can reach out to them until I replace my cell phone,” Hazel said.
“Very well,” Agent Bishop said before he headed back to the command post, their operation complete.
Lincoln stepped closer to Hazel, lifting her chin. “We’ll bring you to Mason if that’s what you want, but your brother is still out there. Agent Bishop is right; we’re leading you right into danger if we take you to him. You need to be aware of the risks.”
My phone vibrated in my pocket. I reached into my jacket and grabbed my phone, glancing at the caller ID, recognizing Ariella’s phone number. “Hey, we’re just finishing up here in Chicago,” I said, answering the phone.
“Jaxson. You need to come home.” Ariella didn’t sound like herself.
“What’s wrong? Is Izzie all right?”
“It’s Nikolai. He’s here and—”
The phone went dead.
