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She buried her head in my chest. “I was so worried about you.”
I held her close, only for a moment, and pulled in a deep breath, thankful she was okay. “After I got that text, I panicked. I knew I had to get you back.”
She pushed me away. “What are you talking about?”
“About the time you were supposed to check in, I got a text from your phone. It said you were going to meet me at the Ape Hanger. Except whoever wrote it used the wrongthere, so I knew it wasn’t you.”
“And you went anyway?”
“Fuck yes, I did. No way was I going to let anyone hurt you.”
“And you didn’t call the police?”
“Couldn’t risk it. What if they found out and hurt you?”
She crossed her arms and glared at me. “You’re telling me you willingly let yourself get kidnapped?”
“Yes.” I couldn’t fight my grin. “But don’t worry. Liv and I have a plan.”
“You dragged Liv into this?”
“Like I could keep her out. She agreed that it was probably a trap. So we decided that if I didn’t text her within an hour, she’d call the police. She’s got your laptop with everything on it ready for the feds.”
Parker didn’t let up on the glaring. She only sat a little straighter. “What’s your code phrase? No way Liv didn’t give you a code phrase.”
I looked at my feet. “Keep the change, ya filthy animal.”
Parker laughed. “That tracks. I’m fucking furious with you, by the way. You can’t put yourself in danger like that.”
“I didn’t think. I had to make sure you were safe. And Liv agreed. You don’t have to do it all by yourself anymore. We’re in this together.”
“Fine.” She hauled herself off my lap. “Climb out that window, steal one of the cars, and call the police as soon as you can.” Yanking me by the arms, she pulled me to a stand, then she pushed me toward the broken window.
“No fucking way.” I spun on her. “You’re coming with me.”
She shook her head. “I am so close to getting enough evidence to put everyone here away for at least a few decades. I gotta stay.”
“No. I’m not leaving without you.”
“Yes, you are. You’re going to take that phone and my laptop to the FBI and nail these fuckers. I’ll stay here, keep them busy while you escape. Hopefully, I can confirm that Mitch Hebert killed your dad. No one knows where we are. You’ll need to bring the police here to recover the evidence.”
“No.”
I’d spent almost two years desperate to know what had happened to him, but I wasn’t willing to sacrifice Parker for those answers. She was too important to me. And if anyone would understand that, it was my dad.
“I’m not leaving without you. All I want is to get you out of here. Nothing else matters.”
She regarded me, naked fear swimming in her irises. All that self-confidence, all the police training, melted away, leaving behind only the woman I had fallen in love with. I would not let harm come to her.
“I fucking love you,” she said through gritted teeth.
I pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “Not as much as I fucking love you.”
“We’re so gonna fight about this later.”
“Yes. I promise to let you yell at me as much as you want, but first, we need a plan.”
I rolled my shoulders and shook out my arms. My blood was circulating now that I wasn’t tied up, but the cold wind whipped in through the broken window.
