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“Attention.”
Rosalie jumped from her chair as all eyes shot toward the speaker in the ceiling. “That’s him.”
Grady and several agents ran from the room. Wulf rushed out the door as he barked orders into his radio.
Malgor chuckled. “Code red roses.”
The taunt sliced Cannon in two.
Wulf barged back into the room seconds later. “There haven’t been any reports of him in the hospital. Floors are clear.”
Another beep sounded from the ceiling.
“Dr. Ford, please call the main desk. Stat.” Malgor laughed outright at his medical jargon.
Cannon bolted to the door.
Rosalie tugged on Cannon’s arm. “Stop. He’s in the network. Not in the hospital.” She typed furiously on her laptop. “The longer he’s in the system, the better.”
“Shit.” Part of him was relieved Malgor wasn’t on the premises. The other wished he was within reach so he could pummel the asshole so hard he’d need surgery.
“We got a trace.” Rosalie stood as she typed with one hand and placed the other on his shoulder. “Not an exact location, but within five miles.”
The news and her tender gesture loosened the vise around his heart, but just a smidge. Julia was close. And alive. That’s all he had, and he clung to it with every painful beat of his heart.
His phone beeped an email alert. A shiver cracked down his spine as he read the string of letters and numbers at the top of his inbox. Clicking, he held his breath.
White snowflakes fell against a gray backdrop. A black cartoon van drove into the middle. The door opened with a pop. Cannon bit back a flinch. A stick figure with a police cap and a badge rolled out the back doors. Another stick figure, this one with a halo over its circular head, entered screen right, passed the police stick figure, and slid into the van. As it drove off, a message appeared on the screen in bold, red block letters.
Your sister for your snow angel. Exchange details forthcoming.
Cold sweat ran down his back. “No. No fucking way.” He whirled on Rosalie. “Negotiate something else. Exchange me.”
A week ago, he wouldn’t have had a problem with a trained FBI agent sacrificing herself to save his sister. But a week ago, he hadn’t been in love with a snow angel who held a badge.
Rosalie grabbed his forearm. “Malgor doesn’t want you. He wantsme.”
“I want you too.” More than he’d wanted any other woman. He’d thought a future together with the distance and theirresponsibilities seemed insurmountable. Those were minor details compared to this.
“He’s always wanted me.” A calmness slid into her voice. “This is his final play in his game. No more emails. No more deliveries. He’s ready to end this. Imust end this. Just me and him.”
“We need to talk. Alone.” He clasped her hand and pulled her into the small conference room attached to his office. When the door shut, he backed her against the wall. “No way I’m letting this happen, Snow Angel.”
She smacked her hands on his chest. “You have no choice. If I don’t show up at the drop point, he has no reason to keep Julia alive.”
Images of Malgor’s victims flashed through his brain. His sister couldn’t be his next. God, what if he’d hurt her already? And what would Malgor do to Rosalie once she was in his possession? “You are not a ransom payment.”
“I will be to get your sister back. Her safe recovery is my number one priority. Catching Malgor is secondary.”
Her statement backed him up a step. “You’re willing to sacrifice yourself for my sister?”
Beautiful, maddening resolve hardened her bright gaze. “My priorities have changed.”
“So have mine, Snow Angel.” He yanked her against his chest and banded his arm around her waist. “Losing one woman I love to save the other is not an option.”
A knock pounded on the door. “Come quick.”
She pushed ahead of him into the war room, Cannon on her heels. “Have we heard from Malgor?”
