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Shouted.
Still wrestling them even while pinned, he kicked out again, aiming for a knee.
The officer’s leg buckled, his knee hitting the ground. A shout of pain.
Ry whirled around with his fist cocked as the other officer reached for something at his belt.
“Ry,” I screamed in warning.
Another officer stepped closer, her gun raised. “Freeze.” She aimed squarely at his chest. Point-blank range.
“Ryder, no!” I screeched, lurching forward as I tried to get to him. I’d take that bullet myself before I let him get hurt. “Please, stop. Don’t hurt him.”
Detective Fraser caught me in his arms, hugging me from behind and stopping me in my tracks. I fought him, trying to get loose. Desperate, I twisted and turned, slamming my head back.
But he held me tighter.
“Please, stop them,” I begged, my voice hitching as a sob tore from my throat. Tears streamed down my face, my shattered heart stomped on and left broken and bleeding on the floor.
“They’re doing their jobs, Zali.” His voice was even, radiating a ghostly calm.
“Ryder, please don’t fight them,” I cried. But my voice was broken, my words no louder than a whisper. “Please.”
I couldn’t look. I couldn’t watch them kill him. I turned, burying my face in Ezra’s chest. “Please stop him.”
“Ry,” Ezra barked. “Stop.”
A thud and an oomph.
“Fuck you,” he spat breathlessly, but the commotion settled.
I risked a glance over my shoulder.
Ry was face first on the concrete in the same position as Flynn. His hands were cuffed behind his back, two officers’ guns now trained on him.
“Get them into the cars,” the same woman who’d yelled at Ezra called out. “Any resistance from this one”—she pointed at Ryder—“and you’re authorized to use necessary force to restrain him again.” She turned her attention to me and added, “She’s with me. Fraser, make sure there are three interview rooms set up.”
“Yes, inspector.” He squeezed my side before escorting me to a black SUV.
He didn’t meet my gaze when he buckled me in. I opened my mouth to speak, but he shook his head, silencing me.
He slammed the door closed, sealing me in a bubble of silence. They then loaded Flynn into the sedan parked next to the car I was in. I willed him to look at me, begged him to turn and face me. But he never once looked up. Never once looked over.
Through the window, Ry’s glare cut like glass. His narrowed eyes bored into mine, his lips pulled back in a snarl. Anger radiated off him in waves as two officers practically dragged him to the final SUV.
Message received loud and clear. From both of them.
I clenched my jaw, shook my head, and blew out a breath. If that was how they wanted it, fine. They could walk away. They could shut me out and hate me for all I cared. I’d be fine.
Just fuckin’ dandy.
The passenger door opened, and the inspector slipped in while her colleague moved around the front to get into the driver’s side. “You’re in deep shit, missy.”
I laughed, the sound as cold as my dead soul. The last few days had taken their toll. I’d pushed myself hard, and I didn’t like the person I became when I did that.
Ry taxied the plane to our normal hanger, but something was off. He stopped outside, not taking it inside like he normally did. “Ah, Zali, you’d better get up here,” he announced through the speaker.
I looked at Flynn. His brows were drawn together, his lips in a frown. Unbuckling my seatbelt without another word, I strode to the cockpit and leaned over Ry’s shoulder where he was seated in the pilot’s chair. Before me was a sight I never expected to see. Four federal police cars were spread out in the hangar, their lights flashing, and officers and detectives either in the driver’s seats or outside the car with hands on their guns.
