“Nope,” Tomlinson said. “But guess what? The asshole hasn’t stopped chirping since we got him in custody.”
“No shit?”
“No shit,” he confirmed. “We’ve got units headed out to where he says Noir’s been hiding out.”
Clare rose from the chair and took a step in my direction, her hand covering her mouth as hope and surprise mingled in her eyes.
I extended an arm and curled it around her shoulders. “Keep us updated. Yeah?”
“Will do.” He hung up.
“Who’d they get?” she asked immediately.
“Brock.”
Her body tensed, but just as quickly, she melted into my side. “Good. I hated him.”
“I know.”
“I once found him standing in the bathroom when I got out of the shower. He refused to leave until one of the recruits rushed in and told him Walt was home.”
I gritted my teeth. I knew this story all too well. I’d destroyed an entire office after Atwood had reported it back through his chain of command just days before he was killed.
“The recruit was Tim Madden, right?” I asked.
“Yes!” she exclaimed, stepping out of my embrace. “That guy was an asshole too.”
“He wasn’t an asshole. He was a good friend of mine.”
“W-what?” she breathed.
“Rob Atwood was his real name. We got to the DEA about the same time.”
Her mouth fell open. “He was DEA?”
I glanced down at the wooden deck, the pain of the memory ripping the scab off. “Yep. He was the first guy we were able to get into Noir’s operations. I was already under as Luke when I got word that we’d landed someone on the inside. I got a lot of my information on you from his reports.”
“Oh my God. I never would have guessed that. He was such a dick.”
I swallowed hard and told the ground, “It was his job to be a dick. But he was always looking out for you.”
“Holy shit. What happened to him?”
I lifted my gaze back to hers. “Tim Madden landed on the APD’s radar, so the DEA was forced to step in and leak his identity to get him off of it. We’d thought for a long time that Noir had someone on his payroll in the APD, but this was the final straw. A day later, Atwood was found dead.”
She slapped a hand over her mouth and gasped. “Oh my God, Heath.”
I shook my head and went back to the grill, opening it to find forty dollars’ worth of charred steaks. “Fuck,” I growled, turning it off.
Her arms folded around my waist from behind. “I’m so sorry.”
“I hope you like well-done,” I replied.
“I meant about your friend.”
“Yeah…it wasn’t exactly a good time, but—”
All further conversation was halted with the shrill of a little girl’s scream.
“Tessa!” I shouted, rushing past Clare and bolting through the door.
I made it into the house just in time to see movement at the foyer.
I couldn’t make the man out, but I knew that it wasn’t Noir. My body relaxed for a fraction of a second when I assumed that it had to be an agent.
And then ice fresh off a glacier flooded my veins as I saw my little girl’s bare feet kicking in his arms.
“Heaf!” she cried.
That was the exact moment every decent, law-abiding part of me tore away from my soul, leaving nothing behind but a visceral need to slaughter whoever had her.
My pulse spiked as I darted after her—after him.
I reached for the gun I wasn’t wearing at my hip, but I never slowed my feet. “Tessa!” I roared, pushing myself harder and faster.
He was slow—clumsy, even—bumping into the walls as he tried to escape. I lost sight of her as the bastard rounded the corner. Then I heard the front door open and my heart lurched into my throat.
“Heath!” Clare shrieked behind me.
“I’ve got her. Hit the panic on the alarm,” I ordered as I ran out.
The unknown man trudged through the grass toward a black SUV at the curb. I knew with an absolute certainty that, if he got to that car, I would never see her again.
I also knew with an absolute certainty that he would never make it to that car.
Her cries fueled my system with a tsunami of adrenaline that allowed me to gain ground on him.
His chubby arm held her around the waist, her head and her legs flopping and jarring with his every step.
My long legs swallowed the distance between us. And, just feet from the car, I dove, landing a shoulder at the small of his back. I did my best to break her fall, but she went crashing down with him. I landed hard on top of his back.
Slinging him over me, I got him as far away from her as I could.
She cried again, but this time, the sound soothed me. She was okay. I could handle whatever the fuck else the asshole planned to throw at me as long as she was okay.
“Go to Mama, Tessa,” I barked, wrestling with the man.
He was no competitor, and I easily got him on his stomach and wrenched his arms up his back until his fingers were nearly tickling his hairline.
He cursed in pain.
I kept my eyes trained on Tessa. She stared at me, tears rolling down her face, grass stains covering her clothes and face. But, despite the emotional trauma that would probably never heal, she appeared unharmed.
“Heaf,” she whined, reaching out for me, concern and worry aging her baby face.
“I’m okay, sweet girl.” I assured.
The man bucked beneath me, but I fisted the back of his hair and slammed his face into the ground, following it up with a knee in his back to pin him.
“Tessa, go.”
She sniffled but scampered away.
With her on her way to safety, my body relaxed and my instinct-driven senses gave way to logic and reason.
And that was when a second wave of panic hit me.
With the exception of the man on the ground grunting and cussing, it was silent.
No screams from a relieved mother.
No alarm screeching out in warning.
No sirens blaring in the distance.
Only absolute, terrifying silence.
It was wrong.
So fucking wrong.
“Tessa, freeze!” I yelled.
My ribs had still been sore, but I couldn’t sit at home anymore. I was starting to go stir crazy. The only time I’d gotten out of the house over the last few weeks was in order to go over to Heath and Clare’s to see Tessa. We’d been giving them time as I healed to settle in and adjust to their new life. Thankfully, Clare texted pictures nearly everyday. But it wasn’t the same as having her and Tessa living under the same roof.
We’d gone over to celebrate her third birthday only days earlier. It’d been bittersweet. Tripp’s birthday had been the week earlier, but watching Tessa blow out her candles was hard for me. My little boy never got to do that. It was a pain that would never completely disappear, but listening to Tessa laugh as she ripped wrapping paper open certainly eased the sting.
After that, I decided I needed to get out of the house more instead of wallowing in pity and fear.
Per Roman’s requirements, I was wearing a new Rubicon vest and Alex remained close enough that he could have been mistaken as my conjoined twin, but it was a small price to pay for being able to go to the grocery store and then have lunch with Cathy and Kristen.
Alex probably disagreed now that he had been subjected to being our chauffeur to lunch and then forced to eat sushi while listening to Kristen bitch about Seth for a full two hours.
Apparently, Seth had finally called and apologized. They went out again. Hooked up again. Then he never called…again.
Cathy spent half of the time informing her daughter that, if she hadn’t have ended the date on her back, things might have turned out differently.
Kristen spent the other half of the time informing her mother that it was Seth who had been on his back.
Alex
spent the majority of the time shaking his head and groaning.
I spent the entire time laughing my ass off.
It was much-needed. After my incident with Noir, I’d been struggling with nightmares and anxiety. I had no idea how Clare had lived with him as long as she had and was still able to smile. I could barely breathe sometimes when the memories of that night ravaged me.
Through it all, Roman had been right there with me, holding me and reminding me that I was safe.
Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Ethan. And it shredded me. Leo’s company, Guardian Protection Agency, had paid for his funeral, and Roman had sent a large sum of money to his parents, but I knew that that did nothing to heal the holes in their hearts. I hated the helplessness and guilt I felt about the whole situation.
I also hated that Clare, Heath, and Tessa had moved out.
I understood why—sort of. But it still stung. Clare and I had become close, and Roman and I had both fallen head over heels for Tessa. And, honestly, I even missed Heath’s quirky jokes—even if he did bitch about my food sometimes.
However, it wasn’t as though I’d expected them to live with us forever. I’d just expected that the threat would be gone before they finally moved out. I worried about them more often than I’d ever admit.
So yeah. A delicious lunch, good friends, and a lot of laughs were exactly what I needed after the last few weeks—or, really, few months.
“I’ve got the check,” Cathy announced.
“No. No. I’ve got Roman’s credit card. He’s buying lunch.” I leaned forward and whispered to Cathy, “Do you have any idea how much money he makes now? It’s ridiculous.”
She giggled. “Well, I don’t know the specifics, but seeing as to how I don’t have a house or car payment anymore, I’m assuming it’s extremely ridiculous.”
“Ah, yes. Here we go,” Kristen said dryly, crossing her arms over her chest and reclining back in her chair. “Roman is the golden child paying off all your bills, and I’m the whore.”
Cathy turned the mom glare on her daughter. “I never said you were a whore. God knows I have no room to talk. When I first met your dad—”
“Oh God, Mom! No!” Kristen exclaimed, plugging her ears.
I choked on a sip of water, my tender ribs aching as I coughed.
Cathy patted me on the back but kept her eyes on Kristen as she scolded, “If you don’t want those details, quit being a dramatic little shit.”
“Ms. Leblanc?” a uniformed police officer said, approaching our table.
We all turned to look at him, and Alex immediately pushed to his feet, brushing his coat back to rest his hand on the weapon at his side.
The officer’s gaze flashed to Alex for but a second. “I’m officer Marco with the APD. I’ve been sent to take you into protective custody after a break-in at Agent Light’s home.”
I jumped out of my seat. “Are they okay? What happened?”
“Everyone’s fine.” He assured. “But I need you to gather your things. We need to leave immediately.”
“Does Roman know yet?” Alex rumbled.
“He does,” Marco replied. “An officer has been dispatched to pick him up as well. Light and the DEA are asking for everyone involved to be locked down immediately.” He tipped his chin at Cathy and Kristen, who were looking on, their mouths gaping. “You get them home safely then meet us at the station.”
Alex nodded, pulling a wad of cash from his pocket and tossing it on the table. Cathy, Kristen, and I all exchanged nervous hugs and whispered goodbyes before Alex herded them out the door.
Marco cautiously led me out the other. His gaze flashed around, one hand on the small of my back and the other at his weapon.
With my heart in my throat and my stomach wrenching with nerves, I climbed into the back of his police car.
“Where is she?” I bellowed, slamming the now cuffed man against the hood of a police car.
“Light, calm the fuck down,” an agent said, trying to step in front of me.
But I was having none of it.
Clare was gone.
There was no such thing as calm anymore.
In the two minutes it had taken me to go after Tessa, someone had taken her. I didn’t know how. Or where they had caught her. Or how I hadn’t seen it. But she’d never even made it to the panic button on the alarm.
Someone taking Tessa had been nothing more than a distraction to get Clare away from me. The cocksucker was too fat. Too slow. Too stupid. Noir never would have sent a man like that if he’d really wanted to get his daughter back. This guy was more than likely some low-level thug who owed him drug money.
“I don’t know!” he yelled. “I was just supposed to grab the girl.”
“And take her where?” I pressed my forearm against the back of his neck.
He grunted under the pressure. “I was supposed to call when I had her.”
I slammed his head into the car again.
“Light!” Roman yelled, jogging up the driveway, Devon right behind him. “What the fuck happened?”
I released the piece of shit. He didn’t know anything, and time was wasting.
I turned on a toe and marched toward my door. “I need you to stay with Tessa.”
He caught my bicep and jerked me to a halt. “Where’s Clare?”
Son of a bitch. It fucking killed me to have to admit it.
I’d sworn to her that he wouldn’t touch her ever again.
And I’d failed her on his first attempt.
“I don’t know. But I’m going to find her. And I need you to stay with Tessa.”
He fell back on a foot. “What the hell do you mean you don’t know?”
I gritted my teeth. “I mean Noir got her, and I do not have time to sit here and explain this bullshit to you. Take Tessa back to your house, lock it down like Fort Knox, and Clare and I will pick her up as soon as we can.”
His phone rang, so he dug it from his pocket. I took it as confirmation that he’d understood me and carried on to the house.
“Heaf!” Tessa cried when I got inside.
A female officer was sitting on the floor with her, and she jumped to her feet and raced over, careening into my legs before I’d even had the chance to squat.
I scooped her up to sit on my hip and gave her a hug. “I gotta go, sweet girl. But Roman’s here, and he’s gonna take you back to his house so you can see Elisabeth and play with Loretta. That sounds fun, right?”
Tears welled in her big, green eyes as she asked, “But where’s Mama?”
I swallowed hard. “I’m going to get her.”
“Where’d she go?” she pushed.
“Listen to me, Tessi. I’m going to go get her. And I’m going to bring her home. And then all of this is going to be over. No more bad men. No more trouble.” I swiped my thumb over her cheek after the moisture had escaped. “No tears. Everything’s fine. I’m gonna take care of this, okay?”
She nodded but started full-on crying. It broke me to have to pass her off, but I needed to get the fuck out of there if I had any hopes of keeping that promise to her.
“I love you,” I whispered into the top of her head as I walked her out to Roman.
“I love you, too,” she cried, clinging to my neck.
I woke up at home.
Not at Heath’s.
Not at Roman and Elisabeth’s.
Not even that shitty trailer I had grown up in.
No, I woke up in Hell.
The only real home I’d ever had.
A man I’d vaguely recognized had grabbed me right off the back deck as I’d watched Heath charge into the house after Tessa.
On instinct, I’d screamed his name. But only once, before I’d made the conscious decision that I’d rather not distract him from getting to her. I didn’t know what he would have done if he’d known we were both in trouble.
But I knew without a doubt what I’d wanted him to do—save our girl.
I’d fought again
st my attacker, but in the end, it had been a futile effort. He’d dragged me out the back gate and through the neighbor’s yard to a waiting car.
And then everything had gone dark.
I’d woken up in a small house I recognized as the one Walt used for his “business” deals. I’d spent many nights there when he’d get in his moods and I wasn’t allowed out of his sight at all. It was not a place you wanted to be with Walt. Men who went in there with him rarely left alive. I’d cleaned blood off those stone-tiled floors countless times—sometimes, even my own.
I’d also turned the address over to Tomlinson weeks earlier.
And it was only that knowledge that kept me from falling apart after I opened my eyes and saw Walt’s slimy gaze staring back at me.
“Sweetheart,” he purred, sauntering toward me.
I sucked in a sharp breath but showed no fear as I whispered, “You finally came for me.”
He rested a fist on the bed and leaned into my face, his breath slithering across my skin and his green eyes dancing with arrogance as he said, “Did you think for a single second that I wouldn’t?”
Chills prickled the hairs on the back of my neck. “No.” I shook my head and scooted across the bed. But I hoped for every second that you wouldn’t.
He prowled up on the bed after me. The flex of his muscular body under the confines of his dress shirt made my stomach churn.
He cornered me against the headboard, one hand on either side of me, and cooed, “Welcome home, my love.”
I squeezed my eyes tight as he pressed his disgusting lips to my forehead.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he said, approximately two seconds before the back of his hand landed against my face.
“I’ll be back,” I assured Tessa as I handed her over to Roman.
The truth was I didn’t actually know where the hell I was going, but even if all I had to use was my sixth sense, I was going to find Clare.
I looked to Roman and held his gaze in an unspoken plea for him to take care of her. He lifted his chin and shifted her on his hip so she could rest her worried head on his shoulder.
My chest ached and my legs were heavy as I forced myself to walk away, but it had to be done. That was my family, and I was getting it back. No matter the cost. No matter the consequence. That shit was going to end once and for all.
The Complete Retrieval Duet Page 34
