by Katie Reus
Gage’s grin grew. “Same difference. His face met the pavement. Repeatedly.”
Before Brooks could respond, multiple sirens split the air. He was also aware of several of Markov’s guards who’d converged on the area. He ignored them.
He didn’t care what Darcy wanted, she was going to the hospital. He had a feeling she’d argue, but it was happening. He wanted her far away from this place. And he wanted to make sure she didn’t have a concussion or other injuries.
His heart beat just a little faster than normal as he sat on the seat and pulled her into his lap. He needed to hold her.
Darcy curled right up against him, laying her head on his shoulder. “I’m not closing my eyes to sleep,” she said. “Promise.”
“What’s your pain level?”
“Honestly…I feel okay. Which is probably the adrenaline talking.”
She might be right. Brooks, who could actually lower his heartbeat out in the field, couldn’t do a damn thing about the way his heart raced right now. Not when the woman he loved had come so close to being torn from his life.
He wasn’t certain he’d ever get over what happened. Ever get over seeing that maniac tearing down the road and knowing she was trapped in the back.
Closing his own eyes, he laid his cheek against the top of her head. “It’s going to be a short engagement.”
“Still not a proposal.” There was a bit of sass in her voice he loved.
“It’s coming.”
“Hmm,” was all she said.
And it would be good. But he wasn’t going to say any more. He’d just show her. Claim her—and lock her down so everyone knew she was his. He wasn’t letting her go again.
* * *
Darcy shoved the surprisingly soft covers of the hospital bed off her, annoyed that she was even here. It felt ridiculous. Okay…it wasn’t ridiculous. At all. She had been knocked around, she was incredibly sore now that the adrenaline had worn off, and she understood that they needed to check her over for internal bleeding and potentially a concussion, blah, blah, blah. But she hated that she’d missed the last part of her sister’s wedding because of a maniacal asshole, and she was starting to get grumpy.
Mainly because Brooks had disappeared about ten minutes ago after receiving a text—and refused to tell her who it was from. She was fighting her annoyance at him and, okay, she was feeling overly emotional right now. He’d literally saved her life, and it wasn’t as if he’d abandoned her, but man, she was feeling all the emotions.
When the door burst open and her sister ran in—still in her wedding dress—Darcy jolted upright in horror. “What are you doing here?”
Emma hurried around the bed, followed by Peter and Brooks. “What do you mean, why am I here? Where else would I be? Brooks said that you didn’t have a concussion.” She spun around and glared at him before turning a much softer expression on Darcy.
“I don’t. I just thought you would be leaving on your honeymoon,” Darcy said.
Both Peter and Emma looked at her as if she’d grown another head. “You really must have a concussion if you think I would leave you,” her sister snapped. “Would you have left me?”
In that moment, Darcy felt like the biggest jerk on the planet. Of course her sister wouldn’t have left, because no way would Darcy have ever left her after something like today. “I wasn’t even thinking of it like that,” she said. What she’d been more concerned about was her sister getting out of the country because she knew that Peter’s father was going to be arrested in a few hours. “Blame it on getting kidnapped and tossed into the back of a van. I’m allowed to have a crazy moment.”
Emma let out a strangled sound before pulling Darcy into her arms—gently. As her sister hugged her, she felt wetness on her neck as Emma cried. “When I think about what could have happened to you…” Sniffling, Emma pulled back and looked down at Darcy, concern in her gaze. “I’m just sorry that Brooks didn’t kill him,” she whispered loud enough for the entire room to hear.
Darcy’s eyes widened. “That’s bloodthirsty.”
“That guy kidnapped you. He’s lucky I didn’t get ahold of him.”
Peter, expression grim, came up and gave her a gentle kiss on the head. “I’m so sorry about all of this.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” She wondered how they were going to feel when they found out she’d known about his father’s pending arrest.
“It happened at my father’s house, of course we feel terrible. And that asshole worked for my father.” Disgust was clear in Peter’s voice. “He said he would be down here later, but he was dealing with the police and all the wedding stuff. The Feds were there too.” He sounded a little confused by that.
Emma snorted. “Yeah, he wanted such a big affair, he gets to deal with all those people that we don’t even know.”
Darcy laughed at her sister’s attitude. She felt terrible that they weren’t going on their honeymoon yet, but knew better than to say so, at least right now. It would probably set her sister off.
“How was the cake?” she asked.
Her sister let out a startled laugh. “Oh my gosh, you’re ridiculous. And I have no idea because we never cut it. But I’ll make sure they save you some. Hell, you can have the whole damn cake. You deserve it.”
Brooks chuckled behind them, his gaze steady on Darcy and full of the love she felt for him.
“By the way, these are some fancy digs. How did you swing getting a private room in this wing?”
Darcy’s cheeks heated up, and she felt weird answering.
Thankfully Brooks saved her. “My dad donated a shitload of money to the hospital. He’s here too, by the way,” he added. “There are a lot of people here to see you.”
She was surprised by that, but didn’t ask who. She didn’t plan on staying long enough to have a bunch of visitors. “Actually, he built the wing,” Darcy added.
Emma’s eyes widened. “Holy crap, I knew your dad was rich…” She trailed off, her cheeks flushing red as she looked away from Brooks. “I’m sorry, I have no filter right now.”
Brooks just laughed and moved to the other side of the bed and took Darcy’s hand. “It’s okay. It’s been a hell of a day. I’m sorry your wedding was ruined.”
“Are you kidding? It didn’t get ruined. I got to marry the man I love and now we have a crazy story to tell. It would have been ruined if anything had actually happened to my sister.” She sniffled and teared up again then added, “Well, worse than what did happen. Oh my God, Darcy, I seriously can’t believe what happened. I’m so glad you’re okay. You look so much better than I imagined. I thought…” Swallowing hard, she shook her head.
Peter wrapped his arm around Emma’s shoulders and pulled her close. “Is there anything we can get for you? How long are they keeping you?”
“I actually think I’m going to be discharged in the next hour, so you guys seriously don’t need to stay.”
Her sister snorted again and Darcy held up her hands. “Okay, okay, you can stay. But fair warning, I’m going back to my place and Brooks is taking over everything for the next couple days and being incredibly bossy about it,” she said, smiling up at him. Because she was grateful that he was taking over.
“Good,” Emma said. “I saw some of those little chocolate truffle things you like in the gift shop on the way up. Do you want some?”
Darcy nodded, smiling. “Yes, please.”
“Okay, we’ll be back up in a few minutes.”
Once the door shut behind them, Darcy collapsed against the fluffy pillows. “Is there anything I need to know about right now?” She wanted to hear any details before her sister got back.
“I’m not sure how much I should tell you.”
“I’m fine,” she said, squeezing Brooks’s hand once. “Just don’t keep anything from me.”
He looked so worried as he watched her.
She was achy and sore but at least she didn’t need stitches. She’d only broken the skin on her
forehead and her stomach barely even hurt anymore. She also didn’t have internal bleeding, which was another win. She’d come out of this thing mostly unscathed, if a little terrified. And she had a feeling she was going to be reliving what had happened for a while. It was definitely the motivation she needed to start taking self-defense classes again. Not that she was certain she could have taken Polzin on anyway, but she needed to find something and be consistent about it. She never wanted to be a victim ever again.
Brooks glanced over at the door, which was still closed. “Markov will be arrested very soon. According to Leighton, the FBI is getting all their ducks in a row. And Polzin’s already in custody. With what he attempted to do, they’ve expanded their warrant and found a couple more places owned by him. In one…he had pictures of you. He’d been keeping them on a tablet. It’s clear he’s been watching you for a while. All the pictures were long-range shots.”
Her stomach sank. Gross. “Like, naked pictures?” Her voice trembled as she asked. Had he somehow spied on her in vulnerable positions?
Brooks shook his head. “No. Just pictures of you leaving home, heading to work, meeting with clients, stuff like that. They think that you getting back together with me is what set him off. They also figured out why so many of the guards weren’t near the front gate. He knew the protocols there and used a cloned phone to text some of the guards as if he was one of them. He told them there was an issue in another area and it created the small window he needed.”
She shuddered. “Do you think he’ll try to cut a deal or something?”
“Probably. He’ll try to flip on Markov. At least that’s what Leighton’s friend seems to think.” His jaw tightened once.
Darcy narrowed her gaze. “Do you think they’ll let him walk, or give him a reduced sentence?”
“Don’t worry about that. He’s not going anywhere. Listen, there’s something I need to take care of tonight.”
Darcy stared up at him. She wasn’t sure how to respond. What could be so important that he had to leave her? Tonight of all nights? “Can you tell me what it is?” She tried to keep the tremble out of her voice and wasn’t sure if she succeeded. She really didn’t want to be alone tonight.
He was silent for a long moment then shook his head as he cupped her cheek. Oh so gently, he stroked his thumb against her skin. “No. I would if I could. Can you trust me?”
“Of course.” She didn’t even have to think about it.
He expelled a short breath. “Good. Savage and Olivia will be heading back to your place with you, and I’m sure Emma and Peter will be as well. What I’ve got to do shouldn’t take too long. Listen, my dad wanted to come by and see you, but he said he understands if you have no desire to see him.”
“Of course he can come up.” She really wanted to know where Brooks was going, but there was something in his eyes that told her not to ask again. Right now, she was going to trust her instinct.
Chapter 23
—Cowboys get shit done.—
Brooks stepped outside now that Peter and Emma were back in Darcy’s hospital room. He knew she wouldn’t be alone and he had something to take care of. Now.
As the door shut behind him, he came face-to-face with Savage, Olivia, Valencia, and Leighton.
Valencia was jumping up and down holding a clearly handmade pink and purple card covered in glittered hearts. “Can we see your girlfriend?” she asked, waving her card and sending glitter flying everywhere.
Brooks smiled and, using ASL, signed back that yes she could go inside. He was still learning ASL and was rewarded with a huge smile. Sometimes Valencia signed and sometimes she spoke aloud. Savage had once told him that it just depended on her mood. She liked to go back and forth.
Olivia smiled indulgently at her daughter and gave Brooks a quick kiss on the cheek. “We’ll watch out for your girl,” she said. “I’m glad you’re okay too.”
Brooks turned to Savage and was pulled into a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re okay, brother.” Savage’s voice was thick with emotion, taking him off guard. “Though I can’t believe you guys did that without calling me,” he muttered as he stood back.
“We had literal minutes to get to the church.”
“I know, I just feel like I’m the only one left out of all the action.”
Brooks snorted. “Well I’m sure Olivia is fine that you got left out.”
Grinning, Savage shrugged. “True enough.”
“They’re going to be moving in on Markov soon,” Leighton said quietly.
“Any news on Polzin?” At the moment, dealing with that asshole was all he cared about. If possible, he was taking care of the problem tonight.
“Yes. She shouldn’t have told me but Hazel said he’s trying to cut a deal. He’s given them some info on Markov and says he has more on Kuznetsov. He’s also saying that Markov was ultimately targeting Kuznetsov. It sounds like a clusterfuck of info. They’re going to transfer him from the hospital tonight to protective holding. Look…he might end up going into WITSEC if he gives them enough. You need to be ready for that possibility.”
Yeah, that wasn’t happening. Brooks would make sure of it. Polzin wasn’t walking. If he went into WITSEC there was no way Brooks would be able to find him—and there was no guarantee he’d leave Darcy alone. He could come after her later. Not a risk Brooks was willing to take. It was no surprise Polzin had been taken to a hospital, what with his broken ribs. And his broken face. At least he wasn’t at this one. And Brooks knew exactly where he would be transferred from. “What time?”
Leighton watched him carefully. “She didn’t say.”
“Can you find out?” If not, he would find out on his own. His father had enough contacts everywhere, including the hospital Polzin was at.
Leighton’s gaze narrowed. “Are you planning what I think you are?”
Brooks didn’t respond. This couldn’t be a surprise to his friend. Because if there was even remotely a chance that the Feds would cut a deal with that bastard, he wasn’t letting it happen. Darcy was his to protect. And protect her he would. Through any means necessary.
“You need backup?” Savage asked, clearly knowing what he intended to do.
“No. I need you to keep an eye on Darcy.” Savage was his best friend. Someone he trusted more than anyone, but the man had a new family. He wasn’t bringing him in on this.
Brooks glanced at his watch. If the Feds were going to make a transfer it could be at any moment. And he had some shit to get together first. Not to mention he needed to talk to Gage about erasing any CCTV footage in the area.
“I’ll see what I can find out.” Leighton didn’t look happy about it but he also wasn’t arguing. Good.
“I need to go.” All of his gear was at the office so at least he didn’t have to drive back to the ranch.
“You sure about this?” Savage asked quietly.
Brooks didn’t bother responding. Of course he was sure. And Savage would do the same thing for Olivia and Valencia.
Chapter 24
—One shot. One kill.—
Brooks looked through the scope of his rifle, only partially contemplating the morality of what he was about to do. He didn’t do something like this lightly. And he didn’t plan to do it again.
The only time he’d ever killed had been during wartime. And he hadn’t taken any joy in it. That had been about the job—about keeping his friends and others safe. Period.
This… He was doing this to keep Darcy safe. And to keep a monster off the streets. He knew he didn’t have the right to be a judge, jury or executioner. But he was still doing this. Because once Polzin went into protective custody, he’d never be able to get near him again.
Though it was night, there was more than enough light for him. He stayed in the shadows of the window of the apartment he was using. Unlike in the movies, snipers didn’t use rooftops. Not if they could help it. Thanks to Gage’s genius he’d found an unused apartment as his final firing position.
Ther
e had been five different places he could have chosen, but in the end he’d gone with this apartment because of the angle, the concealment it provided him, and the exfil. One of the most important things a sniper had to consider—the escape.
He flicked a glance at a nearby flag from a neighboring building. Wind was barely existent tonight.
He returned his gaze to the scope. The hospital exit Polzin was supposed to be escorted from was lit up like a Christmas tree. It was like they were trying to make this easy for him.
A black SUV with tinted windows pulled up under the overhang. His breathing was as steady as his heart rate as he watched. This was the first time a kill had ever been personal.
This time it truly mattered. Once he did this, there was no going back for him. He’d made this decision and if there were any consequences, he would face them.
But for now, he shut those thoughts down.
Two FBI agents got out of the vehicle, almost as if they’d synchronized it. One stood by one of the back doors while the other moved to the exit door.
A moment later a shackled Polzin shuffled out wearing light blue scrubs. Both his wrists and ankles were restrained, making his movements slow.
Brooks quickly calculated the distance and wind, and on his natural respiratory pause, he pulled the trigger.
Polzin dropped while the agents quickly moved into action. Brooks didn’t bother watching what they did. He didn’t care. He’d done what he’d come to do.
It was possible they’d set up a grid and do a search for the shooter, but they’d be disappointed. Gage had hacked into every system in the area—because yeah he was that fucking good—so they wouldn’t be caught on camera. But that didn’t mean he could stick around.
Slipping on gloves, he stood and shut the window. Then he folded up his stock and, moving with a practiced efficiency, stored his rifle in the carrying case.