Aidan’s eyes flew across the screen. The room was dark, and Cassie was still sleeping. He didn’t plan to wake her, not after the night she’d had. God, seeing her so torn apart had killed him.
He’d gotten about an hour of sleep. That’s all he wanted. All he needed. Now he was reading background information on members of Paragons of Hope. Elijah, his two brothers, and dozens of others.
He’d been wondering how Elijah had gotten so much manpower behind his organization. There were a lot of members who were former military. According to their background checks, most of them had some sort of PTSD and trauma in their military files.
Had Elijah gotten that information somehow and preyed on it? Offered them salvation and peace, then taken advantage of their training?
Aidan leaned back in his seat, his mind flicking back to what he’d read about Elijah. The man’s father had been the leader of the organization before he’d died in a car accident when Elijah was twenty. That’s when he’d come into power. That was also when the high walls had been built around the compound. The uncommonly high number of accidental deaths started shortly thereafter.
Aidan had read those reports as well. On the surface, they seemed like unfortunate events. A couple of car accidents. Fire victims. One man had even fallen from a six-story building.
At the rustling of sheets from the bed, his gaze lifted to see a pair of beautiful jade-green eyes looking at him.
A slow smile curved Cassie’s lips. “Hey.”
Thank God. He really needed to see that smile today after the night she’d had. “Morning, beautiful.”
He sat the laptop on the sofa cushion beside him and was about to get up, but she was already climbing out of bed. He stopped, his dick twitching, not only at the sight of those long legs on full display but at the sight of her wearing his shirt. It reached halfway down her thighs, and it had every part of him screaming mine.
The second she was within reaching distance, he curved an arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap.
He cupped her cheek and turned her face. Then he kissed her. Fuck, she tasted good.
When she pulled back, she was still smiling. Then she looked at the screen. The smile slipped. “Sampson and Antwon. Two of Elijah’s main guards.”
He stroked a hand up her thigh, enjoying the little shiver that trilled down her back. “Do you remember living there when you were younger?”
She sank back into him. “I actually remember liking it. There were lots of kids around. Everyone was always friendly and happy, especially my mom. The only time I remember her being unhappy was the night we left.”
He heard her heart speed up a notch.
He stroked her leg again. “What happened?”
“A neighbor looked after me and Mia while my mom was out. When she returned, I was already in bed, but I could hear her. Her frantic breathing and the sound of her rushing around. At the time, I didn’t really understand, but now I think she was having a panic attack.”
He frowned but remained silent, knowing there was more of the story to come.
“I got out of bed and went out to see her. She was a mess. Shaking and crying. I’d never seen her so out of sorts before. She was packing a bag and told me we were leaving. That she was taking us somewhere safe.” She shook her head. “I didn’t get it, because I thought we were safe. She was so strong to do what she did.”
He pressed a kiss to her shoulder.
“I remember her strength. She was firm but kind. She never minced words, and she was the kind of mother who would do anything for her kids. Including sneak both Mia and me out of that compound.” She swallowed. “I wish she was here for Mia now.”
“And for you,” he said quietly.
“And for me.” She traced a finger on his chest. “If she hadn’t died so quickly, she could have told me what happened that night.”
“It certainly would have taken away the guessing game now.”
She nibbled her bottom lip as she stroked his shoulder. “Anyway, what’s the plan today?”
He smiled. “Today, I’m taking you to my home in Cradle Mountain.”
There was a flash of something in her eyes. Fear? Uncertainty? “Will we still be able to take Elijah down from Idaho?”
“Blake and Liam are going to stay, and we’re discussing various plans. We need to do our research first, on Elijah and his guards, and also a few of his most trusted members.”
“Detective Shaw was pretty certain he needed Olive’s testimony.” She straightened. “With everything that happened last night, I never told him the meeting was off.”
“We can do that.” He studied her face as he said the next part. “I should also let you know that my team is already planning a covert search-and-rescue op at the compound…for Damien. And we’re not telling the detective until it’s done.”
Their marriage might only be on paper, but the man was important to Cassie.
For a moment, she was silent. Her heart sped up, and she studied him as if wondering whether or not to believe him. Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. It was everything.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
They remained like that for a few minutes. When she pulled away, her eyes were shiny with tears. She blinked them away. “I can help. I can go with you and show you where Elijah might be holding him.”
The idea had fear sweeping through him. “Cassie—”
“I know that compound inside out. If he’s in there, I know where he’d be.”
“We can draw up blueprints and you can show us. You don’t need to be there.”
She blew out a huff of breath. “You know that won’t be as effective.”
“What I know is that you’re safest away from that place.” There was no way in hell she was getting anywhere near the compound. He tugged out his phone and called up a number he’d recently saved.
“You have Detective Shaw’s number?”
Thank God they were off the topic of her entering the compound. “I do.” He winked at her and pressed dial before putting the phone on speaker.
“Detective Shaw speaking.”
“Hello, Shaw. This is Aidan Pratt.”
“And Cassie…Webber.”
She hesitated on the last name, looking at Aidan nervously. He squeezed her hip. Yeah, he hated that she had Damien’s last name, but it didn’t affect him like it used to. Not after knowing what he knew. And she wouldn’t have it forever.
“Mr. Pratt, Mrs. Webber. My guys and I are ready to go today.”
Cassie closed her eyes. “Olive’s not coming.”
There was a moment of pause. “Are we changing to a different date?”
“Not at the moment. She wants some…time to think about it.”
The detective blew out a long breath. “All right. I knew she was a long shot to begin with. But you know there’s nothing I can do without evidence. Elijah is a very connected man, and he keeps himself well protected at all times. If anything changes, let me know.”
Aidan watched her shoulders sag. She was disappointed. God, he hated it.
“I will.”
Aidan hung up. Cassie sighed again and leaned into his chest.
He pressed a kiss to her head. “We’ll get him.”
She nodded almost absently. “Could we also call Dean?” There was sadness in her voice. “I need to update him on Damien.”
“Do you have his number?”
She nodded and quickly typed it in. It rang three times before a guy answered.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Dean. It’s Cassie.”
“Cassie! Any news on Damien?” Aidan could hear the worry in the guy’s voice.
“I’m sorry, but…”
There was a heavy pause. “That asshole still has him.”
She nibbled her lip and looked at him, like she was asking permission to tell him about his upcoming op. He shook his head. She may trust Dean, but the information about the extraction was safer if it stayed within his group.
“We’ll get him out soon, Dean,” she said. “I have faith.”
“Thank you for keeping me updated.” He sounded defeated. Aidan didn’t even know the guy and he felt for him. “Are you safe?”
“Yes, I’m safe.”
They shared a couple more words before she hung up.
The next hour was spent showering, eating room service food, and getting ready to leave. He had Tyler bring Cassie new clothes, since all she had was the ball gown. He chuckled at the way her cheeks reddened when she found the underwear.
“Tyler probably got an employee to choose them.” Or he better have.
When they got on the road, he immediately reached for her hand. Something told him any time not touching this woman would always be too long.
They traveled long stretches of open roads, talking about nothing and everything. It felt like it used to. It felt like he’d been sucked back in time and he was the Aidan who had never experienced Project Arma or lost the woman he loved.
When they started driving parallel to a river, Cassie sighed. “I love the water.” She turned to look at him. “Remember our van? Every time you got home from a mission, we’d just hit the road.”
“Of course. You always had the van packed and ready to go.”
She laughed. It tightened his chest. “Yeah, I used to count down the days until you’d be home and I could be alone with you. When we’d just get lost in nature.”
He squeezed her hand. “Maybe we can do it again soon.” There was no maybe about it. They would. He’d make sure of it.
A wistful look crossed her face. “I would love that.”
As a gas station came into view ahead, he glanced at the fuel level, noticing how low it was. He pulled into the station, and the second he stepped out, she did too.
She stretched, and his gaze zeroed in on the way the fabric of her shirt stretched against her chest, pulling up to reveal the creamy skin of her belly. His gaze shot away. He was going to get hard at a damn gas station.
She crossed over to him and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’m just going to use the bathroom.”
As she stepped past him, he snagged her wrist and tugged her back. “Don’t stray.”
“I won’t. You may officially call me your shadow because you’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future.”
Didn’t sound like a bad thing to him.
She pecked his cheek. She was walking away when she turned her head. “Can you get me some—”
“Sour worms?”
She stopped, her mouth pulling into a smile. “You remember.”
“About your obsession with sour worms on road trips? Yeah, I remember.” The woman had always had a thing for the candy. It had been a mandatory part of their trips in the van.
Her features softened before she turned and continued into the station.
He shot a look down the road just as Tyler pulled into the station, stopping at the pump behind Aidan’s. Tyler had been shadowing them closely, while Callum was about forty-five minutes behind.
Once the car was filled, he stopped beside Tyler. “No tail?”
He shook his head. “Watched the entire way. Nothing.”
Good. They were taking a longer, more meandering route home. They had no idea if Mia had told anyone that Aidan had taken Cassie. If Elijah wanted her badly enough, he could already have men waiting for them in Cradle Mountain.
“Callum says he’s all clear too,” Tyler added.
“We should be safe, then.”
Once Tyler’s car was filled, they walked across the lot and into the small store, stopping briefly inside to check out a car that pulled up to the pump opposite Aidan’s. Two men exited the vehicle, talking to each other as they walked toward the store.
Tyler frowned when Aidan headed to the candy aisle. “You get a sudden sweet tooth?”
Hell no. He didn’t eat this shit. “Sour worms for Cassie.”
Tyler chuckled and moved to the counter.
When he scanned the shelves, his lips quirked. It felt like old times. She’d always sent him inside to get her candy. He grabbed the bag of gummies, then noticed the peanut butter M&Ms. Another favorite of Cassie’s. He bent and snagged a bag of those too. When he straightened, his gaze shifted outside.
A van with tinted windows was turning in.
Tyler had paused at the counter, also looking at the vehicle.
Aidan frowned as a car pulled in—also with tinted windows.
His gut churned. Something wasn’t right. His gaze flew to the bathroom door near the exit. He started toward it and glanced into a round mirror secured to the ceiling.
The man behind him was pulling something from under his arm, beneath his jacket.
In the next aisle, a guy was reaching for the small of his back.
The men who’d pulled into the station as Aidan and Tyler had entered the store.
Aidan dropped to the floor just as a bullet shot toward him.
Cassie turned on the tap and washed her hands under the cool stream of water. When she caught herself in the mirror with a small smile, guilt slithered down her spine. She looked happy.
How could she be happy after what her sister had told her and the decision she’d made? God, how could she be happy when Damien was missing?
The smile melted away, and she blew out a breath. A part of her whispered that she’d been through so much in the last five days that it was okay to feel everything right now, including happiness. Despite the battle still ahead of them, she’d sacrificed a lot over the years and finally had the man she loved back.
But still, any happiness at all felt…wrong.
After drying her hands, she turned the lock and pulled open the door.
The loud bang of a bullet sounded, quickly followed by a second.
Panic was a lightning bolt inside her chest. She opened her mouth to scream, but suddenly Aidan rose from an aisle with a gun in his hands and shot a man. Tyler popped up near the counter and shot another.
When Aidan’s eyes swung to her, fury marred his features. “Shut and lock the door!”
Before the words had finished coming out of his mouth, more guys with guns flew into the station, all aiming at Aidan and Tyler.
Her heart stopped and her limbs froze as Aidan shot one of them before dropping as a bullet flew over his head.
She snapped herself out of her shock and quickly stepped back. She went to shut the door, but a big hand grabbed it before she could and tugged it wider. When she saw the black ski mask and the dark eyes, fear exploded in her belly.
Because she didn’t recognize those eyes. This wasn’t one of Elijah’s guards.
She pulled hard on the knob, but he snagged her wrist and threw the door open before yanking her forward. She fought, punching with one fist and kicking any part of him she could reach, all while tugging on her arm, but his strength was unbreakable. A few more men entered the shop, gunning for Aidan and Tyler.
She shot a final glance at Aidan before she was dragged outside.
They’d only made it a couple of steps before the guy abruptly threw her over his shoulder and ran toward a van.
Cassie swung her foot, connecting with his thigh with as much force as she could muster. When he growled and tugged her legs together, holding her tightly, she pounded his back. Too soon, the van door slid open, and she was thrown into a dark space. Before she could recover, the guy climbed in with her. The second he pulled the door closed, the van was moving.
The back of the vehicle was dim, but not fully dark. Her breathing was heavy as she looked at the man. “Let me go.”
His silence was deafening.
God, she wanted to scream at him. “What do you want with me?”
Finally, those dark eyes settled on her. “Me? Nothing. I’m just a contractor. It’s my job to deliver you to a location. So that’s what I’m doing.”
