The woman’s voice sounded like an extremely loud angel.
Something wet tickled his hand.
A light tap to his face drew Josh out of his trance, and he blinked several times.
A woman with wide blue eyes examined Josh as if she were his doctor. His gaze roamed all over her. Her hair was blond, much like the nurse who had taken care of him in the hospital.
After an intake of breath, the bright lights of the reception area came into view, along with a familiar face. “Taylor?”
She smiled. “There you are.”
Candace’s nose was wrinkled. “What’s wrong with him?”
Charlie licked Josh’s hand.
Josh patted the dog’s head. “I’m fine, boy.” He wasn’t in the least. Josh was useless. He couldn’t save Riley or Liza if his life depended on it.
“You wigged out.” Taylor flicked a hair from Josh’s forehead. “And you’re sweating. Maybe you should sit down.”
Josh knew that day would haunt him for the rest of his life, but man, he couldn’t be tapping out in the middle of trying to rescue his girlfriend and cousin.Wait. Girlfriend?Josh rolled that word around on his tongue a few times. Riley would make a great girlfriend. But titles and statuses of what they were would have to wait, although he knew the minute he found her would be the minute he dropped to one knee and asked her to marry him.I can’t be thinking of marriage. I only just met her.Still, she had wormed her way into his heart, his head, and every pore in him.
Stretching his neck one way then the other, Josh crossed the shiny tiled floor of the reception area to the other hallway then walked back. “I’m fine.”
Keep telling yourself that.
Taylor closed the distance between them. “What are you doing here, Josh?”
Candace joined their circle. “Riley was taken by Mr. Gansett. I thought you had been too.” She sighed.
Josh felt closed in as the ladies had him somewhat pinned against the reception desk. “You don’t have to be this close. Just make sure you’re on my right side.”
The women didn’t move.
Charlie panted as he sat next to Josh.
Taylor shoved her hands into the pockets of her ankle-length jeans. “I know Mr. Gansett has Riley, as do the two men from Boston who showed up here last week.”
Josh’s eyebrows vanished into his hairline. “How do you know?” Josh concentrated on her lips, willing them to move.
“Josh, I don’t want you to freak out. I know you and Riley don’t trust me. But what I did, I did because of loyalty.”
His jaw hardened to stone. So many interrogation techniques that he’d used as a SEAL flickered in front of him. He swore if she said she was working for Gansett or Moretti or both, he would consider using any one of those painful methods to get her to talk.
“Either talk, or I’ll make you,” Josh said in a voice that didn’t sound like his.
Taylor’s throat bobbed as she produced a green thumb drive from her pocket.
Candace, who was still rather close to Josh, squeaked like one of Charlie’s dog toys.
Josh stalked the short distance and snagged the darn thing from Taylor. “So this is why Riley was taken?” He got out his phone to call Agent Wallace.
Taylor grabbed his wrist. “Don’t call the cops.”
“I’m not,” Josh snapped. “I’m calling the FBI.”
“Then Riley will die.” Taylor didn’t mince words.
Josh snarled so loud, it echoed, even though his heart had stopped altogether.
