He leaned down, touched the tip of the pliers to her nailbed.
She jerked up her knee and connected it to the soft cartridge of his nose. A sickening crunch echoed in the room and blood poured from his nostril.
“Sonofabitch!” He fell backward, holding his hands to his face.
She scooped up the hammer and swung it downward with all her force.
He surged up on a growl, grabbing the head of the hammer and jerking it from her hands. He yanked the gun from the spot where he’d tucked it at the back of his waistband. “Enough! No more playing around. I’ll kill you first then make it look like you were tortured. And you know what? I’m going to enjoy this way more than I anticipated.”
The screamingsiren ahead of Lane allowed him to press the gas pedal to the floor and fly toward the house the drone had spotted. With the blue and red lights flashing against the night sky, a path was cleared for him as he accompanied the twodeputies. He hadn’t asked if he could come along, and they hadn’t told him no.
Not like he would have listened if they had.
His pulse raced faster than the spinning wheels of his truck. He’d have a damn heart attack before they made it to their destination at this point. But he kept his mouth closed and eyes on the road. Silence settled between him and Duke, but there was no way to smother the tension eating him from the inside out.
After more time passed, Duke flicked his wrist toward the windshield. “Looks like the casino’s not too far ahead.”
Lane grunted. “Spencer said the FBI found this place because they’ve been investigating illegal activities connected with the mob at the casino. Taking Celine there’s like dumping her at the mafia’s doorstep, but only one vehicle was seen on the property.”
“Who the hell knows what this guy’s thinking. When backed against the wall, people do dumb shit. And sounds like Kevin’s been slammed against that wall one to many times too make any smart decisions.”
“He was smart enough to trick me.” Lane snorted in disgust. “I bought his bullshit. He was a mess. No way I thought him capable of standing upright let alone kidnapping Celine.”
“Well, he’s not smart enough to get away with it.”
His friend might be right, but that didn’t mean they’d make it in time to save Celine’s life. She’d been with Kevin for far too long. Anything could have happened at this point. If they showed up just to find her dead, he couldn’t live with that.
Couldn’t live with letting her down. With not keeping her safe and protected. With not telling her how much he freaking loved her.
“I see those wheels turning,” Duke said. “Don’t get caught up in the what ifs right now. You need your head on straight, just like before a hard ride.”
Jaw dropped, he chanced a quick peek at Duke. “Are you kidding me right now? You’re comparing this to bull riding.”
Duke shrugged. “It’s what we both know. Before we get on that bull, we can’t think about falling off or being trapped under it. The second we let our minds wander down that road, we’re done. Finished. We’ve already lost. This is the same. Thinking about anything other than getting to Celine and bringing her home safely will only mess you up. Neither of those will do her any good.”
Lane blew out a long breath. “Makes sense, but that’s a lot easier said than done. Falling off a bull might have destroyed my career, but it led me to something so much better than I’d planned. Losing Celine—” his voice cracked and he sniffed to hold back the emotion pressing against his sinus cavity.
“Dude, stop. Now.”
“You’re right.” He might have said the words but couldn’t completely believe them. Until he had her back in his arms, nothing would be right in his world. No matter how much he told himself or Duke otherwise.
“They’re turning,” Duke said, craning his neck to look outside the driver’s side window.
The sirens shut off, the eerie silence only enhancing the darkness of his thoughts. “They don’t want Kevin to know we’re here.”
“Smart.”
Lane kept up with the cruisers, taking another turn. The house came into view with Kevin’s vehicle parked outside. A light shone through the front window. He parked beside Spencer and jumped down from his truck.
Maddie climbed out of her own cruiser and pulled out her weapon.
“What’s the plan?” He had to stop himself from running into the house. Anticipation tightened his stomach muscles, and he secured his own weapon in his hands.
“Maddie and I will approach the front door. You and Duke go to the back. Should be a door that leads into the kitchen. Make sure he doesn’t try to get away,” Spencer said.
Lane glanced at Duke, relieved to see him holding his own gun. “Ready?”
“Always.”
