“It’s getting a little crowded. Should I go ahead and make some space?” He raises the remote.
“It’s over, Martin. The FBI has this building completely surrounded. They also managed to piece together the rest of your plan, thanks to one of Brenda’s guards, who started singing like a canary the moment he was offered a deal. Fifteen minutes from the time he was asked to the time we knew everything. The conference next door has been evacuated. No one is over there.”
“Is that so?” Martin growls.
“It is. So let Tessa go. The fight is between you and me, not her.”
“You’re wrong. It has everything to do with her because she’s the easiest route to hurting you. Do you know how excited I was to stumble across her in that diner? It was truly an accident but such perfect timing. We needed a patsy, and what better than the daughter of a drunk? How angry she must be at the world.” He leans in and presses his lips to my ear. “I recognized you instantly because Zane could never shut up about you. He flashed around a photograph like you were the sole reason he got up in the morning.” He laughs. “Brenda hated the idea, but she’d already royally messed up in France when she couldn’t keep you on a leash.”
Zane takes a cautious step forward. “And what leash is that?”
Martin laughs. “What do you think this is? Some action movie where I tell you my entire plan? Nah. Because even though today failed, there’s always tomorrow. I’m nothing if not patient.” He shoves me forward, and Zane lunges to catch me.
My hands and knees scrape against the rooftop, but Zane is right there before my body hits the ground, his strong arms coming around me.
Weston, Ryker, and Sawyer all sprint past us, heading straight for Martin.
“Tessa. Are you okay?” Zane cups my cheeks with gentle hands, and I stare up into his eyes as my body begins to tremble.
“I am now.”
A soft beep draws my attention from him to the countdown clock on my vest. “No, no, no! You have to go!” I shove myself backward and frantically move away from him.
Zane stares at me, his eyes wide. “Let me help! We need to get it off.”
“We can’t! He said it’ll go off instantly if I take it off.” I’m frantic as the numbers count down from two minutes. Two minutes. That’s how long I have.
Martin laughs, and I turn to where Ryker has him pinned to the ground.
“Tell us how to diffuse it,” Ryker orders, his large hand around the back of Martin’s neck.
“Nope. I promised Zane a show. I intend to give him one even if it kills me, too.”
“Get Garrison on the phone,” Zane orders.
Sawyer rushes forward with a cell phone in hand.
“Garrison?” I ask. “He’s alive?”
“He is.” Zane moves in closer, but I take a step back.
“Go, Zane. Please. All of you have to go. Now.”
“Tessa, you have to let me try,” Zane pleads. “Please don’t make me watch you die.”
“If you come closer and it blows?—”
“It won’t.”
“Show me the connections,” Garrison says from the phone. Sawyer steps forward, but Zane takes the phone from his hand.
“You, Tank, and Cowboy get him downstairs to Jack.”
“Cap—” Sawyer starts.
“Go,” he orders. The strain in his voice tells me everything I need to know—we may not be walking away from this, and he won’t let his team go down, too.
Because he won’t let me die alone.
