She pulled the blanket more securely over her body, her mind finally kicking into gear. “Right now, your friends are giving you up. The police are checking all the surveillance cameras between Bosco’s apartment and here, and even I know there are a couple of banks in that neighborhood. You’re done. Best bet for both of you is to run while leaving me here and alive. Just in case you get caught.” She listened in vain for sirens. Only the wind whipped against the outside of the metal walls.
Denny gagged and then quickly covered his mouth.
She pulled her legs in so she could jump to her feet if necessary. “Denny? You weren’t one of the men in the apartment, were you?” Bosco had hurt two of them, and Rickert had carried her out. “You were just in the car. Waiting.” He must have been the driver.
Denny nodded.
“Then you’re okay,” she whispered.
“No, he really isn’t,” Rickert said, pulling a gun from the back of his waist and shooting Denny in one smooth motion.
Denny’s eyes widened as blood burst across his chest. He grabbed his shirt, pitched forward, and landed face-first on the floor. Blood flowed from beneath him to stain the concrete red.
Chapter13
Bosco jerked awake in the emergency room just as Santa Claus slapped a bandage on his upper chest near his shoulder. “Santa?”
Santa wore a white lab coat that matched his long white beard and shorter hair. “Nope. Dr. Springfield here. You were shot near your clavicle, slashed across the ribs, and your earlier stitches were cut open. You have contusions and lacerations across your back and legs, and your feet have seen better days but don’t need stitches. You’re lucky to be alive.”
Bosco forced himself back to reality. “Marlie.” He tried to shove himself up.
“Whoa.” Dr. Springfield put a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Hold on.”
“Bosco? What happened?” Detective Pierce strode inside the room, wearing a faded T-shirt and old jeans as if he’d just gotten out of bed. His hair was ruffled and his jaw whiskered.
Bosco pushed the doctor away and sat, his head swimming from the pain. “They took Marlie. There was a grenade, and three guys breached my apartment.”
Pierce nodded. “One is dead, and the other’s being stitched up next door. The third is gone. As is Ms. Kreuk. Tell me everything.”
He had to find her. Groaning, he turned his body so his bare feet touched the floor. “What are you doing to find her?”
“We’re collecting all CCTV footage from the neighborhood as well as canvassing, but so far, nobody’s seen anything,” Pierce said. “Lie back down. You’re in no condition to do anything.”
“Bullshit.” Bosco gingerly put weight on one foot.
A commotion sounded, and Rory shoved past a uniformed officer. “Bos. You okay?” Worry lit his glittering eyes.
“No.” Bosco eyed his naked body. “I have to find her, Rory. She’s out there.” Fear, something foreign to him, blasted through his chest.
Rory slid a backpack off his shoulder to toss onto the bed. “Clothes in there. Fabio was shot in the leg but the vet easily stitched him up. Tessa is with him. Anna and Aiden are working the CCTV from the ATF’s angle, and Aiden said he’d figure out how it’s an ATF case later. As for our brothers, Vince and Finn are over the pass, preparing for a search and rescue in case the kidnappers went in that direction. Knox is outside, calling in favors in case we need to breach from the air. Well, he’s calling in favors as you, to be honest.”
His family was ready to go. Good. Bosco forced a T-shirt over his head and drew on some jeans, groaning when pain nearly dropped him, even though he was sitting.
“You shouldn’t think of going anywhere,” the doctor said, scooting away from the bed.
Bosco yanked on socks and a pair of boots that had been at the bottom of the bag. Wait a minute. “Where’s Quint?” He was the only brother not mentioned.
Rory smiled, and the sight wasn’t pretty. “Quint, who?”
Detective Pierce shoved away from the wall. “Damn it.” He turned and hustled out into the hallway.
Bosco stood all the way, his breath catching at the pain.
Rory was instantly by his side. “You good?”
“Yeah.” Bosco dug deep and hitched toward the doorway, his movements becoming more fluid. “Thanks for not arguing about my staying here.”
“Please. Your woman has been kidnapped.” Rory followed him into the hallway. “Turn right.”
