“I’m not leaving you.”
“You don’t understand. My father wants you. I’ll do anything to save you.”
“You need to trust me.”
“Baby, please.”
“Trust me, love,” she whispered, afraid to say more with cameras in the room. She was pretty sure those cameras also had sound capabilities, and she didn’t want to give away the game now.
Elias’ breathing was shallow. Broken ribs? Fear lanced Iona’s heart. A broken rib could puncture his lung and cause it to collapse.
“Enforcer?”
Of course he’d want to know about the man who’d beaten him black and blue. “Dead.”
“Good.”
Through her earpiece, she monitored their teammates’ infiltration of the compound. They moved closer by the second, taking out Reckoners who stood in their way. “How badly areyou hurt, Elias? And don’t sugarcoat it. I need the truth so we can get help if we need it.”
He grimaced, his bruised and swollen face still revealing the truth. Elias was in a lot of pain. He shook his head slightly. “Can’t make it on my own. Sarge worked me over good.”
She’d been afraid of that when Brent warned her to be prepared. “Then we’ll wait for help.”
Another head shake. “Can’t let my father touch you.”
“Iona, incoming,” Zane warned in her ear.
“Copy. Company, Elias.”
“Run. Please, Iona.”
“Too late,” she whispered. “Pretend to be unconscious.”
Immediately, he closed his eyes and went limp.
Although it went against every instinct she possessed, Iona turned her back to the door, leaving herself vulnerable to attack. She took a soft cloth and wiped his face, careful to avoid his injuries. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him more pain.
When the door opened, she felt the change in the room’s temperature and heard boots on the concrete floor. Whatever he was, Eddie Knight would not make a good operative.
“Well, well, who do we have here?”
She stiffened and slowly turned to face Elias’ father. She could see the resemblance between them, not that she would tell Elias as much. He wouldn’t appreciate knowing he resembled Eddie. “Eddie Knight.”
His mouth curved into a mocking smile. “Iona Byrne. I’ve been expecting our meeting for quite some time now.” His gaze skated over her body, giving Iona the creeps. “Yes, I see what my son sees in you. He has good taste. Although I wasn’t sure I could instill good values into him before he left, the lessons took after all.”
Lessons. Is that what they were calling it now? In her world, it was just plain old abuse. Her smile grew into a sultry invitation to Eddie. She needed the other two men to leave. “Who are your friends?”
That broke the spell he’d fallen into. He cleared his throat. “My enforcers.” Eddie glared at the two men. “Wait outside.”
“But, sir, she’s armed to the teeth.”
Iona bared those teeth. “And you will be right outside the door. Do you doubt your president’s ability to protect himself from me?” She’d boxed the men into a corner and she knew it. If they said no, the men would have to leave. If they said yes, the enforcers would call their president a liar.
“Out,” Eddie snapped. “I can handle a woman.”
One enforcer backed out of the room. The other stood there, shaking his head. “I don’t trust her, Prez.”
“This isn’t your call. Get out.”
