Just then, the bedroom door creaked open and Gabe and Zade stepped out. Gabe was covered in sweat and the knuckles on both his hands were torn and bloody. A strong, unpleasant odor followed the two men through the dense air.
“Ah, God. What is that stench?” Kole asked them.
“Our friend Barry pissed and shit himself.” Gabe dug a few liras—the official Turkish currency—from his pocket and tossed them on the makeshift table Nate was standing near. “Go to town and buy him some clean clothes. Take Jameson with you.”
Knowing when not to argue, Nate followed Gabe’s instructions and grabbed the money. “Got it, Boss. Come on, Kole.”
“We’re heading out when you two get back.”
“Heading out?” Zade asked their somber leader. “Where we going?”
“Home.” The big guy glanced back toward the room Barry was in. “If Karas knows where Akmar is, he’d rather die than rat him out.”
“You think he knows?” Matt asked their boss.
“No.” Gabe’s answer was instant and unwavering. “I don’t.”
“So, what are we going to do about him?” Zade asked. “Akmar, I mean.”
“We’re going to go back home, regroup, and figure out our next move. We’ll find him,” Gabe assured the team. “Just not this trip.”
Damn. Nate would never admit it, but Matt had been right. He did want to be there to see Gracie’s face when they told her they’d caught the bastard who killed Craig. However, what Gabe said was also true.
They would eventually find Achim Akmar. And when they did, Nate prayed he was the one to put a bullet through the bastard’s brain.
During the long plane ride home, his thoughts kept turning back to Gracie. As much as he hated to acknowledge it, Nate realized he’d actually missed seeing her these last few days. Which was ridiculous, given they’d only just met.
Regardless, Nate did feel a connection with Gracie. One unlike any he’d never felt before. Shit, just the idea of talking to her again was exciting. A fact that left him wondering once again, what the hell was happening to him?
You know exactly what’s happening.
Ignoring the annoying inner voice, Nate put his headphones over his ears. He turned his classic eighties rock playlist up loud enough to drown everything else out. Then, reclining in his comfy, leather seat, he closed his eyes and compelled himself to think about anything other than Gracelynn McDaniels.
By the time he woke up, the pilot was telling them to prepare to land. Feeling the effects of crossing several time zones, Nate wanted nothing more than to go home, shower, and fall back to sleep.
With his bag in hand, he headed down the plane’s staircase. It wasn’t until he reached the asphalt below that he realized Jake was waiting at the edge of the tarmac for them. Standing next to their boss was Sarah, and she looked anything but happy.
“Kole.”
Kole had just cleared the plane’s steps when Nate said his name. The other man looked up and followed Nate’s gaze.
“The fuck? Why is she here?”
Nate knew Kole wasn’t upset at the idea of Sarah greeting them as they got off the plane. He was simply concerned, because this sort of thing had never happened before.
As they got closer to their boss and Kole’s fiancée, Nate’s chest began to tighten. Sarah’s face was red and splotchy, and her eyes were slightly swollen from crying.
“Sarah?” Kole dropped his bag and rushed to her. With his hands on her shoulders, he asked, “Baby, what is it? What’s wrong?”
Somehow, Nate knew what she was going to say before she even said it.
“Gracie.” Sarah was barely able to say her sister’s name.
“What about her?” Nate stepped in closer.
Kole glanced over at him, but Nate didn’t give a shit. Right now, all he cared about was finding out what had happened to Gracie.
“She’s…”
