“What the hell are you doing out here?” Kole scolded his fiancée. “I told you to stay inside until it was safe.”
Sarah glared at Kole. “I saw the van drive off and I wanted to make sure my sister was okay.”
“I’m fine.” Gracie wiggled herself out of Sarah’s tight embrace. Both women stood, and the men followed suit. “He just hit me and then jumped b-back into the van and t-took off.”
Nate’s eyebrows shot up at the flippant way she’d just described what happened to her.
“Hejusthit you?”
Gracie turned to him, wide-eyed. He started to reprimand her, but Jake’s sharp tone stopped him.
“Carter.” Nate’s boss gave him a look that said he needed to back off.
Pressing his lips into a hard line, Nate inhaled a deep breath through his nostrils to keep from shouting at the damn-fool woman.
He was about to suggest they go inside and away from the crowd when another loud, authoritative voice rose over the others.
“Officer Warren, I want you and Reynolds to clear all these people out. Get them behind the tape. Now.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nate recognized the detective giving orders as he approached them with purpose, the man’s frustrated gaze zeroing in on him and Jake.
Ah, hell.
“The second I heard a report of two gun-wielding cowboys trying to stop an attempted kidnapping at this address, I knew Jake McQueen had to be involved.”
“West,” Jake greeted the detective with a handshake. “Gotta admit, man. I’m glad you’re the one they sent.”
The detective let out a snort. “Nobodysentme. Like a dumbass, I volunteered. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“Detective,” Nate offered his hand.
Eric West was a detective with the Dallas Police Department. He also happened to be the twin brother to Derek West, Alpha Team’s technical analyst. D was a total jokester, but a literal genius. Especially when it came to computers.
“Carter.” The man shook his hand, then offered it to Kole. “Jameson. We really need to quit meeting like this.”
Eric had been the detective assigned to Sarah’s case when she was attacked.
“You know, Nate, my brother said you’re almost as smart as he is. But, given your choice of employer, I’m inclined to think you’re both idiots.” West turned and gave Jake a smartass grin.
“This one’s big, Eric.” Jake looked back at the man grimly. “This was an attack on one of my people. Tried to take her right here, in front of our building, in the middle of the fucking day.”
To the detective’s credit, he lost all traces of humor and got down to business. “Tell me.”
More than ready to get Gracie away from all the stares, Nate asked, “Can we continue this inside? I don’t want her out in the open any longer than necessary.”
Eric’s gaze shifted to Gracie. When he realized who the victim was, the man softened his expression. “Miss McDaniels. Like I said, I’m Detective West. It appears trouble has found you, again. Are you hurt? Do you need medical attention?”
“N-no.” Gracie shook her head then winced. “No ambulance. I just…” She glanced up at Nate. “I just w-want to go h-home. Or…crap. I g-guess I don’t really have a h-home right now, do I? That’s okay. I c-can go s-somewhere else. Somewhere other than h-here.”
She was rambling, and her words were beginning to stutter. Recognizing the signs of shock mixed with an impending adrenaline dump, Nate didn’t wait for the detective’s permission.
Wrapping an arm around her trembling shoulders, he started to guide Gracie toward the building’s entrance.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you inside.”
Boasting no argument, Detective West and the others followed them into the building and back into R.I.S.C.’s office. Once inside, Nate took Gracie into Jake’s office for some privacy.
