Every cell in his body burned with the need to be out there, searching for Kat. But as much as his heart screamed for him to do just that, Matt knew he couldn’t find her on his own. Not without more intel.
Knowing exactly who could help with that, he’d called Jake on the way to the hospital and filled him in on what had happened. Since the company jet was still here, in California, Jake promised he and the others would be on the next flight out.
For the rest of the evening, while he waited for the doctor to come out with news on Zade, Matt plotted his revenge. Adrian Walker was a no-good fucking traitor to his country. Not long ago, he’d shot and damn near killed Nate, Matt’s other friend and teammate. Walker had also kidnapped Gracie, the woman Nate was protecting—now his wife—and the bastard had delivered her to an even worse man for a profit.
Now the motherfucker had done it again. Only this time, Walker had taken Matt’s woman. Where and why, he didn’t know yet, but he would. And when he did…when he finally got his hands on Walker…
I’m going to fucking kill him.
Chapter 12
Kat sat in one corner of the cold, empty room. With her knees pulled to her chest, she kept her arms wrapped tightly around her legs as she continued to pray.
Her head was pounding, from both the stress of the situation and the fact that she’d banged it pretty hard when they’d wrecked. The bleeding had finally stopped, the hair on the right side of her head caked with dried blood.
She couldn’t see it, obviously, but Kat was pretty sure she could feel a nice gash hiding in the swollen flesh beneath her matted hair.
Her butt had gone numb long ago, which was the least of her concerns. She was too afraid to move. Afraid they’d hear her and know she was awake.
She had no idea what the man who’d taken her wanted. Did it have to do with the formula? Her father’s death? Both?
The only thing she knew for certain was his name was Walker. And he was a ruthless, cold-blooded killer.
Blinking, Kat sent another tear down her already damp cheek. It seemed as if she’d done nothing but cry since she’d regained consciousness, and she hated it. Hated feeling so weak. But the tears didn’t care. They simply kept coming.
As she held herself even tighter, Kat cried for her father. She’d been so confused by the detectives’ claims that he’d been murdered. Still was. Now that she’d been brought to this place by that horrible, awful man, Kat understood she may never find the answers, she desperately needed.
More tears fell for Detective Holloway. The poor man had been completely defenseless when he’d been brutally gunned down. He wasn’t even the slightest threat to the man who’d shot him. Who’d then taken and drugged her before shooting Zade.
It was a memory she knew would last a lifetime, however long that lifetime may be.
The metallic smell of blood continued to fill her nostrils as the horrific scene played over and over in her mind. Like a sadistic video set on loop.
They were all forced to sit there, trapped in the crushed and mangled car. Holloway’s gun had flown out the window when they’d rolled, and he’d clearly become injured in the crash. None of that mattered. Not to the guy named Walker.
The man had simply walked up to the car, pointed his gun at Holloway’s head. She could still hear Holloway begging for his life. Could hear herself and Zade pleading for Walker to stop.
Worse, she could still hear the deafening gunshot as the gun’s trigger was pulled—twice—ending Detective Holloway’s life in an instant.
Kat squeezed her eyes shut in a feeble attempt to make the memory disappear. It didn’t work. She’d never been more terrified than the moments immediately following, knowing with absolute certainty, she would be next.
As if it were happening right then, Kat could see the man coming toward her window. She knew he would shoot her in the head, the same way he had Holloway. But he hadn’t.
Instead, for reasons she still didn’t understand, Walker had leaned in so he could look at her through the back seat’s shattered window. The maniac had actually smiled at her with a greeting that still chilled her to the bone.
Hello, Doctor Marsh. It’s great to finally meet you.
When he pulled a large knife from a leather sheath at his belt, Kat had screamed.
Seeing the sharp, shiny blade coming at her, she’d wholeheartedly believed he was going to use it, rather than a bullet, to end her life.
Shock had reverberated through her entire body when the man sliced through her seatbelt, first at a spot across her chest and then at her waist, in order to free her. After sliding his knife back in place, he’d unceremoniously reached in, grabbed hold of her tightly, and pulled her through the broken window.
Kat had tried to fight back. She’d kicked and screamed, but it hadn’t helped. Even so, the second her legs were free from the car, Kat had begun fighting again. That’s when she felt the stinging sensation on the side of her neck.
She remembered hearing Zade shouting for her and cursing Walker’s name. The former SEAL’s voice had turned deadly. His tone deep and dark as he gave Walker a warning.
With utter confidence, Zade had told the evil man his team would hunt him down and kill him. Kat remembered praying he was telling the truth. But the thing that stuck with her the most was Walker’s calm response.
