Gabe let go of the guy’s shirt.
“I screwed up, Dawson,” Ryker finally admitted. “I should’ve filled you in. Should’ve filled you all in. What’s done is done, and I can’t change that, but Iwillhelp you get your wife back.”
Fury and betrayal boiled together, the combination bringing Gabe dangerously close to losing his shit.
“You’re damn right you’ll help us.” He poked the Homeland agent in the chest. “And I swear to God, Jason…if Radcliff kills…” Gabe cleared his suddenly clogged throat. “He lays a hand on her, I will come after you with all I’ve got. And there’s not a person on this goddamn planet who’ll be able to stop me.”
Chapter 20
Ellena woke to a pounding headache and a musty smell that reminded her of her grandparents’ old cellar. Her mouth and throat were desert dry, and she felt like she had the mother of all hangovers, but when she tried opening her eyes, her lids refused to cooperate
Confused, it took her a moment to remember what happened. When she did, the fear she’d felt at the airstrip returned with a vengeance.
Gabe!
The last image imprinted in her brain was heartbreaking. She’d screamed for him. He’d tried to get to her. But then Matt had knocked him down to keep him from being shot.
She wanted to cry when the events leading up to that moment came back in spades. Though they were closed, Ellena’s eyes stung as a painful knot formed at the base of her throat.
She had no idea if Gabe was okay or if anyone other than Hollywood had been hurt.
All she knew for sure was that Daniel Price was dead, and she’d been hit over the head. Now she was here. Except she didn’t know whereherewas.
Ellena forced her eyes to open, only small slits at first. The light hurt too badly otherwise. After a few tries, she managed to focus on her surroundings. The second she did, her fear grew exponentially.
She was in a shack of some sort, her wrists and ankles bound to a chair with plastic ties. The small structure was made of wood, and her shoes dug into the dirt floor beneath her.
A man she’d never seen before was standing in front of her…and he was staring. Mid-thirties—maybe early forties—his dark, wavy hair was a bit too long. But it was his eyes that struck fear into her heart. Dark and emotionless, they reminded her of a cold, moonless night.
The man’s automatic rifle rested loosely in his hands, but something told Ellena he’d have no trouble using it at a moment’s notice.
Dressed in black, he reminded her of a special-ops soldier, except the vibe he put off was more cold-blooded killer than patriot. Staring back at her as if she were nothing, Ellena couldn’t help but wonder if this was the man who would soon end her life.
“Who are you?” She shifted in the uncomfortable chair. “What do you want from me?”
Blatantly ignoring her, the man casually turned to look out the small window next to where he was standing. Anger overtook Ellena’s fear, and she straightened her shoulders a little more.
“Where am I?” More silence. “Why did you kidnap me?” Again the man refused to acknowledge her. “Hey! I’m talking to you!”
Yelling at the man with the big gun probably wasn’t the smartest move, but a person could only take so much. Ellena had reached—and surpassed—her breaking point.
“You’re not answering me because you don’t know, do you? You’re just the muscle behind the man. Fine. Get Radcliff. He’s the one you work for, right?”
Ellena wanted to scream at the jerk’s frustrating silence. In fact, she opened her mouth to do just that when the door to her right creaked open and Radcliff, himself, walked in.
He looked taller on T.V. but still had that handsome face and square jaw. His silver hair was styled almost perfectly, and the smile he was giving her had probably melted the hearts of many.
This man walked into a room and people noticed. Over the last two years, he and his staff had convinced America he was a man of the people. Powerful yet understanding.
Any time Ellena had watched him speak, either during an interview or at one of his publicized rallies, she’d always thought of him as likeable. Approachable. Now she knew the truth.
Henry Radcliff is a monster.
“Hello, Dr. Dawson.” Radcliff’s smile grew a smidge. “May I call you Ellena?”
“You won’t get away with this.”
The infuriating man laughed. “But I already have.”
