From over his shoulder, Blake’s blue eyes turned Emmett’s way. “I don’t know how an entry-level press intern got her hands on something like this. But I’d be willing to bet this file is the reason Amy Weaver’s dead.”
“And now the people who killed her think Janie has it.” Draven’s expression was that of dread.
He couldn’t begin to explain the fear he had for the woman he loved. The only silver lining to the whole, horrifying mess was knowing Janie was still alive when she was abducted.
“That man could have easily killed her,” Emmett spoke the terrifying thought aloud. “Instead he drugged her to ensure he could get her out of the hospital without incident to take her someplace private.” He swallowed. “They’re going to try to get her to tell them the flash drive’s location.”
“She can’t tell them something she doesn’t know,” Lucas pointed out the obvious.
Rather than turning to the man who’d just spoken, Gwen’s worried gaze slid back to Emmett’s. The look on her face sent another wave of heaviness into his chest. Her next words were as ominous as any he’d ever heard before.
“They think she does, though.” Her soft voice was a stark contrast to the lethal machine Emmett knew the woman to be. “Which means they’ll do whatever they believe is necessary to get Janie to talk.”
I know.
He didn’t say the words. He didn’t have to. They all knew.
Janie would likely be tortured in various ways until she told them what they wanted to hear. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t tell them a damn thing about the drive. They’ll beat her just like they did Devon, assuming her denials are lies.
“We have to find her.” Emmett’s voice cracked, andhe cleared his throat before looking at Boone and his team. “I can’t let what happened to Devon—” A rush of gut wrenching emotion clogged his throat.
“It won’t, brother.” Lucas put a hand to his shoulder and squeezed.
“He’s right.” Gwen lifted her chin. “Wewillfind Janie,” she vowed.
Blake turned his way. “And when we do, we’re going to make every one of those bastards pay.”
Words seemed to escape him in that moment, so rather than speak, Emmett shared a solemn glance with every person there.
This was his team. His friends. And they were willing to risk their own lives to save a woman who owned him, heart and soul. Boone wasn’t his teammate, nor was the detective his friend, but he was here and seemed as determined as the rest of them.
“We need to find her.” Emmett knew they needed to stop wasting time Janie didn’t have.
When his teammates stared back but said nothing, Emmett wanted to scream. Instead he became the leader they needed, and got his team back on track.
“We need to figure out a way to get a bead on her location.” He glanced at their surroundings. “But I don’t want keep standing out here.”
“Meet back at the office?” Gwen suggested.
Emmett agreed. “Go straight there,” he told them all in a rush. “We’ll follow each other. I’ll lead. Last car, watch your six.”
He started across the lot, trusting the others to do as they’d been told.
“Uh, hello?” Boone caught up to him a few stepslater. “Just exactly what do you and your team plan to do?”
“What do you think we’re going to do, Lincoln?” Emmett used the man’s first name. “We’re going to find Janie, get her to safety, and end the threat.”
“See? It’s comments like that, that make me nervous. Because those kinds of comments will get my ass fired, and you and your team behind bars.”
“Which one?” He continued marching swiftly across the dark pavement.
“Which one, what?” the other man asked.
They reached his car, but rather than get in, Emmett stopped next to the driver’s door. “Which of my comment made you nervous?”
Detective Boone’s face twisted with incredulity. “Allof them.” The man threw his hands out to his sides.
“Good.” He opened the door and started to get behind the wheel. With one foot in the car, he looked back at the other man and said, “You coming?”
