Just as I was about to start spilling out ideas, Kade got a text from Ricci stating it was time to strike back at Evelyn—now known as Phantom. Ricci knew more than he should, so protecting Evelyn and her team was going to be next to impossible. Ricci sent another text to Kade saying it was time to “burn the place down to the ground,” meaning Dominos. I knew we needed to act fast.
“I have an idea, but you may not like it. First things first, we need to call Evelyn’s boss and tell him what’s going on. Then we can get everything in order to make sure everyone gets out safely.”
Kade nodded. It was time to make this motherfucker pay for everything he had done. Ultimately I knew that Kade would go along with my idea. It would be the only way to get close enough to Ricci without him suspecting that we were actually working against him. It also would allow us to be able to give Evelyn’s team enough notice to make sure that no one got hurt. I just hoped everything would go the way was planned.
FIFTEEN
MACHINE
I’d been too late. That was all that kept running through my mind as I sat next to Badger’s hospital bed. Her usually bright complexion was pale, with a grayish hue. The unwashed ash could contribute to that, but my mind couldn’t get past how deathly still she was. An oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth. Seeing her like this made my head spin.
My mind flashed back to my last tour in Iraq before I shook my head out of it. I couldn’t let myself go there now. Not when she needed me. I grabbed Jessica’s hand and leaned to press a kiss to all of her knuckles. The familiar sparks ignited at our point of contact. Any time I was around this woman, I felt a pull to her I couldn’t describe. Seeing her like this opened a pit in my stomach.
The rescue mission at Dominos kept replaying over and over in my mind. One of Ricci’s men had started a gas leak, and we were instructed to finish it, no doubt so Ricci could avoid the risk. What we weren’t expecting was one of the patrons to be smoking a cigarette. Everything happened so fast. The building went up in flames so quickly that we were almost way too late.
Patrons screaming, Evelyn’s team members blasted by debris, and worst of all, Badger stuck inside, choking on thesmoke. I don’t remember getting her out of the building. I had gone in on instinct, needing to save the woman that I craved. The woman that I needed in my life. My brain replayed the image of her lying deathly still on the parking lot pavement as I started CPR, breathing literal life into her until Kade’s paramedic contact showed up and took over.
Now we were in our makeshift hospital, medical staff buzzing around trying to make sure all of Evelyn’s team was okay. I craved Badger’s crass comebacks and snarky jabs right now. Instead, she lay there motionless. Her chest moving was the only indication that she was still alive and breathing.
Buddha stood at the foot of the bed. I hadn’t heard him approach. I let go of Jessica’s hand and rested my hands on my knees. He gave me a knowing smirk, but I wasn’t in the mood for any jokes.
“She’s going to be okay,” Buddha said as he looked at Badger. He turned to me with a concerned expression. “I can’t believe this is happening. When will Kade be here with Phantom and Arrow? He went to get them a while ago.”
I looked down at my watch. He was late, and I wasn’t sure why. But I knew better than to call when he was in the middle of something. If I didn’t hear from him in half an hour, I would go looking for him.
Not even two minutes later, I saw a van pulling up. My hackles raised, not knowing who the van belonged to. I shot up from my seat and ran out the door with my gun in my hand. I crouched down and aimed at the multiple shadows that I knew were a threat. I heard Buddha’s footsteps behind me.
“Machine! For fuck’s sake! It’s me!” I heard Kade yell.
“My bad!” I quipped back.
I stood up and watched as Kade opened the van’s rear double doors. Evelyn immediately pounced on Kade, screaming as shepunched him. I moved fast, ripping her away from him. She kicked her legs out, fighting me.
“You fucking monster!” she screamed at Kade.
Whatever had just happened, it wasn’t good.
“Easy, Evelyn,” I said, attempting to soothe her anger.
“Let me go,Evan!” she growled out.
“If I let you go, do you promise not to go into attack mode and let us explain?” I asked her in a pleading tone. She didn’t respond. “Evelyn?”
“Yes,” she gritted out, her death glare still pinned on Kade.
I released her and stepped to the side. After taking a step back, I was able to fully assess the situation. Evelyn was covered in blood, her face bruised and discolored. Anger surged through me.
“What the fuck, Kade? What the fuck happened to her?” I yelled at him.
Kade’s whiskey-brown eyes met mine, and I knew that something terrible had gone wrong in our plan. His nostrils flared, his eyes drilling into Evelyn. He ignored my questions.
“Follow me, Evelyn.” He didn’t leave room for argument as he walked toward a large warehouse that seemed to be abandoned.
I knew that tone and knew that I needed to keep my mouth shut, even though the anger inside me was bubbling up. Kade held the metal door open for me. We remained silent as we walked through the building. The smell of antiseptics and cleaning products invaded my nostrils.
Evelyn turned around to face Kade and me after taking in the warehouse that we had turned into a medical facility. This allowed us the ability to make sure that everyone got the care they needed without law enforcement getting involved, and we had the contacts to do it.
“What is this?” she asked as her lip began to quiver.
