David appeared in front of me and helped me up. “Your tracker made it easy.”
He unsheathed a knife from his belt and cut the zip tie off. I rubbed my wrists. They tingled as blood flowed back into my hands.
“Is Fiona safe?” I asked, cutting straight to the chase.
“Hold on.” He grabbed his radio. “Let me check in. We switched communication channels after we separated from the others, so we couldn’t get our wires crossed.” He turned away and spoke to someone at the other end. When he turned back, his expression had darkened. “She’s safe.”
“Thank fuck.” I allowed myself to feel a sliver of relief, but not too much. His expression made me wary. “But?”
“Apparently a couple of detectives turned up shortly after us. They took Fiona and Kade in for questioning, and according to Vic, it didn’t look friendly.”
My hands tightened into fists. “Those fuckers.”
As if Fiona hadn’t already been through enough. They must have gotten there so quickly because of the call Patience made. I’d hoped my interruption would cast doubt on their story, but it seemed it hadn’t been enough.
“Did anyone find my watch?” I asked.
David repeated the question into the radio. “They’ve got it, but it’s damaged,” he said.
I forced myself to draw in a slow breath. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if I self-combusted. “Someone needs to check whether the recording device is still functional, and if so, take a copy and get it to the police immediately. I used it to record our confrontation.”
A grin spread across David’s face. “Good thinking. I’ll get them on it immediately.”
“Can you take me there?” I asked. “Actually, wait. Have the watch sent to Jonah in the office and tell him it’s urgent. I need to get to Fiona ASAP.”
David’s smile faded. “About that…”
My eyes narrowed. I didn’t like his tone. “What about it?”
He held his hands up in a gesture of peace. “I’m just the messenger.” He shifted from one foot to the other. “We have orders from Ronan not to let you talk to the police without him there. Something about damage control. He also wants you to be checked over by a medic.”
I growled, frustration building within me. I felt jittery after my narrow escape, and however well-intentioned it might be, I wasn’t in the mood for Ronan’s meddling. “Have him meet us there,” I said. “With a medic too, if he insists.And tell him we’re bringing these two.” I waved at Patience and Bergen. “Cole will definitely need a medic, but I don’t want him out of our sight.”
David studied me for a moment, then nodded. “That should work. I’ll talk to Ronan. What should we do with the painting?”
I hesitated. “Call Joanna Lee and ask her to come, or to send a cop she trusts. I know it’s not her department, but insist. Tell her I’m collecting on a favor.”
“Got it.”
“Also, don’t leave the painting alone. I want at least two people guarding it at all times until the police have taken it in as evidence. They’ll be able to confirm it’s the real deal.”
He jerked his chin in acknowledgment and barked orders into his radio. A few minutes later, we were crawling toward the police station at exactly a mile an hour less than the speed limit because David refused to run the risk of getting pulled over when we had handcuffed criminals in the back seat. One of his team rode in the back with them to keep them in line, while David and I sat in the front. When we finally arrived, I threw the door open before we’d fully stopped and rushed toward the entrance. Ronan was there with Jared, one of the medics we called in when needed.
“Hey.” To my surprise, Ronan stepped forward and hugged me. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Me too. Thought I wasn’t going to be for a minute there.” I glanced toward the entrance. “Fiona is still inside?”
He nodded. “Are Cole and the gallery manager in the car?”
“Yeah.”
His jaw tightened. “I’ll make sure they’re dealt with appropriately.”
He clapped me on the shoulder and strode off, leavingme with Jared. The medic was on the shorter side, with a slim build and sandy blond hair.
He gave me a friendly smile. “Do you have any injuries other than the bruising on your face?”
I tried to remember whether I’d been hurt anywhere else, impatient to get inside. “I don’t think so.”
