‘Show me what?’
Kade is assessing everything, outcomes, strategies.
The room is damp and the scent of mildewy water sits thick in his nostrils.Lachlan Tanner has Riley Harker by the throat and Kade knows how easy it is to make death in that way.The sight of that grip makes Kade’s own throat tighten in instinctive sympathy.
He raises both hands in placation and asks his question again.
‘What do you want to show me, Lachlan?’
‘A photograph.’
‘Let him go then you can show me.’
Lachlan growls, ‘I’m not in the mood for games.’
‘No games.You wanted me, I’m here.’Kade steps closer, assessing Riley who watches him calmly, trusts Kade to handle it.‘Let him go.’
‘He should die for what he did to you.’
‘That’s not going to happen, Lachlan.Let him go so we can talk.It’s me that you want, right?Here I am.’Kade hears the arrival of the teams.‘Everybody stay back,’ he calls out.‘Stay out there.’
It’s Seth who answers.‘Heard.’
‘Let him go so we can talk.’
‘We’re talking now.’
Kade shakes his head.‘I can’t focus until you let him go.’
Lachlan’s mouth twists as he abruptly shoves Riley away, who stumbles hard, but Kade catches him before he can fall, relief like fresh air in his lungs.Riley straightens and throws Lachlan a look of abject, glacial loathing that’s there and gone so fast Kade isn’t even sure it was real.
‘Thank you,’ Kade tells Lachlan while he scans Riley all over for serious injuries, touches his neck, sees early bruises in newborn red, but he’s otherwise unharmed.Kade’s heart finally settles.‘You good?’
‘I’m fine.’
Riley turns swiftly toward Lachlan, pulling Kade’s gun from its holster and aiming it between the intruder’s legs, but Kade steps between them before he can fire.‘Whoa, whoa, let’s just—’
‘Move.’
‘It won’t kill him.’
‘No, but it’ll hurt like motherfucking hell.’
Lachlan knocks Kade aside.
‘Do your worst,Little Harker.’
Riley clicks back the hammer.
Kade gets between them again, more forcefully this time.
‘OK, just stop for a second, let’s just think this through!’
His boss glances at him, considers for a beat.
Then he says, ‘No,’ and shoots Lachlan in the foot instead.
Kade sighs roughly but makes no complaint.Riley hands his gun back and then goes to the door that Kade wrenched open, telling the teams for now everything is under control.
