Page 98 of Dark ’N’ Deadly

“There’s nothing to talk about.” From the corner of his eye, he caught her shaking her head. “I can’t change who I am, where I come from, or the fact that I lied to you about the most important thing in your life. You’ll never be able to look at me again without remembering that. Without seeing him.”

“That’s not true.” At least, now it wasn’t. He hit the air horn to warn drivers ahead of the cavalry zooming up behind them. “And you’re wrong about Gant being the most important thing in my life. You’re—”

“How can I know that for sure?” she interrupted, using nearly the same words he’d thrown back at her yesterday.

You’re the most important thing in my life. He realized that now.

“The way you looked at me when I told you…” She paused to take a deep breath, shaking her head. “After what happened to your friends, I don’t blame you for not being able to disassociate me from him. I need to know that whoever I’m with can love me without constantly thinking about the man who murdered his friends and nearly killed him.”

“It won’t be like that.” He might be sitting only inches from her, but he was losing ground every second. And he received her message loud and clear: that person—the lucky bastard she was referring to in the future tense—will never be me. The thought of that happening… Never.

About a mile outside Newark, he had no choice but to slow down. State police had blocked off exit ramps, except to emergency vehicles. Soon, traffic would back up on the interstate.

“Promise me you won’t go back to Alabama.” He jerked the wheel to the right, cautiously speeding up the shoulder past the long line of vehicles.

She gave a stony laugh. “That’s one thing I can promise.”

Her words gave him no solace. They sliced his guts wide open. She wouldn’t go back to Alabama, but he could tell from her tone that she was definitely set on leaving New Jersey, and even more determined to leave him behind.

He snaked between two yellow barriers. The other K-9 units behind him followed closely on his bumper. Soon after that, he was crisscrossing through less traveled back roads, avoiding the crushing evacuation of vehicles that was turning city streets into parking lots.

The closer they got to the hotel, the more people crammed the sidewalks. It was a mass exodus.

At the corner of McCarter Highway and Market Street, the Excelsior Hotel loomed ahead, its darkly tinted windows reminding him of a tower of death, which it would be if they didn’t get to the bomb and disarm it before Gant set it off.

The hotel was situated smack dab in the center of the city, and only a block from Penn Station. An explosion could take out the entire subterranean rail system.

With no room directly in front of the hotel, he and the units behind him parked in the middle of the street. He turned off the engine and pocketed the key. “Stick close,” he said to Tess. “The crowds will only get worse and I don’t want to lose you.” In more ways than one. “Let’s go.”

After leashing up Tiger, they met Dayne and the others off to the side of the main lobby doors. Sirens wailed, and air horns blasted. Half a dozen uniformed police from the Newark PD directed evacuating hotel guests down the street. There was no screaming or shouting, only low, hushed voices.

A dozen ATF and FBI field agents he recognized were waiting for them at the corner of the building. Half of them were looking at their phones, probably at the photo of Gant that had been circulated. Problem was, Gant might look totally different, or he could be wearing a disguise. If that was the case, only someone who knew him well could ID him. So as much as he wanted Tess at his side, they’d double the chances of spotting Gant if they split up.

“Dayne, you and Nick are with me. We’ll take half these agents and meet the bomb squad units by the loading bay doors. Matt, Kade, you take Tess and the others inside and look for Gant. He may be long gone by now, but if you see him, grab his ass. Best case scenario, the bomb’s set on a timer so he can escape. Worst case—he’s got a detonator and can blow it from a distance. He’s too arrogant to die, so if you catch him with a detonator, chances are he won’t punch the button.”

He handed Tess the spare radio he’d brought with him. “Keep this with you and stay with Matt or Kade. If you see Gant, notify one of them immediately.” He showed her how to use the push-to-talk button. “Do not approach him. I don’t want you going anywhere near him alone.”

She took the radio, nodding slowly. He’d expected to see fear in her beautiful eyes, but all he saw was determination, and that scared the hell out of him.

“Be careful,” she said.

“Always,” he answered softly, then to everyone else, “Move out.”

“You got it.” Matt nodded as he and Sheba led the field agents into the hotel, with Kade and Tango taking up the rear.

Tess quickly disappeared inside the building, sandwiched between Matt and Kade. As he watched her go, he knew where his heart was. Somehow, he’d always known.

Later. We’ll work it out later.

That’s what he kept telling himself as he led the other team of agents down the side street to the loading bays. Before they’d gotten to within twenty feet of the corrugated metal doors, Tiger strained at the lead, his head in the air.

His dog was picking up explosive vapors, and from the way he was behaving…

They were everywhere.

More uniforms stood near the bay doors. None of the bomb squad units were anywhere in sight.

Getting Jesse out of that explosives vest had been child’s play that any ATF agent could handle. Gant would never design anything so simplistic. Bottom line, they needed the bomb squads, and they needed them now.