Back home, Whisper fell into his normal routine. He helped his neighbor clean out her attic on Saturday, then on Sunday he helped another neighbor cut tree limbs before he mowed a lawn for another neighbor. Overall, he had about seventy dollars burning a hole in his pocket. He could spend the money, or head to the bank and see Lorie.

After an early run in the hot Texas morning to a shade-covered park, through the trees, and down by a creek, he returned home and lifted weights for an hour. Once he finished, he cooked breakfast, wondering if he should stop going into the bank to see the woman of his dreams. He couldn’t even talk to her. Maybe giving up and finding a new branch would be the best option, but he wanted to see her again.

He showered, and shaved carefully, making sure he looked good, then dressed in a casual shirt and jeans. As a Delta team member, he didn’t advertise his military status. His hair was a little longer than most men in the Army, and sometimes he sported a beard, but not always. He mixed it up, but he tried to keep his look as plain as possible. No flashy clothes, no flashy truck, no flashy looks. He was just a plain-as-could-be person who didn’t draw any attention to himself.

He pulled into the lot of the coffee shop next to the bank, thinking he would stop in for a coffee later. Maybe he should find a smaller branch of this bank where he could do his banking and not have to face Lorie. She was just so beautiful, and he made a huge fool of himself every time he saw her.

He had his military bank, but he’d decided to open another account to help save money. Though he’d like to do business with a local bank, he could be moved anywhere, so he’d chosen a large bank with branches overseas. The ten-story office building where this branch was located looked old with its stark planes and greenish cast windows.

Usually the building attracted many people, which was a good and bad thing. Sometimes parking was terrible, and he’d started parking at the coffee shop next door. Today the lot for the bank seemed empty. Before today, the bank had been a vibrant location, lots of people in and out. He liked the activity of the area. It made the place feel alive. Just as he was walking over, four cars pulled into the parking lot of the bank. By no means was the place crowded, but it felt a little more like it used to.

His heart raced at the prospect of seeing Lorie one more time. Maybe this would be the time he actually talked to her. Liam was about to enter the bank when a little girl, about the same age and size as the one he’d rescued in Nigeria, ran up and grabbed the handle of the door.

“Amber, get back here. You can’t race ahead of this gentleman.”

The girl looked up at him, her eyes wide, her lips trembling.

“It’s okay,” he said to the woman who’d corrected the kid. “I’m guessing she’s just excited.”

The woman was lugging a toddler, her hair piled on top of her head. He saw a few stains on her shirt, and maybe a bit of ketchup on her neck. “Yes, she’s excited. They give her stickers and a lollypop if she sits still and behaves.”

He smiled and held the door for the mom and kids. The little girl waved, and he waved back. When he glanced up, Lorie’s gaze hit him and didn’t waver. Struck by her beauty, he stopped breathing. It took a few seconds for him to realize he was still holding the door open and the woman was long gone with her toddler and child.

He stepped into the bank as excitement buzzed through him. Just seeing her made him hot all over. Today, Lorie had dressed in a white top and peach-colored blazer along with pants that matched the blazer. He took her in, memorizing every inch. She looked like a breath of fresh air on a beautiful spring day.

Someone had approached Lorie and asked her a question. Her focus was drawn to a piece of paper and he wished she was still looking at him, but this gave him a chance to study her. With his attention half on her, he stopped at the tall table in the middle of the bank lobby and filled out his deposit slip. Someone moved closer on his right side and he glanced up, seeing Lorie heading his way.

“You have impeccable timing.” Her voice lilted a little at the last word, drawing him in. He imagined her voice wrapping around him, luring him closer to her. He caught a whiff of her perfume or soap, or maybe it was just her hair product and he grew even warmer.

“Really?” he asked, worried that maybe he’d missed something.

“I was just heading over to the coffee shop next door. Would you like to join me?”

He folded the deposit slip and shoved it into his pocket as he smiled at her. “Sure.” Liam’s hands were shaking, and he realized heading over to coffee with this woman made him more nervous than when he’d been heading into Nigeria to rescue those four Rangers.

He held the door for her, his gaze traveling over her shoulders to her neck then up to her hair. When he looked at her face, he saw she’d been staring at him. He swallowed as her lips stretched wide.

“So, Mr. Davidson, you don’t talk much, do you?”

No one called him Mr. Davidson and hearing her say his name was a shock to his system. Her gaze held his as they stood in the hot Texas sun. Her question had thrown him, and they hadn’t moved once they’d stepped outside.

“Um, no, ma’am. I guess I don’t.”

Her eyes narrowed as her lips curved up in a smile. “That’s okay.” She put her hand on his arm and he sucked in a breath at her touch. His head swam from the heat her touch caused. The warmth spread from his arm to his torso then all the way to his toes. She was stunning, her touch electrifying, short-circuiting every brain cell, cutting off rational thought.

He tried to breathe evenly as he walked beside her, but he was having trouble holding himself together. Facing the enemy was easy, taking down a hostile in hand-to-hand combat wasn't too hard, but being next to this amazing woman was almost too much for him.

He held the door open for her at the coffee shop and she smiled up at him, making him feel like he’d won a contest or something. Though she probably hadn’t even tried, she’d won him over. Her beauty was like none other.

She moved to the counter and he followed. Even the words she spoke to the man taking their order were beautiful. Then they both looked at him and he was taken by surprise. He ordered iced tea because he couldn’t really think in her presence and iced tea was his go-to drink. She was going to pay, but he slipped a ten to the man working the register, paying for both drinks.

“I’ll get the coffee next time,” Lorie said.

Liam drew in a sharp breath. She wanted a next time. He smiled and nodded like he agreed with her, but knew he’d never be able to let her pay.

The place smelled of cinnamon and baked goods, kind of like his momma’s house. She’d been an excellent cook. He missed her. Cancer had taken her way too early. He had an idea she’d be proud of him being in the military and all.

“So, Mr. Davidson, would you like to sit?”

He nodded as he warmed. Her smile stretched wide, making him want to lean in and taste her lips. The words he wanted to say seemed caught in his throat. She led him to a table at the front of the shop and he held her chair out before he lowered gently into the small seat.

Lorie’s eyes flicked to his lips before meeting his gaze again. She cleared her throat and leaned in just an inch, making it hard to breathe without thinking he would combust.

“You don’t look like you belong in a small coffee shop like this.”

He searched her face, studying her, trying to memorize every little thing. “You do. You look like you belong somewhere as perfect as this.”

Her breath hitched, and he almost squirmed. It had been ages since he’d squirmed. He’d said the wrong thing to her. He glanced away but was drawn back to her gaze when she put her hand on his forearm. They stared at each other for a long moment.

He knew people were uncomfortable with his silence. The Army was a good fit for him because he rarely talked, and he never talked back. All the other guys had gotten in trouble in basic, but he hadn’t. It was easy to keep his mouth shut when the drill sergeant had been yelling at him. But opening his mouth to talk to such a beautiful woman seemed impossible.

“Your name isn’t Lorie, is it?”

She shook her head. “No, why do you say that?”

He gulped in air, trying to force the words out that matched his thoughts. “You’re too unique for a Lorie.”

Her lips curved up a little, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. He placed his hand on hers and she looked down at the place where he touched her, then her gaze rose and met his. Her clear, brown eyes drew him in.

“My mom named me Lorelei Lang. I think it sounds silly.”

He blinked once and then it all made sense. “Lorelei like the siren who lured fishermen to the rocks?”

She smirked as she rolled her eyes. “Yes. I was teased so much in school I go by Lorie now.”

“Your name isn’t silly, it’s beautiful, well, actually you’re very beautiful.”

She laughed, the sound like silver bells washed over his senses. “I think I’m average.”

“You’re so not average.”

“So, can I call you Liam—I mean when I’m not at the bank.”

His throat dried out, and he had to take a drink of his tea before he spoke again. “Y-you mean you’d like to see me outside of the bank again?”

Her eyes crinkled in the corners as she smiled. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, reveling in how soft she felt.

“It would be nice to get to know you a little better.”

He wasn’t sure if he’d dreamed her saying those words. A feeling of euphoria washed over him. “You really mean it?”

Her lips were wide in a beautiful smile as she nodded. “Yes, I do.”

“You can call me Liam.”

“Liam, I like your name.”

“Can I—can I call you Lorelei?”

She hesitated then gave a quick nod. “Only you. Anyone else, I’ll punch them.”

He chuckled and took another sip of his tea. “I believe you would, too.”

Her phone squawked at her and she rolled her eyes. “Sorry, break time is over.”

He stood and held out his hand. At first, she just stared at his outstretched arm then she took his hand and slowly stood as her gaze traveled up his body. She was tall for a woman, but still not his height. He felt like they fit together, her being only a few inches shorter than he was. He wanted to lean in and sniff her hair to see what it smelled like, but he didn’t dare, not yet. They weren’t on that familiar of terms and he’d only said a few words to her. Maybe he could get closer after a few dates if it went well and see what her hair smelled like. Then he wanted to taste her lips and maybe lick over her collarbone, seeing how his tongue felt on her. She was tempting as ripe fruit.

They stepped out into the blinding sun and both of them groaned a little. “It’s going to be a hot summer,” Lorelei said.

He grunted before he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. She stepped closer, and they walked side by side to the bank. When they were at the door, she stiffened and though she still looked pleasant, she seemed more distant. He missed her closeness almost immediately.

“Um, I’m…um.” He met her gaze and calmness flowed over him. “I suck at this. I want to see you again.”

“How about you give me your phone number and I’ll send you a text. Then we can arrange something for this weekend.”

“That sounds great.” He rattled off the numbers to his personal cell and watched as she entered them. They stepped into the bank lobby and he stared after her as she walked away. She gave him a little wave before she entered the door to the left of the teller windows.

He sighed, thrilled that he’d actually asked out a woman who was sexy and smart. He bit his lower lip as he watched her disappear into the back.

It took him a few seconds to figure out what he was still doing at the bank. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the deposit slip and began writing the totals down from the checks he’d received for doing handy work. His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out, seeing a text from an unknown number. His head snapped up, and he saw Lorelei standing at the back of the teller area. She caught his gaze, her smile growing wider, her eyes warming. The little crinkle beside her eyes was endearing, and he wished he was closer to get the full effect. He wanted to kiss her. Maybe this weekend he’d work up the courage. Someone approached Lorelei and her focus shifted. He went back to filling out his deposit slip, happy he’d come here today.

Three men stepped in, then two women entered along with a rash of toddlers. It was close to noon and he guessed the half-day schools or camps were out and people were on break for an early lunch.

When he finished with the deposit slip, there were six people in line ahead of him with four teller stations open. He glanced around, taking in the location of every person. It was habit to check out his environment. The Army had helped him develop the skill, and once in Delta Force, he’d perfected it. Only another Delta team member would know he was counting people, assessing their skills, determining who he could count on and who would panic in a crisis.

He moved up two spots as the tellers finished their tasks. Another person finished at the teller window and he stepped forward again. The high from talking to Lorelei still held him and he almost ignored the tingle in his right arm. He stiffened and started to turn just as a guy burst in and fired one shot, taking down the security guard.

People screamed, a man ran for the door but was shot in the leg. Three more people came in, bandanas covering their faces. Whisper froze, his mind churning over the information hitting him at a mile a minute.

“Get down on the ground,” one of the robbers yelled. He was wearing a yellow bandana that covered his face.

Whisper dropped to the floor. He didn’t need to make himself known or stand out to these jerks. Without a weapon, there wasn’t much he could do since all four robbers were too far for him to reach in one step. An older man who had some muscles but didn’t carry himself like military, probably had some training, just not military training, held his hands out to the robbers.

“We don’t need no heroes, pops,” Yellow Robber said.

“I just don’t think you need to keep the women and children in here,” the old guy said.

Bang! A woman shrieked next to the older man, her screams filling the bank. The man who’d confronted the robber stared down at the woman, his mouth open in a wide O. The asshole had shot a woman.

So that’s what type of pricks I’m dealing with.

Whisper took in the robbers who had busted into the bank. They each wore a different color bandana. Black was their color of choice for clothes and shoes. All of them were dressed nearly identical. Red bandana man was larger, maybe a little older. Blue was the smallest. Yellow and Green looked to be about the same in height. All four of them were medium weight. None of the guys had huge muscles as far as he could tell.

The security guard was down, possibly dead. The woman who was still shrieking was injured. She wasn’t in danger of bleeding out yet, but if they didn’t allow her medical attention, she could easily die. There were three kids who were in the under school-age set, and he didn’t trust these jerks to not shoot them. There was a teenage girl who looked very pretty and a teen boy who looked more geek than anything else. There were also three other kids with their parents. Four women, other than the moms, and two men. Then there were the workers. He figured that the alarm had already been hit, alerting the cops there was a robbery in progress.

He didn’t hold out much hope for everyone surviving. If he had his gun, he would have already ended this. The four men were too far away for him to attack. If he rushed any of them, the others would shoot. He weighed his options and didn’t see any that didn’t involve casualties to some of these civilians.

Then there was Lorelei. She was behind the desk in the teller area. He couldn’t do anything to help her at the moment. Right now, he had to focus on what he could do, which was stay alive. He wouldn’t be like the idiot who’d gotten the woman shot. It was obvious these men weren’t going to listen to reason.

Breathe in and then blow it out slowly. Focus.

He heard a siren and so had the robbers. The one in yellow whipped his head up, his eyes going wide.

“Who the fuck called the cops?” Yellow yelled.

Someone behind the row of high-top desks that separated the lobby from the money had pressed the button. Everyone knew the first thing the tellers did in emergencies was call the cops. Plus, someone had been shot. For all these dickweasles knew, the cops could be watching the video feed. They can do that now, but perhaps these idiots didn’t understand the intricacies of bank safety.

“Who pressed the button?” Yellow screamed.

Heat raced over Whisper as he prayed it wasn’t Lorelei. Someone stood up. Whisper craned his neck, seeing a man dressed in a suit. He looked pale and had sweat dripping down his face. Yellow moved closer to the suit guy and let out a roar before he spoke.

“Did you do that?” Yellow had to be high or something. Though Whisper had seen guys in battle situations get all hyped up like this. It was ridiculous because you missed things when adrenaline was running that hot.

Whisper slowed his heart rate, forcing his brain to focus. He took the opportunity to check out the people around him. If he thought of his body as a clock, his head was noon, the teenage girl with black hair and red shirt was at five, a woman wearing a floral top was at eight, one man in a blue t-shirt was at three, and another woman in a green top with blond short hair was at eleven.

Yellow was still berating the man who’d pressed the panic button. The guy wasn’t visible, probably on his knees by now. Yellow was in full rage mode and wasn’t paying any attention to him. Red, Blue, and Green were focused on what Yellow was saying, but Blue was positioned so he would see if Liam jumped up. Blue was too far away to take down. All of them were. Even if he jumped up to grab one of their guns, he wouldn’t make it before someone shot him.

Whisper pulled out his phone and texted Lorelei. Don’t be obvious. Don’t call attention to yourself. I’m working on a plan.

He didn’t hear a chime, so at least he knew she didn’t have her ringer on. Yellow had ramped up his anger and Whisper worried the male bank worker would end up dead soon.

“Okay, mister smarty pants bank manager, why don’t you tell me how it feels to have a gun in your face?”

Whisper was about to jump up and rush Yellow when the man turned and spread his arms wide. His chance was lost as Blue turned his focus, zeroing in on him.

“Who wants this guy to die?” Yellow asked, his voice even like he was asking a normal question.

No one said anything. A few of the women sniveled and one let out a small shriek when the asshole pointed a gun at her toddler. Yellow paused and stared at the woman with the toddler.

Whisper tightened his muscles, about to jump up as Yellow lifted his gun, pointing it at the group of kids. He could take Yellow, get his gun, maybe get off a few shots and take down at least one of the other three robbers. He’d probably be shot, but he couldn’t allow this douche-cannon to hurt the kids. Maybe a few people would be able to get out alive. But not everyone would make it.

“Hey, King,” Green said. “It’s just a kid. Let’s put them all in a room and negotiate our way out.”

Whisper wondered if he could use Green against Yellow? He hadn’t figured out their dynamic yet, but he saw they weren’t just following Yellow blindly. Green liked kids. He could use that.

Yellow turned to Green and his eyes narrowed. “You think a kid matters in the grand scheme of things?”

Green looked frightened. There went using Green. He was terrified of Yellow. Whisper felt his phone buzz, and he glanced to the screen, seeing a text from Lorelei. Plan? What can you do?

In any other circumstance, he would have chuckled at her question. With the nearly-primary-color gang raging, he was thinking of plans. No attention to yourself. You got it! He sent the text, praying she understood. Green was still talking about putting everyone in a back room even though he’d looked terrified of Yellow. The leader was starting to buy into the plan, but Whisper didn’t like how he was laying out the rest of the plan.

“Good idea, we’ll get them out of our hair. If we tell the cops we’ll kill one each hour if they don’t meet our demands, that will make them work faster,” Yellow said.

Whisper deflated just a little. They didn’t need to kill one an hour. They didn’t need to kill anyone. The cops weren’t going to meet their demands, ever. He’d played hostage negotiator in Paris at one point, but even he hadn’t been serious about giving into the demands of the jerks. They asked, he answered, but those bastards weren’t going to get anything. All negotiations were stalling points the police used to allow snipers to get into place.

“All the women, stand up,” Yellow yelled.

Women started to stand. He glanced around, careful not to draw attention to himself. His phone buzzed but he couldn’t look at it.

“I didn’t say boys, just women,” Yellow said.

He needed to end this soon. Yellow was trying to separate mothers from their little boys. That wasn’t going to work. No matter the location, the race, or religion, mothers and children didn’t separate easily in situations like this.

A couple of kids started crying. One mother tried to explain to a small boy he’d have to stay behind and he began screeching as a man beside her held out his hands to take the boy. Yellow popped off a couple of rounds in the air, hitting the ceiling, making chunks fall to the ground. People yelled and screamed. He was about to rush Yellow when the man turned and aimed his gun right at the woman beside him.

The tensions were high. He swallowed over his fear and pushed it away. He couldn’t be afraid. Kids were crying and so were a few of the adults. No doubt, Yellow was totally unhinged now. The idiot had issues that much was obvious. Now he had to find a way to get people out without getting any more killed.

Green moved closer to Whisper and Yellow stepped over, pointing his gun at Green.

“Listen, King, just let the kids go with their moms.” Green glanced around, looking nervous. “We’ll get the moms and the kids in the back. You get the manager to start putting money in the bags. Bishop and Knight will lock the doors. I’ll talk to the cops when they call.”

Yellow glanced around, maybe trying to determine if Green had made him look less powerful. Whisper thought maybe the names they were calling themselves were indicative of rank. Knight, Bishop, King? Who was Green?

“Okay, new plan. Women and children, stand. You’re going back.” Yellow turned to the area where the tellers were located and motioned with his gun. “You there, the one in the white shirt and peach coat.”

Whisper froze. That’s what Lorelei had been wearing. He stiffened again, ready to jump up and take down the guy if he thought she was in trouble.

“You take the women to one of those rooms back there. Bishop will go with you.”

The guy with the blue bandana headed to the door that would lead him to the teller area. “Move, now,” Blue yelled.

Whisper shivered as the women and children headed toward the back of the bank. The female teenager was walking with her head down, her hair covering her face. She was trying to hide, but for all her effort, it didn’t work.

“Wait,” Yellow shouted. “You there, the one with the black hair and red shirt. The one in those itty-bitty shorts and long legs. Stop.”

Whisper knew it was the teenager. Guck, he couldn’t allow this girl to get raped. Again, another rundown of what to do, how to disarm then kill the other three came to mind. He raced through the possibilities before Green even had a chance to speak.

“Don’t, King.”

Yellow rounded on Green. “If I want to fuck some bitch, I’m gonna fuck her. Don’t tell me no.”

“Money first. That’s the rule. I’ll get you some little tramp once we leave. Hell, we’ll be rich enough to get whatever girl you want.”

Yellow’s shoulders rose as he huffed out breaths that were harsh and full of anger. Whisper knew they were operating on a thin thread, barely able to hold it together. King or Yellow, was on something and that made him very, very dangerous.

“Fine,” Yellow bellowed. “But if we’re stuck here until dark, she’s mine.”

Revulsion rolled through Whisper. He had to get them out of this before it grew dark.

The woman who’d been shot wasn’t moving and Yellow moved to her, toeing her with his boot. She didn’t stir.

“Fucking bitch, move!” Yellow screamed.

“She’s in shock,” a man in a faded yellow shirt said.

“Carry her back to the back,” Yellow barked at him.

“I can’t. Bad back.” The guy’s voice shook. He sounded scared.

Whisper lifted his head, knowing he had to step up and take charge of this terrible situation. “I’ll do it.”

Yellow looked at him, assessing his body, maybe thinking he was too in control. But the idiot didn’t see how lethal he really was and nodded his okay.

“Fine, you carry her back there and put her with the rest of those women.”

Whisper stood slowly instead of hopping up like he knew he could. Burpees were his go-to exercise. He could spring from the ground to standing tall in about half a second, maybe less. Showing off would only get him killed, so he used his hands and knees to push himself up. He grunted when he picked the woman up, trying to make like he couldn’t handle carrying her. She wasn’t tiny, but she weighed less than men he’d carried out of danger when they’d been injured.

Yellow didn’t give him any other directions, and Liam decided he wasn’t going to head back into the main room if he was allowed to stay with the women and children. He pretended to struggle as he carried the package, trying to make himself seem less strong. As he passed by Blue, he thought about dropping the woman and grabbing the gun from the asshole and taking out the other three. The women were already in the back, and maybe he could get the jerk’s gun.

“Castle, go with them. If that dude tries anything funky, kill him. I’m taking this guy hostage until you get back here. And if he does do something, bring back that teen. I want some tight pussy.”

“Sure,” Green said.

Whisper cringed. He wanted to rip that guy apart and shove his fist in the dude’s face. But he couldn’t put civilians at risk without a solid plan. Grabbing guns and trying to shoot wasn’t going to work. He needed to pick them off one at a time. Nothing about this operation was good or smooth.

Lorelei had put the women and children in the copy room. It wasn’t too huge, but there was enough space for everyone. He set the woman down on the floor next to another lady who’d waved him over.

The door shut behind him, and he glanced around, seeing they’d been left alone without a guard. He immediately assessed the situation. The woman who’d waved him over had started work on the injured lady. He let her do her thing. The teenager looked like she was trying to put up a brave front, but she looked shell-shocked. Lorelei’s cheeks were pink, and she glanced around quickly like fear was riding her hard. The toddlers were all at the far end but in the open.

Whisper pointed at the three moms. “You three, get your kids behind the copy machine. Give them paper and something to draw with. Keep them entertained but quiet.”

The women moved with their kids and others made room for them. He turned to Lorelei and met her gaze, his anger settling. The teen girl was shaking, and he had to get her busy doing something before she broke down.

“Teen girl, what’s your name?” Whisper asked softly, trying to be a calming force instead of barking commands.

“Megan.”

He gave her a warm smile, trying to calm her. “Okay, Megan, you ever babysit?”

She chewed on her thumbnail, her eyes a little red, like she might cry.

“Good. Go help those moms.” He turned to the lady working on the injured woman. “What is your name?”

The lady looked up and gave him a grimace. “Janice.”

“Are you a nurse?”

“I was a medic in the Army, but that was a long time ago.”

He gave her a quick nod and then said, “You’re doing great, Janice. Okay, everyone, listen up. Janice is our medical person. If she needs anything, hand it over. She’s going to keep us from dying if we get injured.”

Everyone nodded their understanding. Lorelei stepped close. He noticed her hands were shaking. He pulled her into a hug and tilted her chin up where he could see her eyes. Fright filled her gaze and something dark twisted through him. He would fight heaven and earth to save this woman.

“I’ll keep you safe. But you have to listen to me.”

Her brows bunched and her lips thinned. After a few seconds she gave him a short nod. He rubbed his thumb over her lips, wishing he’d had a chance to kiss her, but now wasn’t the time. They had to focus and get these people out of here to safety.

“I need to know if there are any other exits back here.”

She shook her head and started to say no then her eyes grew bright. “Yes, but I-I don’t—” Her voice cracked and her eyes narrowed. Fear masked her face. “I’m so scared. I don’t want to die.”

He wished this wasn’t happening. They didn’t know each other well, but already his heart was involved where she was concerned and that was dangerous in a battle situation. Forcing his heart to calm, he spoke in hushed tones so his emotions didn’t show. “I know. Now, how about those exits?”

“Okay…okay. There’s the back door, but an alarm will sound. If anyone opens it, they will know. No way we could all get out.”

“Anything else?”

She shook her head as her brows bunched. Something clicked. He saw the thought pass over her face as her eyes grew bright and the corners of her lips twitched up. “The stairwell. It goes up, not out, so we’ll be stuck on a higher floor, but we can hide in an office up there. I need the key though.”

“Where is the key?”

“In my desk—well, my back desk. I have a front desk and a back one,” a woman said behind him. He turned and saw her eyes were red, her makeup ruined so she looked like a raccoon with the dark circles.

“And you are?” Whisper asked.

“Brenda, I’m the bank manager.” Her voice cracked as she talked. She shook like she was on a rumbling truck. He thought she was probably going to go into shock if she had to do anything.

“So the guy who stood?” he asked.

Lorelei spoke up. “He’s the assistant manager. She’s his boss. He’s a good man and was probably trying to protect her.”

Whisper glanced around, thinking that a third of the women were employees, the rest customers. These women were terrified, even the medic’s hands were shaking. Megan leaned out from behind the huge copy machine.

“I can run to the desk and get the key.” The girl looked earnest, but no way could he take advantage of her inexperience and lack of fear.

He shook his head. “I know you mean well, but I can’t allow you to put yourself in harm’s way. Those men will do unspeakable things to you.”

Her nose wrinkled as her lips pinched tight. “I’m tough, I can take it.”

“I’m sure you are.” He resisted the urge to call her sweetie. “I need you here helping with the kids. If we do retrieve that key, I’ll need you to make sure they get out. They need to trust you. That means you need to bond with them.”

Megan’s eyes narrowed then she nodded. “Okay, but I’m willing to help.”

“I can go,” Lorelei said. “I know where the key is.”

He gave his head a quick shake. “If one of those men sees you, you’re screwed.”

“It’s not far from this room, but the desk is a mess. The key is at the back of the second drawer from the top. I can do this. There are other keys in there and you’ll never be able to figure out which one it is.”

“Is it marked?” he asked.

“No, it’s not,” Brenda said.

He blew out a breath. Brenda was shaking and there was no way she’d be able to keep it together. Also, the woman was older, maybe in her fifties. She looked moderately fit, but he knew joints and muscles grew tight the older a person got. He couldn’t trust that Brenda could make it to the desk without problems. Also, Brenda looked too frightened.

Lorelei knew where the key was located, and that was one point for her going. She was young, probably in her mid-twenties if he had to guess. She looked healthy. He’d felt her muscles when he’d hugged her earlier. He didn’t want her in danger, but those men out there were unhinged and who knew what they would do if they decided to react before he could get these women out. Megan was at risk. If the assholes figured out Brenda was the manager, they’d probably kill her. Yellow didn’t care for kids. He would kill a toddler if he had the chance.

There were risks to staying here in this room, and there were risks to leaving. Right now, those men were too volatile to just sit and stay. He didn’t want to put Lorelei in any more danger, but he didn’t have a choice.

“Okay, Lorelei, let’s go, but you do everything I tell you. If they see us, you drop low and I’ll take them out. Ladies, do not leave this room until we come back. Even if those guys fire their guns, don’t leave. And stay quiet. If you’re quiet, they may forget about you.”

The women nodded. A few of them still cried, but they seemed to have calmed a little since he’d taken charge.