Two hours later—after stopping to pick up new clothes—Caid walked into his office. It somehow felt so strange to be back in a place that had once felt more like home than his own apartment.

He made the familiar journey to Pax’s office, and when she stood, he could see exhaustion on her face. Apparently, all the action lately was taking its toll on her.

“King. Nice to see you.”

“You too. Where’s Brittany?”

“Interrogation one. She won’t say anything else until you go talk to her.”

Caid turned and headed back down the hall to the interrogation rooms. As he approached the first door, he took a deep breath before walking into the room.

The scent of her familiar vanilla body spray filled his lungs as he stepped inside. She looked absolutely worn down. Her mascara was rubbed under her eyes, which were swollen from crying. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, and when she saw him, she stood and tried to rush to hug him.

He put his hands up to stop her.

“I can’t blame you,” she said with a sniffle and took her seat.

“I need to know what you do about Jameson’s connections with Liam Charmont.”

“Can we talk for a moment?” She gestured to the seat, and Caid had to force himself to not roll his eyes as he sat in the chair across from her.

“Sure, Brittany, what do you want to talk about? The fact that you slept with my best friend, or the fact that he has been working with one of the most dangerous men in the country?”

She reached across the table and tried to touch his hand, but he moved it back. “Cheating on you was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. Well—the second biggest.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

“What do you know about Jameson and The Runner?” he asked, using Charmont’s nickname.

“Not much. Henry didn’t fill me in on everything. I knew that he was taking money from someone, but since that person paid well, he promised me it was worth it.”

“And you just bought that, huh?”

She shrugged, but her eyes filled. “I didn’t think anything of it until--”

“Until what, Brittany?”

“Did you eat any of those cookies I brought to you?”

He felt a chill at the tone in her words. “No, why?”

“That’s a good thing,” she said, and her lip quivered.

“Brittany, what is going on?”

“He made me poison them,” she said, and her voice broke.

Caid immediately got to his feet. “You tried to kill me?”

“I didn’t want to.” She stood and tried to walk around the table. “He made me do it. He told me that if I didn’t, then he would kill me and Henry.”

“You had contact with The Runner?”

She nodded. “Not directly. His second, Eric.” The tone was one he knew all too well.

“You were sleeping with him? Are you fucking kidding me, Brittany?”

“Henry wasn’t attentive; he was so wrapped up in trying to prove himself better than you. Once we were married, he completely forgot about me. Eric took care of me.”

“You are really something, Brittany.” Caid headed for the door. “Unfortunately, that won’t help you much when you’re in fucking prison.”

Her face paled. “What? Why would I go to jail? I didn’t want to do it!”

“Your excuses don’t mean anything to me. You tried to kill a federal agent.”

“No! Caid, please don’t!”

He shut the door on her pleading and headed for the gym. He needed to fucking hit something before he went to see Jameson, and the heavy bag downstairs would do nicely.

Pax stepped out of the viewing room and directly in his path. “You don’t want to be the one to arrest her?”

“Absolutely not. I want nothing to do with her. You handle it.”

“Gladly,” she growled and stepped into the interrogation room.

Caid hoped Brittany resisted so Pax would be able to knock her ass around a bit. He fucking wanted to ring her neck. He wouldn’t, of course, but dammit if the urge wasn’t there.

After ramming his good fist repeatedly into the heavy bag without gloves, Caid went to see Jameson in holding. The smug bastard stayed sitting when he saw Caid approaching.

“Nice to see you finally on the right side of those bars.” Caid smirked and crossed his arms across his chest.

“Yeah, well, you’ll get yours. How’s that arm?”

“Better actually.” Caid flexed it and ignored the sharp pain when he moved it just right.

“You know I had a nice talk with Brittany earlier.”

Jameson sat up straighter. “Is she okay?”

“Until she goes to prison.”

“She didn’t do anything!” Jameson stood and ran to the bars. “She didn’t know anything.”

Caid laughed. “Wow, you two really had a stellar relationship, didn’t you? She was in direct contact with The Runner. Well, through his second anyway. Probably when she was on her back for him.”

‘You’re fucking lying!”

Caid probably shouldn’t have taken such satisfaction in Jameson’s pain, but he couldn’t help but rub it in his old partner’s face.

“She told me herself. Once a cheater, always a cheater,” he said with a smirk and then turned to leave. He stopped for a moment and looked back. “Dirty cops don’t do well in prison, Jameson. I suggest you cut a deal.”

“You’re gonna get yours, King. And I fucking hope I get to see it.”

Caid shut the door behind him and headed back to Pax’s office.

“Here.” He handed her the camera.

“What’s this?”

“Images from Charmont’s shipping containers.”

“Since there was no warrant issued, I’m guessing these are useless.”

“They were open.”

“Just sitting open?”

He nodded, and Pax continued to eye him.

“Whatever you say.”

“Just see what you can do.”

“You know I will.” She set the camera off to the side, and Caid headed for the door. “Stay safe, King.”

“You know I will,” he repeated her words back and headed back outside.

* * *

“Thank God!” Mikel exclaimed when Caid walked in. “I haven’t seen or heard from you in days. Have you heard anything about Jemma?”

“She’s fine.”

“You found her!”

He nodded. “Caught her sneaking back into her own apartment two days ago.”

“Where is she now?”

“She’s hiding.”

“From what?”

“Listen.” He lowered his voice in case anyone walked past Mikel’s small office. “There are some very dangerous people after her. It’s who she’s been hiding from.”

“Who?”

“I can’t tell you that. But I can suggest you and your family get out of town for a while. Take a vacation.”

“You think someone’s going to come after us?”

“I’m not sure. What I do know is that she was spotted leaving this gym, and if they think you may know something, they won’t hesitate to come for you and yours.”

Mikel pursed her lips. “We have been wanting to get away for a while.”

“You deserve a vacation,” he said with a smile.

“Please tell her I’m thinking of her.”

“I will.”

“Thanks, Caid. What happened to your knuckles?”

“I beat the shit out of a hundred-pound bag earlier today.”

“Without wrapping your knuckles? Those are going to ache tomorrow.”

“They already do.” He smiled.

“She’s really okay?”

“I wouldn’t say ‘okay’, but she’s alive, and I’m going to make sure she stays that way.”

Mikel crossed her arms and grinned at Caid. “You like her.”

“What? She’s a witness in a case, Mikel.”

“Oh, don’t pull that shit with me, Agent King. I see that smug smile on my husband’s face every day. You like her.”

Caid couldn’t hide said smug smile. “Maybe.”

“Well good. You will absolutely keep her safe then. We’re heading out on vacation, who knows where we’ll be. But I have your cell number, and I’ll give you a call when we get back.”

“Good. Thanks, Mikel.”

“Take care of my friend.”

“Will do.”

Caid stepped back out onto the street and hailed a cab. Once inside, and after letting the driver know where he wanted to be dropped off, Caid closed his eyes.

Brittany had tried to kill him.

She had tried to fucking poison him.

He had despised her after she cheated on him, had wished he never had to see her again. But he would have never thought she was capable of murder, least of all murdering him.

Caid hadn’t believed she could have hurt him any worse than she did when he’d found her in bed with Jameson that day, but damn, she definitely had.

“Here.”

Caid opened his eyes at the sound of the driver’s voice, and reached forward to pay the man. “Keep the change.”

* * *

Jemma opened the book she had picked up at the small used bookstore a couple blocks away and willed her body to relax. It was as if the second Caid was out of sight, she went back to the neurotic, paranoid, anxious Jemma she had been for the last few years. His presence calmed her, and she couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing.

“Ugh!” She tossed the book gently aside and dropped to the floor to do some pushups. She didn’t have a heavy bag here, and she couldn’t risk going to the gym. Once her muscles began to quiver slightly, she rolled onto her back to do some sit-ups.

Her anxiety level lowered slightly, so she walked to the kitchen to grab some water.

A knock at the door had her relaxing. “Coming!” She was ready to talk about that amazing, mind-blowing kiss with Caid. What would that mean for them?

She pulled the door open, and it took her a millisecond too long to realize it wasn’t Caid waiting on the other side.

“Hey, Willow, nice to see you again,” Eric said and shoved inside with two of Liam’s muscle.

She stumbled backwards and tried to pull the gun out of her shoulder holster, but the two men reached her first. One gripped her by the throat and slammed her back onto the floor while the other disarmed her.

“It’s been a while, yeah?” Eric crouched next to her. “Boy, do we have some catching up to do. That, and you owe me for putting a fucking bullet in my arm.”

She thrashed, trying desperately to get away, but the men were much stronger and held her firmly to the ground.

“Shall we?” Eric asked, and then men lifted Jemma. “We don’t want to keep your father waiting.”

* * *

Caid was approaching the building just as a dark SUV was pulling away. “Fuck!” he yelled and ran after, but the vehicle was already gone. He bolted up the stairs, and the empty apartment confirmed his fears that Jemma had been taken. There was at least no blood on the floor, which meant she had left unharmed, for now anyway. There was no telling what would happen to her once her father got his hands on her.

He opened the safe and filled the large duffle folded in the bottom with two rifles and some ammunition and then headed back onto the street.

He headed for the nearest parked car, and after mentally apologizing to the owner, broke the side window and climbed in. He had learned how to hot wire a vehicle, but this would be the first time he’d actually stolen one. It wasn’t sitting well with his conscience, but with Jemma’s life on the line, he couldn’t have cared less.

Jemma had given him the address to Charmont’s estate, but he had left it sitting on his fucking desk. With no other option, he took a chance and headed for the only place he could think of where they might take Jemma.

He didn’t let himself think of failing. He was going to reach her, and he would kill anyone who got in his way. Justice system be damned. He wouldn’t hesitate to be the judge, jury, and executioner for anyone who hurt her.