Chapter 19
“Officially moved to the safe room with Nick and Maggie, and I’m back online.” Molly’s voice filtered through the wireless com link Tanner had plugged into her ear, and she nodded toward the security camera above the side entrance as she hit the garage. “Giving them access past the main gate now.”
The door slammed with a hollow boom and the pneumatic bolts thunked from the wall. Her boots clomped against the glossy concrete floor, the steady scuff echoing off the ceiling and bulletproof partitions Xander and Ben had stationed at various intervals after they’d relocated Malcolm’s car collection.
“They’re pulling up. Looks like we got four men.” The rapid click of Molly’s keyboard came through the mic. “Casper just exited the vehicle along with two others and the driver is waiting behind the wheel. And shit, you guys. He’s either completely paranoid or we got a worst case scenario on our hands. They’re armed. Everybody, stay on your toes.”
Dammit. The tiny flicker of hope Tanner had been nursing puffed into nonexistence at the same time Ben cursed in her ear. A wince fluttered her eyelashes, and she canted her head as his f-bomb followed by the words me and sideways ricocheted against the opposite side of her skull.
“On behalf of hearing aids everywhere, thanks for that.” She took her position beside the video equipment Xander had set up near the back wall, legs braced and forearms folded along the small of her back. “I think about a billion of my brain cells just died.”
“Not to cast aspirations or anything, but I’ve actually had the pleasure of doing it sideways.” Mocha’s sigh was wistful. “You’ll need ropes and a few pulleys. Vaseline to protect against chafing.”
Tanner sputtered and Molly laughed at the same time Ben exhaled what sounded like every ounce of air in his lungs.
“Can the chatter.” Xander broke through the noise. “We guessed Adder wouldn’t come alone and planned for this. Ben, we’re approaching the rendezvous point. In bound in T-minus two minutes, but we’ve already picked up a tail. White service van on our eight o’clock.”
“Copy, that. GPS shows the gas station five miles ahead on my left. Undercovers on scene have been advised how to proceed…and sorry, everyone.”
“No, don’t apologize.” If anything, Tanner was the one who should be sorry. Naïve as it had been, she’d been holding onto the weak possibility they’d somehow gotten it all wrong.
Settling her shoulders, she attempted to relax in a way she was seriously not feeling. There’d once been a time Casper was one of their own. Dumb or not, a small part of her had clung to the belief that being chosen as one of the original hallowed three had earned him the benefit of the doubt. “We’re all on edge. Just keep me updated on the status. And if they sever the connection, remember to stay on point. I’ll give you as long as I can.”
Xander grunted. “I’m taking that as a personal insult. They’re not getting through my firewall, no way, no how.”
“Oh, good God.” Tanner rolled her eyes. “Are we done? I’d like to land this 747 at some point before the second coming.”
A weighted pause, and then the mingled octaves of several different voices came at her at once. “Yes.”
“Thank you.” She dipped her chin toward the camera a second time. “I’m ready whenever you are, Molls.”
“Activating the controls. Good luck, sweetie.”
The garage door jerked into motion and a frigid gust of air fluttered Tanner’s hair against her cheeks. Three sets of legs came into view, black cargo pants tucked inside ankle-laced boots, side arms holstered against their outer thighs below the fitted width of three Kevlar vests.
A supercharged motor revved a few feet down the drive and the headlights winked out.
Casper stood in the center, two thick-necked men a step or two behind him. And while neither of them seemed familiar, with those dark glasses and billed caps shadowing their faces, it was difficult for Tanner to tell whether or not she’d sparred with them before.
“Casper.” Meeting the incisive glint in Adder’s green gaze, she lifted a brow. “I see you brought some friends along. I don’t remember that being part of our agreement.”
He smiled, the flash of his white teeth winking off the fluorescents, and a beat passed before his shoulders bounced with his husky laugh. “Come on, Tanner. We both know how this works. Nothing is ever what it seems and the only winner is the one who can run the con better than anyone else. Let’s not insult each other by pretending I’d waltz in here without back-up.”
So…what? He was pitting himself against her with the clang of the starting bell?
She searched his gaze, looking for the smallest glimmer of the Casper she’d talked to not three short days ago.
But he wasn’t there, and the blinding realization of the sadistic man she might be facing slammed into her so hard, her knees nearly buckled from the force.
How depressing. And while she was at it, what a horrible waste.
She’d always believed Ben. Had trusted he’d told her the truth to the best of his ability in order to keep her safe. But witnessing the proof right before her eyes, stripped the last of her doubt and replaced it with a toxic combination of sadness and strife.
Casper had already lost. In so many ways, if she stood in this cold garage with him for the next twenty years, she wouldn’t be able to list the collateral damage he’d invited into his life. “If you thought this was a set-up, then why did you come?”
“Curiosity, for the most part.” He shrugged, strolling a few feet to the side. “I knew you guys had gone to a lot of trouble to get me here and didn’t want to disappoint.”
Yep, there was the ego Ben had said would make an appearance, and hard as that was to swallow, in the long run, maybe Casper dispensing with the fakery was best.
They’d known all along someone was watching the manor. In fact, since the moment of Ben’s abduction, they’d been counting on that very thing. With Casper freely admitting that someone was him, at least her rehearsing the part of the inexperienced newcomer would pay off, and the two of them could easily move on to the rest.
Getting him to believe he had the upper hand was a critical element to the first phase in her plan. Every bit as much as keeping him distracted so his attention would stay split between her and Trey.
The more she could accomplish those two things, the more everyone else running the real scheme in the background would have at success.
“I figured it out, you know.” Releasing her arms, she lifted her hands in a show of surrender, indicating the video equipment on her left with a tip of her head.
There was every chance he wouldn’t buy the scam, and if he did, then so much the better.
If she was sure of anything, it was that Casper had made sure to stick a few aces up sleeve the same as her. She couldn’t take anything for granted, no matter how much he tried to convince her the end game was here.
That being the case, she’d needed a flub of sorts. A way to show him she was trying—and falling pretty darn short—of his knowledgeable expertise. The best way to achieve that goal was for her to act exactly as he expected. To push back a little in typical Tanner style, while capitalizing on her weaknesses in an effort to set him at ease.
“Charlie and Trey just entered the gas station.” Xander spoke quietly through the com link, but Tanner kept her focus on Casper and did not move. “Mocha, Trey should be inside the bathroom any second. Standby to receive. White van’s behind me topping off their tank and I got an unmarked squad with two uniforms parked on the north side of the building.”
“Ten-four, standing by.”
Casper’s eyes flicked to the screen and back, and Tanner gave an internal fist pump as his full lips curved in an indulgent smile. “Sure, go ahead.”
Reaching over, she tapped the feed and hit the mute button as the pre-recorded video of Trey popped up on the monitor, sitting on the couch in the manor’s living room as if he were right above their heads.
Casper huffed, exchanging a glance with his goons as they shared a laugh at her expense. “I know he’s not here, Tanner. I saw Trey leave with Xander and Charlie ten minutes ago.”
Perfect.
“You sure about that?” She slid a side-long glance at the two men standing on Casper’s left and right. “Or is that only what you think you saw?”
Counting the seconds to pinpoint the timing, she unmuted the sound and waited for Trey to sit forward, his thumbs working the remote in a tire-shredding round of GTA. “Trey, are you there?”
“Yeah.” He gritted his teeth as the telltale crash of the car wreck his character was just in shattered through the speakers. “Aw, man.”
One…two…three… An icy gust of wind sent a few strands tickling across her lips, and Tanner hooked them on her finger to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Doesn’t sound like it’s going very well.”
“I got five stars and zero cars.” A frustrated breath blurted past his lips, and he twisted the remote to the side. “Can’t talk now.”
“Okay. Hold tight and I should be up in just a bit.” She tapped again and the green mute display reappeared as the video continued to play. “He’s your son.”
She faced forward and satisfaction settled like a warm blanket on her shoulders as Casper’s brow twitched in surprise.
Yes. Her shot in the dark had paid off. Hopefully, in more ways than one.
Casper jerked his chin at one of his attack dogs, and the guy lifted his hand to his ear and muttered something she couldn’t quite catch.
But if she had to guess, several of Casper’s men were heading for the manor to confirm whether or not Trey was still here. With Molly and the DeFrancos hidden inside the safe room, they wouldn’t find anything. But they’d sure have a mess on their hands once they pulled back and ran smack-dab into Byrne’s federal agents. Especially when it came to floundering around for an excuse about what they were doing breaking into a Chicago residence armed for war.
Boosting her chin, Tanner met Casper’s hard stare with one of her own. Bile crawled up the back of her throat, and she internally sneered at the man before her in comparison to Ben.
It was completely unreal. Based on the way Casper was acting, suggesting something crazy like…oh, she didn’t know…go check on your son, ya dumbass! would be a waste of air. Apparently, he was more than happy to sacrifice a few men to complete his mission.
Not that it mattered. The more important question was… “How long have you known?”
She’d made a huge mistake that day in Xander’s office, dismissing the aggravation written all over Casper’s face as anything other than recognition. The second he’d scrolled through the police report to find a picture of Trey standing in front of his mom and dad, she should’ve known he had ulterior motives for agreeing to help her with Trey’s case.
Casper huffed, though whether not he understood just how much her next move hinged on his response, she couldn’t tell. “Long enough.”
Bingo. Anger fizzed and popped along her nerve endings. Jaw cranked tight, she fisted her hands at her sides. God, he really was a slimy son of a bitch.
There was no rule that said the morning he’d shown up at the manor was his first visit to Chicago. For all she knew, he’d been watching Trey for months prior to his parents’ murder, and who better to take them out than the one guy who stood to benefit from their deaths?
But it hadn’t been that easy, had it? And as for the reason Casper hadn’t immediately brought Trey into the fold?
Well. There was really only one explanation fit.
And she was sick with it. The idea Casper would’ve gone to such lengths to protect his identity clung to her skin like a clammy flu she couldn’t shake.
“Switch completed.” The relief in Xander’s voice hit her bloodstream like much-needed dose of courage, and Tanner glanced toward the guy on Casper’s right as, yet again, he brought his hand to his ear. “Mocha, hold your position until we’re clear. Ben, give the unit some breathing room. I have a feeling this won’t take long.”
“Roger, that. The SWAT team’s tracking your position and is ready to close in on my mark.”
If everything went according to plan, within the next few minutes, any recruits Casper had converted to the dark side were about to find themselves in a world of hurt.
Casper’s underling leaned in, and he turned, the two of them conversing low enough their words stayed muffled by the wind. A sly smile curved the corner of his lips, and Tanner’s heart rate spiked at the thought the jig was up and everything they’d been working for had just piled straight into a brick wall.
Take the bait… Come on, come on, take the bait.
Nodding toward his crony, he returned to his original spot. “I don’t need to justify my actions to you, Tanner. Or to anyone at Dirty Deeds, for that matter.”
Oh-h-h, no. The anger morphed, a scaly hand that scrabbled for a hold around her throat.
Now that’s where he was wrong. Dead wrong.
“Really? That’s all ya got, huh?” Crossing her arms, she camped her weight on one hip. “I hate to break it to ya but, actually, you do, Casper. You need to justify a lot.”
Twisted as it seemed, he could’ve easily gotten away with murdering Trey’s mom and the man he’d come to love as a father. Casper could’ve given the order or even pulled the trigger himself and no one would’ve been the wiser about what he’d done.
Except for one minor problem, of course.
“Never go in without finding out everything you can, right?” Dropping her arms, she paused the video of Trey and pulled out the keyboard Xander had networked to the mainframe and placed on a retractable shelf. “Never set up a scheme unless you’re sure you can disappear without leaving a trace?”
Fingers flying over the keys, she logged onto the hard drive and pulled up the split image Molly had created of an aged Casper Addison beside a fourteen-year-old Trey.
In any respectable investigation, the similarities alone wouldn’t be enough to convict him. But Casper didn’t know how much evidence they’d collected while he’d been yukking it up with his pals. And, even better, it was a picture. Something Ben had told her Vaheed Shahzar had worked long and hard to ensure no one would ever be able to produce.
She turned and her stomach flipped a triple axle at the brutal rage stamped on Casper’s face. A muscle spasmed in his jaw, his shoulders so tight they hovered near his ears.
“Sucks, doesn’t it?” She pointed at the monitor. “You left a loose thread, Casper. And unfortunately, for you, we found it.” Narrowing her gaze, she chewed the inside of her cheek as if mulling over the past couple weeks. “Hmmm… I wonder if there’s anything else you may have missed.”
“You think you’re so goddamn smart.” The hostility in his voice lifted the hair on her arms and, at the same time, it took everything in her not to toss her head back with a laugh.
She’d picked at his worst scab, all right. But he could kiss her ass before she gave in.
Let him stand there and sweat. None of this needed to happen, and yet he’d come here and put everyone on the defense. If she was wrong then, for God’s sake, say something. At the very least, cough up a weak rationalization to defend what he’d done.
“We got movement at the back door.” Molly’s whisper brushed Tanner’s ear, and she resisted the urge to glance toward the ceiling. “Five men just entered the kitchen. I’m alerting the Feds now.”
Five less guns pointed in her direction. Five less chances everyone she cared about would be at risk…if she could keep Casper preoccupied until Ben got back.
“Yes, I do. In fact, I think I’m very smart.” Staring at the resentment swirling in Casper’s green gaze, Tanner ticked off each point on her fingers as if any idiot could’ve figured out how the pieces fit. “Several months ago, you received word a woman you’d once spent time with was walking around the old neighborhood with a kid who bore a striking resemblance to you, and the thought you might have an illegitimate son sent you into a panic. After all, you couldn’t have that, could you, Casper? Not with your face being such a hot commodity, and not with the government threatening to topple an empire you’d spent the past decade building. So you returned to Chicago, decided to see this lookalike for yourself. And when you found out Valentina Fernández never told you she was pregnant and then married someone else, you got pissed. Not only had she left an opening that could lead straight back to you, she suspected exactly who you are, and my guess is, once you confronted her, she told you she didn’t want you having anything to do with Trey.”
“That bitch had no right to order me around.” Casper stomped forward and the two guards behind him shifted in their boots. “Trey is mine. He belongs to me, not her.”
“So you had them erased. Both her and that worthless asshole pretending to be Trey’s dad.” Matching Casper’s stride, Tanner closed the distance. “But you didn’t think about the problems that might cause, did you? What you were supposed to do with Trey once you had him. Whether carting him around was worth the gamble if he ever got it in his head to talk to the wrong person or run away.”
“She’d ruined him. Made him weak.” Lowering his chin, Casper aimed a hard finger at the ground. “If I wanted Trey to take over for me, he needed to know just how hard life could be.”
“And the quickest way to do that was to give him to one of your lapdogs. Let them toughen Trey up and see if he was even worthy of your consideration.” Goddamn it, the idea anyone could’ve done that to an innocent kid was enough to level her to the ground.
Tears born of rage and frustration rushed her eyes, and Tanner eased forward another slow step. Jesus, what she wouldn’t have given to know where her brother and sisters were so she could make that same choice.
“You left him in the most horrid conditions imaginable and never once thought about what you’d done.” Arms shaking, she pointed a trembling finger at his face. “But you got cocky, didn’t you? Thinking you could just go about your business. And when Ben busted up that drug ring and brought Trey into the precinct, you realized how bad you were screwed.”
There was no way Casper could claim Trey was his once that happened. Not with the same face that belonged to Vaheed Shahzar.
“We got flashers in our back window.” Xander brought her back to the present, and Tanner blinked the moisture from her eyes. “The squad from the convenience store is pulling us over, white van hot on their tail. Look alive, Ben. You’re up.”
“About time. SWAT team moving in.”
“There was only one option.” Tanner lowered her hand to her side. “And when Eden contacted you about Malcolm’s funeral, you knew she’d provided the perfect opportunity for you to strike. After all, it had been over ten years since any of the old gang had seen you, and what’s a little facial reconstruction surgery among friends?”
Casper hadn’t spent time in a Syrian refugee camp, and the bullshit he’d fed them about being rescued from that pit was nothing but a bunch of lies piled on top of all the never-ending lies he’d told since the moment he’d shown up at the front door.
“Phase one completed. We got ʼem locked down tight.”
Thank God. Hearing those words from Ben, the only thing Tanner could think of was jumping into his arms so she could smother him with kisses.
Trey was safe. For now, he was safe and hidden at a secure location with Mocha.
“Second package received and we’re heading back to the manor.” Ben paused, his voice low. “Hang on, baby. I’m coming as fast as I can.”
She knew he was. But more than that, she knew the rest of the team would be behind him as soon as the arrests had been made.
The moment Xander and Charlie had left the manor with Trey, they’d known Casper would send in whatever recruits he’d strong-armed into joining him from the Chicago PD. If a squad rolled up behind Xander and hit the lights, he’d have no choice but to pull over or become a fugitive from the law.
But Tanner would’ve given anything to see the shock on their faces once Ben arrived on the scene with that SWAT team at his back. A complete bummer for whatever dirty cops had been trying to smuggle Trey into that white van. She couldn’t think of anything that would cramp their style like being caught in the midst of kidnapping red-handed.
The dude on Casper’s right stepped forward and tapped his shoulder to deliver whatever message he’d received. Tipping her head, Tanner studied Casper’s motions, his smile and nod as if he’d just gotten a wonderful piece of news.
Then again, he sure had. From Ben. Masquerading as one of Casper’s men through the com link he’d commandeered, reporting their mission had been successful and he was bringing Trey in.
“Well, Tanner, this has been fun.” Adrenaline jabbed her stomach as Casper withdrew his sidearm and seated a bullet in the chamber with a chest-hollowing click of the slide. “Sadly, though, our time here is done.”
She quickly lifted her hands, holding them near her shoulders despite how doing so wasn’t gonna stop him from killing her on the spot. She knew too much. Had laid out Casper’s activities the past few months in a way that hit too close to home.
Leaving her alive would not be in his best interest by a long shot. Hell, she’d known there was every chance her life would be forfeit going in. “Tell me one thing first.”
He hesitated, cocking a brow.
She took a breath to speak. Released it.
Funny. She frowned. Even though getting Casper to reveal his identity was the missing link Byrne and all his Feds were waiting on before they stormed the castle, she wasn’t really sure the answer mattered any more.
When it came right down to it, there wasn’t an enemy alive she wouldn’t face to standby her friends. No danger on Earth that would make her look back at this moment with regret or a wish she’d made difference choices.
Because for the first time in what seemed like forever, she wasn’t alone. Truly hadn’t been since they day she’d joined Dirty Deeds, even though it had taken her until the past several weeks to realize how much everyone cared.
For her.
For each other.
For doing what was right and standing up for those like Trey who didn’t have a voice.
Being a part of that was worth more to her than the sum of any events that had led to her this place. And the fact Casper had traded those invaluable things for wealth, power or his screwed-up idea of respect was the final nail in the coffin to drive the point home.
“You’re not anyone, are you?”
Confusion creased his forehead, and he shifted his eyes side to side as if she’d fallen off her rocker.
Hell, maybe she had.
“Casper Addison, Vaheed Shahzar…” She dropped her arms. Blinked, and then laughed. God, it was so pathetic, she almost felt sorry for the guy. “Whatever you call yourself, you’re not really anyone at all.”
How could he be? He had zero attachments to anything. Not his son, his friends…not even his own damn face. Unlike her and everyone else at Dirty Deeds, the sum of any events that had brought him here didn’t add up to squat.
He gritted his teeth. “Where did you hear that name?”
“What difference does it make?” Honestly, what was the difference? He wasn’t walking out of here a free man. Not after connecting him to the murder of Trey’s parents. Not once every recruit who’d been working for him sang like a pigeon about they’d done to Ben at the preserve.
And once he was behind bars, if Vaheed Shahzar suddenly disappeared off the government’s radar, they would finally have their answer about who he truly was. “You’ve got nothing, Casper. Not one damn thing.”
A set of headlights turned up the drive, and he pivoted as a white service van pulled alongside the sedan and parked. “And you’re not that smart.”
Her pulse skyrocketed, and she turned her head to study Casper out of the corner of her eye. Something about the delivery of those words hit her wrong. As if he knew something she didn’t and had been one step ahead from the very beginning.
Shit. The driver’s side door popped open, and she scrambled to review the past few minutes as a hulking figure climbed from behind the wheel. Had she missed something? Made an incorrect assumption along the way? Dammit, if someone would just update her on coms, maybe she’d have a frickin’ clue about what she was supposed to do next.
Standing with his back to the light, the driver opened the sliding side door, reached inside the van and jerked a hooded form out onto the blacktop.
Yes. That was according to plan, and at the same time, she couldn’t deny the guy’s movements were off. Too clumsy and awkward to be associated with Ben.
Leaning forward, she squinted to gauge the width of his shoulders, the size of his arms or the length of his stride. But with the way she stood under the glare of the fluorescents, she couldn’t tell if she’d come down with a serious case of wishful thinking or another of Casper’s errand boys had shown up to join in the fun.
Didn’t matter. Either way, she was stuck in this garage until she could find out for sure.
Inching toward the nearest bulletproof partition, Tanner crossed one ankle over the next. Whether or not everything was still a go, her best bet was to err on the side of caution.
Casper spun and took aim at her chest, and she froze with a breath trapped in her lungs.
Dammit. If she ever got out of here, the first item on her agenda was to swap out her boots for a quieter pair of shoes.
“I do have something, Tanner.” Replacing his sidearm in the holster, Casper jerked his chin at the massive brute who approached, and her heart sank with an internal whimper as the guy dragged his hostage forward by the upper arm.
A black ski mask and dark glasses covered his face. Again, just like they’d planned. The problem was, he didn’t walk like Ben. Instead of his thundering gait or the raw energy that accompanied his presence, the guy lumbered into the garage as if he’d been born with a pair of two left feet.
Unless… Shaking her head, Tanner glanced between the four bodies standing at the opposite end of the room. She zeroed in on the left hand of their latest arrival and sweet awareness coursed through her body at the leather cords tied around his wrist.
That was Ben, all right. Her Ben.
The man she loved in a way that completed her soul. The guy who would do everything humanly possible to give her as many moments as they could get.
She resisted the urge to chuckle all while sending up thanks to Almighty God. She should’ve known nothing would stop him from being here. Even if he had to fake it so he could get close without being recognized by Casper or his men. Even if he had to mow down every crooked cop in the city so he could fulfill his promise to do whatever was necessary to return to her side.
Dang, he was good. Though, given his Ranger experience, she shouldn’t have been surprised. Moving forward, one thing was for sure. The next scheme that landed in her lap, she was assigning him the lead position.
“Looks like I win this round.” Casper tore back the black hostage hood and Tanner smirked as Trey’s red baseball cap toppled to the ground.
Eden’s auburn coils sprang down around her shoulders, her chin lowered in an irate glare, and Tanner quickly set her amusement aside to find Eden wasn’t enjoying the moment in the least.
“You asshole.” Wrenching her arm free, she marched across the floor and a loud crack echoed off the walls as Casper’s head snapped right from the force of her slap.
“That’s right, baby girl.” Mocha’s fierce whisper came through coms. “Hit ʼim again.”
But before Tanner could react, the clicks of several bullets sliding into a series of well-oiled chambers punctuated the silence, and she quickly followed suit as everyone but Casper and Eden drew their guns.
Ben peeled off his ski mask and the crony on his left eased forward, Glock extended.
“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.” Tanner targeted his jugular as Ben threw the mask aside and resumed his aim at the dude on the right.
The asshole redirected his barrel toward her and Ben shot her a hard glance that said stand down.
Like hell. Tanner narrowed her gaze. There was no way she was gonna hide in the background while he and Eden put their lives on the line.
Releasing a low chuckle, Casper rubbed his jaw, facing Eden with what appeared to be a genuine smile. “I missed you, E. Though I can’t say I’m surprised you’re here.”
“I defended you.” The venom in her voice sent Tanner’s heart scampering for cover. Note to self. Do whatever is necessary to never piss her off. “I defended you and so did Charlie. God, Casper, why would you do this? We trusted you. We welcomed you home.”
“Home?” He barked a laugh, sauntering to the side. Tanner tracked his steps, but kept her aim steady on the goon who had Ben in his sites. “You’ve gone soft, E. People like us don’t have a home. We don’t have friends, or family, or any connections that could threaten the business.” He spun in a blur and Tanner sharply inhaled as he settled the barrel of his Sauer in the center of Eden’s brow. “Or did you forget everything Malcolm taught us? How the only thing that matters is the con and if you can’t come out on top you’re in the wrong business.”
Oh, Jesus. No, dammit, it wasn’t supposed to go down this way.
“I don’t think so, you piece of shit.” Kelly stormed around the side of the garage, outfitted in tactical gear and his rigid sidearm directed at Casper’s temple. “Back off right now or, I swear to Christ, you’ve just taken your last breath.”
Tanner flexed her fingers around the butt of her gun, her heart jack-hammering as one of Casper’s men jerked a second weapon from the small of his back and drew a bead on Kelly.
Shit, this was going downhill fast. She shot a glance at the dread cutting a deep crease in Ben’s brow. Not to mention, the undeniable resignation inherent in Casper’s last words. As if the bullet Kelly threatened to plant in his head wouldn’t make a bit of difference.
But that didn’t make sense. Casper had to know that he’d lost. How there was no way anyone from Dirty Deeds could’ve shown up here unless his attempt to kidnap Trey had failed. That the manor was probably surrounded with enough law enforcement personnel his chances of making it out of here came down somewhere around zilch.
Realization struck, and Tanner worked a dry swallow, nearly gagging from the way her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. God, she’d been a fool for not recognizing the truth a lot sooner. So she could’ve predicted this would happen and stopped the rest of the team from ever getting involved.
Casper didn’t care. Not about her, or Eden, or Trey, or anyone else from Dirty Deeds. And if he couldn’t win, if someone didn’t stop him before it was too late, he’d kill Eden and let this room explode in a hail of bullets in one last-ditch effort to escape.
He had no other choice.
And had left her only one response in return.
“Casper.”
Ben whipped his gaze to hers, along with every other set of eyes in the room, and Tanner prayed drawing Casper’s attention for even a split second would be enough. Fear laced the uncertainty written all over Ben’s face, and she smiled to reassure him she was doing the right thing. The only thing they could.
It was anyone’s guess what kinda hostage protocol the Feds were following, but none of them were in this room. They didn’t know Casper like she did, and it was highly unlikely they’d picked up on the desperate measures he was prepared to take.
She didn’t want to face off against death. This time, she had too damn much to live for. But they needed one last distraction. To get Casper’s focus off of Eden and give her a fighting chance. To try and regain control before he did something none of them could ever take back.
Ben knew it and so did she.
“Tanner, no.” Eden turned and Tanner seized that small opening.
“Now, dammit!” She fired two slugs toward Casper’s shoulder and dodged left. “Move now!”
He reared back. Both of his men pivoted in her direction. Ben’s roar careened off the ceiling as Kelly dove on top of Eden and brought her to the floor.
A triple volley of bullets punched Tanner’s chest and she was slammed to the concrete. Pain consumed her body. Her ears pinged as a series of bone-jarring blasts folded in on themselves and echoed off the walls. Writhing through a shower of stars, she gasped and sputtered for air.
Deep shouts rang through the noise. She rolled onto her side and scrabbled for a hold on the slick floor. Legs useless, she dragged them behind her. Her lungs screamed as she pulled toward the nearest bulletproof partition. Shit, she couldn’t breathe!
Concrete shattered in front of her face. She tucked her eyes into the crook of her elbow as the jagged pieces exploded and bit at her skin. A sting tore through her calf, and she gritted her teeth as the pain doubled and spread.
Pounding footsteps neared on her left, and she batted at the large hand fighting for a grip on her shoulder. She was flipped her to her back. Lights flashed in her vision as she wheezed.
“Tanner. Jesus Christ, Tanner!” A set of strong arms scooped her off the floor, and her head fell back, lashes fluttering as Ben dropped to his knees and cradled her on his lap.
He tore open the Velcro straps on her Kevlar vest and wrenched it off her chest. Ran his palm up and down her torso as the world dimmed. Bringing her to sitting on his thighs, he shoved her arms over her head and her lungs expanded with a rush so cold her throat burned.
“Breathe, baby.” He held her cheeks as a whisper of air dried her lips. Lifted her arms a second time and kept his deep brown eyes centered in her gaze. “I know it hurts, but you gotta breathe for me. Come on, Angel. Two more, you can do it.”
Her ribs, stomach…every part of her shrieked in protest as he repeated the same sequence. Arms, cheeks. Arms, cheeks. Until her instincts took over and her body was able to perform the simple task of respiration on its own.
“Goddamn it, that sucked.” But the terrified concern etching corners of his eyes hurt worse, and with her first unassisted breath, she cupped his scruffy cheek right back. “I’m all right. You did it, I’m fine, I’m fine.”
“Good Christ, woman.” He brought her close but didn’t hold her too tight, cradling her head in his hand. “You scared the shit out of me. What in the hell were you thinking?”
She tried patting his back, but her arms ignored the command, and her half-numb fingers flopped between his shoulder blades like a dead fish. “Did you get him? Is Eden okay?”
“You did. With that first shot.” He inched away just enough to rest his forehead against hers. “And Eden’s safe. Thanks to you, we’re all safe.”
“Good, because I’m too frickin’ tired and sore to do anything else.”
He huffed a laugh. “I should really kick your ass.” A band of muscle tightened around her hips, and he hitched her higher up his lap, wrapping one arm around her knees.
A frown deepened the divot in his brow and he lifted his palm, jaw firming as he swiveled his hand to show her the red smear decorating his calluses. “Don’t suppose it matters that you got shot.”
Oh. Yeah, that. But compared to the flat jackets that had dented her Kevlar, whatever damage she’d taken to her calf was minor. Heck, if she was lucky, maybe Ben would even volunteer to patch her up. “You worry too much. It’s just a scratch.”
He scowled. And yet she didn’t miss the way understanding filtered through his gaze. Almost as if he were ever given the choice, he would’ve done the exact same thing as her. “You make it impossible for me to stay mad at you. You know that, right?”
“Is that so?” She smiled, pulling him down to kiss and nibble his lips. “That sounds like a you problem. God knows, I’ve tried.”