Page 46 of Rogue Survivor
Jabbing the screen, I hang up on him before pulling the battery from the back of the phone like Connor told me to.
He ambles into the kitchen, and the crease between his brows is a hell of a lot deeper than it was just a few minutes ago. “That didn’t sound ‘okay’ to me, darlin’.”
“I need to go to my office,” I say quietly, so Veronica won’t hear me. After I fill him in on the bits of the phone call he didn’t hear, I curl my hands around his hips and meet his gaze. “Will you take me?”
He blows out a long, slow breath. “I don’t like the idea of you leaving the apartment.”
“Neither do I. Not really. Even though I’m going a little stir crazy just sitting here. But you’ll protect me.” His shoulders straighten—just slightly—and I press closer to him. “I feel safe with you.”
Chapter Eighteen
Connor
An unseasonably warmbreeze ruffles Isabel’s hair as I pull off I-35. With the windows rolled down and the radio blasting, the drive to the little diner where Brent’s waiting felt like the most normal thing in the world. But now that we’re almost there, Isabel’s shoulders hike up to her ears, and she clutches her purse strap like it’s a lifeline.
“What’s wrong, darlin’?” Reaching across the center console, I cover her fingers with mine, and she forces out a breath.
“I didn’t think it would be this hard to leave Veronica. She’s so independent. Before…everything…I let her take the bus all the time. Or go to the library with Mitzi, out shopping…” Isabel’s voice cracks, and she twists the leather strap tighter. “She has two highly trained Texas Rangers ten feet away from her. And all I can think about is how she can’t call me if she needs me.”
After I pull into a parking space at the edge of the diner’s lot, I unlock my phone and pass it to her. “SH1 is McGrath’s number. SH2 is Elmore. You can call and check on Veronica any time you want.”
The gratitude in her eyes makes my heart ache, but she hands the phone back to me and shakes her head. “Iknowshe’s okay. That she’s safe. If I call her now, she’ll accuse me of smothering her.”
“If you change your mind—” Zephyr’s name appears on the screen as the device starts to vibrate, and I accept the call. “Tell me you have somethin’ from Veronica’s phone,” I say the second the video connects.
“Good morning to you too.” She’s wrapped in a blanket, still in the same position on the couch she was the last time we talked. And those bags under her eyes? They’re darker than before.
“Sorry.”
Isabel scoots closer. “Zephyr, don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like I feel. Terrible. Are you okay?”
Surprise registers on Zephyr’s face for a moment before she picks up a large mug and cups it in her hands. “I’m well enough. When this is all over, though, I might sleep for a week.”
“I’ll make sure of it,” Ronan says from just off screen. “And we’re turnin’ the second bedroom into an office for you. One with a better chair and its own tea station.”
Zephyr beams at him, and even on the tiny screen, her love for Ronan is unmistakable. “Austin’s paying. He owes me after starting me off with a case like this.”
Clearing my throat, I bring her attention back to the call. “Not to be an asshole, but my boss is waiting for us. You found somethin’?”
“I found the Holy Grail of treasures on that phone,” she says. “It wasn’t easy. I had to clone the thing and even then, it was so damaged, the files wouldn’t open. But Ripper was able to help me repair them. Sending them to you now. Three videos and five still shots.” The notification banner flashes at the top of the screen, and she takes a sip from her mug, then continues. “Veronica’s one brave kid, Isabel. She was close enough you canhearBoswell hitting the woman—Jamie?—and their entire conversation is crystal clear. It’s enough to put him away for…well…a long damn time. Milton too. And another one of her videos? Crystal clear view of Archer throwing Mitzi over his shoulder as she screamed.”
“Hot damn. Don’t suppose you have any idea how to get this to AJ…legally?” I ask. “Veronica can swear to the video’s authenticity, but her phone didn’t go through anythin’closeto proper chain of custody.”
Zephyr rolls her eyes. “I told you I could take care of that. In under an hour, one of his CIs will call in a tip and they’ll find Veronica’s phone between the mall and the highway.”
“But you have it.” Isabel’s confusion mirrors my own. “How are they gonna—?”
“I haveaphone. Who’s to say the phone foundisn’tVeronica’s? If the serial number matches what’s on record with your carrier, AJ can use the videos with a clear conscience.”
“And how is any phone gonna get where it needs to be?” My inner voice warns me to stop, to trust this woman who’s proven herself a hundred times over in less than three days, but this is too important to leave anything to chance.
Ronan leans into the frame, his stare boring into me from two thousand miles away. “Same way you were dragged out of Flash Flood Alley ten minutes before you drowned. Jasper’s already on his way.”
“Take a breath,” Zephyr says as she reaches up to cup Ronan’s cheek. “Connor’s just worried about Isabel and Veronica. Didyoutrust every word out of Dax’s mouth when I was…missing?” Her voice trembles slightly, but she offers the man a smile, and he dips his head to kiss her lightly. “Go for a run or something. I’ve got this.” The Irishman doesn’t look happy, but he nods and disappears down the hall. “He’s just pissy he woke up alone this morning.”
“No, he’s right. I owe you an apology.” Draping my arm around Isabel’s shoulders, I pull her as close as I can with the console between us. “You’ve done everythin’ you promised and more. I’ll never be able to repay you for any of this.”
“Oh, you will. One day.” The call drops before I get a chance to ask her about that strange piece of plastic or to clarify exactly how I’m paying her back, but Brent’s waiting, and with the videos she sent me, I might be able to convince him to help us find Boswell and put an end to the asshole for good.
