Page 38 of Shadows Redeemed
“Make things worse? Are you kidding me?” She felt the low growl rumble out of her. “He’s only in danger because of you. They’re going to kill himbecauseof you. I’m not the one making things worse.”
“Don’t you worry about that. I won’t let that happen.” However, while he may have tried to sound confident, there wasno reassurance in his voice, only the brittle edges of desperation. “Just stay out of it.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he had already ended the call. Pulling the phone from her ear, she stared at it for a long moment, her heart pounding in her chest. He didn’t need her help? Like hell.
She shoved her phone back into her pocket and turned back to the team, her jaw clenched with determination. She wouldn’t let Jacob’s warning stop her. Or his annoyance. She was going to get Parker back, no matter what it took, and Jacob could kiss her ass. Her heart wouldn’t let her do anything else. Hell, the only reason Parker was even in trouble was because Jacob didn’t have the balls to come in and prove his innocence the right way. Instead, he ran around New Orleans, pissing everyone off, like some vigilante set on self-destruct.
Dane stared at her, one brow cocked. “Well?”
She took in a slow breath. “Let’s move.” She kept her voice steady, making sure not to betray the sense of fear or doubt swirling inside of her.
Dane nodded, his expression unreadable, and the team sprang into action. “I want you to ride with me,” Dane told her as he reached her before she passed out the door.
She merely nodded, not trusting her voice right then.
Soon, she was staring out the passenger-side window, her fingers gripping the seatbelt tightly as Dane maneuvered the car through New Orleans traffic, Cookie tucked into the backseat. Cars and businesses blurred past them, the noise of tires on asphalt almost like a warning of what lay ahead. Her body still ached from the beating she’d taken that morning, the bruises still fresh and throbbing beneath her clothes, her eye still puffy. But that pain was nothing compared to the knot of fear and anger twisting in her gut.
Dane cleared his throat, breaking the silence that had settled between them since they left the hotel. “How are you holding up?” he asked, his voice low but steady. His eyes flicked toward her briefly before returning to the road. “After the cabin… I know it wasn’t easy.”
She clenched her jaw, ignoring the images of that morning that flashed through her mind at his statement. “I’m fine.” She loosened her grip on the seatbelt, forcing herself to take a deep breath. “Jacob’s always been an arrogant ass in these situations, always thinking he’s the answer to the world’s problems.”
Dane nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t argue with her assessment of Jacob. She was fairly certain everyone on the team had the same opinion of him—reckless, self-serving, always dragging people into dangerous situations and leaving others to clean up the mess.
“So… You and Parker…”
She shifted in her seat, the weight of the unasked question pressing down on her. She knew what he was asking without coming out and actually voicing it. And she couldn’t deny what had happened, even though she never meant for it to. Therewasno denying it. It was even stronger now that Parker’s life hung in the balance.
“Yeah, we’re still wrapping our heads around that ourselves,” she admitted as she stared at the dashboard as if it held the answers to all her problems. “But after we get him away from whoever has him.”
“Good to know.” Dane glanced at her again, his expression unreadable.
“It’s easy to let emotions get in the way,” Cookie said from the backseat. “Especially when someone you care about is in danger. It muddles the mind, leads a person to rash decisions.”
Dane nodded. “And we need you at your best if we’re going to get Parker out of this situation. The last thing we need is for things to get more complicated.”
She bristled at the implication that she might lose control, that she might let her feelings for Parker cloud her judgment. She had been through worse and came out stronger for it. This would be no different. There was no way she would allow anything to jeopardize Parker’s life, even her.
She took a deep breath. “I got this.”
That seemed to satisfy Dane as he nodded once before turning his attention back to the road. The tension in the car eased a little, but the weight of their situation still hung heavy in the air.
“What do you think this Jacob fellow will do now?” Cookie leaned forward, draping his arms over the backs of their seats as he looked at her. “After all, these people kidnapped his brother, right? That has to be messing with his head.”
She sighed as she dragged her fingers through her hair. “Honestly, I have no idea. He’s always been unpredictable, even at the best of times. When he’s backed into a corner… well, let’s just say he’s not known for making smart decisions. Whatever he does will more than likely be reckless and make things worse for us.”
Dane frowned, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. “That’s all we need.”
She sighed. “Let’s just hope we get to Parker before his brother does.”
It took longer than she had hoped to reach the Art District. Dane slowed the car, pulling into an alley to the side of an old, rundown warehouse. The building loomed off to the side, and Dane parked away from the building to give them some cover. No sense announcing their presence ahead of time. Let it be a surprise.
The building’s windows were shattered, and graffiti covered the walls as tended to happen with abandoned buildings. It looked vacant, but Sage knew better. Inside, Parker was being held and time was running out.
After killing the engine, Dane turned to face her. “We’re here. You sure you’re ready?”
Elvis and Gage pulled up behind them as Sage unbuckled her seatbelt, reaching for the gun tucked into her holster. Her fingers brushed the cold metal, a familiar comfort that steadied her nerves. She met Dane’s gaze, her eyes hard and determined.
“Let’s go get him,” she said, her voice laced with resolve.
