Page 88 of Down & Dirty: Reaper

“Hell yeah!” Indie shouted, pumping her fist.

Vi quickly unlocked the doors. “Get in!”

Those two words were all she had to say before Reaper was securely in the TAV and they were headed back out the way they came in.

Chapter Seventeen

Vi raised her gaze from the dark road ahead of them up to the rearview mirror to focus on the backseat passenger.

He’d been quiet since jumping in the Terradyne.

Another sob threatened to rise from her very core. This one from relief.

She swallowed it back down. Because if she started, she might not be able to stop.

And she was not weak.

She was a Dougherty.

She was a badass bitch, goddamn it.

She couldn’t break down over a man.

But…she could’ve lost him.

He had to have a guardian angel on his shoulder.

Turning her eyes back to the road, she murmured to Indie, “There’s a handcuff key in the console. Grab it.”

As soon as Indie did so, Reaper held his cuffed wrists between the seats so Indie could unlock them. Once the metal cuffs fell free with a clang, Reaper rubbed his wrists. “Did you bring water?”

His voice sounded rougher than normal. Most likely from being dehydrated.

He was probably hungry as well.

“In the back there’s an emergency rations kit. Water, Powerade, some high protein snacks. We’ll get you some real food soon. Are you injured?”

“Just my pride.” He sat back. “I fucked up.”

Her jaw shifted at his defeated tone. “No, you didn’t. It was one man against a whole crime family. I fucked up by letting you go alone.”

“That was my choice.”

“But I’m in charge of the team,” Vi countered.

“If it wasn’t for that tracker…”

“Thank fuck Indie gave it to you.” She lifted her eyes again and met his in the mirror. “Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“I thought she did.”

“I already had that discussion with her. One of you should’ve told me.”

Instead of acknowledging that, Indie opened up the laptop and said, “How about I search for a car wash with the spray stalls? Let’s get rid of some of the evidence.”

“Nice deflection,” Vi muttered.

“It’s over. The tracking device worked and he’s safe. That’s all that matters right now, sis.”