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“I’m going to interrogate him, thoroughly,” Madeline promised with a nod, “once his injuries have been patched up.Would have been easier if you hadn’t shot him.”
What?Was he supposed to be sorry for that?Not happening.“I let him keep living.You’re welcome for that.”
Naomi sucked in a sharp breath.
I’m scaring her.Yeah, well, learning that he was an assassin, a cold-blooded killer, probably hadn’t been the highlight of her night.Then again, having a gang of criminals come toburn her alivecouldn’t have been a thrill, either.
Madeline slumped her shoulders.“This is a clusterfuck.”
“Brock admitted to setting the fire at my place.”Naomi’s voice shook a bit at the edges.Understandable, wasn’t it?“He was at my house, so he had access to the bat that was used to kill Ivan.The guy was clearly relishing being the leader tonight.Maybe he saw an opportunity.He took the bat, he eliminated Ivan, and then he came to kill me so he could tell the gang that I was the one who’d taken out Ivan—and that they’d all just gotten vengeance.I was his scapegoat and victim all at the same time.”
It was a story that Eb had already been considering, too.
Madeline nodded once more.“I’ll be sure and find out if that’s the way things played out.He’ll tell me everything.One way or another.”She strode off the porch.Made a quick gesture toward her team with one hand.They scrambled faster at the motioned order.“We’ll get the bikes cleared away,” she tossed over her shoulder.“There’ll be more questions, of course.So expect another visit from me tomorrow.”Her hands were on her hips as she surveyed the wreckage.“Twelve gang members.”Her head angled back toward them.“Against you two men?”
“No.”Eb moved to the side of the porch.I should have ended Brock when I had the chance.He didn’t like loose ends.“It was twelve against three.Naomi came hurtling in with my Impala.She sent her share of men running.”It had been a full-on team effort.
Hunter cleared his throat.“Pretty sure she sent one flying into a tree.”
Yeah, she had.
Madeline turned fully toward Naomi.“Eb let you drive the Impala?”
“He gave me the keys,” Naomi replied.
Eb snorted.“I told her to get the hell away.Hunter and I were supposed to be the distraction.The pricks arrived with containers of gasoline.I couldn’t risk her staying here and getting burned.”
“Yet here she is.”Madeline’s head tilted to the right.“And the bad guys are all in custody.Funny how that worked out.”
Eb didn’t find a damn thing about the situation to be funny.Fury-inducing, sure.Funny?No.
“I wasn’t going to leave Eb.”
Those quiet words from Naomi pierced right through him.
“And it wasn’t three against twelve,” Naomi corrected.“It was four against twelve.”Her fingers stroked over Henry’s head.“He was supposed to stay put, but Henry was ready for action, too.”
“That dog…” Madeline shook her head in bemusement.“He’s quite something.”
Naomi gave the Golden Retriever another loving pat.
Yep, okay, I am jealous of her dog once again.
One of the agents shouted for Madeline.
“Duty calls.”She began to hurry away, but paused.Looked back again.“You don’t have to stay here tonight.It’s going to take a long time for cleanup.You can head back to your guesthouse.Or go get a hotel room.”
Naomi shook her head.
So Eb said, “Nah, we’ll wait.”He wanted to watch and see everything that the agents and cops did on the scene.
Madeline gave him a brittle smile.“Of course, but, Eb, let’s have a word, shall we?A private word.”
Hell.“Absolutely.”He ambled off the porch.
The agent called out for her again.
Madeline waved the man away.She strode to the side with Eb, maneuvering until they were close to his precious Impala.He spared the car a brief glance and realized he’d never forget seeing his ride hurtle toward him.