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“It isn’t drugged.” Jared’s voice held a touch of amusement at her expense.
She took a tentative sip. The hot liquid soothed her throat but did little to warm her cold insides. “Why am I here?”
“Mackay will come for you. I need him to cooperate. He will, with you as leverage.”
The teacup rattled on its saucer. She set it on the floor next to her chair and clutched her ice-cold fingers. “Don’t do this, Jared. I’m begging you. You don’t need to hurt Lachlan. You still can walk away.” There had to be something she could do or say to make him see reason.
He cocked his head, the gentle smile on his lips a stark contrast to the coldness in his eyes. “Don’t be naïve, Sophia.”
He stood and returned his chair to the desk. “Besides, Lachlan took something from me. I’m returning the favor.”
Nadia.
Sophia shuddered, another bout of nausea cramping her stomach.
She wasn’t going to make it out of here alive.
Chapter Thirty-One
Lachlan’sfingercaressedthesmooth surface of the Sig Sauer in his lap. A cold, primal fury took root. If anything happened to Sophia—
“Drive faster.”
“If I go any faster, we’ll attract the attention of every cop in this vicinity. We’re almost there.” Nathan’s gaze dropped briefly to Lachlan’s hands before returning to the road. “How ’bout you put the weapon away until we’ve reached the target site.”
The confines of Nathan’s truck grew claustrophobic. The band around Lachlan’s chest grew tighter with every second that passed. He had failed to protect his men and Katherine Purcell. He’d failed Nathan’s man and the helicopter crew.
He wouldn’t survive if he failed Sophia as well.
“I don’t think Jared will hurt her,” Nathan answered Lachlan’s unspoken question. His voice hardened to steel. “At least, not until you’re standing in front of him.”
Lachlan’s mobile rang. Ryder calling from Kabul. “What did you find out?” Lachlan asked without preamble.
“Burkette arrived in DC a few hours ago.”
Rage lowered Lachlan’s voice to a growl. “Keep tracking him. I need an exact location. Landry has Sophia. Nathan and I are headed to his place now.”
“Be careful, mate. Burkette is probably there with him.”
What kind of game was Landry playing? If he planned to use Sophia as bait to force Lachlan to reveal himself, it had worked.
Nathan pulled to the side of the road a quarter-mile from Landry’s home in McLean. “How do you want to do this? We’re going in blind into a hostage situation.” He sat back, scrubbing his face with a deep sigh. “History has a bad habit of repeating itself.”
Lachlan’s teeth hurt from the effort to keep his wits together and not go off like Rambo into the trees. “This won’t end the same way.”
It can’t.
He clamped a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I’m going to get Sophia. If Landry and Burkette have to die, I’ll accept the consequences. You don’t have to,mo bhràthair.”
Nathan’s glare was fierce. “Fuck you. How many times do I have to tell you I’ve got your six for you to believe it?” He held up his fist. “The only easy day was yesterday. We do this together.”
Lachlan gave a close-lipped smile as Nathan spouted the SEAL motto. He bumped Nathan’s fist with his own. “Who dares wins.” The motto of the British SAS.
His eyes stung with unexpected tears. He’d been prepared to go it alone if necessary but wasn’t sure he’d succeed. Landry and Burkette weren’t unskilled insurgents or poorly equipped militia. They were well-trained, combat-hardened, former Rangers.
He stared out the side window. “Thank you.”
Nathan coughed into the silence that followed. “I’m gonna shoot Emily a text and let her know what’s up.” He threw open the driver’s door. “Let’s gear up and go get your woman.”