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“But—”
“That’s an order.” Mike’s tone was hard, and his gaze turned flinty.
Ellie watched in astonishment as Adam assumed the at-attention position before he pivoted on his heel and wordlessly left the room. Mike waved off the other two gunmen as well. “I think we can manage in here, soldiers. Back to your posts.”
Again, those men snapped to do Mike’s bidding. Ellie's eyes narrowed as the last gunman took a guard position just outside the doorway. Then she swung her attention back to Mike. A sinking sensation settled over her. How could she have been so blind?
“I misjudged you again. You’re the mole, yes, but your ambition goes beyond that. You’re aiming to take over the Iron Fist.”
He barked out a laugh. “Oh, Elizabeth. I’ve missed you. No matter how tangled things get, you always see the truth in the end.” Mike tapped his temple. “Must be all those Mensa tests you took with my baby brother.”
“Does he know who you are?”
“Don’t be foolish.”
“And Gideon?”
“Gideon Voss has been running the operation for a long time, and things have gotten sloppy as a result. His desperation has made him a liability. Shooting up a diner was just foolishness. Between Gideon and that dummy Tobias, the entire Iron Fist will collapse under the weight of old grudges and reckless violence. It’s time for someone new to take control of things.” Mike strolled over to the oven and opened it. A cloud of steam lifted toward the ceiling as he used a set of potholders to remove a casserole dish. He set it on the counter and breathed in deep. “Duck with orange glaze. Delicious. I make the sauce myself. The store-bought stuff just doesn’t come close, you know?”
“Spare me the culinary lessons.” Ellie couldn’t hold back the bite in her tone. The pieces were quickly falling into place. Mike had used his position with the FBI to feed information to Gideon and, from the size of the mansion they were standing in, had been paid well for it. But now he wanted more. He wanted it all and was going to use the threat of the evidence to get it. “Where’s Owen?”
“He’s perfectly safe. As soon as you give me the password to the flash drive, both of you can be on your way.”
“I’m not giving you a thing until I see my son.”
If Mike was annoyed, he didn’t show it. He calmly basted the duck, then finally lifted his gaze to her and sighed. “Stubborn as ever. Fine.” He snapped his fingers, and the guard at the door murmured into his radio. A few moments later, light andhesitant footsteps preceded the entry of a woman dressed in housekeeping clothes. Nestled in her arms was a sleeping Owen.
Relief nearly caused Ellie’s knees to buckle. She lunged forward, her arms outstretched. “Give him to me.”
Mike jerked his head in silent agreement, and the housekeeper met Ellie halfway. The moment Owen was in her arms, tears pricked the back of her eyes. She pressed her face against his mop of curls and breathed deep. Her son. Her baby. A quick assessment proved he was unharmed, but his breathing was strangely deep and he held Scout with an unusually loose grip.
Fury sparked fast and hot as she whirled to face Mike. “What did you do?”
“We gave him a mild sedative.” He continued to baste his duck as the housekeeper slipped from the room. “Really, Elizabeth. Would you rather we keep him awake and terrified? Being around all these strangers isn’t easy for him. Taking him from the foster home was traumatic enough, although the fake FBI badges smoothed the way with his new family.”
Ellie could easily picture the horrible scene. Her son ripped from another set of arms, screaming and terrified. It took every ounce of training to smother the storm of rage building inside her. She needed to stay calm and think, now more than ever, if she and Owen were going to survive this.
“Now then.” Mike popped the duck back into the oven and then clapped his hands. “The password.”
Nerves jittered her insides, but Ellie forced her voice to stay calm and assertive. “I can give it to you, but it won’t stop the evidence from being released to the public. On my way here, I prepared emails to three separate reporters. Friends of mine. Those emails are sitting on the cloud and will go out in one hour.”
Confusion flickered across Mike’s features for a second, before it was replaced by a feral smile. “You’re bluffing.”
“No. I’m not. Check the phone.”
He strolled over to the island and snatched up the device, quickly pulling up the browser. His expression turned icy, and his jaw clenched. “So you’re a fool, after all.”
“No, I’m interested in making a deal. You can have the evidence and the password, as long as I’m allowed to leave here with Owen. Once I’m clear of the property, I’ll make sure the emails are deleted. The attachments, however, stay with me. Insurance.” She cradled Owen’s head against her chest. “Owen and I disappear. Start a new life. You can blackmail Gideon into stepping aside, and we both live happily ever after.”
Mike was quiet for a long moment as he studied her face. “You expect me to believe you’ll walk away from taking down the Iron Fist?”
“I did it once before.” She met his gaze. “Owen is my priority now.”
“And what about that Texas Ranger? Daniel Perez?” His lips curved. “You just gonna leave him too?”
She didn’t waver. “I told you, Owen is my priority now.”
Silence stretched out between them, taut as a piano string. Inside, Ellie’s mind was a whirl of emotions and fear, but she didn’t allow an ounce of that to leak onto her face. She kept her attention locked on Mike. Owen’s breath whispered across her collarbone, the weight of his small body a reminder of her responsibilities.