Page 101 of Breaking Conviction

Wes narrowed his eyes at Phoenix’s point before cursing again. “Fine… if you can’t get him… leave him… we’ll figure it out.”

Phoenix nodded and was gone in the next breath.

Chapter Forty-Two

Wes limped his way to his Trackhawk, ignoring how raw his knees felt from the tiny cuts and burns, and the glass splinter still in his hand. When he finally made it to his vehicle, he tried to peel Thea off him, but her muffled cries turned into ear-piercing screams again as she clung to him for dear life.

“Fuck it,” he muttered before banding an arm around her and hopping behind the steering wheel. Once inside, he unlocked the garage, bracing himself for anyone who could be on the other side, only to relax when no one showed up.

A nearly full water bottle sat in a cup holder, and he twisted off the cap around Thea to leak water into her wailing mouth before taking refreshing sips himself.

“I know you’re upset, princess,” he said, now able to make full sentences with a hoarse voice. He wrapped Thea’s fingers around the bottle. “But drink more of this for me, okay?”

Her small hand crinkled the thin plastic as she obeyed. Wes ordered the car Bluetooth to call Naomi. He didn’t know where the rest of his teammates were, but from checking earlier, Phoenix was the only other teammate in BlackStone.

“Wes? Oh my god, are you—”

“Mommy!”

“Shh, shh, Thea, it’s okay.” He cradled her head and spoke softly into her hair. “We’re okay,” Wes replied to Naomi, loud enough for her to hear, but quiet enough not to alarm Thea.

He shifted his vehicle in drive and stepped on the gas, checking the rearview mirror as he blasted out of the garage. Fuck, he hated leaving Phoenix, but he had to get Thea to safety. The only place he could do that was far away from the facility. His tires squealed as he raced out. Thea tensed against his chest and he patted her back, trying to smooth her fears away, but the poor thing was definitely traumatized.

“There was a bomb at BlackStone Facilities—”

“What?”

“Phoenix is still back at the facility. He’s the only one and he stayed back to get Ascot.”

“Okay, but where are you?”

“I’m getting us out of here. No one else is here, but I sent an alert to law enforcement and the team,” he explained.

Wes navigated the facility grounds, driving to the gate and typing his four-digit code into his phone to open the gate. As soon as he turned outside the gate, he heard faint sirens. Wes couldn’t wait around, though. He didn’t know what they were dealing with. Hopefully, Phoenix would be able to handle himself.

As soon as he thought it, a deafening boom seemed to make the ground under the Trackhawk quake.

“What the hell was that?” Naomi’s frantic voice barely registered as he swiveled his head to the side to find BlackStone.

Or what used to be BlackStone.

Wes’s heart throbbed and his breath caught in his lungs. Smoke billowed from the back of the building he’d once called home. Even from his distance outside the gate, he could see the corner of the building that housed the weapons room, gun range, and war room had crumbled to the ground, engulfed in flames from the blast.

Phoenix.

Wes slowed almost to a halt, desperately wanting to turn around to get his teammate. But Phoenix was a trained soldier, BlackStone was under attack by some unknown entity, and he had a four-year-old he needed to get to safety.

The sirens he’d heard whistled closer, making his decision. As much as it pained him, he had to leave Phoenix and hope first responders could help him.

“Phoenix is smart. He’ll be fine.” His voice was weak in his ears.

“Wes, answer me! Whatwasthat?”

“I’ll explain. I promise. I’ve left the facility. Where are you?”

“I’m on my way to BlackStone.”

Fear sharp as a knife cut down his spine. “No, stay the fuck away from here, Naomi. I’ll meet you somewhere safe with Thea.” He racked his brain for a location. “The QT gas station. The closest one near the facility. Meet us there.”