Page 73 of Final Exit

“This looks really promising,” Jace said, turning around and nodding at Bailey. “We just might get Faegan yet.”

Kade leaned back against the wall.

“It looks like coming here was a great idea,” Bailey said. “Thanks. I mean it.”

He nodded without looking at her.

She sighed. “Kade. I’m trying to apologize for acting suspicious earlier. Will you at least—”

A hand suddenly covered her mouth from behind and she was jerked backward through the doorway.

She struggled to wrench free, kicking and clawing at whoever was holding her.

Kade rushed through the doorway just as Jace and the others whirled around, alarmed at the commotion. They shouted and clawed for their guns just as Kade slammed the door shut.

And locked it.

Bailey stood in shock, blinking at the five heavily armed men surrounding her and Kade. Her hands were cuffed behind her and her weapon had been taken away before she’d even been able to register what was happening. Even the Bersa .380 had been taken out of her ankle holster. But Kade, who stood a few feet away from her, wasn’t cuffed. And no one was holding on to his arm, like they were hers, to make sure he couldn’t get away.

She looked toward the door. There was no window to let her see her friends who were trapped behind it. And the complete lack of noise told her the room was soundproofed, sealed, like a tomb.

“You bastard,” she said to Kade. “You betrayed them, betrayed us all.”

“I didn’t have a choice.” He pulled out his phone and handed it to one of the gunmen. “Bailey, meet Dominic Wales and Jack Martinelli, partners in crime and leaders of this sorry group of assholes.”

“They’re not the only assholes around here.” She glared at Kade, more hurt by his betrayal than she could have possibly imagined.

His jaw clenched and he looked away.

“Where now?” Dominic asked.

Kade motioned toward the second door. “The control room.”

Dominic and three of his men went in ahead of them. Kade motioned for Bailey to precede him, and Jack took up the rear. He closed the door behind them and she heard the steel bar lock jam home. She looked over her shoulder. Jack was guarding the door, a Glock 17 9mm in his hand as he calmly watched her in return. This definitely wasn’t his first criminal act. He looked completely comfortable with the entire situation. He wasn’t the weak link.

She stepped a few feet away, stopping beside Kade. The others moved to the viewing window. Dominic said something in a language Bailey didn’t recognize to one of the other men and they laughed.

She risked a glance through the window and her heart constricted in her chest. Jace and the others were running around the lab, trying the door, feeling along the walls. Jace looked up at the glass and said something to Mason. They lined up, shoulder to shoulder, and aimed their guns at the window.

Dominic swore and motioned to his men to duck.

Kade didn’t move, so Bailey didn’t either.

Nothing happened.

No sounds, no exploding glass, not even a vibration.

But based on Jace’s and Mason’s shocked expressions, they’d definitely fired their guns.

“Bulletproof and soundproof,” Dominic said as he slowly straightened. “You did good,Lone Wolf.” He laughed as if at some inside joke and motioned to the other men. They gathered in close and whispered in low tones to each other.

Kade looked like he wanted to tear Dominic apart with his bare hands.

Bailey raked Kade with a scornful glance. “What did you do, make some kind of deal to save your own skin?” she whispered so the others wouldn’t hear. “You traded the Equalizers’ and my life for yours? I never pegged you as a coward.”

He seemed to drag his gaze from the others to her. “They were going to kill me, which would have been fine. But then they showed me a video—of you—going to my old house, your old house, EXIT headquarters. They were following you. And you didn’t even know it. They were going to kill you unless I cooperated.”

She drew in a sharp breath. She hadn’t realized anyone was following her, and that scared the crap out of her.