Page 90 of Healing Conviction
Gail nodded, and she wiped her cheeks. “I do. But they got what they deserved. Maybe it’s time I do, too.” She sighed and gave them a sad smile. “But at least this way, they won’t go after my family.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX
“I’m surprised you’re leaving her there,” Nora whispered as she rolled her shoulders.
Guilt made him wince. She was obviously uncomfortable with the added laptop weight in her bag. Draco would’ve put it in his if it wasn’t already packed tight, and hers had soft lining that would accommodate anything fragile. It was another stark reminder that at one point he could’ve carried everything, including Nora, on his back. But his already tired limbs were screaming at him after being tense and moving covertly for so long, confirming that those days were a lifetime ago.
They slowly migrated down the dark hallway, giving Nora time to get situated. The painstakingly slow pace allowed him enough time to investigate each office before passing its open doorway. He’d already been snuck up on by a fifty-year-old female civilian. His heart raced at the thought that someone formidable might be behind a random door.
Not that he trusted her, but considering that Gail had already been up front with damning information, she would’ve likely told them if there was someone else to watch for. He didn’t want to take any chances though.
“I only left Gail there after searching her and her office for weapons. Locking her in the closet was a nice touch, by the way. Aside from murdering the woman, I didn’t know what else to do.”
He turned around to see Nora checking the magazine on the Glock she’d borrowed. “That gun looks huge in your hands. Are you sure you know how to work it?”
“That’s what she said,” Nora quipped, but he only gave her a stern look.
“Seriously, Pix—”
“Chill out, Malfoy, Idoknow how to use it. I took lessons a ways back.”
Jealousy that he still couldn’t explain had him clenching his teeth as he gritted out his question. “Lessons from who?”
“Before Jules had her baby, Jason taught her, Ellie, and me.”
“Jaybirdtaught you? Hell, he’s the worst shot of us all. You’d’ve been better off with a blind guy.”
“Whatever,” Nora waved away his objection. “I know how to use it. I don’t know why you’re freaking out now. I’ve had it holstered this whole time.”
“Yeah, we might have to use our guns soon and you accidentally shooting me in the back is a potential reality. So be careful.” She rolled her eyes, and he resisted the urge to turn her over his knee. He took a steadying breath and turned back to the warehouse door. “Come on. The closest legitimate police station is at least an hour away. Even though Gail called, we should be out of here before they arrive. Iamworried about the jammer battery. How much time did you say was left on it?”
She pulled the jammer from her back pocket before whispering one of her colorful curses. “Fifteen minutes.”
“Fuck Gail for not turning the security system off for us. She’s the CEO of a tech company. How the hell doesn’t she know how to turn it off?”
“Drake, my dude, not all technology is created equal. Just becauseIknow everything aboutallthe things, doesn’t mean that every techie does. After how talkative she was, trusting us to call 911 with her and then leaving her phone out of reach, I believe her when she says she doesn’t know how.”
“Good point. Okay, enough chat. Let’s go. Make sure to stay behind me. I don’t want you getting in front of my bullet by mistake.”
He turned around and headed toward the double doors at the end of the hallway. Nora lightly placed her small hand on his back, a silent encouragement that she was following safely behind. The simple gesture released some of the tension in his pounding chest.
When they finally reached the double doors, he depressed the metal bar so slowly he could practically feel the seconds ticking on their getaway clock. If they didn’t make it in time, they’d have to figure out how to scrub all the cameras, not to mention getting back to the hole in the fence they’d created that could help them avoid electric shock. The alternative was going down the one-lane bridge, potentially with traffickers on their tail. Not fucking ideal.
He finally fully disengaged the lock mechanism. Nora pressed her phone to the lock pad next to the doors and used it like a key card again. The gentle chirp sent a shock of panic down his spine, but they couldn’t fuck around and wait to find out if someone had heard. He pressed his shoulder against the door and backed into the metal, his eyes scanning outside the open door.
Hushed male voices echoing from inside nearly had him throwing Nora into a fireman’s carry and running, but he forced the tightened muscles in his shoulders to relax. Fatigue already threatened his upper biceps thanks to holding his Glock in ready position for so long.
Fuck, when was the last time I shot a gun?
Having a firearm in his hand been second nature since the first time he’d gone hunting with his stepdad. Draco had forgotten that it’d been a whole fucking year since he’d held one. He was so goddamn out of shape for this, it was terrifying knowing that Nora had to depend on him.
Closing his eyes, he listened, not moving a stiff muscle, and tried to count how many different voices he could hear, but the deep whispers and harsh consonants all sounded too alike. The only comfort he took in that was knowing they were far enough away to hopefully sneak inside, assuming the door wasn’t in clear view.
He peered around the door, confirming the coast was clear inside, and signaled for Nora to follow him. Keeping his body low, he entered the cold, dark warehouse. It reminded him of one of those large home improvement stores, except the large metal shelves of boxes and crates stacked to the ceiling were only lit up by emergency lighting. On his right were the huge garage doors used for the loading and unloading docks and ramps. The shelving aisles were widely spaced out and separated in the middle making it possible to see straight down the center to the other side of the warehouse. He couldn’t see the truck through the shelving, nor the men’s location. Cool sweat pricked the back of his neck.
Draco checked behind him to make sure Nora was careful to hold down the handle to close the door silently. When the door was quietly shut, he turned back to scan the warehouse, looking for the best route to travel to see the truck. He couldn’t immediately see an exit door, but logic told him there would have to be some along the garage wall line, considering they weren’t entirely sure if the other side led to the outside or had more offices alongside it. Finally making a decision to stay close to a potential exit, he silently shuffled to the right toward the garage doors.
His heartbeat clogged his throat as he tried to swallow back nerves that had never plagued him on a mission before. Thankfully, Nora was on his heel like a shadow, soothing away his fear that she’d fall behind and he wouldn’t be able to save her before someone snatched her away.