Page 30

L evi stood with one knee bent and a boot planted against the building.

Watching the backdoor.

Waiting for it to open.

When another minute passed, he lowered his boot and walked to the door.

She should have come out by now.

Unless she was using the bathroom?

He pressed his earpiece.

“Sara?”

Nothing. No response.

Levi sprinted down the back of the building, around the side, and toward the street.

Sara’s scream pierced the night just as he flew around the front corner.

Two men had Sara, both gripping each arm. They were dragging her toward an idling SUV.

They didn’t make it.

Levi hit them with everything he had.

Snick.

Snick.

Snick.

The suppressor he’d earlier twisted on his weapon came in handy.

The first bullet hit one perp in the head. The second bullet hit the next perp high on his shoulder.

The third bullet took out the overhead street light, sending the area into total darkness. The only glow was that of the taillights on the waiting SUV.

One perp toppled dead like a stringless marionette.

Levi charged into the other perp, sending the fucker to the ground. The man gasped, rolled, and clutched at his wounded shoulder.

The waiting SUV peeled out with tires burning rubber.

Sara had already dropped to her ass on the sidewalk and Levi yanked her up and put her behind him. She fisted both hands into the back of his jacket and hung on.

Leaning over the perp still alive, Levi grabbed the front of the guy’s jacket and lifted him with one fist. With his other fist, he hit the fucker in the face, knocking him out.

Levi released the perp and pressed his earpiece. “West?”

“I’m here,” West’s voice came immediately through the comms.

“I need the cleaners at the Velvet Lounge. One’s still alive. Have them collect him for me.”

“I’m on it.”

Levi pulled Sara around the side of the building and took her hand.

She was shaking, and he yanked off his heavy leather jacket and shoved her arms through it before zipping up the front. He put her back to the building.

“Stay here,” he said, the order a low growl.

“Don’t go,” she whispered, her voice sounding raw.

“I’m not.”

He moved in close, offering her warmth as she continued shaking.

It took the cleaners roughly nine minutes to reach the front of the lounge, and finally, Sara stopped shaking.

“You need to stay here while I talk to them,” he told her and gripped her with firm hands until she nodded.

When Levi stepped out from the corner of the building, Slade had his gun in his face. The man was so fucking fast that Levi hadn’t even seen it until it was pointed right at him.

“Fucking hell, Huxley. Warn a guy,” Slade growled, tucking away his weapon.

“Sorry. Bring that guy to the warehouse you cleaned out the other day.”

“No problem,” Slade said with a quick nod. “You on your way?”

“Not right now.” Levi gazed at the other man who’d shown up with Slade and he lifted a hand.

Aiden gave him a nod barely visible in the dark. Levi hadn’t expected a response. Aiden didn’t talk much at all. Where Slade was talkative, Aiden was not. Where Slade was slender and quick, Aiden was big and methodical. And when together? The men made the perfect killing machine. Aries was glad to have them.

Levi left the pair and turned back to where he’d left Sara. She had come as close as possible to watch them, all while staying hidden.

He took her hand when he reached her, and they hurried all the way around to the back of the lounge where his SUV was parked.

Earlier, he had shot out the overhead light in the alley behind the building, so there was no way anyone could identify them.

“I…” she began.

“Shhh,” he said and pulled her into a quick, tight hug.

“I lost your earpiece,” she said, her voice thick with tears.

“It’s okay,” Levi told her and tucked her into the passenger side of the vehicle.

When he closed the door, he spoke over the comms.

“West, have Slade find Sara’s device.”

“Copy,” West said.

After Levi slid behind the wheel, he didn’t stop to comfort Sara. He started the SUV and drove away from the lounge, taking the scenic route back to the rental house.

Sara was quiet the whole way until he parked in the driveway.

“Do you know who they were?” she croaked.

“No, but we’ll find out,” he promised.

Everyone but Nash and Carla was waiting when they stepped inside the house.

Max had already flown back to Seattle.

“What the hell happened?” King asked.

“I didn’t find the ledger.” Sara’s lips pulled down sadly.

Ana hurried over and hugged Sara.

“I heard them order the cleaners,” Ana whispered to Sara, trying to keep her voice low, but Levi heard Ana and so did the rest of the men.

“I was inside the lounge and someone tried to take me,” Sara said, her voice shaking slightly.

At least her hands and the rest of her had stopped. It was shock, but after the attack in the alley and then the attack tonight, she felt ready to jump out of her skin.

Why was this happening? She was really starting to hate San Francisco.

She huddled deep inside Levi’s jacket, loath to take it off. She wanted to keep the warmth and his scent around her. It made her feel safe, as if she were in his arms and nothing on earth could hurt her.

“Let’s sit down and we can go over what happened,” Levi said, noticing her dazed look. That had to be some residual of the attack. He was kicking himself in the fucking ass for not waiting inside with her.

He gently took her arm and guided Sara to the sofa.

Rowan hurried into the kitchen and came back in a minute with a hot cup of coffee.

Sara looked at the cup and thanked the man when she took it, but she only cupped it between her fingers, not sipping at it.

Rowan moved to the dining room table and opened his laptop. In moments, Rowan was immersed, gazing at the screen.

“Tell us what happened when you left the office.” Levi gently sat next to Sara, careful to keep some distance between them, but not too much. He wanted her to know he was there, but wouldn’t crowd her.

They’d had a great time sitting together on the back patio and he didn’t want to jeopardize that.

“I was in the hallway and two men came out of the storage room.”

“Fuck. I should have checked that room,” Levi muttered, running a hand down his face.

“They must have been in there for a while,” King said.

“I don’t think so. I don’t remember seeing them earlier.” Sara shook her head. “Kevin must have let them in through the back door when he left.”

“Maybe…” Levi didn’t look convinced. “What about the video feed to the office? You cut that, right?” Levi turned in Rowan’s direction.

“Yes,” Rowan said, shooting him an impatient glare before going back to the computer screen. “There’s no feed to the main cameras, but he could have a backup device that’s connected to WIFI that we don’t know about.”

“So, he could have been watching while she was searching his office.” Levi clenched his hands into fists.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions. Those two men could have been there for another reason,” King said.

“Slade is taking one of them to the warehouse,” Levi said.

“Where’s the other?” West asked.

“Dead,” Levi said flatly.

“Good,” West said, walking over to join Rowan at the dining room table.

The two men seemed to have come to some understanding after the disagreement from last night. Rowan glanced at West before he continued tapping away at the keyboard.

That left Levi with Sara, Ana, and King in the living room.

“You two stay here, while King and I go question the perp,” Levi told Sara and Ana.

“No.”

It was Sara who said it. “I need to go with you. I need to look in his eyes when I ask him why he tried to take me.”

Levi squinted at her, but Sara’s face remained stubborn.

“If she goes, I’m going,” Ana announced.

The last thing Levi wanted was to put Sara in any more danger, or Ana for that matter. He shot a dark look at King, but the man gave an affirmative nod.

Damn it.

He was outnumbered.