Page 37 of Kyle (Gold Team #3)

“Any word from Anaya?” Thad asked. “I’ve texted and called Emmy but she’s not responding.”

“Same.”

“The cabin’s remote,” Dec reminded us. “Doubt they have service.”

Just a little while longer , I kept repeating to myself, happy for once that Dec didn’t understand the meaning of a speed limit. It was more of a suggestion to him, one he chose to ignore.

It had been hours since we’d passed our group of girls off to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and checked in with Lincoln.

He and Leo had run into some issues and two girls had been injured during their rescue.

No one else had any issues and the RCMP had called in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to handle the compound the girls had been held in.

In other words, our job was done and the team was making their way back to Maryland. Everyone but us—we were headed to Connecticut to pick up our women .

I hadn’t spoken to Anaya in days, and even now after the mission was complete, the ball in my gut hadn’t unraveled.

Dec’s phone rang and he tossed it to me. “Check that, would ya?”

I glanced down at the display. “It’s Zane.”

And it was about fucking time. Comms had gone down while we were in Canada and they’d never come back online. Linc had relayed he’d been able to call and get through to Garrett to give him a SITREP but Zane had been otherwise occupied and he hadn’t spoken directly with his brother.

Dec rattled off his code to unlock his phone and I swiped the screen to answer.

“Mission shift,” Zane barked.

Instantly and immediately my body coiled.

“What’s that noise?” Thad asked from behind me. He was now sitting forward, his big body angling between the two front seats.

“Head straight to Lewis.” Zane ignored Thad’s question about the whooshing and rumbling.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it sounded like helicopter blades.

“Lewis—”

“To the silo,” Zane cut off Declan. “Anaya and Emerson ran into some trouble…”

Every atom, every cell, every molecule in my body felt those words. I fucking knew it. Knew it down to my bones there was a problem.

I cut him off. “Say again?”

The question had come from me but I didn’t recognize my own voice. I couldn’t feel my limbs. I didn’t even register the pounding in my chest. All I could feel was an ache so powerful it threatened to shatter me.

“Both are unhurt but Jeremy’s dead. So is Monica. Anaya and Emerson captured Landry and they’re taking him to the silo.”

Nothing Zane had said was making sense. “Captured? How in the fuck did that happen?”

“What in the actual fuck?” Thad roared and I jerked my head to the side, my left eardrum ringing.

“I don’t have details beyond that. Last I spoke to Anaya, she said they were unhurt, and an hour and a half out. You’re an hour forty-five from the silo, and I expect we’ll land the same time you get there.”

Declan had already changed lanes, the speedometer pushing a hundred instead of the normal eighty-five he drove.

“We’ll be there before the women,” Dec announced. “Have Garrett send the fastest route.”

“One more thing,” Zane started. “Landry is to be brought in alive.”

Hell to the motherfucking no. Just no. Absolutely fucking no .

“I gave my word to Tom. Didn’t promise what shape he’d be delivered in, and just to say, if he makes a move that makes you twitch, you do what you need to do. That promise was one I made personally, me. I didn’t promise I could keep my team in-check.”

How the hell had this happened? I had so many thoughts swirling in my head I couldn’t keep one train of thought straight long enough to begin to form a scenario where Anaya and Emerson could overpower and capture Landry.

“I want to talk to my wife,” Thad demanded.

“You’ll see her in an hour.”

“Not fucking good enough, Zane. She—”

“She’s holding strong. Her and Anaya both.

Fucking so strong, Thaddeus, they’re solid.

They played it smart. Did all the right things.

You talk to her now, she starts to crumble, then what?

Let her do her thing, and you’ll be there when the adrenaline dwindles and the gravity of the situation hits.

You do not want that to happen now, while she’s driving and the fucktard is tied up in the back seat. ”

“How the fuck did this happen?” Thad asked the million-dollar question.

“I don’t have the details. Anaya called it in, gave me the basics, it was her idea to go the silo, I didn’t question how she knew about it, but it was a good play. Lewis is closer and they wanted the asshole locked up and away from them as soon as possible.”

“Neither are answering their phones,” Dec put in.

“That’s because they’re damn smart. Turned them off and stopped to buy a burner. Anaya mentioned they were afraid Emerson’s phone had been tracked but didn’t elaborate as to why and I wasn’t going to question it. Garrett is in contact and they’re reporting in to him.”

“Zane—”

“Just get your asses to the silo. I know you’re both pissed as shit at me, and you should be. This is my fault. All of it is on me. But right now, I’m asking you both to check it. There will be time for it later and I’m fully prepared. All I care about right now is getting to Anaya and Emerson.”

The line went dead and I felt Thad’s body move, then heard him slam against the back seat.

They played it smart.

Did all the right things .

They’re solid.

Those three sentences were all I had to hold on to as Dec sped down the highway.

Empty words spoken while my woman was in danger.

If one hair was hurt…

No. I couldn’t go there. I couldn’t even think about Anaya being hurt .

I was fighting to keep my rage contained. There would be a time and a place to unleash it. Unfortunately, sitting in the goddamn car was not the time.

“I was fucking right. I felt it,” I growled.

Declan didn’t speak.

Thad didn’t speak.

And in the silence as the miles passed, I dwelled on the knowledge that once again, I didn’t listen to my gut and stop Anaya. Never fucking again would that happen. I’d tried. I had tried not to be the type of man who would put his foot down and forbid his woman from doing something.

Lesson learned.

Loud and motherfucking clear.

Never again.