Page 38

I press against my chest, feeling the Kevlar vest under my sweater.

It’s heavy and provides a comfort, but it won’t protect all of me.

I tug at the edge of my sleeve, the small comms piece Jameson placed in my ear itchy but comforting.

It’s so small, it can’t be seen by the human eye and I hope to God they can get it out when this is all done.

The technology is amazing though and Malik’s voice comes through, calm and controlled.

“I have visual on Mila. All clear for now.”

My stomach twists harder.

Peter stops the car and kills the engine. Jace is nowhere in sight. We sit there for a beat, neither of us speaking.

“You ready?” he asks without looking at me.

No. Not even close.

But I nod. “Yeah.”

We step out together, gravel crunching beneath our boots. The wind whistles low through rusted-out metal equipment, the mine entrance yawning in the distance like a mouth waiting to swallow me whole.

And then I hear it… the rumble of an engine approaching. A beat-up black truck rolls to a stop twenty yards from us. I can make out Jace, but barely because the sun glares off the windshield. I pull my coat closer around me as he gets out slow and deliberate, his head swiveling to scan the area.

Jace looks rougher than I remember. His stomach is paunchy and his eyes are hard and unyielding. But it’s the smirk that hits me hardest—like he’s already won.

“Well, well,” Jace drawls, arms spreading wide. “Look what we’ve got here.”

Peter steps forward first, trying to set the tone and putting himself partially between me and Jace. “Told you I could get her here.”

Jace snorts, his gaze flicking to me like I’m an afterthought. “Didn’t think you had it in you, Brennan.” His gaze roams slowly down my body and then up again, a lecherous smile on his face that makes me shiver. “Look at you, Mila. All pretty, healthy and happy.”

Then his eyes settle on me fully—and all the venom that lives in him bubbles to the surface. “You ruined everything,” he sneers. “You fucking bitch.”

I don’t flinch. Somehow, I manage to sound calm and reasonable. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Jace. I did what I thought was right.”

“You thought it was right to destroy my life?” he sneers, stepping closer to me. Peter shifts uncomfortably, taking a tiny slide my way. “You took everything from me. I was a goddamn king until you opened your mouth.”

I brace, waiting for him to come closer but instead he starts pacing. He looks agitated, unhinged, but as long as he stays away from me, I can manage my nerves. “I honestly can’t believe you came alone.” He laughs and it sounds maniacal. “Stupid, stupid bitch.”

“You said you wanted to talk,” I say, trying to stay as soothing as possible so as not to rile him up further. “I’m here… so talk.”

“Talk?” Jace asks with a bark of laughter. “Oh, we can talk, I suppose, but then I’m going to make you suffer.”

“That’s not what you said,” Peter interjects. “You said you just wanted to scare her a little.”

“Shut up,” Jace snarls, turning on him. “She’s gotta pay for what she did to both of us. Don’t tell me you’re feeling sorry for her.”

“No, not at all,” Peter rushes to assure him. “But I don’t know what the fuck you mean by making her pay. You got to clue me in here, man. Because if you’re talking about physically hurting her, I’m not going back to prison, dude.”

Jace’s eyes gleam and he leans in toward Peter. “What if I am talking about murder?”

“I’d say that’s not proportionate to what she did,” Peter says calmly.

“Not proportionate?” Jace screams. It grates on my ears. “Not proportionate? She took my life. She took yours. Sent us to prison, ruined our hockey careers. We might as well be dead, so why shouldn’t she?”

The hair on the back of my neck stands up.

Malik’s voice is in my ear. “Stay calm. I’ve got you.”

“Jace,” Peter implores, holding out his hands. “Come on, man. Fucking lay into her, get it out of your system, but then be done with it. If you hurt her, you’re going back to prison and you don’t want that, do you?”

“I’m not going back to prison,” Jace proclaims with his chest puffed out. “Going to toss her body down that abandoned mine shaft and no one will know what happened to her. Then we’re going to figure out how to end that piece of shit Navarro.”

“No way, man,” Peter says, shaking his head. “You got to calm down.”

But Jace seems to be beyond reason now. He starts pacing again, ranting about everything he lost—his hockey future, his reputation, his control. He pulls at his hair and shoots me hateful glances as he continues his diatribe.

And then…

He pulls a gun.

It’s not dramatic. It’s terrifyingly quiet and smooth, but I can’t stop the gasp of horror that slips out of my mouth. I take an involuntary step backward, but my knees almost give way I’m so overwhelmed with terror.

Jace takes glee in my reaction. “Scared now, bitch?”

“Jace,” Peter says, hands up slowly with his palms facing outward in a silent plea for him to settle down. “You can’t do this here. Not out in the open.”

Jace looks around, laughs at his own brilliance. “That’s why I picked this place. Yeah, it’s out in the open, but there’s no one around for miles. We’re all alone. Going to put a cap in her and dump her. Fucking piece of cake.”

My heart beats so hard it’s in my throat, and I throw caution to the wind. “We’re not alone, Jace.”

His head whips my way, the gun pointed halfway between the ground and my face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we brought private security with us. They’ll be here in seconds.” I attempt to defuse his anger. “Now, you said you wanted to talk, so how about you put that gun away, and let’s just talk. I’ll do whatever I can to help you, Jace.”

Jace stares at me, his face a blank mask. His eyes dart around, looking for the boogeymen I just told him are out there, and then his regard slowly comes back to me. “I don’t believe you.”

I barely get my mouth open to point out the building where Malik is perched, but Jace’s hand comes up fast, gun swinging my way.

Vaguely, I’m aware of Kynan ordering Malik in my earpiece to take the shot, but it’s my brother who leaps at Jace. It all happens so fast—a blur of motion, screaming, and the gun goes off. A shot cracks through the air like lightning in a charged sky.

Pain explodes in my arm—white-hot and searing. I hit the ground without thinking, my brain barely catching up to the fact that I’ve been shot. I feel blood but I can’t look away from the horror of my brother wrestling Jace for the weapon.

They fight and grapple, almost in slow motion, and in my ear comm, Kynan says, “You get the clear shot, you take it.”

“Roger,” Malik says.

I clutch my upper arm, sticky warmth flooding through my fingers. “Don’t shoot my brother,” I yell into the comms.

Peter tackles Jace hard, taking him to the ground in a brutal crash of rage. I’m relieved to see the gun fall from his hand, but it sits only inches away. I try to crawl over to grab it, but I’m stopped by a roar of rage from my brother.

“You son of a bitch!” Peter screams, punching Jace over and over again in the face. “She didn’t deserve this!”

Blood spurts from Jace’s nose as Peter rains his fury down on his former friend. Knuckles colliding with flesh make a sickening sound.

Thwack, thwack, thwack.

In the distance, tires scream against gravel and then Jameson agents flood the clearing—Ladd, Greer, Jackson—weapons drawn, efficient and focused.

Kynan is there and finally pulls my brother off Jace, leaving him bloody and unconscious on the ground. Other agents move in, zip-tying his hands and ankles. Peter takes one look at Jace and then shrugs out of Kynan’s hold, running to me.

Greer beats him there, dropping beside me with a medical kit. Her hands move quick, scissors cutting my sweater away. “You’re okay, Mila. Stay with me.”

My vision is blurry, the pain sharp but manageable. I think coming down off that adrenaline rush is what’s making me so dizzy.

“Will she be okay?” Peter asks as he squats beside me.

“It’s not bad,” Greer assures him as she assesses the wound. “A graze. She’ll be just fine.”

Ladd radios in. “Suspect in custody. One civilian injured. Request police and ambulance.”

Malik appears above me, his calm presence a lifeline. He holds a rifle in his hand. “You did good, kid,” he says quietly.

I nod, glancing down as Greer bandages my bloody arm. “What’s going to happen to Jace?” I ask, watching as Jackson and Ladd roll him on his side so the blood pouring from his nose doesn’t choke him. He’s still unconscious.

“The police will take custody of Jace and charge him with attempted murder.” Kynan squats so he can look at me eye to eye. “You did it, Mila. You brought him down.”

“ We brought him down,” I say with a weak laugh and then look over to Peter, chest heaving from the exertion. I reach a hand out and he crawls toward me, taking it in his own. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, sis.” He then looks over at Kynan. “Think we can get her to a hospital?”

“Ambulance is en route,” Greer says as she tapes the gauze. “But I’m thinking some sterilization and a few stitches, she’ll be good as new.” She then grins at me. “I actually have the necessary stuff to do that for you now, if you want.”

“You got anesthetic in that little bag of yours?” I ask.

“Nope. Real agents don’t need anesthetic.”

“Then take me to a hospital,” I reply and everyone laughs.