“It wouldn’t have changed anything,” Doc said. “It was too much. His body gave out. Let’s help those we still can help.”
She untangled herself from Chad’s embrace and stepped back. “I need some air.”
Before anyone could object, she stormed off.
Chapter 49
Jane grabbed Chad’s arm when he tried to go after Pain. “Let her go.”
He turned around, worry clouding his handsome face. “You sure?”
“She just needs some space. She hates it when she can’t help things.” Jane stepped aside as two more gurneys were brought in, and two nurses joined Doc and Tiffany. “Can you go back to the labs, help bring people out? I need to speak to Peter.”
“Okay.” He hesitated for a second, then nodded and disappeared down the trapdoor.
“Anyone seen Peter?” she asked the people around her.
“I saw him outside a minute ago,” a dark-skinned nurse answered, probably one of Martin’s.
“Thanks.”
Jane expelled a long breath as she walked through the hallways leading to the front door. She bumped into Ryan at the exit as he walked back in, his cheeks dark from the cold.
He pressed two ice-cold palms to her face and bent down, planting a winter-fresh kiss on her lips. “Hi.”
She smiled, the weight of the past two hours lifting from her shoulders somewhat. “Hi there. Where are your gloves?”
“Down in the lab, I think. Marco’s okay, already left with Alecia, his mom, and a couple more people. Where’s Pain?”
“Um, not sure.” Jane frowned. “She went outside. We found Jerry in the second lab, but it…” She trailed off, rubbing her face.
Ryan’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “He didn’t make it?”
Jane shook her head. “He was still worried about what happened in July. Stuck here for months, replaying all that…” She shuddered. “I guess it really got to her that we couldn’t save him, couldn’t get here in time.”
Ryan wrapped an arm around her, kissing her head. “Sorry.”
“It’s all right.” She breathed in deep. After everything that had gone wrong, they could use a win. “At least we got both the Commandos and the Devil’s Whores.”
“We did?” Ryan pulled back to look at her. “I thought they just left.”
“They did?” Her surprise mirrored his. “Didn’t wait to get their man from HQ?”
“No. Took their two men and ran. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I put a tracker on them.”
Blood drained from Ryan’s face. “You what?”
She opened her mouth to reply but lost her train of thought as another suddenly burst into her head.
They’d left with just two men? Why? What had changed since they made the deal, and Levi was so intent on recovering all four men they’d lost?
Dave. Dave had attacked them, and they’d seen what he could do.
“Jane?” Ryan squeezed her shoulder, and she shook her head, snapping out of it.
“I’ll tell you about it later. Gotta find Peter.” She gave him a quick kiss and ran out the door before he could distract her again.
Peter was speaking to Rob behind his car when Jane found him. He spotted her, quickly finished up, and dismissed Rob with a nod.
“What is it?” he asked her.
“The Devil’s Whores really left?”
“Yes. Rooney’s tracking them, though.”
“They’ve seen Dave, what he can do. We have to get them ASAP.”
Peter scratched his jaw. “Not now, we’re too busy here. There are fifty of them, all good fighters. Deadly. We’d have to send at least as many, and only the best.”
“And they’ll all be exhausted in a few hours,” she said.
“Exactly.”
“So maybe we could send someone else?” She arched a brow, and Peter did the same. “Someone who didn’t get what he wanted here, and who’s also very pissed at the moment?”
Peter’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, that someone would love to claim wiping out the Devil’s Whores.”
“They can have the glory—we’ve got our hands full here, like you said. Besides, we made the deal, and they didn’t.”
Peter took out his phone. “You are evil. Even your sister pales in comparison.” He tried to pinch her cheek, but she pulled away, grimacing.
“Hey, Martin,” Peter spoke into the phone. “Sorry about earlier. We got your ex and daughter. They should be all right… Sure, just call first so Marco’s not around. Yes. I got something else for you.” He lowered the phone and tapped the speaker with a glance at Jane.
“I’m listening,” Martin grumbled.
“The Commandos had the Devil’s Whores in one of their lovely basements, which we’ve accidentally freed and had to make a truce with for tonight. They got their men back and left.”
Jane expected a torrent of curses, but Martin didn’t seem to be in a mood to give a shit.
Peter continued, “Rooney’s tracking them, but they can find out any moment and go terrorize some other city. And we’re pretty busy here, so we feel like spreading the joy.”
“How many?” Martin’s voice took on a dangerous tone.
“Fifty. Might still be unarmed, probably stuffing their stomachs somewhere.”
“Patch me through to your boy. Gonna carve me up some Beasts.”
Peter smiled grimly. “He’ll be in touch right away. Just don’t get killed, or…” Peter trailed off, and Jane knew what he was thinking. Heck, Marco would probably be happy.
“Pfft.” Martin hung up.
Peter sent a quick text to Rooney and tucked the phone into his jacket. He watched the Ghosts being loaded into cars, resting one arm on Jane’s shoulders. “One less problem. Looks like we got everyone out in time, too.”
Jane bit into her cheek, remembering Jerry. “Yeah, about that…”
* * *
“Well, ain’t this romantic.” Pain snuggled deeper into Chad’s arms, watching the huge bonfire they’d lit in the middle of the clearing. Behind it, an even bigger one was still raging inside the half-collapsed building.
Everyone had gathered
