“Get down!” Jaden said as he folded forward. One of Menendez’s top men had that tattoo.
Lauren slid until her knees butted against the back of the driver’s seat.
Their car was hidden from view, but no one seemed in the mood to take unnecessary chances.
“They’re most likely moving him again,” Jaden whispered.
“If they take him somewhere else, we’ll never find him,” Lauren said, desperation a lead weight sinking to the pit of her stomach.
“This is good. We don’t know what we’re up against inside the shack. This way, we can follow them. Strike when we’re ready,” he said.
The door to the SUV opened and closed, and then it was on the move again.
Helena didn’t immediately move. “They’re watching. Two big men at the front door.”
“Patience. We’ll catch up to them,” Jaden confidently said.
Lauren’s stomach lining was braided from stress.
“How do we know they have Max?”
Chapter 16
“We don’t for sure. This could be a decoy,” Jaden said to Lauren. His words weren’t exactly reassuring.
Gunner leaned forward. “I’m betting they’re moving him. They’ll want to take advantage of the break in weather. They don’t normally leave a witness in the same place for long.”
Lauren wished she felt more reassured.
“They’ve gone back inside,” Helena said, starting the engine. “It’s safe.”
She wheeled left, the same way the SUV had gone moments before
“How will we find them?” Lauren asked.
“Easy, they’ll be the only other car on the street,” Helena said, her slight accent almost a purr.
A stab of jealousy Lauren had no right to own hit her.
Jaden’s left hand covered hers. Her body ached to be in his arms again. His right hand palmed his gun, reminding her of the danger they were in.
In the front seat, Gabriel shouldered a weapon that looked like an assault rifle. Lauren knew very little about guns, but this one seemed especially threatening. Gunner had his weapon out and ready.
The weight of just how deadly this situation was sent a shot of adrenaline rocketing through her.
“Turn right,” Gabriel said. “Now!”
Helena jammed the wheel in time for Lauren to see brake lights ahead as the other SUV turned down another side street.
“There! I see it,” Lauren said, she held onto the gun Helena had given her with shaky hands.
After a few twists and turns, Helena roared up behind the SUV. The SUV hit the brakes hard, and the Range Rove slammed into its bumper. Thankfully, the jolt wasn’t strong enough to deploy the air bags. Gunfire ensued as the SUV fishtailed in front of them.
Helena maneuvered around the left side of the vehicle. Blacked out windows made identifying anyone inside impossible. Jaden bolted into action next to Gunner, firing his weapon.
Tat. Tat. Tat. The noise was so loud Lauren’s eardrums rang.
The passenger side window shattered.
The other SUV jerked right.
Damn.
Helena hit the brake and slammed the SUV into Reverse as Jaden slipped out the door.
“Bring them to me,” was all he said before he disappeared around the block.
Helena hit the gas so hard the tires spun, trying to find traction on the wet concrete. They caught, and the SUV jerked forward. She rounded the corner and caught up to the other SUV. She came up on its right side, forcing it into a left turn.
Helena forced another turn, and the knot in Lauren’s stomach tightened. She saw the minute Jaden stepped from a building.
His shot must’ve been dead on. The other SUV jerked sideways before running head on into a building.
All three operatives descended from the other SUV.
The scene slowed to a crawl for Lauren. Bullets flew. Sounds warped. Her heart stayed in her throat.
By the time she gathered her senses, a man was being pulled from the SUV. His frame was thin, his body limp, but she’d recognize her brother anywhere. Relief washed over her until she got a good look on his face.
Jaden climbed in the back, holding Max. “Go!”
The others slid inside Gunner’s SUV. Helena stopped at the door, aimed her weapon, and shot. An explosion rocked the pavement. For a split-second, Lauren feared they’d been hit.
Jaden’s hand covered hers reassuringly. “Max is safe.”
The drive back to the safe house seemed to take forever. Max might be safe, but he was unconscious. Fear gripped Lauren. He had to be okay.
As they settled her brother inside headquarters, Gunner said, looking concerned, “Think you can rest until air transportation arrives? You both look exhausted.”
She shot a worried look toward Jaden. Gunner, Gabriel, and Helena seemed honest enough, but she wasn’t exactly trained to pick out the good from the bad. Could they trust anyone?
Everyone in Jaden’s agency was trained to make people believe they were someone else. Hadn’t Jaden said something about eyes giving it away? Wouldn’t a man who’d been trained to hide his identity be skilled at tricking people?
“Gunner’s right. You need rest,” Jaden said. His tense posture said he was poised for battle. “I’ve got a few of my own wounds to dress. Plus, I need time to think about this.”
“Only if you promise to wake me if there’s any change in my brother’s condition,” she said through a yawn, checking on Max again. Arguing would do no good but she highly doubted she’d be able to sleep.
Max’s face, battered and bruised, sent her heart into a free fall.
“You have my word,” Jaden said.
“Now sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up. Right next to you.” Jaden was telling her he’d keep an eye on things. She knew firsthand how he could handle himself in pretty much every situation. He’d collected the bumps and bruises to prove it.
“We need to get back out before the weather turns again,” Helena said, looking antsy.
“I know how bad you want these guys. Believe me, I do too,” Jaden said.
Her mouth twisted in anger. “No one wants the man who killed Tim dead more than me. Those men didn’t do it. I need to go back to the house and watch. He’s close by and I can feel it.”
“The dragon tattoo?” Jaden asked.
Gabriel eased off the desk
