Page 21 of Stone

“Thanks.”

He pulled out his phone and dialed.

“Knox?” Hex asked anxiously.

“I’ve got her.”

“Thank God,” Hex breathed. “He’s got her.”

“We barely made it out of the alley. Zolotov’s men were shooting at us.”

“Zolotov’s men are everywhere,” Hex said.

“That’ll make it tough for us to get to Sentinel Security,” Knox said. “We need a secondary plan.”

“Knox.” Killian’s voice. “The best idea is to hole up until the heat comes off.”

“Where?”

“We have a safe house nearby. It’s small, but it will do the job. You can stay there tonight. Devyn is en route to you. The building you’re in is mixed use. The first few floors are offices, so there are restrooms in the lobby. She’ll leave a bag in the restroom. It’s got a wig and a change of clothes for both of you.”

Disguises would help. It should fool Zolotov’s thugs long enough for him to get Nola to the safe house. “Acknowledged. I’ll update you when we get there.”

In the dim light, he watched Nola run her fingers through her hair. He grabbed her hand and she looked up at him.

“Nola’s okay?” Killian asked.

“Nola is fine,” Knox said. “She’s hanging in there like a trooper.”

Her eyelashes fluttered and she glanced away. Then her head whipped back. “Wait, do they have any news on Lainie?”

“Nola’s asking about Lainie,” Knox said.

“Tell her that Lainie’s fine,” Hex said. “Nick texted. I don’t have any details, though.”

Knox looked at Nola and nodded. “Lainie’s okay.”

Nola blew out a relieved breath.

“Stone?” Killian said. “Get her to the safe house.”

Nola couldn’t stop shaking. She knew all the adrenaline in her system was crashing. She clenched her hands together.

“Here.” Knox turned over a bucket and patted the top.

“Thanks.” She sat down and felt the side of her face throb. She touched it gently and hoped she didn’t end up with a black eye.

He crouched in front of her and took her hands in his.

“You’re so warm,” she murmured.

“You’re safe, Nola.”

“I’m not.” A small laugh escaped her. “I’m hiding in a cleaning cupboard, and the Russian mob is after me.”

“I’m not letting anyone hurt you. We’ll get to Killian’s safe house, and tomorrow, I’ll get you to Sentinel Security. You’re going to give a statement to the police, then you’ll have me and the rest of Sentinel Security keeping you safe.”

She drew in a breath. “So, what happens next?”

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