Page 204 of Unexpected Hero

I jump back into the driver’s seat, ready to roll.

Boss is the first to the vehicle. “They found her alive. Get us to the hospital.”

Thank fuck.

Leo jumps in the front seat since he’s a giant fucker. Sawyer, Shep, and Boss pour into the back.

The bridge of my nose is irritated from where my glasses rest. I took out my contact lenses a few hours ago when the burning intensified.

When all non-essential machines are powered down, I shut off the lights in the lair and trudge to the front door.

That’s all I can do tonight. Might as well get some rack time. I suspect the next few days will be busy as hell while we track down whoever targeted Sammy.

She was treated at the hospital and released. Until further notice, Sawyer will guard her and her mother overnight, and Leo and Henderson will take the days.

For now, the Redleg family is safe and sound.

Unfortunately, the perp remains at large. Sammy doesn’t know who snatched her since they attacked her from behind, knocked her out, and threw her in a trunk. Once she regained consciousness, she escaped when the car stopped at the traffic light by pulling the emergency trunk release cord.

Resourceful girl. Lucky too.

I’d have removed the cord if I’d taken her. Not that I’d ever abduct an innocent woman. But if I needed to toss a bad guy in a trunk, they wouldn’t be escaping, that’s for damn sure.

I wonder if Lettie would have thought of doing something like that.A ball of nausea scratches at the back of my throat like steel wool.

She kept popping into my mind all night long, interrupting my intel gathering. I’d check one of the dozen trackers I have on her, verify she was safe at home, and only then could I refocus.

My attention should have been exclusively on helping my Redleg family solve the case. But it wasn’t. Hopefully, after I get my customary three hours of sleep, I’ll regain control of my thoughts.

Tomorrow, the team will reconvene at HQ to strategize the next steps. We’ll find out who took Sammy.

For now, I need sleep.

But as I get in my car, it doesn’t take me to my house. It brings me to my girl like it has a mind of its own.

And I know why.

Watching Leo and Sawyer panic over what happened to Sammy tonight hit me hard. Fortunately, I was able to be the calm in the storm for them. That’s how I support the team. In a way, it’s how I show them how much they mean to me.

But what if the roles were reversed and Lettie was in danger? I’d be a mess.

Endless military training and experience or not, I’d crack under the pressure.

And that terrifies me.

As much as I need shut-eye, I won’t be able to rest until I reassure myself of her safety.

Sure, I could break one of my recently instituted privacy rules by accessing the security cameras at her house or her cell phone’s camera, but it’s not enough. Not tonight.

Besides, I won’t be that guy again. She means too much to me. I’m done invading her privacy.

The GPS trackers and cameras are for her security and nothing more. To my mind, it’s no different than what we do for our high-value clients as a worst-case-scenario measure.

Tonight, I’m going to her for myself.

I need to see her, smell her, and feel her. I want to wrap my frame around hers, letting her warmth soothe me to sleep.

When I arrive at her and Freya’s place, I use the key she gave me to enter. After removing my shoes, I pad toward Lettie’s room.

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