Page 38 of Raider Unleashed

Raider stopped walking and stared at her. “Did you know?” his voice broke on the last word. His eyes were wide and his face had lost color.

She tried to speak but her voice was gone. She was crushing him all over again and it had stolen her breath, her voice, and her soul. She just nodded. Driving her fingernails into her other hand helped clear the lump of tears from her throat so she could speak. “I didn’t tell you. I wanted to surprise you when you came home. I knew how much you wanted children. How much you wanted a child with me.” She shook her head. “I didn’t even think of the baby, of our child, when I took off after the runner. The pregnancy never even crossed my mind until I was falling off the fence.”

Raider stared at her, his hands opening and closing. He wanted to kill her and she didn’t blame him. She’d gone through that stage herself. Along with all the other stages of grief. “Raider, I just couldn’t face you. I couldn’t tell you the truth and have you hate me for…” her voice broke. “For killing our child.”

The sound of tires crunching on gravel hit her ears. She glanced in the direction of the sound to see an SUV and another car coming up the road. The cavalry had arrived. Too bad they couldn’t save her from the torture she’d endure for the rest of her life. From seeing the pain and anguish on Raider’s face.

16

Raider could barely breathe let alone focus on what was happening around him. Piper had been pregnant.Pregnant. He’d always wanted a family. A large one. Piper said yes to two with a possibility of three, but Raider had wanted six. He’d given up on that ever happening once she’d kicked him out. Just the thought that it had been a reality at least for a little while and she hadn’t told him. The idea of all they’d lost, all he’d lost demolished something in him. He wanted to shake her. What the hell had she been thinking? Why didn’t she tell him? She’d wanted it to be a surprise. Well, she got her wish. Even five years later, it was a hell of a surprise.

The vehicles had come to a halt and Chambers had gotten out of the car and was walking towards them. “Piper, I’m so glad you’re okay. You gave us a hell of a scare. What a clusterfuck last night was! So glad it all worked out.”

“Yeah, me too,” Piper said.

Her voice was strained, and she was pale. There was no way Chambers wouldn’t know something was wrong. Raider’s first instinct was still to protect her from anything, including her boss’s potential prying.

He gave himself a mental shake. He needed to let her go. She’d made it clear she was done with him. She’d had five years to process the loss of their child. He’d had five minutes.She should be worried about him!Instead, she was just quiet and pale. This whole thing was like getting hit by shrapnel. Emotional shrapnel that was going to leave permanent damage.

Chambers gaze darted back and forth between the two of them. “Do you have the thumb drive?”

Raider studied Chambers. He was sweating and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days.Know the feeling.Raider wasn’t sure he’d ever sleep again after Piper’s bombshell. He frowned. He needed to get through this and get away. He needed time to process…his loss. Both of them.

“Did Baker and Wells make it?” Piper asked suddenly. “We heard gunshots. I was worried.”

“Er, not sure. Haven’t seen them. Don’t know anything about it. We can send a team to the neighborhood to look.”

Faint alarm bells were ringing for Raider, but he’d be damned if he could put his finger on why. He glanced toward the other vehicle behind Chambers’ car. No one had gotten out of it. He jammed his hands in his pockets and touched a button on the cell phone. A little insurance just in case.

“Who’s in the SUV?” he asked.

Chambers glanced over his shoulder. “No one, just some team members. I brought them along but since there’s no issue they’re probably staying in the A/C.”

Raider nodded but his gut told him something was way off. The passenger window was down in the SUV, but he couldn’t see inside. Whoever sat there wasn’t worried about staying cool. “Where’s Fielding?”

“Like I told Piper, he’s back at the office. He’s waiting to hear about the thumb drive. You have it, right Piper?”

She nodded. “Yeah, we have it.”

“Great. You can just give it to me and then we’ll get you back to the office and debrief you.” Chambers was really sweating now. It was not warm enough to justify that kind of perspiration, even with a suit and tie.

“Did you guys get Denlo and his boss?” Raider asked nonchalantly.

Chambers cleared his throat nervously. “Picked them up at the house. Denlo screamed bloody murder, but Kasinski came quietly.”

Icy fingers gripped Raider’s heart. He glanced at Piper. Did she pick up on it? He shifted his weight so he’d be ready to move while trying to get her attention without being obvious, but she was oblivious to him.

She was frowning and then she cocked her head. “Wait, how did you know…” her voice died as her eyes widened. “It’s you,” she said. “You’re the mole. You’re the one that got Marta killed.”

Piper couldn’t believe the man she’d called boss and mentor, a man who’d been a friend for years could be the mole. How was that even possible?

But the facts fit.

And if she had any doubts the gun in his hand that was pointed at her was a clear message.

“How could you?” she demanded. Her heart rate skyrocketed, and heat crept into her cheeks. She closed her hands into fists. “Marta is dead because of you. Why?”

John just kind of shrugged. “I needed the money,” he said simply. “Pauline took me to the cleaners in the divorce. I can’t afford to pay her alimony, pay for the kids, and still live. I got tired of working my ass off for so little.” The normally affableanimation left her boss’s face. All the friendliness was gone. Now he’d morphed into just another cold, calculating killer. His eyes had even gone flat.

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