Page 87 of Dangerous Devotion

I felt such a surge of gratitude seeing them all safe and alive that it took me a moment to realize the slight shift in Vince.

I pulled my focus from Milli and Max and shifted my attention to Hawk who had Birdie cornered against one of the SUVs.

His eyes were locked onto Birdie, and his face transformed from relief to anger in an instant. “What the hell were you thinking?” he growled, his voice low and intense. “Going back in alone like that? We were five fucking minutes out. You could have gotten yourself killed!”

Vince took a step toward them, but I laid my hand on his chest. “Wait.”

He looked down at me and stopped.

I watched the exchange with interest. Birdie stood her ground, chin lifted defiantly. “I couldn’t wait. They were evacuating. It was our only chance.”

Hawk narrowed his brows. “You had a fucking order,” he growled, and despite his harsh words, there was anundercurrent of something else in his voice. Concern, maybe even fear. His eyes never left Birdie’s face, scanning her for injuries with an intensity that seemed more than professional.

Birdie’s posture softened slightly under his scrutiny. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice gentler now. “Thanks to you, they didn’t have time. We all made it out.”

As I observed their interaction, a thought struck me. The tension between them, the way they seemed hyperaware of each other’s presence, and at the same time completely oblivious to their surroundings?—

It reminded me of how Vince and I had been in the beginning. Could there be more between Hawk and Birdie than just a working relationship? And what about Fee?

“Vince?” I turned my head and met his gaze with my eyes.

“What?”

“How’s Fee doing?” I whispered, and my stomach tightened. What if she wasn’t okay? What if there had been some side effects or a relapse or something?

Vince’s face softened, and the tension inside my body lessened immediately. “She’s doing okay. They expect a full recovery, and she can leave the hospital in the next couple of days.”

I sighed and snuggled deeper into his arms. Finally, something was going right. And soon, we would all be home again, together.

Such a happy thought—that was until the rest of the team emerged from the building, their faces grim.

I held my breath, hoping to see Bella and Mira among them. But as they approached, my heart sank. They weren’t there.

“Building’s empty,” one of the men reported, his voice tight with frustration. “No sign of the other two women.”

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Vince’s body tensed around me, his arms tightening reflexively. “Fuck,” he growled, the single word filled with a mixture of anger, despair, and resignation.

Hawk’s head snapped toward us, and he narrowed his eyes. “Vince?” he demanded, his tone sharp.

Vince took a deep breath, and I could sense his internal struggle. “My father,” he said, his voice low and controlled despite the fury I could feel radiating from him. “I confronted him. He didn’t deny he was trying to kill me, but he didn’t know about the kidnapping. And then there’s Zotov.”

I felt a chill run down my spine at the mention of Zotov’s name. Vince’s grip on me tightened slightly as if he could sense my unease.

“Zotov showed up at the office,” he continued, a hint of self-loathing in his voice. “He…showed me a video feed of Jemma.”

“And?” Hawk said.

“He wanted a trade.”

“A trade?”

“Jemma, for my cooperation…and Isabella.”

Hawk’s eyebrows shot up. “Isabella? Why the hell would Zotov want your sister?”

Vince shook his head, confusion evident in his voice. “No idea. It doesn’t make any sense. But he was clear about it.” He sighed. “It was right when you called, so I thought wehad him. I turned him down—didn’t even entertain the thought.”

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