Page 25 of Hold Me Before You Go

Everyone was tense, the air thick with anger as we watched.

Carrie reared her head back into his jaw, and he released her. She ran to the front, crying out for help as Jimmy emerged from the office. There was a pop that rang through the air, and my eyes darted to the man standing at the mouth of the aisle, his gun pointed at Jimmy. Carrie was on the ground now, trying to crawl to the old man. Jimmy’s wife came out next, and the man shot her too. She went down, and then his focus was back on Carrie.

My gut tightened, knowing what I was about to watch.

He pulled her back into the aisle by her foot as she pulled out her phone, scrambling to call someone.

You.

She was trying to call you, Grayson.

A sound came from my throat as he stepped on her wrist, snatching the phone from her. A low, muttered curse came from Jake when he kicked her in the face. I couldn’t say anything; I was too busy trying to keep my anger in check. Hayes sat forward suddenly, pointing at the screen. “Pause,” he ordered Jake.

The video paused, and we all stared, our eyes on the image of the man’s face.

“He looks awfully similar to Robert Hale, does he not?” Dominic asked the room, reading my mind.

I fell back in my chair, the air escaping my lungs as I stared at the man who took Carrie.

“Once I get past the FBI firewalls, I’ll run facial recognition,” Jake promised.

“He’s too old to be Carrie’s father-in-law,” Ash noted, looking at me.

“The Hale children are dead,” Dominic reminded us.

“On paper,” Hayes added, folding his arms over his chest, looking at the table, brows furrowed now.

“Zoom in for me, Jake,” I commanded. I stared at the man, noting how similar yet different he looked to Robert Hale. He was heavier, a small gut protruding from his unzipped coat, his face rounded. This wasn’t Robert Hale; it wasn’t possible. Carrie saw his body chopped into bits. This wasn’t Robert’s father either.

That only left Brandon, the dead brother.

“I want everything you can find on Brandon Hale’s fatal car crash,” I told everyone in the room, leaning forward once more.

“You think it’s him?” Jake asked from the front of the room, his brows raised slightly.

“I know its him,” I returned.

“So Monica Larks and Brandon Hale are the targets,” Hayes declared.

I looked at him, nodding once.

“What about the moving company in Jersey?” Ash asked, meeting everyone’s eyes. “That could be his.”

“It would make sense,” Dominic agreed with a nod.

“The building belongs to a Harry Brown,” Jake told us, pulling up the title for us to see.

“Harry Brown. H and B. B and Ha. Brandon Hale,” Dominic put together. He shook his head. “This man isn’t the brightest.”

“Of course, he isn’t,” Hayes cut in. “He’s going after a woman, not only under Red Snake’s protection, but also the protection of Carrie’s old connections in St. Louis.”

“Are we bringing Oasis in on this?” Ash asked.

I shook my head, sharing a look with Hayes. “We’re keeping them out of it.”

The boys nodded, not asking questions before moving back to Brandon Hale. “How does a man like Brandon Hale fake his death?” Jake asked, looking at Ash.

A shadow fell over the ex-Navy Seal’s face then, his past haunting him—more so than mine. “He’d have to have very powerful friends.”

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