Page 136 of Can You Take It?

He’s silent for a moment, just holding me. Then, I feel him smile against my hair. “I love you so much more,” he whispers.

“You fucking idiot. Why do you always have to play the hero?”

He pulls back just enough to look at me, his eyes soft despite the dirt and exhaustion. “Because I couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to you. I had to make sure you were safe.”

“You’re an idiot,” I repeat, but there’s no heat in my words. Just relief.

“Let’s get these off you,” he says, reaching for the cuffs. He pulls out a key and quickly unlocks them, freeing my wrists. I rub them, wincing at the red marks left behind.

“Thank you,” I say. “I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do.”

He sits down across from me, taking my hands in his. “I know. I’m sorry you had to go through that. But I’m here now. And I’m okay.”

“How did you…?”

“Diffuse the bomb?” He smiles, a bit of the old cockiness creeping back in. “It was tricky, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I knew I couldn’t take the risk, so I drove it to the lake. As soon as I hit the water, I bailed. The car and the bomb went under, and the water contained the explosion.”

“Jesus,” I breathe, my grip tightening on his hand. “You could have died.”

“But I didn’t,” he says softly. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Just then, his phone rings. He glances at the screen and answers, his expression shifting into that focused, serious look he gets when he’s in work mode. “Yeah, Noah, what’s up?”

I can’t hear Noah’s side of the conversation, but I watch Richard’s face, trying to gauge what’s going on. His jaw tightens, and his eyes narrow.

“No, I’m not leaving the room,” he says. “I don’t care what Wilson wants.”

A pause. Richard’s grip on my hand tightens. “I don’t give a shit about protocol right now. Izel’s been through enough, and I’m not about to let Wilson grill her after everything that’s happened.”

Another pause, longer this time. Richard’s knuckles turn white. “Tell Wilson he can question her later. If he wants to talk to Izel, he can wait. She needs a break. If Wilson has a problem, he can come down here and talk to me himself.”

I can hear Noah’s muffled voice, but not the words. Richard’s face hardens further. “Yeah, well, Wilson can go fuck himself if he thinks I’m just going to step aside. I’m not leaving her, and that’s final.”

He hangs up and lets out a frustrated breath, running a hand through his hair. “Sorry about that,” he mutters.

“What’s going on?”

“Wilson wants to question you,” Richard says bitterly. “He thinks he’s going to get you to say something useful. But I told Noah that’s not happening.”

I bite my lip. “I can’t believe this. After everything, they still don’t trust me?”

“It’s not about trust, Izel. Wilson wants to get you to confess about the kills. But he’s not going to push you around. Not while I’m here.”

“Thanks,” I whisper.

Richard leans back in his chair, still holding my hand. “He’s probably going to storm in here any second, thinking he can intimidate me into leaving.”

“Let him try,” I say. “I’m not saying a word without you here.”

He smiles with a hint of pride in his eyes. “That’s my girl.”

The door opens, and sure enough, Wilson walks in. “Agent Reynolds, a word outside, please.”

Richard stands up but doesn’t let go of my hand. “Whatever you have to say, you can say it here.”

Wilson’s eyes narrow. “This is highly irregular. We need to debrief her immediately.”

“Not happening,” Richard says firmly. “She’s been through enough. You want answers, you wait until she’s ready.”

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