Page 66 of One Step Sideways

He waited then grinned and put his hand on my shoulder. “Talk to him while I keep the connection open.”

“Rawlings?” I whispered.

“What the fuck’s going on?” Rawlings bellowed. “Where’s Danny?” I winced and Mark smirked.

“Shut the fuck up and listen,” I snapped out. I told him where we were and what was going on, especially how Danny needed a doctor. Where I thought Ringo was.

“Nope, he’s here. Shae was in a bad shape, but we have him. Ringo was all for going back in, but he couldn’t get past the cops. If he hadn’t gotten Shae out when he did Shae would have died.”

“You can’t tell them how the enhanced can do this,” I stressed. “We have to protect—"

“Understood,” Rawlings confirmed. “I’m just worried; there’s a lot of trigger fingers out here.”

“We have O’Connell.” Much as I hated to need him. “If he comes out first, he can tell them that friendlies are following him.”

Rawlings scoffed. “You’ve been around Rangers too long. But, will do.”

I nodded and Mark let his hand drop. “I get you want to keep this secret and I’m going to do all I can. My boss knows people in the FBI, enhanced.”

His eyes lit up, but then he deflated, and his smile dimmed. His reaction was the sort that someone still hoped for an outcome even when he’d been let down too many times. “Do you think they need more agents?”

“After you’ve done with school,” I said firmly, and he grinned like it was a promise.Hell.

I walked back into the cell. “O’Connell. You have to leave first. If they see an orange jumpsuit they’ll fire before asking questions. I’ll bring Danny next.” He needed to be seen quickly. “Guys, you have a choice. Walk out with us or stay here and wait till they come get you.”

I’ll stay,” Callum said softly. “They’ll recognize me and try to take me down or out.”

“Me too,” another enhanced said and sent Callum a smile.

“We’ll help with Danny,” Cherry said, and Blaze nodded. I stared at O’Connell.

“Do you understand what to do?”

He nodded, but I wasn’t convinced. “I am in a position to make your life miserable and short. I’ve never done anything to you, but I will unless you follow the plan exactly. I’ll be right behind you, listening to every word.”

O’Connell nodded again. “I just want out of here.” He looked at the floor, then back up. “I’ve made a lot of assumptions.” He gestured to Callum. “He’s kept us all safe. The rioters were trying to get to me.” He waved a hand at the dead bodies on the ground.

And of course, if the riot was a coincidence, I knew that as a C.O. O’Connell would be a huge target. If he didn’t die straight away when they got their hands on him, he might wish he had.

“I want to walk,” Danny said as I went back in to get him. I didn’t bother arguing. Stubborn idiot.Good thing he was mine.Step by step we headed toward the door that gaped open a little after Ringo had gone through. I was surprised the cops hadn’t come in, but maybe they wouldn’t until the rioters surrendered. An open corridor stretched in front of us, and O’Connell raised his hands when we got to the outside door, looked back at me, and pushed it open. I had a chance to see around a hundred cops all with their guns trained on us before O’Connell started shrieking. He ran toward them. “Officer. I’m an officer. He’s got a bomb. He’ll detonate when—”

But I didn’t give him so much as a second, or any of the others. I was ready. I didn’t trust that weasel O’Connell further than I could throw him, and I threw one hand up, keeping a tight hold of Danny with the other, and everything went silent. Power rippled through me, and I gritted my teeth and held them all still. “Mark,” I whispered, the strain of the connection almost unbearable. “Tell Rawlings.”

“To your left,” I heard. “Black truck. He has the side door open.” I picked up Danny and ran, then went back for Blaze and Cherry, my control lasting until I got back to the truck. The blackness vanished and, disorientated, a hundred guns fired on the only target they could see.

O’Connell.

Chapter Twenty-eight

Danny

I woke up to the beeping of a heart monitor and groaned. Been there. Done that. But then I took in the rest of my surroundings and couldn’t move. Wait? I was strapped down?

I heard a chuckle from a voice I recognized and pried my lids open, coming face to face with Diesel. Before I got the chance to ask him what the hell was going on, I took in the rumble at the side of me and turned my head. It was Kane—fast asleep—and the strap I felt was his arm clamped across my thigh.

“The nurses ordered him to get in bed with you last night because they were more worried about him than you. He’s been on guard duty for 40 hours straight without shutting his eyes.”

I gazed at my man. He looked exhausted. He definitely hadn’t shaved, but he hadn’t left me. I couldn’t find the words to tell him how much that meant.

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