Page 25 of Deceptive Lies

He was leaving Willow behind, and he was all too aware of the fact that she wasn't safe. There was not a single doubt in his mind that she was going to be tortured as soon as he drove off.

Maybe Mahmoud was already in his yard, unlocking the trapdoor to her prison cell and laying his filthy hands on her.

His own hands clenched into fists as he got into his car, thenbecause knowing what he was leaving Willow to endure made him physically ill, he slammed a fist into the steering wheel.

Two weeks.

That’s how long she said she’d been there, and from the bruises he could see on her face—and he was sure there were more beneath the clothes—he was positive that she’d suffered every second of those fourteen long days. He had no idea how she’d wound up in the hands of a world-famous Egyptologist, but it was going to be one of the first questions he asked when he got her the hell out of there.

Switching out the comms unit to a two-way one, he expected to hear demands from his brothers that he had to leave Willow where she was, call in the cops, and let them handle it. Already he had a whole defense planned out, what he was going to say, hell, that he was going rogue if he had to. Since they were on the other side of the world, they couldn’t do anything about it.

They hadn't seen her.

Hadn't seen the bruises mottling pale, creamy skin.

Hadn't seen the fear, pain, and pure determination swirling in her turquoise eyes.

“I'm going back for her,” he said again as he turned on the engine and drove away, fighting against the pull of the brave woman huddled in a dirty underground hole.

“She’s a friend of Julia’s,” Connor blurted out.

His foot almost slammed onto the brake. Julia Garamond was married to a member of Prey’s Alpha Team. She was an investigative journalist who had come into contact with Alpha Team while investigating the Bratva who were involved in a plot to overthrow the government. Along the way, she’d fallen in love with Dominick “Domino” Tanner, and despite a very rocky start, the two were now happily married and expecting their first child.

If Willow was a friend of Julia’s, she was likely a journalist, too.

I heard the questions you asked the professor. Once we’re free, I’ll tell you everything I know about him. I don’t know if it will help you get the answers you need about your mom, but if nothing else, you can use it as leverage.

Willow’s words rang through his mind, and now he knew what shemeant. She had something on Tarek Mahmoud, and whatever it was had gotten her abducted and tortured.

“Julia reported her missing when she didn't check in as she was supposed to. She doesn’t know what Willow is investigating, just that the target was Tarek Mahmoud. Domino apologized and said Julia wasn't aware we were going to meet with the professor, or she would have given us a heads-up. Said Julia feels bad about it,” Cole explained.

“Not either of their fault. Even more reason to go back for her,” he said firmly.

“No one was going to argue otherwise,” Cade said with a hint of irritation in his tone. “I don’t know why you seem to think we would leave an innocent woman behind. It was one thing when it was just a figure in black with no way to know who they were or if anything was wrong. Completely another to leave behind someone who has been tortured. It’s like you don’t even know us.”

Hanging his head, Cooper rounded the corner and pulled over to the side of the road. “I'm sorry. It’s myself I'm angry with. I knew something was off and I ignored my gut. Because of that, Willow suffered two more days of hell.”

“Not your fault,” Connor reminded him.

Maybe, but he still felt guilty.

And anxious to get her the hell out of there.

“I’ll have to keep her with me,” he said, thinking aloud, using his brothers as a sounding board. “Mahmoud has connections everywhere, and I don’t want to chance one of them getting to her before she gets home.”

“Get her out, get her to your hotel, and we’ll go from there,” Cade told him.

“Be careful, Coop,” Cole warned. “You're right, the guy does have connections, and I doubt he’s afraid to use them once he realizes Willow is gone. He’s going to connect it to you, you're the only one who’s been there, and he had you followed.”

“I'm betting because he was worried you were there for more than just answers about Mom,” Connor said. “He probably thinks you're onto him, that you know whatever it is Willow knows. If you want, we’ll hop right on a plane and come over, I don’t like that you're therewithout backup, and soon you're going to have an injured civilian on your hands.”

“I can handle it,” he assured his brothers. “And if anything changes and I need the backup I’ll let you know.”

After saying his goodbyes there was nothing to do but wait.

And wait.

And wait.

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