Page 38 of Dangerous Lies

Grim shook her head. “No, we’re heading to Haiti to search for a Senator’s daughter. They took her six hours ago, and the government asked Xavier to spearhead the rescue.”

“You sound like this is an everyday occurrence.”

Grim pushed the button on the leather chair, and the leg rest popped up. “We do these missions often. Many people want to help in third-world countries, but they don’t blend in with the locals. You can’t wear thousand-dollar shoes when some people don’t see that kind of money in a year of work. This is the third rescue mission in the last two months. Some we get to in time, some…”

Rose swallowed, unsure what to say, so she finished her google search. “I was right. Major surgeries require ten days before boarding a plane.”

She turned to the side and waved at Doctor Hill.

“What now, Ms. Hayes?” Rose loved the sound of Doctor Hill’s British accent. Even if he was being rude.

“Look, here, it says people shouldn’t travel after major surgery for ten days. I’m not sure we’ve even hit twenty-four hours yet!”

The tall doctor, who was dressed in a business shirt and black pants, rolled his eyes at her like her six-year-old son. “I didn’t get my education from Google. My degree came from Oxford. Now, do you need me for something important, or can I treat my patient?”

Her teeth ground together as he turned and strode back to Ginger’s bed. “Ass.”

“I don’t think my mother would take too kindly to you calling me a donkey.”

Xavier took the seat across from her.

“I needed to pull the team,” he said.

She didn’t respond because when she voiced her concern, he ignored everything she said.

“In San Diego, he has a support team who can watch his ass and yours.”

Rose studied him. “I can look after him just fine. Brittany hasn’t called, and the police are after the serial killer now.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Nobody told you?”

Rose narrowed her eyes at Grim. The person she thought had become her friend shifted in her seat.

“She didn’t need the added stress.”

Xavier sighed. “Grim, you used to give bad news like you were reading a menu. You’ve softened over the years. I think it’s all the kids you play with.” Xavier turned his crystal blue eyes on Rose. “Two of the SUV tires were shot out. They found a control device on the car that took away the driver’s ability to have control. The accident was on purpose. Someone targeted him. He wasn’t in surgery because of the accident. He had a bullet in his right thigh. They shot at him after he escaped the water. I don’t understand why the person didn’t eliminate Ginger, but until we figure out if Carter was behind the attack or the serial killer, I need to get him to a safe house. Hence the immediate flight. I have to send Grim on a mission, and Casanova needs to report back to base. As for Lucas, I promised him a long time ago he wouldn’t do fieldwork.”

“Do you think it’s the serial killer from the note placed on my SUV?” Rose asked. “He said he would make someone close to me pay. You can’t find Britt, so I highly doubt he would find her.”

She’d assumed Ginger had been hurt in the car accident. It never occurred to her the note and the accident were connected. She should have thought something was up because Casanova would leave the room each time his phone rang, and Grim changed the subject when she brought up the crash.

“We aren’t sure.” Xavier scrubbed a hand over his face. “Lucas is diving into Detective Miller and all the evidence you had. Carter wants something from Ginger, and we aren’t sure what, because if he wanted him dead, he would not have put him in the cell and tortured him for two months.”

A deep need to protect Ginger came over her. She would figure out her business when she flew back to Vegas, but for now, he was her priority, along with their son. The only things she wished for were her clothes and her bugs. They wouldn’t make it until she made the flight back. Some services came and walked dogs; maybe she could find one to take care of her pets.

“Do Tyler and I need to stay hidden also?”

Xavier nodded. “I know you’ve had to deal with Carter for years. We will find him soon. My team is needed elsewhere, and I can’t leave you unprotected. Ginger will also need you when he wakes. The man would go crazy if I left you unprotected.”

She had to figure out a solution for Tyler’s school. They would call and ask why he wasn’t coming to class. Her boy loved his school, but he also made friends quickly. Maybe this was her fresh start. She could build her business back up in San Diego. She was making tons of plans, and she hoped that Ginger would want the same when he woke up.

Lucas shouted from the other side of the plane. “Got something, boss.”

Rose didn’t wait to see if they would include her, she took the seat next to Lucas.

“Evan Miller lived in the abandoned house the same time you did with his brother Aden. Isn’t Aden the kid you told us about?”

She couldn’t take her eyes off the picture Lucas brought up on the screen. “This doesn’t make sense to me. Aden never said a word to me about a brother, and I don’t remember seeing Evan once during my time on the streets.”

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