Page 86 of Diamond in the Rough

“Airport? I’m not going anywhere. You’re dodgy as hell.”

Jake shuffled along the back seat to get comfortable, then sighed. “I didn’t want to do this…”

“Do what?”

Jake pulled the gun out of his pocket, kept it low so no passersby could see, and pointed it at the driver.

“Get me to the airport.”

Chapter 15

The traffic crawled in the direction of Maddox’s apartment. As soon as they turned a corner, he realized why. Police cars were parked outside, and an ambulance. The area was being quickly cordoned off, and the cars waved down the side streets.

“What do you think?” Amber said.

Tom shrugged. “Could be anything.”

He switched on the radio and changed channels until he got to a news bulletin. The fire at GalleyHead Prison was the headline story, and a reporter described the towering inferno, claimed it made a mockery of all the recent fires in the city.

“Gavin did me proud,” Maddox mumbled.

Tom turned to Amber. “Is there anything on your phone about what’s happening here?”

“Give me a sec.”

She tapped and strolled, then smiled. “A shooting in the Prince Regent Apartment complex. Anything to do with you, Boss?”

Tom’s eyes snapped up to the mirror. “How can it have anything to do with the Boss? We’ve only just got him back.”

“Booby trap, remember?”

Maddox nodded. “Looks like someone set it off.”

“Serves them right.” Amber smirked.

“But it also means I can’t go inside and get what’s in the safe. It’ll make things a bit more complicated.”

Amber pouted. “We broke you out of prison. We can handle complicated.”

“True.”

“Hospital, Boss?” Tom asked.

He nodded, then coughed into his closed fist. Amber shot him a look in the mirror, and he waved her concerned gaze away. “I’ll be fine.”

“Your head still pounding?”

“It’ll be better once I get Jake back.”

Amber studied him intently. “I’ll have to go inside and find him.”

Maddox wanted to protest, wanted to be the one to see Jake first, but he knew he had to wait for their reunion. He nodded, turned to the back window, and stared at the blue flashing lights.

****

Tom pulled up outside the doors, and Amber leapt from the car. She vanished through the double doors, and Maddox stared after her. Any minute, he’d finally see Jake. That niggling worry clawing at the back of his head would fade to nothing. He was expecting bruises, cuts, bandages. It would stir up his protective side, make him furious, but one touch from Jake would dampen it down. Getting away was the priority, revenge saved for another day.

Amber pushed through the double doors with Zoe in tow. Maddox watched expectantly, but Jake didn’t follow them out. The worry surged in his mind, exacerbating his pounding head. He pushed his thumb into his temple and tried to disperse the tension into his skull.

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