Page 14 of Come For Me
His muscles tensed to move out.
“Dain…”
Elliot’s hand was on his sleeve, urging him to look at her. The woman had been clawing at the walls wanting to go in with him, but he’d refused. She and King would accompany him only as far as the door; he had a better chance of remaining unnoticed if he was alone inside. “We’ve been through this, little Otter.”
Their not so fun-loving teammate growled up at him, the sound even more intimidating given its tiny source. Dain resisted the urge to lay his hand on her head. Elliot hated any sign of affection on the job, not that she tolerated much off the job. The only thing she hated more was any implication that she was tiny. Patting her head met both criteria, and he’d like to keep his hand for the trip inside, so he didn’t risk her biting it off. He couldn’t keep his look from conveying a mix of gratitude and indulgence, though.
“I know exactly where she is, remember?” he reminded her quietly. “I’m going straight there, straight back. In and out. This isn’t about a confrontation, I promise.” Not that he had a problem with confrontation, but only when the situation required it. Livie’s didn’t, not yet.
“Damn right. You get your woman out; that’s all,” King muttered from his position behind Otter.
“I will.”You come get me, husband.
As he stood up, he held the image of Livie in his mind, sitting in her favorite armchair near the fireplace in their home, a newborn babe cuddled in her arms. The image of their future. Dain wouldn’t leave that future to anyone else.
He gave his team a final once-over. “Let’s do this shit.”
They moved out.
The second uniform had his gun drawn before the team was halfway across the lot. Good eyes. Dain ignored the threat and kept going. Ford talked low and fast in the meantime.
“Boss?”
He shook his head at Elliot. Either Ford would get through to his partner or Dain would.
“What would you do if your wife was in there?” Ford demanded as they reached the sidewalk surrounding the building.
“You can’t decide what’s best here! We follow orders; you know that.” But the officer had holstered his gun. Dain took that as a positive sign.
“I’m not here to interfere with your op,” he assured the man. His muscles quivered with the need to barrel through the blockade and into the building, but he kept it in check—barely. An alert before he had Livie out could blow everything to hell.
The officer shook his head stubbornly. “Like hell you aren’t.”
Dain glanced down to the name tag on prominent display on the man’s uniform. “Wakeland”—he pointed up at the windows lining the building above them—“see that window up there? Fourth floor, first on the left. That’s where my wife is. I know because she called me. She’s there, and she’s waiting for me to come get her before those bastards at the front of the building take her hostage too.” He paused, letting that sink in. “I can get her and get out; you know that. Your boss thinks his protocol will save lives; I really hope he’s right. But my wife won’t become a hostage if I can do anything about, Hedlon be damned.” He stepped closer. “Do you want to risk that? Risk them finding her before I can? Do you want one more hostage on your conscience, or do you want her out of the building and safe before those bastards even know she’s there?”
Every nerve in his body did a jig as he watched the officer’s mouth tighten, refusal and agreement warring in his expression.
“You know he’s right, Wakeland,” Ford said. “No one has to know.”
The uniforms exchanged a long look. “Only him?” the partner asked. “Not the other two?”
Despite Elliot’s protests, that had been the agreement. One man in, one man and one woman out.
“Just him,” Ford agreed.
A sharp nod. “Fine. You should know, they’ve locked the door up there.”
Dain patted his pocket. “No problem. I’ll take care of it.” He turned to look at his team.
“We’ll wait here, Boss,” King assured him, tapping his earpiece to remind Dain they’d be listening in if he needed their help.
Elliot didn’t repeat her protest, though he could see her biting her tongue on it. Dain grinned down at her. “Be thinking up baby names, Otter,” he told her.
“I guess Asshat is out, huh?”
“I’ll ask Livie.” He turned toward the door.
“You sure as hell better, Dain,” she warned him right before he slipped inside.
