Page 38 of Her Last Hope
“I’ve got a military grade first aid kit in the van,” Dylan said.
“Good to know.” She nodded.
They made their way back up the blown elevator shaft in silence. Once on the main floor, she lookeddown at the gaping hole and all the rubble. The reality of how close she’d come to death hit her senses like gale-force winds.
But the idea she could have lost Nick twisted her emotions so tight in her gut, it felt like a tornado had touched down and all her insides were about to be tossed outside.
She glanced at Nick. His skin had taken on a white-gray tone.
“Come on.” She wrapped her arms around his middle, putting more pressure, feeling the tacky blood stick to her fingers. “Let’s get you stitched up.”
He leaned against her, his arm draped over her shoulders. “I’m sorry about the hon, thing. I’ll be more conscious of it in the future.”
“What future?” She hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but now that it was out there, she might as well deal with it. Her heartbeat slowed as she wondered what it would be like to walk away from Nick Sarich the moment she completed her job. The thought felt like fingers reaching into her chest and squeezing her heart until it stopped beating altogether. “We both know whatever this is, it isn’t real.”
“I almost wish that were true.” His lips pressed against her temple with the gentle touch of a feather. “For the first time in years, I find myself wanting to be with someone more than once or twice, and I’m not just talking about mind-blowing sex.”
“I don’t want to want somebody.” She glanced in his direction, catching his gaze. “Not even you.”
“I know,” he said, pushing open the door with his hip. At least ten FBI vehicles had positioned themselves around the tractor trailer. Dozens of agents wearing FBI jackets filled the parking lot. “I understand.”
“Thank you, for everything.” Lame response, but it was all she had at the moment.
“Save your thanks for when we find Skyler.” He groaned as he pointed toward a grouping of agents around one particular vehicle. “Let’s talk to Ramos, then find that first aid kit.”
“Other way around,” she said.
“No. If we don’t do it now, we might lose our opportunity. I’m not going to drop dead in the next fifteen minutes.”
She took his hand and pushed it hard against his side. “Keep the pressure on, okay?”
“Will do.” He leaned up against a car not far from where Fielding stood over Ramos, who had been handcuffed and sat in the back of one of the SUVs.
Alicia wasn’t too far away, also handcuffed.
Leandra had never met anyone like Nick before. He was a complicated man, with so many different aspects to his personality. Loyal to the bone. Passionate about helping others. Fiercely protective of those he cared about.
And he did care about her.
Lying to herself about her own feelings toward him had become impossible.
But those feelings were connected to a shared loss.A commonality so deep, it bound them together in a way no one else could understand.
At least she knew they’d walk away friends.
“Go get the information we need,” he said.
A rush of adrenaline tickled her fingertips, building speed across her body like a raging river. She turned toward Ramos, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Logan and Dylan moving quickly across the parking lot, waving her over.
She patted Nick on the chest before meeting his brothers halfway.
“What’s up?” she asked, planting her hands on her hips, glancing over her shoulder at Ramos, who had the audacity to smile.
“We found something.” Logan handed her a file. “Certain types of girls seemed to have been flagged for one specific buyer.”
“Girl’s like Skyler.”
Logan nodded. “In the file are pictures of all the girls. Sixteen girls to be exact.”
