Page 57 of Heston
Heston looked up into the deadly eyes of one weary, but pissed-off killer. “Bring your blowout bag, get an IFAK kit if you don’t already have one, and enough painkiller to keep London comfortable until medics arrive. You and Eric are with me.”
“Copy that,” Eric answered.
“You know which container she’s in,” Heston breathed.
“Of course he does. I’ve had drones in the air over those containers for weeks,” Mother cut in. “Just wish I’d known there were women in there, I’d have called the FBI. Speaking of which, the FBI will be on hand. Don’t ask me how they know—”
“Psychics,” Heston spat. “Tucker met us when we landed last night. Shit! He’s got intel he’s not sharing.”
“The Bureau has no need to share anything with us,” Murphy pointed out.
“Like hell they don’t!” Heston yelled. “If Tucker knew London was there—”
“He would’ve called me,” Alex said tiredly. “Damn it, Hes, they’re not omniscient and Tucker’s on our side. Trust me. His wife was kidnapped years ago. Nothing brings out the beast in him more than men who abuse women.”
Mother cut in with, “Things might get messy. FBI’s after Keane, too, so—”
“We’re going covert, Mother, not rogue,” Alex bit out. “We do this by the book, people. If the Bureau takes Obermeyer and Keane into custody, let them. But if anyone—any-gawddamned one—dares come after my wife or any of you again—in my house—on my land!—kill the sons of bitches!”
Heads nodded and The TEAM moved out. Heston, Eric, and Alex were at HQ’s entrance when Alex’s phone buzzed.
“Libby? What’s—?”
“You need to come down to Kelsey’s room. Now.”
Heston cocked his head at the loud, stern command coming from Mark Houston’s petite wife over the phone.
“Is she—?”
“She needs you, Alex. She’s trying to wake up, and the first person she needs to see is you. Hurry.”
“On my way.” Alex stuffed the phone in his pants pocket and turned to Heston. There was a spark in his tired blue eyes for the first time in days.
“Go, Boss. Your place is with Kelsey.”
“Kill them, Hes,” Alex bit out. “Kill them all. Make them bleed. Make those sons of bitches pay.”
“Yes, sir, I will. Now go. We’ve got this,” Heston answered with equal venom.
Alex turned for the elevator that would take him down three levels to The TEAM’s high-tech sickbay. Heston and Eric turned to the East, toward Washington DC and the Jefferson Monument. To London. Obermeyer, Keane, and that damned Irishman might think they were running this show, but theywere dead-assed wrong. They’d made a fatal mistake. The biggest, baddest apex predator on the East Coast wasn’t Alex Stewart. It was Heston, a caveman at heart maybe, but a caveman who would damned well defend London to the death. Their bloody, painful-as-fuck deaths. Today—there would be blood.
“Stay strong, babe,” he projected across the distance between them. “I’m coming.”
And I’m bringing Hell with me.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Alex arrived at Kelsey’s door out of breath and, for the first time in forever, unsure of himself. He’d prayed for this moment, but now that it was here, he was afraid to hope. Kelsey had taken one helluva beating in the White River, enough that she might never recover completely. She very well could have permanent brain damage. TBI, for hell’s sake. There was no way to know for certain until she woke up.
Hesitating, he ran a hand over the knotty scar on his scalp. He’d been beaten years ago, bad enough his brain had also swollen. He’d had the same surgery as Kelsey. Had nearly the same section of his skull removed. The same scars. She and he were a matched set.
“Alex,” Libby said behind him. No hope resonated in her voice. No emotion. Just the calm professionalism of a strong woman who’d transitioned from nurse to physician. The same woman who’d survived her own near-death experience before she’d married Mark. Libby Houston, now a mother of five, a doctor, and Kelsey’s best friend.
Alex lifted his eyes to Libby’s sweet face. He might never tell them, but he loved Libby and Mark. There were no better friends. Well, except for Murphy and Roy, both senior agents who’d retired years ago, but had come back. Harley and Zack. Their wives and…Shit. He was rambling.
“Let’s look in on Kelsey and see how she’s doing, shall we?” Libby suggested, her slender hand already palming the door open. And there she was. His goddess. His everything. Alex’s breath caught, just like it did every time he looked at Kelsey.Quickly, he stepped past Libby and went straight to Kelsey’s side.
“Judy, McKenna, and I decided you should be the only one with Kelsey when she wakes.”
