Page 48 of Wyoming Cowboy Undercover

Her heart sank.

If her father had trusted anyone with the name of the arms dealer and details about any heinous event that he was either aware of or had in the works, then it would’ve been Alex.

That left her with no other choice.

She had to return to the compound and ask her father for help. He would give it after a performance full of melodrama designed to saddle her with guilt. But it would come at a heavy price that she’d have to pay.

Chapter Twelve

Seated at the conference table across from Nash and Becca, Rocco was going through his debriefing when his cell phone rang. This was hard enough without interruptions. Not looking to see who it was, he silenced the phone.

He took a breath, collecting his thoughts, chiding himself for his failure. “As I was saying—”

Nash’s phone rang. Sighing, he took it out of his pocket. “It’s Brian.”

A cold fist gripped Rocco’s gut.Mercy.“Put him on speaker.”

Nash answered, “I’m here with Rocco and Becca. We’re all on the line. What’s up?”

“Mercy is gone.”

Shoving up out of his chair, Rocco stood and pressed his palms to the solid wood table. “What do you mean? How is that possible?”

“I went to get her something to eat,” Brian said. “While I was gone, she left.”

Rocco struggled to understand. “You mean she was taken?”

“No.” Brian sighed. “She walked out the back door.”

Rocco blinked and the room spun.

“Any idea why she would leave?” Nash asked Brian. “Did something happen?”

“She left a note.”

“Read it,” Rocco snapped more harshly than he’d intended.

“‘Dear Rocco, my father is the only one who can give you the answers you need in time. Stay away from the Devil’s Warriors. Please trust me.’”

The words hit him like a sucker punch. Her questions about whether the task force would leave the Shining Light alone if they got what they needed suddenly made sense. She’d been planning to take off for the compound before he’d even left her at USD.

“If she’s on foot,” Rocco said, “you can catch her.”

“I drove around in a five-block radius. No sign of her. I’m sure she got a ride.”

Swearing under his breath, Rocco grabbed his phone and headed for the door.

“Wait,” Becca said, stopping him. “She asked you to trust her. Running off to the compound and making a scene would be doing the exact opposite. Maybe you should let this play out. We can still use the time for alternative plans.”

“To hell with that.”

“Becca is right,” Nash said. “She’s already gone. Give her a chance to work on her father. If you haven’t heard from her in a couple of hours, then we’ll all go together. It won’t take long to get to her.”

MERCYPADDEDINTOher father’s office.

He got up from his chair. His gaze raked over her, lingering on her jeans, but he said nothing about her clothing. He came around and greeted her with a tight hug. “Oh, my dear child. Praise the Light for your return.” He ushered her to the sofa by the windows. “Alex, leave us.”

“Sir, I need to tell you—”

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