Page 72 of Knockout

He’d taken charge of the situation in her house when they had to search for Destiny and his brother. The sight of that much authority had scared her. Put her on edge. Mark would have used it to batter her psyche and get his way, making her believe that was what she wanted—or at least that she wanted the path of least resistance.

She still had to sort it all out in her head. Why get into another relationship and risk ending up in the same place?

Peter slung an arm around her shoulder and tugged her to his side. “We need to go see Bob.”

She nodded.

“Hold up.” Collins, the Vanguard agent she worked with, held up one hand. “Roxie goes with us. She’s going to a safe house right now.” He had his phone in his other hand. “Clare’s orders.”

Liam tugged her to him so fast she blinked, and her face smashed against the front of his vest. “Gotta go. Be safe.”

The cops jogged away, continuing the search for two people now.

“I’m going to Bob.” Peter shot her a look, almost pleading with her to understand. “I need to be there at the hospital.”

She nodded. “Go.”

If they weren’t going to let her be in public, at least Peter would be there for their boss. Clearly, Peter thought of him more like a father. He’d told her about how his original father was an evil man, even before anyone else figured that out. Peter and Simon had kept their sister in the dark for years, safeguarding her belief in the man who’d raised them. When it came out that he was a criminal, they could no longer stop everything from coming to a head.

Even if they’d been working quietly on their own to take him down.

Now that he had Bob in his life, of course, he’d want to wait for word in the hospital.

But she didn’t have the luxury.

She turned to Collins, already knowing the answer to her question. “I can’t even go to the hospital?”

“I’ll keep you apprised of what’s happening.” Collins didn’t back down. “The ambulance just got to the house.” He waved to their SUV, the only vehicle still there. “Let’s go.”

Roxie walked toward it. She’d prefer not to put anyone around her in danger if it came down to that. But then again, she also didn’t want to sit somewhere doing nothing to help find Destiny—and now Liam’s mom. She could pray and get some things straight, but in reality, all she would do was sit around thinking about her feelings for Liam.

He’d always carried that larger-than-life air around with him everywhere. Taking care of his brother, but also getting the information they needed.

More than one man had taken Destiny.

How many had taken Liam’s mom?

She stopped at the door and looked at Collins, who was holding it open for her. Protecting her. “Why take the two of them?”

“Get in.”

“Liam’s mom, that’s kind of understandable if dirty cops are trying to hit back at him for whatever he’s getting close to. Or whatwe’regetting close to.”

He set his hand gently on her shoulder, like he was going to say something reassuring. Then he shoved her at the open door. “Get in, Roxie.”

She caught herself and scrambled in. He slammed the door and went around to the other side, climbing in the back beside her. Another guy was in the front passenger seat. The driver threw it in gear and pulled out. If she hadn’t seen them around the office, she might be worried right now.

“Safe house, huh?”

Collins typed on his phone. Probably updating Clare as to the fact they were mobile now.

None of them spoke to her.

“You guys must have a theory as to why they grabbed Blake’s sister, Destiny. Sweetest woman you’ve ever met in your life, by the way. Don’t let the pizza grill waitress thing fool you. She’s got a heart as big as Alaska. She’s going to Africa in the new year to do missions for six months. A woman like that could change the world.”

Tears gathered in her eyes.

Collins said, “They have their jobs, we have ours. SWAT will find their sister.”

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