Page 78 of Liam
He blinked, and that motion seemed to snap him out of it. “No.”
She swallowed, wanting to believe him. But hehadbeen listening for a lie.
“Is there any way you know but aren’t aware of it?” Tyler asked, pulling her attention away from Liam.
She looked at him, frowning. “I don’t know how that would be possible. You all know everything I’ve been through and every man I’ve seen.”
“You’ve been a target since that first night at the engagement party,” Courtney said. “It must be someone from that evening.”
“I’ve told all of you everything that happened that night. I got Willow and Mila out. I was going to go back into the main room, but that guy came into the supply closet. We fought. He ran off when the doorknob rattled.”
“Did you see his face?” Cody asked.
“Yes, but when I offered to give a description to Carlson, he told me I didn’t need to. That the man had been shot and killed.”
There was a clear shift of energy in the group, and when she realized why, her gut clenched.
Because maybe shehadseen the leader of their organization that night. Maybe she’d seen Hawk…and maybe Carlsonwasa part of this after all and had lied to protect the man.
CHAPTER22
“I’ve shown Nylah photos of the guys who attacked and were killed at the party,” Liam said to his team over video chat. The entire team was on the call, except Tyler, who’d just left Liam’s. “None of them are the guy she fought that night.”
The guys cursed loudly.
“You have the description she gave me, so you know it doesn’t give us much,” Liam continued, leaning back in his office chair while Nylah showered upstairs. He wanted to be up there with her, but he needed to talk to his team first. He ran a hand through his hair. “She’s gonna sit down with Emerson tomorrow and see if they can sketch the guy.”
Emerson was Tyler’s woman, and she was also an artist. If anyone could put a good sketch of the perpetrator together, it was her.
Logan nodded. “Good. Because you’re right—medium height, slim build, dark eyes, and late thirties is nothing to go on.”
“I know. And she knows that too.” He’d seen the frustration brimming in her eyes. She’d wanted to help more. “She said her first reaction to seeing his face was that he wasn’t what she thought he’d be. He was too clean-cut.”
The guys nodded.
“Did you speak to Steve?” Liam asked.
It was Jason who answered. “We raised our suspicion about Carlson, highlighting his position in the police department and the resources he’d have at his disposal. Also mentioned the timing of his visit to the coffee shop and the attack.”
“We also told him why we think it would be someone close to us,” Logan added. “And mentioned that Carlson just started dating a waitress who works with Nylah.”
“It obviously won’t be enough to arrest him, but maybe to bring him in for questioning,” Jason said quietly.
Liam nodded. “Did you tell him about Carlson neglecting to get a description of the guy who attacked Nylah in the closet at the function center?”
“We did,” Logan said. “It was a risk, when we don’t know if there’s a leak in the FBI, but if we didn’t—”
“Then there wouldn’t even be enough to have Carlson taken in for questioning,” Liam finished. Fuck, it was a bad situation. But they really didn’t have any other lead.
“I was thinking,” Aidan started slowly. “You said the guy used the word ‘leader,’ and he claimed that info came from Hawk. Sounds like there are two people running the show here.”
Liam frowned, rolling that around in his head. He was right. Liam hadn’t picked up on it at the time, too full of rage because Nylah had almost been killedagain.
“At this point, nothing would surprise me,” Callum said. “And if fucking law enforcement are in on this,anyonecould be.”
The anger and frustration that pummeled through Liam’s veins shone back at him from every man on the team. They were ready for this to be over. Past ready.
The guys talked security for a few minutes, then Liam leaned forward. “I’ve got to go check on Nylah. Watch your backs, okay?”
