Page 158 of Fearless

But it never happens.

Brody is long gone by the time we get outside. Probably for the best. The entire force is under Victor’s control. If he were to be caught helping me out right then his life probably wouldn’t be worth living.

“Pop the trunk,” I demand.

The second it’s open, Griff, JD and I unceremoniously throw Kurt into it. He grunts in pain, blood still spewing from his knee. His leg refuses to bend of its own accord, but JD doesn’t have an issue with helping him out and wrenching it back to stop me from closing the trunk on it. Totally worth it the way he cries out in pain, I’ve got to wonder which option would have been worse.

The others move away, ready to climb into the car to head home, but before I close the trunk, I meet his eyes.

“Welcome to hell, motherfucker.”

37

ALANA

My body trembles with adrenaline as I climb into the back of the car. But any joy I might be feeling about taking Kurt by surprise and throwing him in the trunk is obliterated by the soft cries coming from the girl in Mav’s arms.

“Hey, baby girl,” I say, resting my hand gently on her back. “You’re safe now. The bad man is gone.”

The words rock through me. Realization slams into me that we did it.

We got him.

“Did we really just do that?” I ask as JD, Reid, and Griff join us.

“Yeah,” Reid muses, but there isn’t much conviction in his voice.

“What? What’s wrong?”

Reid’s eyes meet mine in the mirror.

“Is he really that stupid?” The question settles around us. “He didn’t fight.”

“He didn’t know we were coming,” JD offers. “The look on his face when we stormed in said it all.”

“But why was he here alone?” Reid asks, but no one has an answer. “He reached out to us. He knew we’d be looking. That we’d find him. Was he just going to let that happen?”

“Why did he want Alana?” JD adds.

“To make us weak. It’ll have been an order from Victor,” Mav says, speaking for the first time since he scooped Daisy up in his arms.

“We shouldn’t be talking about this now,” Griff points out. “Let’s get back. Debrief with the guys. Talk to him.”

“Is it safe to go back?” Mav asks.

“Kristie,” I breathe, panic rolling through me like a wave. “If this was a setup to get us out of the house?—”

My words are cut short when Reid floors the gas and takes off down the street, leaving nothing but tire tracks on the road.

“Answer the fucking phone,” he bellows after Devin’s cell connects and rings twice through the speakers.

“Aw, Bro, are you missing me already?” Devin teases.

“How close to the house are you?” he asks in a rush.

“Like… four minutes out.”

“Don’t pull through the gates. It was a setup.”

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