put a hand on her arm to hold her on the bed. “Did they tell you anything? A message to give me?”
“The taller one said you had to hang on to some CD.” She tried to yank her arm out of his grip. “If anything happens to the twins because of your stupid job, I swear to God, Reid—”
“You need help over there?” The cop was coming back to check on them.
“I got her.” He held her firmly, but at the same time made sure she wouldn’t hurt herself with her incessant tugging. “Any clues as to who the attackers were and where they went?”
“Nothing. The ambulance is leaving with your buddy,” the officer told Reid. “You want to go with him?”
“I’m staying. But I want to be notified when he regains consciousness.”
The cop gave a brief nod before disappearing from the doorway.
The EMT patted his handiwork and stood. “That should do it. She needs to rest as much as possible.” He flashed Reid a pointed look.
Of course, even now, she was swatting his hands away, trying to get away from him. “Bad news,” she mumbled.
And while the EMT probably didn’t know what she was talking about, Reid did. She was talking about him. He was the bad news in her life, bringing nothing but pain, over and over again. He didn’t protest her words. He agreed wholeheartedly. And the fact that he had brought trouble to her door once again was killing him.
He stepped in front of the door to block her from leaving the room on the EMT’s heels, then pulled his cell phone out.
“Who are you calling?” Even the question was spoken in a tone of accusation.
“Backup. I need you to be taken someplace else while I look for Zak and Nate.” And skin anyone alive who laid a finger on them. The veneer that held him in check was wearing awfully thin.
“Like hell.” She stepped up to him. “Do you hear me? I’m going after the twins. I’m going with you. If you dare leave me, I’ll just get away. I’ll follow you.” She stabbed him in the chest with her index finger. “I can do it.”
The desperation underlying her anger came through in her voice and twisted his guts.
He closed the phone and pulled her hard against his chest. His arms tightened around her on their own. Truth was, he didn’t want to leave her. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight. He didn’t want to let her out of his arms. Ever. And because that thought unsettled him, he dropped his arms away from her.
“Sit on the bed. Let me think,” he ordered.
She did, probably knowing he was about to give in.
A cell phone rang in the living room. When nobody picked it up after several rings, he strode out to get it. Through the window, he could see the cops combing the front lawn, casting tire molds. He grabbed the cell phone from the coffee table—Kenny’s backup phone that Jen had passed on to Reid, then Reid had passed on to Ben.
“Hey,” he answered, hoping someone was calling Kenny, hoping he could fake his way through the conversation and come away with something usable.
But the call was for him.
“We got the kids. You got the CD. Let’s trade.”
Everything inside him went cold. “Say when and where.” He wasn’t about to let on that he had nothing to negotiate with.
“I’ll be calling you,” the voice said, and then the line went dead.
He swore a blue streak.
“What is it?” Lara was coming from the bedroom because, of course, she wouldn’t stay put. Her gaze went to the pool of blood on the dingy carpet. She blinked hard. “How is Ben?”
“He’s a tough bastard. You’re not to worry about him.” She had plenty on her mind without starting to feel guilty now that someone had gotten hurt protecting her and her babies. Ben had known the risks when he’d signed on. This was the kind of job they both did. When you were on protection detail, you were paid to step in front of bullets, not hide from them.
“Who called?” Lara was asking.
He flexed his jaw to keep it from clenching. “The woman who was
“The taller one said you had to hang on to some CD.” She tried to yank her arm out of his grip. “If anything happens to the twins because of your stupid job, I swear to God, Reid—”
“You need help over there?” The cop was coming back to check on them.
“I got her.” He held her firmly, but at the same time made sure she wouldn’t hurt herself with her incessant tugging. “Any clues as to who the attackers were and where they went?”
“Nothing. The ambulance is leaving with your buddy,” the officer told Reid. “You want to go with him?”
“I’m staying. But I want to be notified when he regains consciousness.”
The cop gave a brief nod before disappearing from the doorway.
The EMT patted his handiwork and stood. “That should do it. She needs to rest as much as possible.” He flashed Reid a pointed look.
Of course, even now, she was swatting his hands away, trying to get away from him. “Bad news,” she mumbled.
And while the EMT probably didn’t know what she was talking about, Reid did. She was talking about him. He was the bad news in her life, bringing nothing but pain, over and over again. He didn’t protest her words. He agreed wholeheartedly. And the fact that he had brought trouble to her door once again was killing him.
He stepped in front of the door to block her from leaving the room on the EMT’s heels, then pulled his cell phone out.
“Who are you calling?” Even the question was spoken in a tone of accusation.
“Backup. I need you to be taken someplace else while I look for Zak and Nate.” And skin anyone alive who laid a finger on them. The veneer that held him in check was wearing awfully thin.
“Like hell.” She stepped up to him. “Do you hear me? I’m going after the twins. I’m going with you. If you dare leave me, I’ll just get away. I’ll follow you.” She stabbed him in the chest with her index finger. “I can do it.”
The desperation underlying her anger came through in her voice and twisted his guts.
He closed the phone and pulled her hard against his chest. His arms tightened around her on their own. Truth was, he didn’t want to leave her. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight. He didn’t want to let her out of his arms. Ever. And because that thought unsettled him, he dropped his arms away from her.
“Sit on the bed. Let me think,” he ordered.
She did, probably knowing he was about to give in.
A cell phone rang in the living room. When nobody picked it up after several rings, he strode out to get it. Through the window, he could see the cops combing the front lawn, casting tire molds. He grabbed the cell phone from the coffee table—Kenny’s backup phone that Jen had passed on to Reid, then Reid had passed on to Ben.
“Hey,” he answered, hoping someone was calling Kenny, hoping he could fake his way through the conversation and come away with something usable.
But the call was for him.
“We got the kids. You got the CD. Let’s trade.”
Everything inside him went cold. “Say when and where.” He wasn’t about to let on that he had nothing to negotiate with.
“I’ll be calling you,” the voice said, and then the line went dead.
He swore a blue streak.
“What is it?” Lara was coming from the bedroom because, of course, she wouldn’t stay put. Her gaze went to the pool of blood on the dingy carpet. She blinked hard. “How is Ben?”
“He’s a tough bastard. You’re not to worry about him.” She had plenty on her mind without starting to feel guilty now that someone had gotten hurt protecting her and her babies. Ben had known the risks when he’d signed on. This was the kind of job they both did. When you were on protection detail, you were paid to step in front of bullets, not hide from them.
“Who called?” Lara was asking.
He flexed his jaw to keep it from clenching. “The woman who was
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