Page 101 of Risky Passion

"Man, am I glad to see you. You good?" The relief in his voice was raw. His handshake and shoulder clap carried the unspoken messages that had been racing through our blood since birth.

"We're alive." I huffed, meeting his gaze with the silent communication we'd perfected since the womb. "That's a start."

Parker reached for Whitney next, embracing him with the same desperate relief. When he stepped back, his expression shifted to forced lightness; another survival tactic we'd all mastered. "Where's your shirt, dude?"

Whitney's half-smile completed our triangle that only identical DNA could fully understand. He jerked his chin toward Tory. "Tory needed it. Hers had too much blood from the bullet wound."

"You got shot?" Whisper blurted. “Where?” She stepped back from Tory, looking her over.

"I'm fine," Tory said, throwing Whitney a look that could've melted steel. Like she'd been planning to keep that little detail under wraps as long as possible.

More people emerged from the old schoolhouse, and I recognized Ryder Westwood, Border Force brass and Tory's boss. Being here spoke volumes about how much Tory meant to him and his team. I respected that kind of loyalty.

A man with a prosthetic leg strode toward us with the fluid grace of someone long adapted to the modification. He had to be Cobra. I’d heard a lot about Aria’s technical wizard.

"Cole Tanner," he said, using his civilian name, offering his hand with a grip that matched his direct gaze. “I’m so glad to see you three."

He gestured to a stunning redheaded woman at his side. "This is my partner, Yasmin. Welcome to our old schoolhouse-turned-safehouse."

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” I said, frowning. “I thought you were in that warehouse explosion.”

“Notinit, no. But I was there when it blew up. Lucky I was outside the building when it happened and dove into the ocean. I saved Maya and Aria. They were both unconscious when I pulled them from the water.”

"Christ. They okay?" Anger and shock vibrated through me.

“Yeah. They both have a concussion and cuts that needed stitching. They should be discharged from the hospital soon.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.” Beyond the old schoolhouse, empty paddocks stretched toward the horizon. The isolation felt oppressive. "Any word on Blade and Viper?"

Cole's expression crumbled before he caught himself. "Still missing. Rescue teams are combing the rubble, but . . ."

He didn't finish. He didn't have to.

"Onyx and I need to get to Rosebud," I said, already moving toward the trunk. "Every minute counts if they're trapped under that building."

I popped the trunk lid and the others gathered behind me.

Whitney joined my side. "I'll take the skull," he said, reaching between the boxes. "This is precious evidence."

"Oh, gross." Yasmin recoiled, jerking back. "What the hell, guys?"

"Where did you find that?" Ryder's voice carried the sharp edge of someone connecting unwanted dots.

"Angelsong Orphanage," I said. "In a hidden basement that everyone missed for decades. Whitney found these boxes there, too."

"Right before a woman tried to burn the building down," Whitney added.

Cobra whistled. "A woman? Do you mean B?"

"That's our working theory.” Whitney's jaw tightened. “She won't be happy we salvaged these documents."

"You’re not wrong. That bitch is going to lose it," Cobra said, with the dread of someone who'd seen the cruelty B could inflict.

"Understatement of the year." I grabbed a box, and the weight caught me off-guard. Either these files were dense as hell, or twenty hours without sleep was finally catching up to me. "Where are we securing these?"

Cobra hefted two more boxes. "Follow me."

We formed an improvised convoy, each carrying evidence that might finally expose the assholes who had been poisoning our towns for decades.

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