Page 46 of Risky Passion

“Nope. There’s a car here, though. Don’t know who owns it. Want me to run the plates?”

They abandoned her. My Alice. Left her to rot, exposed and vulnerable, like she was nothing more than garbage. My throat tightened around a lump that felt like razor blades. Tears blurred my vision, forcing me to ease off the throttle.

How dare they. How fucking dare they.

Oh God, Alice. I’m so sorry.

The words barely registered in my mind over the engine’s growl.

“What do you want me to do?” Cooper’s voice cut in, but he sounded nervous.

“Just stay there. I’m on my way.”

“What am I staying for? There’s nobody here,” he said, suspicion creeping into his tone like a slow leak.

Before I could answer, my phone flashed to another screen. My heart jolted to my throat. The warehouse alarm. The pressure plate had been triggered.

Those bastards at Alpha Tactical Ops had breached the perimeter – they’d found Grant.

“Fuck!” I snarled, slamming on the brakes. The bike skidded hard, barely making a turn into a “Stop/Rest/Survive” driver’s rest area. I cut the engine, and the sudden silence was deafening as I put down the stand and jumped off the bike.

I yanked my handbag from the saddlebag, my mind racing.

“Hey, B, you still there?” Cooper’s voice crackled in my ears, tinny through the Bluetooth.

“Yes. Just stay there.” My tone was clipped, focused.

I dumped the bag onto a picnic table, unzipped it, and pulled out my iPad. The screen flickered to life under my thumb, revealing the live feed from the warehouse. Four sharp images filled the screen: two from inside, two showing the perimeter.

Grant was still tied to the chair, his head slumped forward against his chest. He was still unconscious. Good.

I ripped off my helmet and slammed it onto the table. Itteetered, then rolled off the edge into the dirt, but I didn’t care. My eyes were fixed on the live stream.

Three figures moved toward Grant, their steps measured and deliberate. They were dressed in full tactical gear, weapons raised, poised to kill. My pulse quickened as I recognized them.

Blade. Viper. And that bitch, Maya.

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Perfect. The three of them, together. The same fuckers who killed my boys. But where was Aria? And their tech expert, Cobra?

I leaned over the iPad, studying the images closely. There was Aria, hovering outside the front door, her eyes darting left and right, scanning the shadows.

“Get inside, you bitch,” I muttered.

“B! What the fuck’s going on?” Cooper’s voice thundered through the helmet speakers, dragging me back into the moment.

I pulled the detonation device from my purse, setting it upright beside my phone. My hand hovered over the button, itching to press it and blow that team sky-high. The temptation was overwhelming. But not yet. Not until they were all inside. Patience had always been my greatest weapon.

“B!” Cooper yelled again, his voice grating.

“I said, stay there. I’m coming.”

“For what? There’s nobody here!”

“I need you to help me move Alice.”

“Alice?” he blurted, a sharp edge of disbelief in his tone. “Don’t tell me this is Alice Turnur.TheAlice Turnur who went missing last year?”

I ground my teeth as I watched the live feed. Blade and Viper were inching closer to Grant, their movements methodical. Maya hung back, sweeping her weapon over the dark corners of the warehouse, searching for threats.

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