Page 78 of Off the Grid
Leo turned toward Tommy, keeping the phone balanced between his shoulder and his cheek as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Call the boss, tell him to send backup. Someone just broke into her apartment. Call the NYPD and get local law enforcement on the scene as soon as you can. Tell them to wait for our lead. And for the love of God, turn on the damn sirens.”
Done. Done. And done.
Leo pressed the phone to his ear, listening to more breathing, more steps, then the slam of a door. “McKenzie?”
He pushed his foot on the gas, tearing down Park Avenue. There was something deeply satisfying about zipping over the speed limit and swerving between traffic as the siren wailed. They were twenty blocks away, and all the lights ahead were, for the moment, green.
“Leo?” Her voice was nothing more than a scratchy whisper. “It’s not— It wasn’t— It—”
“I know,” he cut her off. It wasn’t the Russians—it never had been. It was Henry Waineright the entire time, and he’d been too blinded to see it. Leo would never forgive himself if she lost her life because of his failure. “Where are you? Are you hiding?”
“I’m in the master bathroom. They’re—” She broke off in a stilted cry as a pounding noise carried over the line. The sound made his blood boil. She was too strong to be so terrified.
“It’s okay, McKenzie. It’s okay. Breathe, okay? Listen to my voice and breathe. I’m on my way.” He kept his voice as soothing as possible, even as fury burned beneath his skin.
“They’re banging on the door.”
“Is it locked?”
“I have my back pressed against it, and I’m using the tub as leverage to hold it shut. But I’m not sure…” She was amazingly composed. Pride warmed his chest. “What if they break it down?”
“Listen to me, McKenzie. I need you to turn sideways so your back isn’t up against the door, okay? Can you still hold it shut that way? Use the walls for leverage? I’m almost there.”
He honked the horn and let the sound linger until the cars in front of him merged left, leaving the right lane open.Ten more blocks to go…
“I think so—”
Pop! Pop!
Two bullets were fired, cutting her off.
There was no accompanying scream, only silence.
“McKenzie!” Leo shouted into the phone.Fuck!This was what he’d been worried about—keeping her back to the door left her too exposed. Wood was no match for a gun. “McKenzie!”
“I’m okay,” she whispered, breathless. “It was—it was above my head. I’m wedged beneath the sink, and I’m using my legs and my hamper to help brace the door shut.”
That wouldn’t last very long.
They’d broken her front door down to get inside, so it was only a matter of time before they broke this one down too, especially since he had a feeling they’d just blasted through the lock.
Five blocks.
Four.
“I’m almost there. Do you have any sort of weapon? Anything at all?”
“I broke the mirror over the sink when I ran inside.”That’s my girl. Smart and shrewd in the face of danger.“I’m holding two of the pieces in my hands, but I’m not sure— I’ve never stabbed anyone before.”
“Go for the belly or the throat if you get an opening. Or stay low and slice the Achilles tendon—it’ll make it impossible for them to chase after you. Do you have any idea how many there are?”
“Three, same as before. I’m not sure if they’re the same guys.”
Hired hands.He should’ve known—they hadn’t acted like the mobsters he’d been trailing for years. It had been too easy to break into that house, too easy to get her out, too easy to get away. They’d been biding their time.
Two blocks.
One.
