Page 68 of A Worthy Opponent
I look around. Peter doesn’t burst out of anywhere. “It wasn’t a trap for me. It was a trap forhim.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” He types on his phone while barely looking at it. “We have backup closing in. Both teams shadowing you will be here.”
“And the third?”
“I sent them to Hook as soon as he sent me to you.” Nigel’s jaw goes tight. “They aren’t checking in.”
I thought I was afraid before. It’s nothing to the feeling that washes over me when we arrive at the spot where Nigel says he left Hook, only to find a spatter of blood and nothing else. I speak through numb lips. “Where is he, Nigel?”
“Fuck.” He drops his hand and stares at the blood as if he can divine Hook’s direction if he just concentrates hard enough. “Fuck.”
The truth crashes over me hard enough to make me stagger.
This wasn’t about me. It may have started that way, but Peter is too savvy to blow his chance to take out the true threat—Hook. “Where is he, Nigel?” I repeat, louder this time. “Where the hell is he? Where is the team?”
“If I knew where Peter was, we wouldn’t be in this fucking mess to start with.” He turns away from me, typing furiously on his phone. No doubt trying to find the missing team. My gaze lands on the blood again. Peter took Hook. If he got the drop on him, he could have killed Hook, but hetookhim.
He’ll have gone back to his secret base, back to the spot where he feels safest. My breath stills in my lungs. “I know where he is.”
Nigel stops typing and gives me his full attention. “How the hell do you know where he is?”
“I… I don’t know if I know where he is. But I know where his new woman is.” I found her once before, after all. She didn’t want to be saved, and I got a black eye for my efforts, but it was more than worth it if I can keep Hook alive. “Peter won’t be far from her. He won’t want to let her out of his sight longer than necessary.”ThatI know for truth. For four years, my survival depended on anticipating his every whimand need and desire, on watching him closely to judge his mood and course-correct as needed to ensure I stayed ahead of it. I never once thought I’d be grateful for that knowledge.
I draw myself up. “We can’t go in with force. He’ll kill Hook.”
Nigel shakes his head. “You’re not wrong, but we need more backup than just me.”
“More than justus.” I start walking before he can argue. The lack of time will work on my side for this debate. Nigel can’t force me back to the safety of Hook’s building, and he can’t spare anyone to haul me there. “It’s on this block.” I rattle off the address where I found the woman before. It’s possible they’ve moved, but the set up seemed pretty permanent when I snuck in.
I still can’t believe I had the courage to do that. Or that I’m about to do it again.
Nigel falls into step beside me. His phone buzzes nearly constantly, and his expression is a mask of concentration. “You are not going into that building. I’ve rerouted the two remaining teams to set up a perimeter. Colin and I will go in after him.”
I don’t bother arguing. I’ll agree to anything that ups Hook’s chances of survival, including being sidelined—as long as I’m in the vicinity. Inside that building, I’m a liability. I won’t get anyone killed for my pride.
It takes us a mere ten minutes to reach the location I found before. Nigel glances at his phone one last time and hauls me down an alley and through a back door into what appears to be an abandoned laundromat. He moves to the taped-over window and carefully peels back a section of it. The glass is grimy, but I can clearly see the apartments where I found the woman. “Yes, that’s it.”
“Good.”
Fewer than five minutes later, seven people pile into thisbuilding. I don’t know what I expected when Hook said he’d have three teams on me. Maybe pseudo soldiers? The five men and two women are all dressed in street clothes and are completely indistinguishable from the normal foot traffic in this territory. They must have been spread out around me the entire time, and I had no idea.
“Tell them what you know, Tink.”
My heart beats too fast I as clear my throat. “The third-floor apartment overlooking the street.” I jerk my thumb to indicate the one behind us. “My information is a couple months old. I didn’t see any of Peter’s people in the building when I was there last, but we have to assume they’re inside now, and—”
My phone rings, cutting me off.
I almost ignore it, but something has me pulling it out of my purse.Unknown number. I go cold and swipe my thumb over the screen. “Hello?”
“Hey, baby.”
I swing around to look at Nigel. He motions for me to put it on speaker. Part of me doesn’t want to obey, doesn’t want to give Peter that power, but it’ll be easier for everyone if they can hear both sides of the conversation. I carefully hold my phone away from my face and put it on speaker. “Give him back.”
“Come and get him.” He sounds happy. Too happy. He’s riding high now, but anything going wrong will send him crashing down in an instant. I’ve seen how that pseudo-joy can flip on a switch. “Don’t take too long, though. You know how I get bored.”
“Peter.” His name tastes like the ash of broken promises. “This won’t end the way you want it to.”
“Yes, baby, it will. I have Hook. You’re too soft to let him hang for you, so you’ll be arriving shortly. You know the place; you tried to take something of mine a few monthsback. Don’t make me wait.” He hangs up before I can form a response.
