Part 12 (1/2)
”They'll kill you the minute I leave.”
”For once, it'll be worth it.” He swallowed. ”You're worth any cost.”
She didn't like the sound of that. ”No, Jeremy-”
”n.o.body moves,” Starface snapped. ”Not until I get my card.”
”I'm staying. She's leaving,” Jeremy said in an unyielding tone. ”Once she's gone you get the card.” He paused, then ordered, ”Now, CeCe.” staying. She's leaving,” Jeremy said in an unyielding tone. ”Once she's gone you get the card.” He paused, then ordered, ”Now, CeCe.”
How could she leave him? They'd kill Jeremy the minute he handed over the card. ”But-”
”You're putting us both in more danger if you stay,” he said, ending any argument she could come up with.
Jeremy had a plan and she might get him killed by not knowing what it was. In spite of everything that had happened, she trusted him so she had to trust what he told her right now.
CeCe backed slowly to the rear exit while the three men stood silently facing off. When she reached the door and stepped outside backward she was slammed by a driving rain. As the door was closing all the lights inside the bar went dark.
Shots boomed through the room.
Jeremy. She reached for the door but hands grabbed her, wrenching her back. FBI agents surrounded her.
She struggled to free herself, yelling at them to get inside and help Jeremy.
Vinny rushed up, ordering, ”We had a deal. Give her to me.”
Sirens screamed between booms of thunder exploding overhead. More gunshots cracked inside the building.
”Jeremy's in there,” she yelled at her brother and anyone who would listen. ”Somebody help him. Let me go!”
”They know,” Vinny told her and held her firm in his grasp while she struggled and beat at his hands like a wild woman.
The gunshots stopped.
She held her breath, afraid to think of what had happened to Jeremy. Vinny wrapped a coat around her.
FBI and a SWAT team poured in from everywhere, swarming the building from all sides. New shots were fired inside but the battle was over in seconds.
An ambulance tore into the lot, spraying water off the tires.
Vinny tried to guide her away.
”No! I want to see Jeremy.” Her heart had shattered at Jeremy's admission, but she had to know if he was alive. She gripped her hands together, praying for a miracle. I want to see Jeremy.” Her heart had shattered at Jeremy's admission, but she had to know if he was alive. She gripped her hands together, praying for a miracle.
The EMTs stood ready. What the h.e.l.l was taking the FBI so long? Jeremy could be bleeding to death if he'd been hit.
Special Agent Denton emerged from the back door. She hadn't realized he was here. Denton waved the EMTs forward. ”Interior is secured. We got one alive.”
She weaved on her feet as the EMTs disappeared into the building. Vinny wrapped his arm around her for support.
The rain subsided into a drizzle. Water mixed with tears that ran down her face.
When the EMTs rushed out with the gurney, her knees almost buckled at the site of an oxygen mask over Jeremy's face. Blood spread across his chest from where he'd been shot in the shoulder.
She broke free of Vinny and ran to catch up with the gurney. Jeremy's eyes were shut, his skin a blanched gray, but he was alive.
”I want to go with him,” she told the EMTs when they started to load him.
”You can't, ma'am.”
”Why not?” She'd take on the whole lot of them, including the FBI and her brother, if she had to so she could stay with Jeremy.
Vinny was pulling her back again. ”You can't, sis.” He gave up when she wouldn't move and said, ”He's under arrest.”
That's when CeCe saw Jeremy's wrist handcuffed to the rail on the gurney.
Vinny added, ”But you're free to go. I made a deal with the FBI.”
The EMTs loaded the gurney and closed the doors.
CeCe turned on Vinny, all the misery and hurt she'd kept bottled up today gus.h.i.+ng out. She yelled, ”He risked his life to save me. How could you throw him to them?”
Vinny sighed and leaned close to her, whispering, ”It was Jeremy's idea. He gave me the real photo card to trade for your freedom.”
Oh, dear G.o.d. Her brothers didn't think any man was good enough for her, but she'd finally found a man she loved... and didn't deserve.
And now she'd never see him again.
Eight.
Jeremy pressed the b.u.t.ton on his Bluetooth to engage the cell call while he drove along Dallas Highway, headed to his gym in Marietta. ”What?”
”You're a surly b.a.s.t.a.r.d this time in the morning,” Retter replied. ”Get up on the wrong side of the bed?”
If he'd been in bed at all last night, Jeremy might have gotten up on the wrong side. But after being gone for over two weeks, he'd spent the first night at home rambling around like an abandoned dog dumped on the highway.
”I'll be ready to work by the end of the week,” Jeremy told him rather than address Retter's question.
”Joe wants you to put in some time in your gym for a couple weeks before you come back to active duty. Get that shoulder in shape. Besides, we're not sure what we're going to do with you now that the president personally cleared you from any trouble with the FBI. Not sure you're of much value undercover in a prison. Too big a risk that someone inside a federal agency might slip and blow your cover.”
”I still have the best rap sheet on the team,” Jeremy argued, though his heart wasn't in it. He'd done such an outstanding job for BAD he was their number one ex-con.
”Not any more.”
”What do you mean?”
”Joe got your entire rap sheet expunged in exchange for heading off an apocalypse in North America. We're looking at moving you into coordinating short-term missions. Tee was actually the one who said you had enough holes in your body. She figured your warranty would run out with one more.”