Chapter 13 #2
Aubrey’s breath went thin. “Will she…make it?”
“Yeah.” He set a hand over hers, grounding, warm, present. “Broken arm. Cuts. Concussion. But she’ll survive. And she’ll be madder at that crash than you are, trust me.”
Aubrey swallowed once—painful, but possible now.
Liam squeezed her hand and, voice a quiet promise, added, “You didn’t put her on that road. Ethan did. She stepped into the chase for the right reason. She’d do it again.”
Aubrey nodded, worry still there but quieter, steadier now.
Liam patted her shoulder, reassurance returning even in the gravity. “She’s tough,” he said. “Just like you.”
Aubrey managed a small breath. “Then she’s going to try to replace my car, isn’t she?”
Liam smiled, but faintly. “Oh, she definitely will offer.”
All the tension in her back released.
“But your insurance will cover it, I presume.” The doorbell chimed. “Hopefully, that’s Ethan.” Liam stood to answer the door.
Aubrey rose to meet Ethan in the kitchen, where he dumped the shopping on the table.
Ethan took off his sunglasses and peeked inside the bags. “Vanilla, flour, sugar, baking chocolate, heavy cream.”
“Thanks, Ethan.” Right now she could barely remember why they were so important before.
The house was quiet, too quiet, and she shivered. The blinds were drawn tight, light filtered down to thin slats along the walls. Still, a warning tension gathered at the base of her neck.
Not sight. Not sound.
Instinct.
The unmistakable sense of being watched.
Her chest tightened. It didn’t make sense. She knew that. Donovan had followed her car out of town. Emma had taken the hit. The collision had happened miles away. There was no reason for him to know where she was now.
And yet…
She stepped away from the window, pressing her back to the wall, breathing through the sudden rush of adrenaline. Her hands trembled. Too little sleep. Too much pain medication. That had to be it.
“What is it?” Ethan asked.
Aubrey shook her head, forcing herself to focus. “I didn’t see him,” she said quickly, needing to be precise. “I just…felt it.” She shrugged. “It’s difficult to explain. Donovan followed my car earlier. If he realized Emma wasn’t me…”
He would have no idea where to find her.
Unless someone told him where she was staying—again.
Ethan’s gaze sharpened. “Then he’ll understand he took the decoy,” he said. Calm. Controlled. “Which means he’ll start reassessing.”
Liam was already moving, phone in hand. “And when Donovan reassesses, he circles.”
Aubrey’s pulse kicked harder. “Back toward town.”
“Toward what he knows,” Liam confirmed. “And his friends, right?”
Aubrey stared at the closed blinds. “I hate that he recognized my car.”
Ethan checked the front door, then rested a steadying hand on her shoulder. “You’re not alone,” he said. “Not tonight. Not until he’s contained.”
Aubrey swallowed, fear settling into something sharper. More focused. “Okay.”
“Good,” Ethan said, already turning away. “Let’s get to work.”
Not flirtation. A reset. Purpose.
A sudden slam cracked through the afternoon—a car door closing. Aubrey startled anyway, her chair scraping as she lost balance.
Liam caught her elbow instantly. “Easy. That’s probably one of ours.”
She steadied, breath coming fast but controlled. She lifted her chin. “Then let’s finish this.”
Frustrated energy rolled off Ethan as he stopped in front of her. He dragged a chair back and sat, elbows braced on his knees, gaze fixed on the floor like he was choosing his words carefully. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Her breath caught. “Ethan…”
“I’ve lost enough people. I don’t want to lose you too. I like you too much for that.”
The admission hung there in the space between them, raw, unfinished.
Aubrey stared at him, heart pounding. This wasn’t the time. Not with Donovan still loose. Not with adrenaline still burning through her veins.
He stood abruptly, decision made. “Come on.”
She took his hand as he helped her up. “Where to, Deputy Marshal Butler?”
“The kitchen,” he said. “You’ve got cupcakes to make. I’ve got a criminal to catch.” Ethan’s hand tightened briefly on hers, grounding. Then he slid his aviators back into place. “I’m heading out. Call if anything changes.”
He was gone before she could argue.
Aubrey watched his truck disappear down the street, emotions whipping faster than she could sort them out. Fear, relief, something warmer she wasn’t ready to name.
Flinty one moment. Protective the next.
And somehow, that version of Ethan unsettled her far more than the one she used to know.
What was he thinking? He was an idiot, letting his emotions control him.
This was supposed to be a professional relationship. That’s it. End of story.
Seeing Aubrey in the emergency room the other night, pale, shaken, and hurting, had defeated the last remaining stronghold. He couldn’t contain how he felt about her any longer. He gave himself a mental slap. He liked her?
Lame. Lame. Lame. What was he, in seventh grade again?
He admired her strength to survive despite being chased by a ruthless killer. He admired her starting over at a young age. Man, he more than liked her.
He sat behind the steering wheel and used his Bluetooth to make some calls.
“Montgomery here.”
“Adam, I need to meet with everyone on the team. I’ll be in the office in a few.”
“Oh, good. Because there’s an FBI special agent here by the name of Rudy Patterson.”
Ethan stopped at the intersection and yawned. All the emotions of the past twenty-four hours hit him in the solar plexus. He needed sleep. But he needed answers more than anything else.
“Good. Who’s in the office?”
“Glover, Albright…”
A car horn honked, and Ethan waved. He accelerated slowly. Only a couple more blocks to drive. “What aren’t you saying, Adam?”
“Howard is here too. But he’s on a rampage, if you know what I mean.”
Yeah, he knew what the kid meant. But that was Howard’s MO. “I’m pulling into the parking lot now. Get everyone assembled.”
He breezed through security, and instead of waiting for the elevator, took the stairs. He scanned his ID and strode down the hall to the conference room. The door opened and all conversation stopped.
A suited, dark-haired FBI agent stood, his hand extended. “I’m Rudy Patterson. FBI special agent.”
“Ethan Butler.” They shook hands.
Patterson nodded. “I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re quite the legend with this group.”
“That’s what I was trying to tell you on the phone.” Adam squeezed Ethan’s shoulder and sat. He grabbed a doughnut from the box in the center of the table and began eating.
Ethan opened the file in front of him. “Let’s begin. Special Agent Patterson, would you like to start?”
“Thank you. As you are probably aware, I’ve been sent in to help with the apprehension of Finn Donovan.
I’m passing around a recent photo of Donovan.
And you can see it on the screen as well.
Make a note of the dragon tattoo that climbs up his back and across his neck, finishing under his left ear. ”
Ethan stared at the mugshot projected on the screen. The chatter in the briefing room faded to a low hum.
Finn Donovan.
Agent Patterson’s voice broke through his haze. “We’ve been tracking his visitors since he was convicted. No one visited him. Until about six months ago.”
“Let me guess. Roger Rousseau,” Stanton said.
“Well, we think it was him. We can’t be certain because he was wearing a disguise and gave us an alias. But it tracks. He visited one time. Donovan didn’t receive any packages. No mail. Nothing.”
Ethan leaned forward. “So what you’re telling us is it had to be someone on the inside passing information.”
Patterson turned toward Ethan, his dark eyes assessing. “Correct. Since Rousseau lives in Renegade, we looked into this Frost character you spoke with.”
No accusation over the fact Ethan had chatted with him and never realized he was involved.
“We have him traveling to South Carolina twice over the past six months. And with him being a known associate of Roger’s…”
Ethan nodded. All this information made sense. There was no way Donovan could find his way around town without someone assisting him. “What other information do you have?”
Patterson leaned against the table. “There’s a house we’ve been watching in Southwold.
Roger Rousseau has been meeting with some sketchy individuals.
We don’t have enough proof, and we haven’t figured out who the top dog is.
Yet. I’m working on a plan to get us that information.
But for now, two officers from that precinct will meet us in about an hour.
Let’s raid the place and see what we kick up. ”
Adam exhaled. “About time.”
Ethan smiled. “Everyone, suit up. We’ll carpool. Take the unmarked cars.” Ethan glanced around the conference room table, emphasizing the importance of this operation. “Special Agent Patterson, you’re with me.”
Agent Patterson nodded, and everyone headed to their respective offices to gear up.
The time between the decision to go to the house and arriving felt like the longest hour of Ethan’s life.
“Stop here.” Agent Patterson pointed to a small strip mall. A tattoo parlor anchored the far end, with a pawn shop and a Vape shop rounding out the businesses.
Ethan hit the brakes. “Team. Once you’re parked, move into position. Adam, take the west side of the house. Glover, cover the back. Patterson and I will enter the front.”
“Roger.” The team responded in unison and then went silent.
Ethan parked the SUV on the far end of the parking lot, across the street from a row of run-down bungalows.
These small houses had seen better days.
Now, with lopsided porches, peeling paint, and overgrown yards, an air of neglect hung over the neighborhood.
A dog barked in the distance, and the rumble of a jacked-up car with no muffler disturbed the relative peace.
The sun began to set, dark-purple clouds hovering on the horizon. Ethan pulled out his binoculars. All quiet. For now.