Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
H ollis huddled in the backseat of the truck as Sawyer drove down the winding road.
She glanced back over her shoulder. “No one’s following us.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way,” Sawyer said.
She couldn’t stop shaking. The hitmen had set fire to the cottage. She pressed a palm to her cheek. “I’m not worth all of this.”
Sawyer met her gaze in the rearview mirror. “Yeah, you are.”
Warmth bloomed in the cold filling her chest. She swallowed. “Where are we going?”
Parker sat silently in the passenger seat, texting on his phone. He looked up and the men shared a look. They had a silent way of communicating.
“The airport,” Sawyer said.
“The airport.” Hollis straightened. “Why?”
“The Norcross jet is still there,” Parker said. “It’s refueling now, and they’re expecting us.”
“We’re leaving Maui?”
Sawyer nodded. “It’s the safest option.”
She wrapped her arms around herself. “And where will we go?”
“San Francisco. Vander will be waiting for us.”
She leaned back against the seat. Okay, that didn’t sound bad. They’d be far away from her would-be assassins. And they’d have reinforcements.
It would be much safer for Sawyer.
Lights pierced the dark night behind them. She glanced back and saw a car driving down the road. It wasn’t speeding, but she leaned back, trying to get a better look. It was hard to see in the darkness. It looked like an older model car. She relaxed. It was probably just someone going somewhere in the middle of the night.
She’d just turned back to the front when she heard the roar of an engine. Suddenly, the car raced up beside them. A second later, it rammed into them.
Sawyer cursed.
Hollis gripped the seat. They were on a narrow stretch of road, flanked by trees on either side.
“Fucking hell,” Park muttered.
The car rammed them again. Suddenly, two of their wheels were off the road, the truck shuddering. Sawyer gripped the steering wheel, fighting for control. The car rammed them a third time.
They hit something, then they were rolling.
Hollis screamed. Everything became a terrifying blur. Metal crunched and glass shattered.
They came to a stop, upside down, on the road. Her heart was racing, and she tried to calm herself. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. She was hanging from her seat belt.
Deep breaths, Hols. She wasn’t hurt, although she was sure she’d have a few aches and pains later.
“Sawyer?”
There was no answer and panic filled her throat.
“Sawyer? Are you all right?”
No answer.
“Park?”
She craned her head and saw Sawyer dangling from his seat belt. There was blood on his head. No. No .
“Park?” There was no response, and when she looked over, the front passenger seat was empty.
God, where was he? She fiddled with her seatbelt and unfastened it. She fell down awkwardly, and righted herself.
Then she heard footsteps. She froze. It was the driver of the other car. They were coming.
Fear shot through her.
She glanced over and saw the other door to the backseat was cracked open. She slid across the seat, then nudged the door wider. She slid out and pressed her body against the side of the wrecked truck.
She had to help Sawyer.
As quietly as she could, she circled around the back of the truck. Crouching down, she carefully peered around.
The man walking toward the crashed truck was tall and lean. He had dark hair and a long face.
Gallant .
Her stomach contracted to a point. He was holding a gun.
“I just want the woman.” He crouched at the driver’s side and aimed the gun through the broken window.
Sawyer . She tensed. She had to do something.
“You don’t need to die too,” Gallant said.
No . No one was shooting her man. Fury exploded inside her. She was sick of being afraid and hunted.
And there was no way she was going to let Sawyer get killed.
She launched herself at the hitman.
Gallant’s head jerked up, but he had no time to react before she was on him. She hit and scratched him.
“You asshole! I won’t let you hurt him.”
He made a sound, and she scratched his cheek. She kept slapping at his head.
Suddenly, she was pulled off him.
And into Sawyer’s arms. Parker subdued the older man, forcing him down on his knees. He started zip tying Gallant’s wrists together.
“Gorgeous, we had it covered,” Sawyer said.
“What?” She clung to him. “He was going to hurt you.”
“No, I was the bait. Park was ready.”
“Oh… I…”
He smiled. “Protected me.”
She felt heat in her cheeks. “Yes. You make good coffee, and you’re a pretty decent pillow. I don’t want to give that up.”
He pulled her in for a hug. Hollis wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.
He was alive. He was okay.
She looked up. “Your head is bleeding.” She touched his hair where the blood had matted it.
“Just a scratch, I promise.”
Thank God . Hollis was starting to realize how much she needed this man. How much she needed him in her life.
“Who are you guys?” Gallant sounded annoyed. “This was supposed to be an easy job. A woman, alone. An actress with no training or skills.”
No skills? Hollis felt like she should feel insulted.
Sawyer’s body tensed. He carefully set her on her feet, then his hard gaze locked on the man on the ground. “You like killing innocent, defenseless women, Gallant?”
The hitman shrugged. “It’s just business. It’s not personal.”
There was no emotion in his words. This was really just business. She shivered.
Sawyer strode up to him. “Well, this is personal to me. And my business is putting people like you behind bars.” Sawyer crouched down and shot the man a cold smile. “But it’s not personal.”
Gallant sniffed. “I’m not the only one who took the contract. Nor were the idiot trio you took care of at the cottage.”
Sawyer’s mouth flattened. “How did you find us?”
“I followed them. They have a reputation for being able to ferret people out. They must have questioned someone.”
“Anyone trying to get to her will have to go through me,” Sawyer said darkly. “And my friend here.”
The scary tone of his voice made her heart skip a beat.
The hitman stared at Sawyer for a beat, then glanced up at Park, before re-focusing on Sawyer. “You’re not just a dinky Hawaiian deputy.”
“No, he’s not, motherfucker.” Park yanked on the zip ties to tighten them.
The hitman winced.
“We’re Ghost Ops,” Sawyer said. “You picked the wrong job, buddy.”
“Dammit,” Gallant muttered. “This wasn’t what I signed on for.”
“Where’s her bracelet?” Sawyer demanded.
The hitman sighed. “Back seat.”
Sawyer strode over to the car and yanked the door open. He rummaged around inside, then came back holding her bracelet and her bottle of perfume.
Oh . She realized how sad she would have been to lose the bracelet Dave had given her.
Sawyer gripped her wrist, and clipped the bracelet on, then handed her the perfume.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He ran his fingers along her cheekbone, then his face hardened, and he looked at Parker. “Park, I need his keys.”
Park fished around in Gallant’s pocket, then tossed Sawyer the keys.
“Drag him behind the truck and secure his ankles. I’m going to message Jesse to come and get him, and take care of the others at the cottage.”
“On it.” Park gripped the back of Gallant’s shirt. “Let’s move, asshole.”
“What are we doing now?” Hollis asked.
Sawyer strode over to the hitman’s car. He held the back door open for her. “Continuing with our plan. We’re getting off Maui.”
She climbed into the back of the car. Soon, they were driving down the road toward Kahului in the hitman’s vehicle.
She dozed off for a bit, but it was still dark when the car slowed. Hollis blinked awake, looking out the window. She saw the Kahului airport runway and the long, single-story main terminal in the distance. Sawyer pulled off onto a quiet side road. She saw a sign for helicopter tours and private aviation. They stopped in front of a large hangar.
Sawyer got out and opened the door for her. “Let’s go, gorgeous.”
She held his hand as they entered the hangar. The cavernous space was mostly empty, except for some tools and gear off to one side. They followed Park out the open hangar doors.
A sleek white jet stood on the tarmac, with its stairs lowered. Hollis had flown on private jets before, but it still always gave her a little thrill.
Battered and dirty, the three of them climbed aboard.
The pilot was a tall, older man, who stooped as he came out of the cockpit. He eyed them with a steady look, no shock or surprise on his face. “Rough night?”
“Yeah,” Sawyer said.
The man nodded. “My name’s Theo. There’s a small restroom in the back, and a first aid kit in the galley.”
Something told her that the Norcross pilot was used to people boarding his plane at all hours, looking rumpled and with blood on their clothes.
“Clean up and grab some food,” Theo continued. “We’ll be airborne shortly.”
Hollis opened her eyes. She heard the familiar drone of being on a plane.
She was warm and snug, and realized her head was resting on Sawyer’s shoulder. A blanket had been tucked around her. She smiled. He’d tucked her in.
Sawyer had taken care of her more in the last week than anyone had in her entire life. She touched the bracelet on her wrist, rubbing her thumb on the silver links. She didn’t just mean the big stuff of protecting her and saving her life. It was the small stuff too—feeding her, helping her relax, keeping her warm.
She saw he was dozing. Parker was asleep in the seat across the aisle.
Sawyer’s eyes opened. God, she could look at that rugged face, and his green eyes flecked with gold, all day. The small cut near his hairline was barely visible. She’d cleaned it up earlier and washed away the blood.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
He took her hand. “You okay?”
She nodded, then looked out the window. Dawn was starting to brand the sky with pink and gold, and down below, she saw the glimmer of city lights.
San Francisco.
“We’ll be landing soon,” he said.
She thought she’d feel better, safer, being away from Maui, but she still had a low-level churn in her belly.
This wasn’t over. It wouldn’t be until Michael Reuben was arrested, and assassins weren’t trying to kill her anymore.
Parker came awake the same way Sawyer did. Asleep one minute, alert the next. “Anyone hungry?”
“Not me,” Sawyer said.
Hollis shook her head. Her stomach was too full of knots for her to be able to eat anything.
Soon, the plane started its descent. The sun was well and truly up now, and she had a clear view of the Bay and the city. As they came in to land, she caught a glimpse of the iconic red-orange metal of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Parker was eating the food he’d made in the galley. The smell of the breakfast wrap made her feel queasy.
They landed and taxied toward a small private terminal, right on the water’s edge. It was on the other side of the runway to the main terminal. Sawyer unbuckled his belt, and she followed him off the jet.
When they came down the steps, she saw two black BMW X6 SUVs waiting for them, and several men and one woman standing beside them.
They all had the look of people who could take care of themselves.
Hollis picked out Vander straight away. He wore a blue suit and white shirt, with sunglasses hiding his eyes. That dangerous, intense vibe of his was even stronger in person.
She definitely didn’t ever want to be on Vander Norcross’ bad side.
“Vander.” Sawyer greeted the other man, and they shared a hug, slapping each other on the back.
“Parker,” Vander said.
Park gave Vander a chin lift, then they hugged as well.
Vander slid his sunglasses off and his dark eyes—that she now realized were actually dark blue—zeroed in on her.
“Hi,” she said.
“Nice to meet you in person, Hollis. My wife wants an autograph, by the way.”
A small laugh escaped her. “She can have as many autographs as she wants. I don’t know how to thank you for everything you’ve done.”
Vander cocked his head. “No thanks required. Now, our first priority is getting you back to Norcross Security.”
That’s when she turned her attention to the rest of his team. She realized that they were alert, and scanning around the area. Protecting them.
Protecting her.
She swallowed. “I’m safe here, right? No one knows I’m here?”
“I’m not a man who takes chances,” Vander said.
Both Sawyer and Park made a sound.
Vander shook his head. “Fine, I only take chances when I know I can win.” He turned and looked at his team. “Hollis, this is my second in command, Saxon Buchanan.”
The blond man smiled at her. “A pleasure, Hollis.”
“And this is my brother, Rhys,” Vander said.
The dark-haired man shot her a charming smile. With his handsome face and tousled dark hair, he looked like a rockstar. “Love your movies.”
“Thanks.”
“And this is Siv Pedersen,” Vander finished.
The tall, fit woman nodded. “Hello.” Her voice held a touch of an accent.
“Let’s move,” Vander said. “We don’t want Hollis out in the open.”
They were ushered into the back of an SUV, and she found herself sandwiched between Sawyer and Park. It took them twenty minutes to arrive at a renovated warehouse on the edge of the city that housed the Norcross Security office. They drove into the lower level, the garage doors sliding closed behind them. More black X6s sat parked in a row.
“Nice digs,” Park said.
“Down here is parking, the gym, and some holding rooms,” Vander said. “Main offices are upstairs.”
When Hollis stepped onto the main level, she took a second to take it all in. The industrial warehouse had been completely renovated. It was a huge open space with metal and glass, and a polished concrete floor. Original wooden beams and metal duct work crossed overhead.
Vander led her down the hall and into an office. The walls were a dark blue, and a glossy, black desk was topped with a laptop and a metal lamp. It was all sleek and sparse, so she couldn’t read much from it. She guessed Vander Norcross only shared details about himself when he wanted to.
“Take a seat,” Vander said.
Sawyer nudged her into one of the chairs in front of Vander’s desk, then sat in the one beside her. Park leaned against the wall, while Vander leaned back against his desk and crossed his ankles.
“Hollis, this is Ace Oliveira.”
She turned her head and saw a good-looking man standing in the doorway. He had a charming smile and his dark hair up in a messy man bun. He also had a baby girl strapped to his chest. She wore a pink, striped onesie, and a cute little hat on her head.
Hollis blinked. Did men know how seeing them with a cute baby added to their hotness factor?
Ace nodded at Park and Sawyer. “Hi, guys.” Then he looked at Hollis. “Hi, Hollis. I’m a big fan. I loved your work in Fatal Impact .”
“Thanks. And thanks for all the work you’ve done…to keep me breathing.”
Ace rubbed the top of his baby’s head. “I think Sawyer has done most of the hard work.”
She looked at the man beside her. “He has. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”
His face softened, and he gently gripped the back of her neck.
“I’m pretty sure I turned his quiet life upside down from the moment I set my coffee machine on fire,” she said.
Ace’s smile widened. “Sounds like there’s a story there.”
“It’s been worth it,” Sawyer said. “Every second.”
His words seeped into her and took hold.
“Right.” Vander sat behind his desk. “I know it’s been a difficult and stressful few days.”
Try terrifying few days.
“The FBI are planning to raid Reuben’s house this morning, and take him into custody. They will tear his businesses apart, and put a stop to the flow of our weapons and technology to Russia.”
Hollis blew out a breath. “Good.”
“Once I get an update from my contact, I’ll let you know. After lunch, we’re going to take you to a secure apartment in Rincon Hill. It’s not far from here. We use it when we have guests and clients here in the city. It’s in a secure building, on the thirtieth floor. It’s well appointed, and the kitchen is well-stocked. You’ll be safe there until we can confirm that the contract on Hollis’s life is void.”
“It’s almost over,” she whispered.
Sawyer squeezed her hand. “You just have to hold on a little longer, gorgeous. I’ll be with you every minute until then.”