Chapter 22 #2
The door to the observation room opened, but Cass didn’t take his gaze off his prey. Footsteps entered the room. The heavy tread of Gray’s steps. The tap-tap-tap of Emerson’s heels.
The door closed softly behind them.
Hannah had tears on her cheeks.
“I’m pretty sure that I told you I would handle Anzo’s killer.” Cass’s hands fisted at his sides.
“Pretty sure I told you that I wasn’t just going to stand there and let you kill someone,” Gray retorted.
Cass finally turned his head away from the glass. He glared at Gray. “You got to shoot her accomplice in the chest.”
“He was going after Emerson at the time. Not like I would ever let anyone hurt her.”
Cass’s gaze shifted to Emerson. “Why the hell did you save him? Heard you fucking had his veins in your fingers or some shit like that in order to stop the blood flow.”
“That’s not exactly what I did.”
His eyes narrowed.
“But I saved him, yes.” A nod from Emerson. “Justin McClintock is the reason we now know so much about the murders. He’s cooperating fully, and he will be spending the rest of his life in a cell.”
He’d wanted the bastard in the ground. Cass advanced on Emerson.
Surprise, surprise, Gray stepped into his path. “What the hell else did you expect her to do? Emerson isn’t a killer.”
Cass’s hands moved fast. A blur as he signed, I am.
You are. Signing was almost second nature to him, especially when he was with Gray.
Sign language had come in damn handy as a way for him and Gray to communicate when they didn’t want the people around them—often enemies—to know what the hell they were saying.
“She isn’t .” There were dark shadows under Gray’s eyes. His cousin’s skin was a bit paler than normal, and Cass thought about the story he’d gotten…how Gray had been trampled beneath horses. His cousin could have died on the case. A case that Cass had insisted Gray take.
Then what would I have done? Because he had the MC. Yes. But Gray…
Gray was more like a brother than a cousin. After Cass’s mother had died, Gray had been the person there for him. Always, Gray was there. Whenever he needed anything. No matter the risk.
“Hannah and Justin will both go to jail for a very long time.” Emerson edged closer. Tap, tap, tap. “With Justin’s cooperation, we will be able to determine if there were any other victims. We will give all of the families the justice that they need.”
“Justice. Right.” He nodded. “That’s what you’re after.” He slanted her a glance. “Meanwhile, I personally just like some good, old-fashioned revenge. You know, the eye-for-an-eye type of vengeance. You fuck with me, and I fucking put you in the ground. That type.”
Gray shifted slightly, putting himself in a position where he shielded Emerson. As if Cass would ever hurt her. He knew how Gray felt about the woman. He was willing to give up his life for her.
“You wanted to know who killed Anzo and Kim. I got confessions for you. You know now.” Gray nodded. “The rest…I can’t control the rest.”
No, you can’t. I can. If they get locked away, I have reach behind bars.
I know how to make problems vanish. So he really should just calm the hell down.
This was a win. Except… “I’m pissed that you were hurt.
” That hadn’t been the plan. “Thought you were always prepared for dangerous situations. You slipping?” Maybe Gray was slipping because he was too tied up in his partner.
“Didn’t expect charging horses to come at me , ” Gray threw back. “Sorry. They caught me by surprise. I’ll be looking for a stampede next time.”
There wouldn’t be a next time. Cass had thought that the other Feds would have Gray’s back. That team of his had certainly disappointed Cass.
He didn’t like disappointments.
“I held up my end of the deal,” Gray told him.
Ah, right. “And you wonder if I did you the favor that you requested?” Cass inclined his head. “I am a man of my word.” His word was law in his world. “Followed her ex. Might have tapped into his phone lines. Traced his calls. Did all my illegal due diligence.”
Emerson tapped closer. “You traced Nathaniel’s calls?”
Hell, yes, he had. “Want to guess who called the island and spilled all about you two not being a couple to Hannah?” Because, yeah, he’d been briefed on that bit already. But he hadn’t been given the opportunity to share what he knew. Until now.
“That sonofabitch,” Gray snarled.
“Good guess.” Cass rocked back on his heels.
“Nathaniel made the call, but considering he also made an early morning visit to have coffee with the senator and her always-present guard Owen, I’m pretty sure he was following their orders.
” He studied Emerson. As much of her as he could see with Gray in his way.
“The senator doesn’t like you playing FBI agent, Emerson.
She was ready to blow up your world in order to get you back home. ”
“ Emerson could have died when our covers were blown. ” Rage rumbled in Gray’s voice.
“You almost did die.” Emerson stepped to his side. Her hand curled around his arm. “I can’t believe she did that. It’s so?—”
But Gray’s head had turned toward Emerson. The two stared at each other. Long and intense and, yeah, Cass started to feel uncomfortable. Like he hadn’t already been uncomfortable standing around in the FBI office. The place was hardly his cup of tea.
Then again, he didn’t drink tea. He preferred whiskey.
“You can believe it,” Gray said, voice soft. “You’ve been denying the truth for a long time. It’s why you came to me. Time to shine a light in the dark, baby. But when the light hits, what you see isn’t going to be pretty.”
“Yeah.” Cass scraped a hand over his jaw. “You two are talking in code, I’m feeling left out, and I’m damn pissed that I didn’t get to kill anyone today. Time for me to make my exit before I wind up shoved in an interrogation room.” But, one more thing first… “Thank you,” he said, the words gruff.
Gray’s head swung back toward him.
“I’ll pay back what I owe.” He always paid his debts.
“You already did. You kept tabs on her ex.”
Nah. He owed his cousin more. Especially considering Gray could have gotten his spine crushed by those stampeding horses.
Hannah McIntyre would pay for the attack on Gray. Her accomplice would pay. The MC’s reach was far. Deep. Gray had been right on that score. Gray had warned the woman what would be coming.
When the punishment hit, Hannah would only have herself to blame.
Cass sidestepped around Gray. Headed for the door. He slipped into the hallway, more than aware of a few stares slanting his way. But even the Feds weren’t bold enough to actually approach him. They knew he was off-limits.
“You’re Cass Striker.”
He stilled.
He’d never even seen the woman coming. She thrust her hand toward him. “I’m Agnes Quinn.”
He was not going to shake her hand. An MC leader did not shake hands with a Fed in an FBI office. That was like, Underworld Crime Management 101.
Her fingers wiggled. “Are you really as bad as they say?”
Now he had to smile. “Just wait and see.”