Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
SUMMER
Iasked the only thing I cared about.
"Where's Evers?"
Silence stretched, the men sneaking glances at each other, none of them talking.
Hating the thread of hysteria in my voice, I demanded, "Where is Evers?"
Griffen reached out a placating hand. "Summer, calm down, honey. Everything's okay. Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?"
He shot a dark look to the front of the car. Cooper met my eyes in the rearview, assessing and cool. Lucas stared at me, searching for something in my face.
I pulled the robe tightly around me, tying a knot in the belt, and shook my head. "I'm fine. They didn't do anything, just—"
I couldn't say it. The words grope and touch didn't describe the violation of those hands, the way my skin crawled beneath them. The fear.
I shook my head again.
"I'm fine. Tell me where Evers is."
"He's—" Griffen started.
"Did he get shot?" A sob choked my voice. "Was it Evers?" My words squeaked out, squeezed by tears and panic. No. He was supposed to be here. He was going to save me, and then he would be here. Where was he?
"He didn't get shot," Griffen said, in a rush.
If those bullets hadn't been for Evers, that meant they'd hit my dad. I'd deal with that later. "Just tell me. Is he okay?"
Cooper's eyes, hard and angry, flashed up to meet mine in the rearview. "I guess that depends. We traded him for you."
My head reeled. What? Why? I couldn't take Cooper's accusing glare. I looked to Lucas and Griffen. "Why? Why would you do that? What if they hurt him?"
"They're not going to hurt him," Lucas rumbled. "Evers was a Ranger. He's tough as hell. These guys," Lucas shook his head in derision, "he can handle these guys, Summer. You couldn't."
"You were in a lot more danger with them than Evers," Griffen said. "And honestly, he was no use to us as long as they had you. He was half crazed. The only thing he cared about was getting you back."
I wrapped my arms around my chest and settled back into the seat, trying to put the pieces together in my head. They had Evers.
I won't lie. I was grateful to be away from Tsepov, away from those hands and that hood. I wanted to go home and take a shower. A long, hot shower. I wanted clothes. A lot of them. I wanted every inch of my skin clean and behind thick layers of fabric.
I didn't want any of that without Evers.
"When are you going to get him back?" I demanded. "Don't tell me you're going to let them keep him. Tell me you have a plan."
"We have a plan," Cooper confirmed. "We're meeting with the FBI in two hours. At Rycroft. Evers has a tracking device built into his clothes."
"What if they find it?" I interrupted.
Griffen gave me a gentle smile. "He has more than one. I guarantee you they won't find them all."
"So, you'll figure out where they have him, and you'll go in and get him?"
"Something like that. Trust me, Evers can get out of almost any restraint. If these guys were more sophisticated, a different kind of criminal, I might worry," Griffen said, "but he'll be okay. If he can't, at least we'll know where he is."
I didn't share Griffen's confidence. "I don't like this. He shouldn't have done it."
"We couldn't talk him out of it," Cooper said in a flat voice. "He was determined. I hope you're worth it."
Cooper's words stung. Not because I thought he was right to doubt me. I was worth it. I knew I was. I was worth it because I loved Evers. I loved him more than anything. More than my father. More than myself.
If I'd had any idea what his plan was I never would have let him go through with it. What good was my freedom if he was a captive?
No, Cooper's words stung because I never had the chance to tell him I loved him. All those days I wanted to, and I couldn't get the words out, my fear holding me back. Now he was gone, at the mercy of the man who'd shot my father so carelessly. Easily.
That man had Evers, and Evers didn't know I loved him.
A hot tear streaked down my cheek. I brushed it away with the back of my hand, furious with myself.
"Hey, we're going to bring him home," Lucas said, his green eyes serious and kind. "I swear to you, we're going to bring him home."
I stared out the window in silence, watching the road flash by. Suddenly realizing I never asked, I said, "Is my dad alive? He got shot, didn't he?"
Cooper answered. "He's in intensive care. In surgery, last I heard. Aiden's with him. I think he called your mother, said she was on her way."
"Do they think he's going to make it?"
I didn't think I wanted to know the answer.
I was right.
"It's hard to say," Cooper said gently. "His chances aren't great. He lost a lot of blood by the time he got to the hospital. Do you want us to take you to see him?"
I thought about that. Did I? I should. I should be waiting in the hospital for him to come out of surgery.
I shook my head. "No. I'm not going anywhere until Evers comes home."
Cooper's eyes lit with approval for the first time. He didn't say anything, just gave a brisk nod and turned his attention back to the road.
Tsepov had Evers. That was as much my father's fault as the rest of it. There was nothing I could do for my dad now. His life was in the doctor's hands. There wasn't much I could do for Evers either, but I couldn't bear the thought of leaving Rycroft, of missing the meeting with the FBI.
I couldn't stand not knowing what was happening, not knowing how close he was to coming home. If I went to the hospital, I'd be out of the loop. An afterthought. That wasn't going to happen.
Rycroft Castle was oddly silent when we arrived. Aside from the cook, the staff had been turned away for the day. Cynthia, Clint, Angie, and Viggo were restricted to their rooms, under guard until the situation with Tsepov stabilized.
Griffen pointed me at the hall that led to my room. "I'm going to ask the cook to make breakfast. Do you need any help getting cleaned up? Do you want me to get Cynthia? Or Angie?"
"No. I'm okay. I won't be long."
I couldn't say anything else. I knew Griffen was worried, and I didn't want to think about it. I just wanted a hot shower.
The water stung the skin at my wrists and ankles where the zip ties had been pulled tight. I turned it as hot as I could stand and let it stream over me.
Everything was wrong.
Everything was upside down.
I'd known Evers would save me. I'd believed it with every cell in my body and every part of my heart. Never in all that hope and faith had I imagined he'd save me by sacrificing himself.
I was going to kick his ass when he came home, kick it so hard he'd never do something that stupid again. I scrubbed my skin three times, shaved, and washed and conditioned my hair.
When I was done, I still didn't feel clean. The stain was on the inside, and no amount of soap could wash it away.
I was exhausted and hungry and still scared out of my mind. Another half-hour under the hot water wasn't going to fix any of that. Food might. It couldn't hurt.
I combed my hair and pulled it into a loose bun at the nape of my neck. Remembering the FBI was coming, I took a few minutes to swipe on some mascara and eyeliner. We were going to get Evers back, and when I saw him, I didn't want to look like a puffy, weeping mess.
I was strong. I had my shit together. I'd survived, and I was not going to fall apart now. I stood in front of my closet, thinking. My dresses reminded me too much of my discarded nightgown.
I knew I was safe. I knew no one in this house would touch me in a way I didn't want, and yet I couldn't bear to feel so uncovered. I couldn't wear the robe all day either. Not without convincing everyone that I was very much not okay.
If they thought I was going to fall apart, they'd stash me in my room under guard like the others, and I'd be cut off from what was happening with Evers.
I ended up pulling on a navy maxi dress and white cardigan.
The cardigan was too warm for July in Atlanta, but the AC in the house made it almost acceptable.
I'd have preferred jeans, but I hadn't brought any.
At least the maxi dress covered me from shoulders to ankles.
It wasn't my most flattering outfit, but it wasn't horrible, and it made me feel safe. That was the best I could do for now.
The FBI had joined Lucas, Cooper, and Griffen at the dining room table.
A tall, lanky man with kind eyes rose to shake my hand when I entered the room.
"I'm agent Holley. It's good to see you safe and well," he said. "We're going to get Evers home as soon as possible."
"Thank you," I murmured as I took my seat. Holley introduced the two agents with him. Their names floated in and out of my brain, my nerves wound too tight for good manners.
I nodded in their direction, quickly getting lost as everyone else resumed their discussion of Tsepov and the case they were building against him.
None of them mentioned my father, and for that I was grateful. I was aware that if my dad survived, he was probably going to jail. I had no doubt Cooper had recorded my dad's confession in their safe room.
The cook brought me a plate and a steaming cup of coffee a few minutes after I seated myself at the table. I ate, trying to follow the conversation. Griffen leaned over and whispered, "We picked up Evers' signal. We know where they're holding him, and his vital signs are good."
"How do you know his vitals?" I whispered back.
Griffen winked at me. "Oh, we've got lots of toys."
"I bet you do," I murmured.
I ate mechanically, reassured only slightly by the calm assurance of the FBI, Cooper, Lucas, and Griffen. Cooper's anger at me seemed to have faded now that he knew Evers was okay.
Despite his facade, I knew he wasn't as confident as he wanted me to believe. He tapped his finger on the table in a fast beat, the same way he had when he'd been on the brink of torturing my father in the safe room.
Cooper might look calm. Inside, he was anything but. If Cooper was that on edge, getting Evers back wasn't the sure thing they were pretending it was.
They had a plan. Kind of. I'm no expert, but it sounded to me like most of the plan boiled down to waiting around for Evers to make a move.
I didn't like that.
I liked the storm the house and get Evers out kind of plan. I didn't want to wait. I'd spent half the night waiting. I wanted Evers home. Now.
It sounded like I wasn't going to get my wish.
Cooper pushed his chair back from the table. "So, that's it. We'll hit the office, then meet you at the rendezvous, get in position."
"Sounds good," agent Holley said, also standing. The two agents he brought with him stood as well. To me, he said, "Miss Winters, it was nice to meet you. Hopefully, the next time will be under better circumstances."
Considering the next time would probably be when he arrested my father, I didn't think so. I managed a smile. "Nice to meet you, too. You're going to bring Evers home?"
"We're going to do everything we can," he reassured me.
Cooper rounded the table and stopped by my chair. Laying a heavy hand on my shoulder, he looked down into my eyes. "We'll bring him home. I promise."
I started to push my chair back, saying, "I want to come with you."
Every man in the room said, "No," their voices overlapping in a chorus of male affront and exasperation.
Cooper's hand on my shoulder became an iron clamp holding me in place. "Not happening. You'd be in the way."
"Charlie is coming over," Lucas said from across the table. "I figured you wouldn't want to wait on your own, and she's too keyed up to work. She'll be here in a few minutes, and she'll probably be starving. You two can keep each other company because there is no fucking way you're coming with us."
I wanted to argue, but I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't going to win against so much opposition, especially when they were right. I would be in the way. I just hated the idea of sitting around eating biscuits and scrambled eggs when Evers was in danger. When he'd put himself there for me.
I stared down at my plate. "Fine."
Cooper gave my shoulder a squeeze and then a pat. "Just hang in there. Evers knows what he's doing."