“I know it wasn’t true, Colin,” Alex interrupted him.
Colin nodded in thanks. His face split into a grin showing off his dimple.
“Did Payton know?”
“No.”
Speaking of her, where was she? Alex looked around for her and for a second time in less than five minutes, he was shocked. “Payton,” he called rushing to her side while staying out of the paramedics’ way as they attended her.
She lay motionless. Her eyes closed as if she were only sleeping, but her skin was pale white. Her shirt front covered in blood. He hadn’t checked to see if she’d been injured before he’d tackled Diesel. It could be possible she’d been injured before then.
“Baby, talk to me.” His voice croaked.
“We have to get her out of here, sir.” The paramedic brushed him aside and helped lift her on a gurney.
“Will she be alright?” he called out as they wheeled her away.
“From the looks of it. It was a clean shot. Through and through. Nothing major hit, but we need to get her to the hospital so they can get a better look.”
She’d been shot. He didn’t think it was before he’d come in the room. She hadn’t seemed injured. Then he remembered the bullet that had grazed him. She had taken the full impact. “This is all my fault,” he said to no one in particular.
“Hardly,” Nick said coming up behind him and clapping him on the shoulder. “If anything, it’s mine. I should have known she’d get herself involved. The girl was always too stubborn for her own good.”
“It wasn’t from lack of trying,” Colin chimed in. “That girl is just a magnet for trouble.”
Alex couldn’t deny that. That woman had had too many close calls in the past few days to age him horribly.
“You can say that again. Well, let’s not just stand around. Let’s get to the hospital.” Nick started urging them out of the room. Alex hated how calm Nick seemed about everything, but that was just his personality. He never let his emotions show, even when he was stressed.
“What about Diesel?” All three men turned to look at the man in question who was being handcuffed and giving them a death glare.
“They’ll take him to a holding cell until I can interrogate him. He’ll still be here when we get back.”
“And Donaldson and Bradshaw? Are they still a threat?”
“No, their bodies were found this afternoon.”
“Then who blew out the lights?” Alex had been convinced it was those two.
“A man you hope to never cross, but with his employer out of the picture he shouldn’t be a problem anymore.”
Well that was a relief.
“Are you going to finally explain what’s going on? What’s on the drive?” Alex felt he had a right to know what he had been fighting for and protecting the past few days.
Nick walked around to the front of the computer and grabbed the drive in question and pocketed it. “I want to stop and get a change of clothes before we go. And a shower. Definitely a shower.” Nick walked out of the room without a backward glance.
“Did you notice he didn’t answer my question?” Alex asked Colin.
“I think it’s funny you expected one. You should know Nick better than that by now. He won’t answer anything he doesn’t want to.”
Yeah, but still. Shouldn’t this be the exception?
“Let’s just get to the hospital.” Alex started walking down the hall anxious to get to the hospital and check on Payton. He wouldn’t relax until she was awake and talking to him.
“Are you going to tell Nick?” Colin asked keeping pace.
“Tell him what?”