Sadiq pictured the former special forces operative waking up to discover he’d lost all those who’d helped make R.I.S.C. into the successful business it was.
He smiled, imagining the heartache and pain McQueen would feel knowing his entire team had been taken out while he’d been lying helpless in that hospital bed.
It was more satisfying than if the man had been blown to bits by the explosionhehad designed.
“Do it,” Sadiq ordered through the phone. “I want them all taken down. Starting with the woman who was working the front desk.”
Chapter 5
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Emma swiped a handthrough the steam covering the bathroom mirror. Re-dressed in clothes that weren’t her own, she stared at her reflection. Barely recognizing the woman staring back at her.
She was pale. Too pale. There was an angry mark on her left cheek, and without her makeup, she still felt naked. Unguarded.
Is this really me?
Her eyes rose to the bruise on her cheek, the sight transporting her back to the moment it happened.
As if she were actually back in that office, Emma could see Jake standing in the hallway. They were talking about the package. He was ordering her out of the building.
Seconds later, the powerful blast of heat was biting at her skin as she was thrown clear off her feet.
The incessant ringing in her ears had been deafening as she’d struggled to remain conscious. The fear she’d felt for Sean and the others when she’d realized what had happened.
And thenhewas there.
Like a larger-than-life hero, Trace had appeared out of nowhere. Lifting her into his arms and carrying her to safety.
A shiver raced down her spine, spreading through her lower belly and beyond.
She could still feel the warmth of his skin against hers. The strong and steady beat of his heart against her cheek as he protected her as if she were his.
Emma blinked, her reflection returning to full focus. Looking into the mirror again, she saw herself with a cleared vision.
Rather than dredging up more memories of tattooed biceps holding her snuggly, she thought about what really mattered.