Trevor stared back at him from his seat near the front of the room. “Emma’s one of us, and you’ve risked your life twice to keep her safe. You’ll both—"
“I’m not worried about me.”
Emma swung her head toward Trace. Looking at him as if he’d lost his mind, she said, “Iam.”
Ryker cleared his throat. “As I was saying, you’ll both be taken to one of the safehouses. There will be a protective detail covering outside of the property while you cover the inside. Same setup as everyone else.”
Good thing I packed a bag before we left the apartment.
Over the next several minutes, Agent Ryker spent time going over where everyone had been assigned to stay. He also gave everyone new, encrypted burner phones with each other’s numbers—including Ryker’s personal number—already programmed in.
While they waited for all of the final arrangements to be made, everyone was either spread out around the room holding their own conversations or they’d gone to be with their wives or girlfriends.
For the past five minutes, Trace and Sean had excused themselves to the far corner of the room for some sort of serious conversation she wasn’t allowed to be a part of. Even though, she was almost certain it was centered around her.
At this point, Emma was so physically and emotionally exhausted she didn’t even care.
When they came back over to her, Emma was still standing by the two bags she’d packed before she and Trace had left her apartment. She was also still trying to wrap her mind around her new reality.
“This is all so crazy.” She looked at her brother. “How do you guys deal with this sort of thing all the time.”
“Someone has to.” Sean put an arm around her shoulders. “Otherwise, assholes like Sadiq Khaled win.”
She knew he was right, but that knowledge did nothing to appease the fear she felt for him and the others.
“Look, I know you’re scared,” Sean parroted her thoughts. “But we’re going to catch this guy.”
“Before or after he decides to go after you?”
Sean pulled her in for a hug. “I’m going to be fine.”
“Promise?” Emma hugged him back.
“Of course. You think you’re getting rid of me that easily?”
With her eyes squeezed shut, she whispered, “I love you.”
“Ah, sis.” He tightened his hold. “I love you, too.”
“I’ll call you on the new phone when we get settled in,” Trace told him.
Releasing her, Sean held out his hand and said, “Make sure that you do.”
As she watched Sean walk away, Emma prayed that wouldn’t be the last time she saw her beloved brother.
“Your ride is downstairs.” Agent Ryker approached them. “It’ll take you straight to the secured location.”
“Where are we going?” Emma asked. She should’ve known better.
“I’m sorry, but that information can’t be disclosed before your arrival. I assure you, the accommodations are pleasant, and there is more than enough food, water, and other amenities to last you at least a month.”’
“Amonth?” Her voice rose a full octave
“That’s only as a precaution. Trust me, Miss Cooper.” The powerful man got serious. “I have no intentions of you being locked away for that long.”
With a nod, Emma accepted her foreseeable future and turned to Trace. “You ready?”
Three hours later, Trace was nudging her awake in the backseat of a bullet-resistant, government-issued, unmarked SUV.