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“The surgeon said we should be able to see Taryn soon,” Connor said, joining Ethan who was leaning against the wall for support. He couldn’t bring himself to sit down, but damned if his knees weren’t still shaking after three hours of waiting. “He said the surgery was a success. Although Taryn’s artery was nicked she’ll be on her feet by tomorrow. You gotta love medical advances.”

“She was angry with me for doing the exact same fucking thing she did that almost got her killed.” Ethan shook his head at the hypocrisy of it all and then pressed against his eyes with his index finger and thumb. He didn’t know what the hell he felt at the moment. Was it relief for the fact that she had pulled through? Or was it elation in Crest’s statement that they caught the son of a bitch who had pulled the trigger? Could it be professional jealousy at Taryn for recognizing the glint off of the scope when he hadn’t? Maybe it was some leftover rage for knowing that Taryn had doubted the course of their relationship today? “She’s so damned—”

“Stubborn? Independent?” Jax idled up beside them, flashing a smile to an elderly woman who was making her way across the room. “You knew how Taryn was when you got involved with her. Look man, I’m not going to stand here and say that I didn’t have reservations. Shit, I still do. But sitting in the back of that vehicle with you while you thought her life was slipping away and seeing the anguish in your eyes made me a believer that you and Taryn belong together. I’ve been in your shoes before, brother, and that helpless feeling that overwhelms us can truly fuck you up.”

“I said I wouldn’t end up like any of you and now look at me,” Ethan muttered, feeling the need to hit something. His sights zeroed in on Crest, knowing he had the name of the second person hired to take Taryn out. It wasn’t like Ethan could kill Neonni all over again, although he would certainly have taken pleasure out of it. The ball of fury inside his chest only increased in size. “Did Crest give you a name yet?”

“Donald Rudder—a lowlife scumbag who has a record longer than my dick—and that’s saying something.” Jax glanced back over his shoulder to look at their superior. “Crest said that Bowers lawyered up and should be out on bail by this evening unless they can get Rudder to spill his guts. Crest is on top of the situation.”

Had the nurse not come out through the double doors in which they’d taken Taryn, Ethan would have found himself leaving the hospital in search of retribution. It was an old instinct that had gotten him in trouble as a young man and he thought he’d outgrown it. There would be a time and place when the people responsible for Taryn’s life hanging in the balance would be held accountable and he’d be there to watch the gavel fall.

“Gentlemen, Ms. Sisal is being taken to Room 448 as we speak. She’s already awake and is asking for a gentleman named Ethan.”

Ethan couldn’t find his voice to answer the nurse, so he held up a hand to indicate whom he was. Taryn was asking for him. No matter what words had been exchanged this morning, he was the first one she’d asked for and his relief was palpable. He didn’t stop to thank the nurse or speak with Crest, but instead shoved the Styrofoam cup into Connor’s hands and moved Jax out of the way with his body as he jogged to the elevator bank. He needed to be with her, to sit with her, to touch her hand and feel her response. Ethan needed to tell Taryn that he loved her.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“E
than?”

“I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”

The man’s voice sounded familiar and Taryn struggled to open her eyes. Her mouth was dry and her right side hurt like a bitch. It wasn’t that she didn’t know why. She’d awakened in the recovery room and heard everything the nurse had said, but sleep had felt so damned good that it had been irresistible. She also remembered asking for Ethan, needing to make sure he was all right, but this man wasn’t him. The recognition of who spoke finally jolted her enough that she opened her eyes.

“Ryland.”

Taryn’s first reaction was to reach for her weapon, which was absurd considering she knew it wasn’t there. Her second response was to try and sit straight up, but Ryland’s hand on her good arm kept her in place. She didn’t like the feel of his warm skin against hers. He was also shaking his head at her attempt, but she couldn’t decipher if it was in anger or pity.

“You don’t need to fear me.” Ryland’s steel gray eyes were so like crystal it wouldn’t have surprised her if they could cut granite. He must have lowered the rail on the bed, for he sat down beside her as if he were a caring friend. Taryn tried to move away slightly, but one look at the Kimber Gold Combat II Stainless in the holster underneath his jacket stopped her in her tracks. “If I’d wanted you dead you would never have made it to surgery. Neonni couldn’t have completed the act because Crest’s men would have located the amateur before he could have gotten off a shot. I just happened to have an account to settle with the dilettante and eliminated him first.”

“Why did you?” Taryn asked the question for a multitude of reasons. The cobwebs were still preventing her from being sharp and she needed more time if she were going to try and take him on herself. There was also the fact that Ethan and her teammates had to be on their way to see her. If she could stall Ryland long enough they stood a chance of cornering him in this room. She also truly wanted answers. “Why not allow Crest to arrest him?”

“Crest isn’t in the business of arresting people. He tends to hand them over to the proper federal authorities,” Ryland said, one side of his mouth lifting slightly. Taryn forced herself to lean back on the pillow and try to still her racing heart. She could feel the beat against her chest even as she took in his relaxed physical state. She didn’t doubt that he would kill her in an instant if it suited his needs. “As for the feds doing their jobs, I didn’t think it was fair to society for Neonni to continue to breathe the same air as we do.”

“Because he killed Sabrina?”

“Neonni killed Yvette.” Ryland tilted his head slightly as if listening for something. Taryn figured he was worried about time and rapidly thought of another question, but he focused his gaze back on her. She studied him closely as he continued speaking, taking in his appearance. There was something magnetic about the man, something sensual that called to a woman. He wasn’t her type, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t recognize his charismatic features. “Sabrina ceased to exist when I assisted her in leaving behind her old life with the addition of her new skills. A simplified answer to your question, though, would be yes.”

“Everyone knows who you are now,” Taryn said softly, not wanting Ryland to get up and walk out. She needed to stall for time, secure in her knowledge that Ethan would be here soon. If only she had her weapon. “Travis Bowers didn’t die during his service. You wanted me to find out, but I’ll be honest with you…I don’t know why.”

“It was only a matter of time before you put it together.” Ryland studied her as if he were measuring her responses. His stare was uncomfortable enough that a trail of fear traveled through her. “The moment you had the DNA results we both knew it would lead you here. And as easy as it is to wipe out information from any database, there were too many family photos lying around.”

“Such as the ones your uncle still possessed?” Taryn gritted her teeth when a stabbing pain shot down her arm. It helped to ward off the side effects of the anesthesia, but damn if it didn’t hurt. She struggled to breathe evenly, wanting to garner as much information as she could as well as continue to stall for time. Where the hell was Ethan? “The photographs were graphic, Ryland. What Charles Bowers did to Sabrina was wrong, but I don’t understand why she didn’t come back when your mother passed away. Sabrina could have had everything.”

“Really? You haven’t studied the pictures you found, have you?” Ryland stood from the bed, leaving a subtle hint of spice in the air from his obviously custom designed cologne. It was just as compelling as the man. She wouldn’t be surprised if it came from Italy or maybe France. He stood looking down at her, an emotion in his eyes that she couldn’t name. “I guess that buys me a little more time, which is something that Yvette waited much too long for. I never did figure out why she’d postponed the inevitable. I won’t make the same mistake.”

Ryland slipped his hands into his black dress pants, looking every bit as sophisticated as his tastes allowed. The gesture reminded her of Crest, but her superior was nothing like this man. As a matter of fact, they were total opposites. She fought the urge to reach out and grab onto his suit jacket, knowing he was about to exit this room. She couldn’t allow that to happen.

“What do you mean Yvette waited too long? Was she going to claim her inheritance? Had she been planning on returning home?”

“You remind me so much of her,” Ryland stated softly, now standing at the foot of her bed. He studied her arm and then her face, although there was a puzzled look on his face. “You are a representation of who she would have been had she not suffered at the hands of that evil pedophile.”

“And what you do isn’t evil?” Taryn asked, knowing she was pushing into dangerous territory, but desperate in doing anything she could to delay his exit. She struggled to sit up, a wave of dizziness washing over her. Ryland’s form wavered before standing still. “What made you go from such an innocent little boy to a cold-hearted killer?”

“Innocent?” Ryland’s rich laughter filled the air, catching her off guard. She sat there in fascination, watching his face transform from something devoid of emotion to sheer joy. It was almost mesmerizing because lurking underneath the surface of his façade was something sinister. “Oh, sweet Taryn. I was never innocent, even as a little boy. Even during my time in the Army I was involved in so many illegal activities. I always handled the dirty work no one seemed to want. There are some people who can’t separate the job from their moral compass.”

“You didn’t have that problem?” Taryn asked desperately as Ryland took a step toward the door. He was within her grasp and yet she was so weak there was nothing she could do should he decide to leave. Whether it was from the knowledge she was helpless or the remnants of anesthesia running through her veins, Taryn fought back the tears that seemed to converge. “Tell me what happened back then.”

“If you’re asking if something monumental occurred that led me to this life, you’re sadly mistaken.” Ryland gracefully lifted one arm and glanced at the watch on his left wrist. When he continued speaking, Taryn felt her blood turn to ice. If he wasn’t worried about the time, had he done something to Ethan? Images of what could have taken place drifted through her mind. “It’s relatively straightforward. One of my team members discovered what I’d been doing for other professional interests. I had to deal with it and what turned out to be an unfortunate personal inconvenience benefited me in the long run.”

“So his body is buried in your grave?” She caught sight of the remote that would allow her to call for the nurse and though Taryn had contemplated pressing the button, she didn’t want an innocent to be harmed. There was no doubt that Ryland wouldn’t hesitate to snap the woman’s neck. “I can see to it that his body is delivered to his parents. They deserve closure.”

She truly didn’t think Ryland gave a shit if the soldier’s parents were given closure, but at this point she could see that her time was running out. Ryland closed the distance to the door, his saunter casual and calm. Taryn used the opportunity to look around her for a weapon of any sort that would assist her in stopping him from leaving. When the quick movement of her head instigated another wave of lightheadedness, she had to close her eyes to stop the room from spinning.

“Look at the photos more closely,” Ryland instructed, a lethality in his tone that caused Taryn to lift her lashes. His gaze met hers, and for a brief moment they softened into something slightly more human. Could it be compassion? “I apologize for not being at the estate when Bowers’ lackey took that shot. Arthur has more intelligence than I gave him credit for, although you won’t have to worry about him any longer. Tell Gavin that I’ll be in touch.”

Just like that, Ryland was gone. Taryn snatched up the nurse’s control and pressed the button, all the while maneuvering herself out of bed. The hospital needed to be shut down, containing Ryland in the building long enough for them to find him. Her feet touched the cold tile and she did her best to ward off the nausea that hit her stomach. The IV stand rolled behind her as she took a step forward, using the bed as an anchor to keep her standing up. She absolutely loathed this feeling of lethargy and fought to reach the door.