35

Blake rubbed his neck and paced in front of Ronny. Was he telling the truth? His demeanor was sincere enough. Even his tears looked real. But he had to be sure.

He turned to Samson. “I want Gabriel to delve into Ronny’s memories to find out whether he’s telling us the truth.”

Samson nodded up to the mirrored window. “Thomas, get Gabriel down here.”

“Okay,” Thomas replied via the loudspeaker.

“I’m telling the truth,” Ronny yelled.

“Yeah? Well, I hope you don’t mind if I check that out, do you? Because if you’re such a choirboy, then why the fuck did you shoot me? That doesn’t fit with your pretty little story.” And Blake was still feeling a little pissed off about almost having died from a silver bullet.

“I didn’t want to do it, but I had to,” Ronny snapped.

“Let me guess: Norwood made you do it.”

“He said that somebody was onto us, and that if I didn’t take you and that woman who was with you out, they’d hurt Hannah.”

Blake growled low and dark. “You were planning to kill Lilo, too, not just me?” He practically jumped at the guy, flashing his fangs at him, his hands already curling around the scumbag’s neck, lifting him out of his chair. “I should rip your throat out just for that thought alone. If you or your cronies ever lay a hand on her, you’ll wish you were dead, because what I’ll do to you will be so painful that you’ll beg me to stake you. Do you get that? She’s mine! Nobody touches my woman!”

“Blake, drop him!” Samson ordered. “Gabriel is here.”

Blake whirled his head to the door Gabriel was just closing behind him. He hadn’t even heard Scanguards’ second-in-command enter, so furious had he been at the knowledge that one of Ronny’s bullets had been meant for Lilo. At least she wouldn’t have to find out. This was one thing he’d have to keep from her in order not to upset her again.

He let go of Ronny’s throat and dropped him unceremoniously back into the chair. Ronny immediately rubbed his throat and coughed.

Blake stepped aside. “Do your thing, Gabriel, before I lose my composure.”

Gabriel drew one side of his mouth up. “Gee, and there I thought you already had.” He remained standing at Samson’s side. “Samson is filling me in quickly.”

Blake waited impatiently while Samson relayed all pertinent information to Gabriel. Then he said, “I suggest you go as far as two weeks back to verify what he’s been up to.”

With a swagger in his step, Gabriel approached and stopped in front of the prisoner, addressing him directly, “It’s not gonna hurt.”

“Unfortunately,” Blake grunted under his breath.

But his superiors had heard it. Both Samson and Gabriel shot him dirty looks, but he wasn’t going to back down.

“As long as he doesn’t touch me again…” Ronny mumbled.

“Relax now,” Gabriel demanded. “I’ll be delving into your memories to verify that what you’ve told us is true.”

Gabriel remained entirely still and closed his eyes. Blake had seen him exercise his gift before. He didn’t do it often, believing that it was an invasion of privacy, but on occasion, when a person’s life hung in the balance, he used his special skill.

There was no outward sign that he was doing anything at all, which made this gift so dangerous. And there was no defense for it. It worked on any human or preternatural creature. Nobody was safe.

Several minutes passed, then Gabriel suddenly turned around, facing his colleagues. “He’s telling the truth. He tried to get out of Norwood’s gang—there are five others with him—and he also tried to warn Hannah. He didn’t take her. He searched everywhere for her, until Norwood called him and let him talk to her. And he also checked Norwood’s old place. It’s deserted.” Gabriel shook his head. “He doesn’t know where they’re hiding now.”

“And what about him shooting at me and Lilo?” Blake asked.

“He’s told us the truth, Blake. Shooting you wasn’t his idea. He was desperate to keep Hannah alive.” Gabriel sighed. “I have a feeling he’ll do anything for her.”

For the first time, Blake looked past the crimes Ronny had committed and just saw a man. A man who loved a woman so much, he’d kill for her. And damn it to hell, he understood Ronny now.

“Damn it, Ronny, why didn’t you come to us right away? You knew Hannah was working for Scanguards; you knew what kind of work we do. We could have helped you!” Blake growled.

“I was afraid that they were watching me. I couldn’t risk it. I love Hannah.”

Blake could understand that, too. His heartbeat slowed by a fraction. “What now? When are you supposed to deliver the drugs?”

“They’ll call me on my burner to give me the time and the place.”

Blake nodded and turned to the mirrored window of the observation booth. “Thomas, can you clone Ronny’s phone and monitor it?”

“Sure thing.”

He looked over his shoulder back at Ronny. “Do you know when?”

Ronny’s eyes darted to the clock on the wall. “In about two hours.”

“Okay.” He looked at his colleagues. “Let’s get IT on this. We’ll prepare for any eventuality.” They had plenty of protocols in place for this. “And when they call Ronny, our friend here will request that they bring Hannah to the meeting place.”

“It’s gonna make them suspicious,” Ronny cautioned.

“She needs to be there, so we can get to her. You want her back, don’t you?”

Ronny nodded.

“Then you’ll do as I say.” Blake took a breath and rubbed a hand over his face. “Let’s get ready.”

John put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. “We’ve got it covered. Why don’t you take a breather?”

“Good idea,” Samson said, before Blake could protest. “That’s an order.”

“Oh, uh, Blake,” Thomas said through the speakers.

Blake lifted his gaze to the window, though he couldn’t see Thomas behind it.

“Lilo is here.”

“Where?”

“Up here in the observation booth.”

Oh shit! How long had she been up there? Had she heard what Ronny had said, that one of the bullets he’d fired that night had had her name on it? He could only imagine how she must feel.