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Another long moment passes in silence before the man speaks again.
"What does he want?" He sounds wary this time, like whatever was on his phone surprised him. He didn't expect it, which makes me curious as hell.
"What are you doing?" I mutter out loud, wishing I could burrow into Roman's head and figure out what he's thinking because I'm almost positive he's making it up as he goes.
"A trade," Carter yells. "Your girlfriend and kid for his."
Tahani gasps.
My heart stalls before racing away from me. Roman has Guerrero's family?
Holy shit.
"He's a cop," Guerrero yells back, amusement in his tone. "I believe my family will be just fine in his care."
"Think again," Carter yells. "Four of your men are in the hospital because of him."
"You lie."
"Check your phone again." Carter pauses for a second like he's giving Guerrero time to look at his phone and then he speaks again. "You tried to kill his woman," he says. "He's off the books. If anything happens to his girl or his kid, he's going to kill your girlfriend, man. We won't be able to stop him. We don't even know where the fuck he is right now."
"You lie," Guerrero says, a little slower and a little less certain this time.
"Is that a chance you're really willing to take?" Carter shouts. "Your girl is pregnant, Guerrero. Are you really willing to risk their lives in the hope that you're right?"
"Oh my God," I whisper, my heart pounding. Roman isn't a murderer. He's a good cop and a good man. But I'm terrified that Guerrero has pushed him too far by showing up here. If he hurts me or Tahani, I don't know what Roman will do. Right now, I'm not even sure if he knows what he'll do.
Tahani takes a strangled breath beside me, and I know she's thinking exactly the same thing.
I hold my breath, praying like hell that Guerrero takes Carter seriously. For Roman's sake, he has to take him seriously because Roman is a good cop and a good man. If anything happens to us and he lets himself become like this man to reTahanite…I don't think he'll survive that. I don't think he'll want to survive it.
Guerrero is silent for a long time. So long that fear begins to claw through me, turning my insides to ice all over again. I don't think he's going to answer. I think he's going to take us anyway, kill us anyway, regardless of the consequences.
"Fine," he finally shouts, allowing me to pull in a desperate, sobbing breath. "But I have conditions."
"Name them," Carter shouts.
"The girls come with me. Alone. Once I'm sure we're not followed, I will tell him where to meet. If anyone follows, his girls die. If anything happens to Ms. Ortega, his girls die."
There's no way that Roman is going to agree to that. No way in h?
"Done," Carter says, "but I come too."
"Unarmed."
"Fine," Carter agrees without hesitation.
"Very well," Guerrero says, sounding amused again. "Tell Agent Gregory that I accept his trade."
Tahani whimpers beside me, but I can't reassure her this time. I feel a little like whimpering, too. Roman is just as desperate as I suspected, and that scares the hell out of me.
Chapter Thirty-One
Roman
"What the fuck are you doing, Roman?" Finn asks me, his voice soft and concerned.
Truth be told, I'm more than a little concerned myself. I let Guerrero take Mila and Tahani. If I survive the day…it'll be one that will haunt me for the rest of my life. But what other choice did I have? Had I not agreed, he would have killed them both right then and there. Benson and Carter, too.
