Page 83 of Point Blank

Serena frowned. “Wait. Dani, what was all that talk about the job being too big and me stealing your ex? I thought you were hinting at your next job, so we pegged Alfonso as being behind the kidnapping.”

Dani made an O shape with her mouth. “Shoot, I was trying to tell you it was Angelo.”

Serena tilted her head. “I don’t get it.”

“The job that was too big was the one that Sebastian and Angelo did together before Sebastian ratted him out, and the ex comment was to hint at Milo.”

“Well crap. That didn’t even cross my mind.”

Dani shrugged. “Sorry, I was trying to word it in a way that wouldn’t alert Ian that I was giving you a message.”

“I’m so sorry. I should have?—”

“Stop,” Dani said. “There’s nothing you should have done differently. It’s all over now.” Her words dropped with the weight of an anvil. The glare of emergency vehicles and glow of flashlights illuminated more of Dani’s appearance than she’d originally taken in. Greasy, tangled strands of her hair stuck to her face, and the neckline of her shirt was torn, revealing her breast cradled in a pink bra. A bruise the shade of an overripe avocado blossomed around her eye.

Serena glanced over her shoulder so Dani wouldn’t see her wince at the sight of her. Her sister needed a shirt or blanket, or something. The area filled with officers, and two paramedics unloaded a gurney from the back of the ambulance. Serena started forward but Brock stepped in front of her.

His bare chest heaved and Serena rose her eyebrows an inch. What the hell?

“Can I talk to her?”

Serena swallowed and looked back at her sister. Dani stood with her arms circling her waist, her eyes glued on Brock. His T-shirt dangled from his hand.

“Uh, yeah. Peyton,” she said, jerking her head. Peyton let go of Dani and stepped away. Serena backed up enough paces to be considered a respectable distance, but in no way would she abandon Dani—even with Brock.

She watched as Brock said something to her sister, his brow crunched in a deep frown. His hand came up and rubbed Dani’s arm and, just like that, her sister’s mouth quivered and she dropped her face to Brock’s bare chest. Tears crowded Serena’s eyes. Dani needed to talk about what had happened. Serena hoped to hell Dani wanted to talk to her, but if she chose Brock, then so be it. As long as she wasn’t holding in the abuse she’d endured, which would be typical behavior for Dani.

Two cops strode toward Brock and Dani. Brock pulled away, shook open his T-shirt, and fit it over Dani’s head. His arm locked around her waist. Dani’s hand shook as she pushed her hair behind her ear, her face now hard. Given her ramrod stance, it was difficult to believe she’d been in tears only seconds before.

“You okay?” Milo approached, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket. Her gaze shifted to the man a couple of paces behind him. She nodded and cleared her throat.

“Ms. Smith, I have some questions for you, if you don’t mind.”

Milo hadn’t had a chance to prepare Serena for the cop’s questions, but she’d given her statement without pause. She’d stayed as close to the truth as possible but left out every detail that would tie any of them to a crime. Had Rhett not been there, things wouldn’t have gone as smoothly. Rhett wasn’t stupid, and his old ally’s words echoed in Milo’s head.

You wouldn’t happen to know anything about a burglary at Titus Phillips’s house, would you?

All the self-control in the world couldn’t have hidden his smirk, but he’d feigned innocence. Rhett had made a face. Never mind. Don’t tell me any more.

His dad, who’d been loaded into a second ambulance, had lost a lot of blood. Dani had already identified him as her captor, so if Angelo recovered, he’d be heading right back to jail. Ratting out Sebastian had been tempting, but they couldn’t do so without tying Serena to Titus’s robbery. Sebastian would get his karma. Milo just had to make sure Serena had no part in delivering it.

They rode in silence after dropping Peyton off at her apartment. They’d all stopped at the hospital long enough for Serena to assure Dani she would pick her up in the morning. Brock had insisted on staying the night there with Dani, and she hadn’t refused.

Serena’s hand buried itself into Milo’s while he drove.

“Do you think Brock and Dani will get back together?” he finally asked. Serena chuckled, and the wire of concern that had been wrapped around his chest released a bit. It was a frivolous, unnecessary question. The last thing on his mind was Dani and Brock’s relationship, but the need to lighten the moment after the stress of the night weighed on him.

“No.”

He glanced at her before returning his attention to the road. “Why not? She was pretty content to have him at the hospital.”

Serena’s lips scrunched into a pucker. “You don’t know Dani like I do.” Her thumb stroked his knuckle. He lifted their hands to place a kiss on her wrist. “She’s in a vulnerable position right now, and they share something deep and familiar.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“For Dani it is. Once reality hits her tomorrow, she’ll remember everything that separated them.” A long, low sigh followed her words. He pulled into his driveway. “Let’s not talk about them right now. I just want to shower and rest.”

She led him into the house, and a flicker of amusement hit him. They’d spent less than three days together, yet he couldn’t imagine walking into this house without her presence attached to it. Serena made her way upstairs and Milo traveled in her wake.