Page 141 of Trapped Truth

“And give Madden the opportunity to escape again?” Warner fires back. “I don’t think so.”

“Blaine is right.” Kade pinches the bridge of his nose. “Going into his estate all guns blazing is a sure-fire way to guarantee more casualties. We have to consider the remaining assets still being held.”

“Then send a team solely for extraction while we form the advance party,” I suggest while making a beeline for the coffee cart. “He’s hiding in the countryside for privacy. Let’s use that advantage.”

Nodding, Blaine flashes me a tiny smirk. “Exactly.”

“Who do we trust?” Warner laughs coldly. “The Falcon Team has been decimated!”

“Not exactly,” Hudson replies around a mug full of coffee. “We’ve added to their ranks.”

That news almost causes me to spill black nectar all over the cart. “What? Who?”

“Gunnar Slaughter requires a permanent placement in our company if he is to stay at Sabre. With your team looking a little full, I thought him best placed to replace Kyle as their lead sniper.”

Perched in a quiet corner, Axel loudly chokes on a can of Coke, shooting brown liquid from his nostrils. I wince at the display.

“You officially inducted him into Sabre?” Axel swipes his wet face.

“Technically, he was inducted when he signed on the bottom line,” a familiar voice responds, strolling into the room.

Tom looks more like himself than I’ve seen of late. Crisp, white dress shirt, a perfect pinstriped tie, clean-shaven with his hair neatly combed. Someone’s clearly feeling better.

“What are you doing here?” I baulk at him.

“Hunting you down since you don’t bother to answer your phone.”

“We’ve been running off burners since the attack,” Warner remarks in my favour.

“Irrelevant. My sister’s home gets blown to pieces, she finds a way to call me. That should be a given.”

“I am sorry,” I offer sincerely. “It’s been a bit hectic.”

“I know. Come here, trouble.”

He opens his arms for me to step into, enveloping me in the scent of legal textbooks and fresh peppermint. I grant myself a moment to relax and enjoy my brother’s comfort.

“You holding up?” he whispers.

“Just about. Ready to end this case.”

“Me too, Em. I don’t like this idea, but I appreciate that we’re out of options. It can’t go on like this.”

“Thank you for trusting us to do this.”

“I learned my lesson last time I doubted you. It won’t happen again.”

Tom smooths my hair, much like he used to when we were kids. I gently peck his cheek, rubbing a non-existent smudge left behind. After everything, it’s so good to see him well and moving around again.

“I’m not here with good news.” Tom tucks me into his side then faces the room. “Should Nolan Madden not be offered up on a platter in the next forty-eight hours, Sabre Security is going to come under fire for the penthouse explosion.”

“What?” Hudson slams the table hard.

“The attorney general needs to offer the public a scapegoat. Using gang warfare was only going to buy you so much time. With recent violence across the capital, he intends to blame an ongoing investigation under your jurisdiction for the deaths.”

“Son of a bitch.” Kade digs his thumbs into his temples, wincing a little. “They always turn on us in the end.”

Tom nods solemnly. “We need to give them a closed case file… Now.”