Her arms trembled with the exertion of holding the toilet tank cover over her head. She held her breath, waiting for the bathroom to be breached.

  A shout rang out, followed by more loud thuds. After what seemed like eons, she heard her name.

  “Alanna? It’s Reed. Are you okay?”

  The voice sounded like Reed’s, but she found herself hesitating in case this was a trick. But she couldn’t hold up the toilet tank cover any longer, so she lowered it to the floor and called, “Reed? Is it really you?”

  “Yes. Hang on.” A second later, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Propping the toilet seat cover against the wall, she glanced at the screen to read his text. You’re safe. I have one guy in cuffs. The other got away.

  Reed caught one of them? She quickly replaced the tank cover, then gingerly opened the bathroom door. Peeking out, she could see two dark shapes in her living area. One was standing, the other was lying stretched out on the floor with his arms behind his back. “Reed?”

  “Yeah, I’m here. Go pack a bag.” The words were not a suggestion. “We’re getting out of here as soon as the cops arrive to take this guy into custody.”

  “I didn’t do nothin’,” the hoodie guy muttered.

  “Breaking and entering for starters,” Reed said calmly. He flicked on a light, causing her to blink to adjust to the brightness. “And I bet that gun I took off you isn’t legal either.”

  Gun? A wave of dizziness hit hard. This man had come very close to getting to her in the bathroom. If Reed hadn’t noticed him and warned her . . .

  She turned away, bracing herself with a hand on the wall, her knees shaky. Abruptly straightening, she forced herself to move to the bedroom. She’d already changed clothes, but now she grabbed the gym bag she hadn’t used in over four months and stuffed a change of clothes in beside her small travel case of toiletries.

  The all-too familiar sound of police sirens filled the night. As she joined Reed in the living area, she could see red-and-blue flashing lights through her window.

  Her knees threatened to give out again, so she set her duffel on the small kitchen table and leaned against it. She hated feeling weak and helpless. Yet seeing the cuffed man on her living room floor was surreal. None of this made any sense, especially if the guy Reed had cuffed was a member of the Blood Kings.

  Gangs didn’t stalk and kill nurses. The logic of this attack escaped her.

  Of course, this guy had probably come for Reed. He must have gotten her address from her license plate. Yet even that seemed a stretch. Everyday gang members didn’t have those kinds of resources.

  “Alanna?” Reed’s low voice caught her attention. She lifted her head to look at him. “You’ll want to let the police in.”

  “Sure.” She pushed herself away from the table and went over to the intercom system that was buzzing from below. She pressed the button to unlock the door. “How did this guy get past the security?”

  “I think he must have gotten into the parking garage.” Reed’s grim gaze met hers. “We should have left right away.”

  He was right, and it was her fault they hadn’t. “We’re safe now. And you having one of them in custody should help, right? Maybe the police will convince him to talk.”

  “Lawyer,” the bound guy said in a loud voice.

  “Maybe,” Reed agreed, ignoring the guy he’d cuffed. He stared at her for a long moment, then glanced toward the door of her condo. It hung ajar, making her realize the lock must have been broken. Or breached in some way.

  How? She’d had the deadbolt on and hadn’t heard anything loud enough to indicate the door had been kicked in.

  Two uniformed police officers came into her condo. “Reed Carmichael?”

  “That’s me.” Reed gestured to the man on the floor. “This man unlawfully entered the premises with the intent to harm the condo owner, Alanna Finnegan.”

  “Finnegan?” The officer closest to her raised a brow. “Related to Rhy and Tarin?”

  “My brothers.” She noted his name tag identified him as Officer Cohen. “I don’t understand how this man got inside my condo.”

  “Lock picks,” Reed held up several slim-looking tools. “I took these off him when I searched for weapons. He had a thirty-eight special too.”

  Having a gun wasn’t unusual for a gang banger, but lock picks? She stared at the cuffed man who hadn’t uttered a word since the cops arrived.

  The two officers crossed over to haul the perp to his feet. This guy had a teardrop tattoo near his eye, but it wasn’t red in color, it was only drawn on his face. She knew that in the gang world, an empty teardrop indicated he’d injured someone but hadn’t killed them.

  Small consolation.

  It took well over an hour for her and Reed to provide their statements to the responding officer. Once they began, they had to go back and fill them in on the events that had unfolded in the ED and the shooting that had taken place outside Reed’s house.

  The time was going on eleven o’clock by the time they’d finished. She reached for her duffel, but Reed took it from her fingers. “Let’s go downstairs and grab a rideshare.”

  “Okay.” She was too exhausted to argue. “But we’ll need a car at some point.”

  “I know. We’ll worry about that tomorrow.” Reed rested his hand in the small of her back as they took the stairs down to the first floor. Outside, she could see the officers in their respective squads, the perp sitting in the back seat behind the cage in Cohen’s vehicle.

  It reminded her of Reed’s dead partner who’d been placed in their squad. It hit her hard that the man sitting there had intended to add to the body count by killing her and Reed too.

  For what? Revenge? It was the only explanation she could come up with.

  Reed glanced up from his phone, catching her gaze. The harsh planes of his face softened. “You’re going to be okay, Alanna.”

  “I know.” She shivered, remembering those tense moments in the bathroom. She’d never wanted to carry a gun, but she was glad Reed was armed. Her brothers had taken her to the shooting range, a requirement their father had initiated. Most of her siblings owned guns. Colin didn’t carry, and neither did Elly.

  It was tempting to call Rhy to ask for a weapon, but she refrained. Her oldest brother would want to hear the entire story and would try to insist she come to the homestead, despite Devon’s pregnancy.

  Better to keep him out of this for a while.

  A white SUV pulled to the curb. Reed stepped forward to speak through the passenger-side window with the driver. Then he opened the back door and gestured for her to climb in.

  “You’re heading to the Timberland Falls Suites?” the driver asked.

  “That’s correct.” Reed clipped his seatbelt, then reached for her hand.

  “Got it.” The driver had already put the information into the phone mounted on his dash. She gratefully clung to Reed’s hand as the rideshare driver navigated the streets. Timberland Falls wasn’t far, roughly fourteen miles from her condo. Hopefully, it was enough of a distance that the Blood Kings wouldn’t find them.

  She’d never known any gang members to operate outside of the Milwaukee neighborhoods they ruled. In some ways, it wasn’t smart of them to venture to the suburban areas where men with teardrop tattoos stood out like sore thumbs.

  Then again, crime happened everywhere.

  Traffic was light at this hour, and they made it to the Timberland Falls hotel in less than fifteen minutes. Reed thanked the driver, slung her duffel over his shoulder, then escorted her inside. Without asking her opinion, he requested a two-bedroom suite on the first floor. She knew he’d requested that specifically for a quick getaway.

  It must be exhausting to constantly plan an escape route.

  “I can help pay.” She reached for the zipper on the duffel to retrieve her purse.

  “No need. I’ve got it.” He handed over his credit card, then waited for the clerk to hand over their room keys.

  Their room wasn’t too far from the lobby. Reed unlocked the door, then held it open for her. The accommodations were nice; there was a small central living space with two bedrooms located on each side.

  “Well.” She stood in the center of the room for a moment. “I guess this is home sweet home for the foreseeable future.”

  “Yeah.” Reed set her duffel on the sofa. His solemn gaze met hers. “I’m sorry. I never should have left you in the condo alone.”

  She could tell he was beating himself up over it. “I’m fine. And you caught one of the bad guys, which is a big deal. I’m sure once he sits in jail for a while, he’ll talk in exchange of leniency.”

  “I hope so.” His blue eyes darkened. “I hate knowing you’re in danger because of me.”

  “It’s okay.” She stepped closer, putting her hand on his arm. “I’m glad we’re together.”

  “Me too.” His low voice was husky with emotion. His gaze dropped to her mouth, then quickly darted away. Reed abruptly stepped back. “Ah, we need to get some sleep.”

  Without waiting for her to respond, he picked up her duffel and carried it into one of the bedrooms. Then he emerged and crossed over to the second bedroom.

  “Good night.” He barely glanced at her as he shut the door behind him.

  She stared at his closed door for a moment, then turned to head into her room. Sleep wouldn’t come easily, but her body craved rest.

  Almost as much as she’d craved Reed’s kiss.

  That was a close one. Not just one of the hoodie perps getting inside Alanna’s condo, but the kiss he’d narrowly avoided.

  Hadn’t he screwed up enough? Kissing Alanna was way out of line. His actions had dragged her into this mess. The two gang members had staked out his house and had only gone to Alanna’s condo because they’d expected to find him there.

  He sank down onto the edge of the bed, propping his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands. If Rhy or Tarin knew what he’d done, they’d beat him to a pulp.

  Well, maybe they wouldn’t resort to physical violence, but they’d tear a strip off his back for putting their baby sister in harm’s way. If he hadn’t managed to scare off the first hoodie guy in time to get up into the condo to prevent the second one from getting to Alanna, he’d be facing the Finnegan wrath right now.

  And he’d deserve it.

  The chili they’d eaten churned in his belly. They shouldn’t have lingered to eat. He should have taken her with him to his place.

  Enough. He stood and paced the room. Time to pull himself together. He needed to keep his head in the deadly game these Blood Kings seemed intent on playing. Which meant holding Alanna at a professional distance. They were safe for now, but he needed a better plan come morning.

  What that entailed, he had no clue.

  Images from the evening flashed through his mind. Alanna being held at knifepoint, dragged across the room. His rookie partner’s dead body falling out of their squad. The gunfire from the car without lights. And finding Alanna’s condo door open with a gang member moving silently inside.

  He wasn’t on duty but considered calling one of his cop buddies for help. He was fairly certain Geoff Watkins was home from his shift by now; he’d come to the initial scene of the shooting among several others. He’d also likely heard the news of Reed being placed on administrative leave.

  Then again, why bother him now? He’d call Geoff in the morning before his friend’s second shift tour started. There was nothing Geoff could do for him tonight.

  Reed headed into the bathroom, hoping a shower would clear his head. Afterward, he felt better but still too keyed up to sleep.

  His phone on the bedside table vibrated. He snatched it up, frowning at the unknown number.

  After a moment’s hesitation, he answered it. “Yeah?”

  “Carmichael, what in the world is going on?”

  It took him a minute to realize the caller was one of Alanna’s brothers. “Who is this? And how did you get my personal cell number?”

  “This is Rhy, and I have connections. Now tell me what happened? Why am I hearing about a break-in at my sister’s condo through the cop grapevine?”

  He swung up to sit on the side of the bed. “For one thing, I don’t have your number. I take it Alanna didn’t call you?”

  “No, and she should have. So should you.” Rhy sounded upset, and Reed couldn’t blame the guy. He’d be mad too if his sister was in danger.

  “I’m sorry, it’s my fault.” Reed dragged his hands over his hair. “After the gunfire outside my house, I should have gotten Alanna far away.”

  “Gunfire? What gunfire?” Rhy’s voice rose in volume, making him wince.

  Apparently, the grapevine hadn’t included that part of the story. “My house is only eight blocks from Alanna’s condo. We swung by there, and a car drove up without headlights. Someone took a few shots at us, breaking the rear window of Alanna’s car.”

  “Wait a minute. Why were you and Alanna together at your place?” Rhy’s tone reeked of suspicion. “Are you taking advantage of my baby sister, Carmichael?”

  “No, I’m not.” Although he had nearly kissed her. Something he had no plan of revealing to Alanna’s oldest brother. “I walked her to her car after work. I didn’t have my vehicle there, so she offered me a ride home. I declined, but she seemed pretty shaken up, so I offered to drive her car to her condo, intending to walk to my house from there since I only live eight blocks away. She didn’t believe me and insisted I show her where I live. Something I wouldn’t have done if I’d have known two gang bangers were waiting.”

  There was a long silence as Rhy digested his statement. “How would gang bangers know where you live?”

  “I don’t know. To be honest, none of this makes sense.” He was glad Rhy’s questions had turned to the case rather than his younger sister. “And even more confounding is that they must have gotten Alanna’s license plate number because they showed up at her condo. I know we weren’t followed there because we called 911 and had the police come to us several blocks away from her place and mine.”

  “You’re right, that doesn’t make sense. Milwaukee gangs are all about drug and firearm dealing along with prostitution. They don’t have access to the general public’s personal information.”

  “I hear what you’re saying, but I’m telling you, they found her there,” Reed repeated. “I managed to grab one of them, so maybe the police will convince him to talk. Although he had nothing to say while I was there.”

  “I don’t like this,” Rhy muttered.

  Reed didn’t much like it either. And since Rhy was a cop, he decided to tell him the entire story. “There’s one more thing you should know. My partner, a rookie cop by the name of Wesley Durango, was supposed to accompany Ivan ‘Ice’ Garcia to the hospital.”

  “Why didn’t he?” Rhy asked.

  “I’m not sure what happened, I was taking two of the Latino Hombres into custody myself. Knowing Wes was a rookie was the main reason I rushed to the hospital to check on Garcia when I finished at the scene. That’s when I saw he had Alanna hostage. After shooting him, I went out to my squad and found Wesley Durango’s dead body, a bullet hole in the center of his forehead.”

  “You’re saying the Blood Kings killed a cop?” Rhy’s tone sounded incredulous.

  “Someone at the scene of the shooting did, and there were several gang members who took off when we arrived. Members of both the Latino Hombres and the Blood Kings.”

  Rhy let out a low whistle. “Pretty bold to execute a cop.”

  “Tell me about it.” Reed rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess they’re coming after me for revenge, but even that is unusual. Gangs generally stay away from shooting and killing cops.”

  “There’s nothing usual about this case.” Rhy sighed loudly. “As far as I know, using Alanna as a hostage to escape being arrested has never happened before.”

  “Not to my knowledge,” Reed agreed.

  “Where are you and Alanna now?”

  He hesitated, bracing himself for another outburst. “We’re in a two-bedroom suite outside of Milwaukee, in Timberland Falls. The biggest problem right now is that we don’t have a set of wheels. We had to use a rideshare to get out of the city.”

  “I can help with that,” Rhy said. “Since you’re settled someplace safe, I’ll arrange for you to have a car by morning.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Reed figured Rhy was going out of his way to help out of concern for his sister, and that was fine with him. He wanted Alanna safe too. “Let’s connect tomorrow morning.”

  “Fine.” There was a brief pause before Rhy added, “You better watch yourself, Carmichael. I expect my sister treated with respect, understand?”

  “Yes, sir.” Rhy held the rank of captain, and Reed had no doubt that Rhy would make it his mission to ruin his career if anything bad happened to Alanna.

  Not that he had much of a career now. Thanks to the video footage outside the hospital’s ED entrance, he wasn’t a suspect in Wesley Durango’s murder, but his partner had been snatched from the scene of the shooting without any of the responding officers noticing.

  Far from stellar police work, he thought with a wince. Shooting a suspect was bad enough, but the entire fiasco would be investigated by the internal affairs department along with the upper brass.

  He crawled back into bed, determined to get some sleep. Just knowing he’d have Rhy’s support helped him relax.

  Nice to know he wasn’t alone in this.

  Reed must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew, his phone was buzzing again. With a low groan, he picked it up, squinting at the screen.

  Who was calling at five thirty in the morning? Not Rhy’s number, but one that looked familiar. Someone within his precinct. Not that any of the bigwigs showed up at work this early in the morning.

  He cautiously answered. “Yeah?”

  “Carmichael? It’s Simmons. Chuck Simmons.”

  He recognized one of the newer night-shift officers. “What’s up? You know I’m on administrative leave, right?” He figured the guy was calling to swap shifts or something.

  “Yeah, I know. I’m calling you from the bathroom.” Okay, that was an image he hadn’t needed. “I wanted to let you know because I don’t know if anyone else will.”

 

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