about the bastard. Damn it. If we’d listened to you, looked into him earlier…”
Those spec ops guys might still be alive.
But Tag held the comment inside. It did no good to gloat over Mitch’s unveiling. Nor was there any satisfaction in being proved right. Only regret that he hadn’t stopped Mitch sooner.
Tram glanced toward the hallway where Sarah had disappeared. “Maybe Sarah can give us a bead on Mitch. Maybe she knows where he’s holed up.”
“Maybe…” But it didn’t look too likely. Rio had already asked that question, and Sarah hadn’t given Mitch up.
“Yeah, about that…don’t tell her what her abductor was into. She might share that intel with her ex, warn him that we’re onto him.” A flinty sheen glittered in Rio’s eyes.
There had been no indication Sarah knew why she’d been taken or what kind of shit Mitch was into. Did Rio know something Tag didn’t? Something he hadn’t shared with them? Something that tied Sarah to the thefts? Or was Rio simply being Rio. Christ, Addario’s suspicious nature had gotten ten times worse since he’d left the teams to join SDPD.
“I need to talk to her again.” Rio turned in a slow circle, scanning the squad room. “Where is she?”
“She hit the head.” Tag scowled, his temper prickling at the bite in Rio’s tone. Hell if he was going to let Rio badger her. “She’s exhausted. Shut down. You’ll get more out of her if you ask your questions tomorrow. Give her a chance to recoup. She’s your victim. Not your damn suspect.”
“She’s withholding,” Rio snapped back. “You know that as well as I do.”
It didn’t surprise him that Rio had picked up on that. Nor could Tag disagree. “Give her until tomorrow. I’ll bring her down myself.”
After he found out what the hell she was hiding and took measures to protect her.
Rio gave it a few seconds of thought before curtly nodding. He probably didn’t have cause to hold her for more questioning anyway. And it would be a public relations nightmare if word got out that the San Diego Police Department was harassing a kidnap victim.
Before they had a chance to discuss the matter further, Sarah came into view. She paused when she caught sight of them. He was too far away to see the expression that flashed across her face, but to his immense annoyance, her gaze landed on Lucas and stuck there.
A flare of intense emotion pierced him. All of the sudden he wanted to punch that pretty face of Tram’s until he lost all his teeth.
What the fuck?
If he didn’t know better, a lot better, he’d say the emotion suddenly driving him was jealousy. Of Tram. Which was pure fuckery. His buddy was devoted to Emma. And Tag knew that, damn it.
“I’m sorry to impose.” Sarah’s gaze didn’t budge from Tram’s face, which raised Tag’s blood pressure even more. “But would you mind giving me a ride to the Wedding Knot? I need to get my car.”
“Sure thing,” Tram said immediately. He paused to scan her tired face and his gaze gentled. “You sure you don’t want to pick up your car tomorrow? I can swing by in the morning and take you over.”
She mustered a tight smile and avoided Tag’s and Rio’s eyes. “I don’t want to leave it there overnight. The neighborhood looks a little seedy.”
Then why the fuck get married there?
But Tag sucked the question back.
Once Sarah and Tram were out of earshot, Rio turned to Tag. “Have her here by 10 a.m.” He paused, raised thick black brows. “You need a ride to your rig?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
Tram had dropped him off at his truck after they’d left the rescue site, so he’d taken his own ride to the station. He followed Tram and Sarah down to the parking lot, emerging from the station as the Jeep took off.
After fueling up his truck and grabbing some grub, he headed to Sarah’s house. They were due for a conversation.
He pulled alongside the curb, several houses down from Sarah’s place, and settled back to wait. Ten minutes later, two sets of headlights lit the street. A Nissan Sentra pulled alongside the curb directly in front of her house. Tram’s Jeep Wrangler pulled up behind it.
Sitting in the darkness, Tag watched Sarah shove open the driver’s door and hop out of the Nissan. Tram joined her on the pavement. The two spoke for a few seconds, and then Sarah headed up the brick path toward her house. Lucas retreated to his Jeep,