"Last chance," Kate told them. "If you don't leave now, you'll never get away."
"Fuck you," one of the men grumbled.
The limo couldn't get close, but none of them cared. Braden jumped out at the corner and tried to make a straight line for the building where his girl was being held. Four cops intercepted, blocking his path. For a split second, he braced up, ready to fight his way through, and then Psyc grabbed his arm.
"Not the time, bro. They're on our side," he said, tugging Braden back to the sidewalk on the far side.
"Embassy Suites," Knock said, pointing at the place they wanted.
"Fuck this," Braden growled.
Then he lifted his phone and called Jason. That man would know how to get him in there, and he'd need someone on the inside, right? He'd need something, because the police weren't doing a fucking thing! There were a shit-ton of them standing around, blocking everything off, but no one was moving inside! What the fuck? Did they not realize that Rhaven and the other girls might be dying right this very second?'
"What?" Jason answered.
"We're all here," Braden told him. "What do you need?"
"Sit down, shut up, and let me do my job," Jason told him.
No. That wasn't fucking good enough. "Thought you couldn't see the room," Braden shot back. "They're in there, Jason, and no one's doing a damned thing!"
"SWAT just made a breach," Jason countered. "I know the room they're in, and Bradley's relaying to their coordinator. Stand down, Braden. Let us handle this."
Then the line went dead. Braden couldn't make himself simply be calm about this. He was stuck, right here, where he could at least see the building. Quietly, Psyc moved beside him. The man shoved his hands into his pockets and just stood there, shoulder to shoulder, and it actually made Braden feel better.
"I love her, you know," Braden said.
"Yeah," Psyc agreed. "Me too."
"You gonna tell her?" He looked over.
Psyc just kept his eyes on the building. "When she's back. I kinda thought I'd wait, you know? Like, I'd give her the chance to feel the same, but all I can think right now is that I never told her."
"She feels the same," Braden promised him. "She hasn't said it, but I'm pretty sure she does."
Psyc just nodded slowly. "And she probably won't want either one of us when all this is over."
"She will," Braden told him. "I don't know what they're doing to her, but she'll need someone to lean on, and we can be that, right?"
"What if it's like Dez?" Psyc breathed.
"Then we will hold her while she cries, give her the space to heal, and figure it the fuck out."
Then Braden's phone rang again. He looked down and saw Jason's name on the screen, so he answered as fast as he could. "Yeah?"
"I need help," Jason said, his voice completely cold. "SWAT is pulling back. They can't breach the room without risking the victims. We need to get a phone to them. Some way for our negotiator to find out their demands."
"I can do it," Braden promised.
"You will get shot," Jason told him. "You might die. This is a job for law enforcement, but it's my recommendation that a gamer would be less likely to incite them to violence."
"Jason, they have my girl," Braden said. "I know you understand how very little I care about what happens to me right now."
"Then look for the command post. Going to be a table with a ton of people looking at maps of that building," Jason explained. "Alex should be down there. She'll get you fit for a vest. But Braden?"
"Yeah, bro?" Braden asked, heading that way.
"I can't see all of the room. I can't see the fucking door. I know where it is, but I'm missing about three feet. That building and this one aren't lined up. The girls are all standing, and they've encircled Dez. I don't know what's going on, but right now, they're ok."
"And if they aren't?" Braden asked.
"Just like the loading dock at Deviant," Jason swore. "I don't fucking miss. I just have to be able to see them."
"I understand," Braden promised, finally understanding why Jason wanted him to do this.
Because he was big enough to shield the girls in that corner. Because he could physically throw anyone out of it. Because, if the absolute worst happened, he would gladly give his life for any of those women. Right now, they were all fucking vulnerable, and he was supposed to be their