Page 49 of Blood Money

Despite the gravity of the situation and the fear she must have experienced, Gray almost snorted. In the time she’d worked at the precinct, he’d never heard her curse.

“Then what happened?” he asked.

“The doors opened, and I started screaming for help.”

Gray glanced at her. “Did they try to grab you?”

“Yes.” From the corner of his eye, he caught her nodding. “But we got away.”

Again, he found himself gripping the steering wheel tightly. The idea of another man laying hands on her—for any reason—ignited a fury in him that threatened to spiral out of control.

Control was something he was known for in the NYPD, but that all went to shit where Alex was concerned. Focusing on the scenery whizzing by was the only thing keeping him from plowing his fist through the roof of the car.

Dirty piles of snow lined the thruway’s shoulders. Buildings gave way to farmland dotted with red and white barns and an occasional cow. Here and there, budding trees shivered in the wind, ready to leaf out at the first sign of spring.

Inside the car, warm air blew from the ventilation system, carrying with it Alex’s subtle perfume or whatever she washed her hair with.

Gray drew in a deep breath. He knew there was strong physical chemistry between them, but the more he got to know her, the more he admired her. Alex possessed a quiet, inner strength that he hadn’t seen coming.

He’d mistakenly equated her subdued demeanor with someone who would be helpless, and he was learning she was anything but. Not only had she stood up to the NYPD and the FBI, but she’d told those kidnappers to fuck off. He was certain that was what they’d been trying to pull off—a kidnapping.

But grabbing Alex would only undermine their mission. Without her they couldn’t obtain the documents they sought. Given that she worked with the NYPD every day, the Pyramid most likely wanted an insurance policy that she wouldn’t renege on the deal. Kidnapping Nicky would ensure she’d do anything they demanded.

A small chink of the wall Gray had erected between himself and Alex crumbled to the ground. He was beginning to understand the lengths to which a mother would go to protect her own, but using him was something he could never forgive.

If she’d really done that.

His cell phone vibrated with the call he’d been expecting. He answered it and held the phone to his ear. “Whattya got?”

“You all okay?” Dom asked.

“We’re fine. We heard shots. Did the Durango survive?”

“Barely,” Dom said. “Half a dozen rounds to the windshield, but the real damage is on the driver’s side from when I broadsided them off the highway. Both shitbags are dead. One of Middle Eastern descent, no ID. I got someone running his prints. The other guy is white. Burned beyond recognition, but his ID wasn’t. Sam McAllister. He’s American.”

“No shit.” Gray hadn’t expected that. “So the Pyramid is recruiting Americans.”

“So it seems,” Dom all but growled. “I had a guy run him through military personnel databases. Get this…” He paused. “The fucker was former Delta.”

Sonofabitch.

Gray gritted his teeth. He had no sympathy for former military—especially Special Forces—aligning themselves with the dark side. When American soldiers used their specialized skills for criminal gain, it was a personal betrayal to all those who died in battle protecting the United States of America. He truly believed that with everything he was, and in everything he did. If he wasn’t already dead, Gray would be first in line to crack that Delta guy’s face wide open.

Freedom isn’t free.

Everything good in life had a price tag and anyone who thought otherwise was an unrealistic moron.

“Smart of the Pyramid,” Gray said. “Recruiting outside their inner circle will open up an unlimited number of doors. With resources from every culture and every race, they could infiltrate anything.”

“Including military bases, government agencies, and police departments,” Dom added.

“We need to dig deeper.” Gray changed lanes to pass a semi. “Get inside their inner circle and stomp those assholes into the ground. For good.”

Silence greeted Gray’s ear, and he thought the call might have been disconnected. “You there, partner?”

“Yeah,” Dom said. “You know, you may be onto something.”

Gray could practically hear the gears in Dom’s head grinding away, and he knew instinctively what his partner was contemplating. “No, buddy. Way too dangerous, don’t even think it. You’d be out there without a lifeline.”