Absolution (The Protectors 1)

I yanked on my jeans and snatched my shirt off the floor but didn’t bother with anything else and then Cole grabbed my hand and dragged me down the stairs. I tried to look out the front door but it was closed. I was about to ask where Mace was when Cole led me to the back door and handed me the revolver I’d held on Mace just a couple nights ago. “I need you to watch the back and tell me if anyone heads towards the house.”

I swallowed hard but managed a nod.

“I need to cover Mace but I’ll hear you if you call out,” he said as he headed towards the front door and yanked it open and then aimed the rifle.

I need to cover Mace.

I wanted - no, needed - to know what was going on, but Cole needed me to do this. Mace needed me to do it. So I forced myself to turn my back on whatever was happening up front and started methodically scanning the backyard.

Chapter Twenty-One

Mace

I held my Ruger loosely by my side as I watched the car come to a stop next to mine. I already knew who it was but that didn’t change my stance at all. But when I heard the front door of the house open behind me, it took everything in me not to take my eyes off of Ronan as he got out of the vehicle.

“Cole-” I said without looking behind me.

“Mace, don’t waste your breath telling me to go back inside. I’ve got Jonas covered,” Cole said coolly. I wanted to tell him that my worry wasn’t only for Jonas, but I needed to keep my attention on the man in front of me.

Ronan was wearing his standard issue black slacks and perfectly pressed white shirt but he’d foregone his usual suit jacket, probably so I could see he wasn’t armed. In fact, he wasn’t wearing the double shoulder holsters he typically wore. He kept his hands by his sides instead of holding them out, despite my gun and the rifle I had no doubt Cole was holding on him.

Ronan always had been a cocky son of a bitch. But I knew it wasn’t for show – he was exactly what he portrayed himself to be.

“How?” I asked. I kept my eyes on him and hoped like hell Cole was able to scan our surroundings to watch for any forthcoming attacks.

“Jonas’s watch,” Ronan said.

Fuck, I hadn’t thought to check Jonas’s watch for a tracking device.

“How did you get his watch?”

“He takes it off when he washes his hands. I swapped it out when he went to the bathroom in the coffee shop he goes to every day.”

I shook my head at my own stupidity. Ronan clearly hadn’t believed me when I’d said I’d followed through on the assignment after he’d provided the so-called proof of Jonas’s supposed affair with Devlin Prescott.

“You knew I’d take him and run.”

Ronan shrugged. “It’s what I would have done.”

I wasn’t sure if I should take that as a compliment or not. “You’re not getting him,” I said. “Even if you get past me, you won’t get past him,” I said motioning to Cole.

Ronan’s eyes never left mine. “I’ve known where you were from the moment you left the city. You really think I would have waited all this time if this was about a job?”

“Then what are you doing here now?”

“There’ve been some developments you need to know about.”

“You think I’d believe any of your bullshit? You fucking set me up. I know it. You know it,” I bit out. I hated the disappointment that went through me that Ronan’s betrayal actually hurt. I started backing up towards the house so that I’d be next to Cole if we needed to make a stand.

“It wasn’t about you,” Ronan said. “It was about Jonas. It still is.”

I stopped moving at that but didn’t respond otherwise.

“He used you. He used all of us,” Ronan admitted and I was actually surprised by the thread of disappointment I heard in his voice.

“Who?” I asked.

“Benny.”

I couldn’t school my reaction to that. Benny was one of the most trusted members of our group.

“Look Mace, can you just check me for weapons and let me in so we can talk about this? I’ve been running my ass ragged for three days trying to figure out what the hell is going on.”

I studied him for a moment and then finally backed up until I reached the porch stairs. I reached my gun behind me and Cole took it without hesitation. Ronan held out his arms as I approached him and I took my time searching him. I searched his car next.

“Grab the folder on the front seat,” Ronan said.

I got the folder and then searched the car as best I could for any tracking devices but figured it was pointless since Ronan would have told his backup where he was going.