“I should have listened to you. You tried to tell me love is simple. I made it complicated and now he’ll never know how I felt.”
“He knows, Penny. I’m sure he knows.” Georgia held her and rubbed a hand up and down her back. The gentle touch broke down the last of Penny’s emotional defenses.
She collapsed into her friend’s arms. “It’s not enough.”
After Georgia calmed her down enough that she could drive, her friend walked her out to the parking lot to her car. She’d promised to call as soon as she had any news. The thought made her look at her phone again. Mara would call if she got any word on Matt. She hadn’t, so that meant he really was injured. If Mara had seen him walk out of the club alive, she would have let her know.
She didn’t bother going home to get any clothes. If Matt was hurt, she wasn’t taking any chances on getting there in time. If she drove fast enough, she could make the trip in about two hours.
As she raced over the darkened highways, she kept her eyes on the road ahead and tried not to speculate about what was happening. But it was pretty much impossible not to worry. Matt was supposed to be safe. Safety was an illusion and she’d fallen for it. She’d been so stupid to think that him getting out of the military meant they got to have a happy ending.
After an hour of driving, her phone rang. She snatched it off the seat. “Mara? Is he okay?”
“Eli sent us a message that they’re all alive but not out of danger. There’s a standoff situation in the building. He was separated from Matt, so we still don’t know exactly what happened. But the good news is that Matt is alive.”
Relief streamed through Penny. Her hands shook on the steering wheel. “Thank God. I’m on my way. Since it’s so late, there isn’t much traffic. I should be there in about an hour.”
“Okay. We’re at the Alexander farm. We decided to all wait together. I’ll send you the directions. It’s actually closer to you.”
“Great. I’ll see you soon.”
“Penny?” Mara’s voice sounded so small. She’d never heard her sound like that. Even as a little girl, Mara had always been vivacious and confident.
“I’m really glad you’re coming. Matt has never been happier than when he’s been with you. I feel like you’re my sister already.”
Penny’s eyes welled with tears. The road before her blurred slightly. “Thank you.”
“Okay, see you soon.”
A minute after they hung up, Mara texted the directions. Penny looked down at her speedometer and pressed harder on the gas until the needle inched closer to eighty-five miles per hour. Luckily the speed limit on most of the rural highways between northern and southern Virginia was seventy miles per hour, so she hadn’t been pulled over for speeding. She might be pushing it if she went any faster, but she was willing to take the chance.
Matt had gone through training classes and refresher courses and she’d been shocked to see the amount of weaponry he’d been issued. Apparently Elliott Alexander considered his private security force to be a sort of army. Matt had cases of weapons and he’d taken a mini-arsenal with him when he’d packed to leave for this assignment. She knew he was trained and excellent at his job, so she had to believe that whatever was going on, he could handle it.
“Just hold on, Matt. Whatever happens, just hold on.”
* * * * *
WHEN THINGS SUDDENLY went quiet, Matt peeked around the corner of his hiding place. He likely wasn’t going to get another opportunity, so he dashed from his spot behind the speaker and raced for the stage exit. He plastered himself against the wall before glancing around the corner.
It was clear.
Tank had sent a message that he had the girls blockaded in their dressing room, so Matt dashed down the hallway. He scratched at the door three times, keeping his eyes on the empty hallway behind him. There were three scratches from the other side and then the door opened. He didn’t move, allowing Tank to see it was him and he was alone.
Finally, the door opened all the way and he stepped inside. Kaylee let out a soft cry when she saw him. “Matt! I thought they’d gotten you.”
He smiled at her because he could tell she needed to see it. “It’ll take more than that to knock me out. I’m just glad you’re all okay.”
He turned back to Tank. “Where’s Eli?”
Tank made a frustrated sound. “He was here with us and then he left. He was talking to the police and decided to use himself as bait to draw the guys out. He hasn’t contacted me since.”
Matt cursed. “Well, whatever he did worked. The guys were right on me and then suddenly they were gone.”
They glanced behind them to where the girls sat in a huddle, talking quietly amongst themselves. Kay saw him looking and sent him a tremulous smile. He couldn’t let her down. She trusted them to keep her safe.
“Procedure is clear. In situations like this, we’re to stay with the client.” Eli had drilled that into his head. As much as Matt wanted to charge out there and look for his friend, he knew he needed to stay. Even if the guys came back and started shooting, he and Tank could keep the room secure. They had plenty of weapons between the two of them, and the other man was an excellent shot. Almost as good as Matt.
“Let’s secure the room.” The door had a flimsy lock, so he swiped all the crap off one of the girl’s dressing tables and used the furniture to block the door.