Hidden Away (KGI #3)(80)

“Is that Sarah?” Donovan asked. “Was she hurt too?”

Rio shook his head. “Look it’s a long story and one I’d love to tell you, but right now we need to get Garrett out of here.”

Sam glanced at his brothers and then nodded. They hurried over to the helicopter to see Garrett lying on a makeshift stretcher.

“I can damn well walk,” Garrett growled at Browning who had the misfortune of sitting next to Garrett’s head.

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t look like it to me,” Sam drawled. Even though he purposely needled his brother, the relief at seeing him lying there bitching as usual nearly staggered him. He had to grip the doorway to steady himself.

“Goddamn it, Garrett, you scared the shit out of us,” Donovan cursed.

Garrett picked his head up and saw his three brothers crowded into the doorway of the chopper. “Well, son of a bitch.”

Ethan grinned back at him. “You look like a pu**y.”

Garrett rose up to flip Ethan the bird but groaned as the motion rippled pain across his midsection. Yet something else his brothers would give him hell over. He grinned as he stared at the roof of the chopper. Some things never changed, and he hoped to hell they never did.

“One of you ass**les help me sit up. I can walk out of here, damn it. I don’t need a goddamn stretcher.”

Ethan chuckled but reached his hand out for Garrett to grasp. Donovan shouldered in and reached for Garrett’s other. His muscles protested, but he was gratified to be able to get out of the helicopter without collapsing.

As soon as his feet hit the ground, he looked around, taking in the surroundings “Where is Sarah?”

“Relax. Terrence took her to the van. I gave her an injection to make her sleep. She was wound tighter than a spring,” Rio said.

Garrett relaxed and then took a good look at the van in question. “Well, hell, Rio. Is this what you call a first-class ride?”

Rio chuckled. “It’s all about blending in. Can’t have a limo showing up at some out-of-the-way clinic.”

“We have the jet here,” Sam said with a frown. “You should damn well let us take you home. You can’t continue this job in your condition.”

Garrett ignored him and started toward the van. Ethan followed and grasped Garrett’s arm to steady him. He was grateful for his brother’s help, not that he’d admit it. The last thing he wanted was to face plant on the runway. He wouldn’t live down that humiliation ever.

“Goddamn it, Garrett,” Sam said in resignation. “I swear if you didn’t already look like you’ve been rode hard and hung up wet, I’d kick your ass.”

Garrett turned and shot a cocky grin over his shoulder. “You can try, big brother. You can try.”

Donovan shook his head and followed the procession over to the van.

Garrett stuck his head inside to see Sarah curled onto the floor of the van. There were only two seats in front and the entire back was empty. She was out cold and her features were drawn into a tight grimace, but at least she was resting. The past few days had been hard on her, and she’d already been through enough.

He hesitated before entering the van and turned to face his brothers. “I’ll make this quick. We need to get out of sight. I’m not going home with you.” He held up his hand to stop the protest that Sam was already preparing to launch. “You three get your asses home. Make sure the women aren’t worried. Tell them whatever you need in order to make them feel better. I don’t want the family involved with this. Think about the danger we’d be bringing to our front door. Lattimer is a wild card. The whole point of this job was to flush him out. I’m not going to do that in any way that puts our family at risk, and you damn well know I’m right.”

“My suggestion was to leave Rio with Sarah. Let his team take over the job. You need to get your ass home and be in a real hospital,” Sam said.

“And I’m telling you right now, I’m not leaving Sarah.”

He stared his brothers down. He saw Donovan shake his head and blow out his breath in resignation. Donovan knew. He already had a damn good idea that Garrett was in way over his head with the woman.

“There is still a threat to Sarah, one I haven’t identified. And do you think for one minute that if we all go home, Resnick won’t be all over us in a minute? Hell, he’s probably on his way here right now. He’s a complication I don’t need.”

“Are you forgetting that you’re lying to her?” Sam asked in a low voice. “Whatever your feelings for her, she’s not going to forgive being used as bait to lure her brother out of hiding. Get out now, Garrett. Let Rio do the job.”

“Tell me something, Sam. Would you have left Sophie to Steele or Rio? Would you have backed off and let them protect her while you went home with your tail tucked between your legs?”

Understanding flashed in Sam’s eyes.

Garrett turned to Ethan. “Would you have let us go in after Rachel while you stayed at home sitting on your hands because you were too emotionally involved?”

“Fuck no,” Ethan bit out.

“Goddamn it,” Sam bit out. “I hate when you have to make a goddamn point that I can’t respond to.”

Garrett grinned. “Go home, Sam. You have a wife and a new baby. Ethan has a wife to take care of. Sarah is mine to take care of. Rio and his team will stick with me. I trust them to do their job, but the only one I’m trusting with Sarah is me.”