The screen changed, and showed the image of a pale, shaky-looking Lars propped up on pillows in his hospital bed.
“Rowan?” The man’s face lit up. “You’re okay?”
“I am.” She leaned forward. “How do you feel?”
Horror filled the man’s face. “My memories are foggy, but…but I killed them.” A sob tore from the man’s chest. “I killed our friends.”
Lachlan felt a rush of sympathy for the man. He’d been through hell and had a lot to come to terms with.
Rowan shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault, Lars. It was the artifact we pulled from the ice.”
The scientist gave a sad nod. “Dr. Sampson and Dr. Blackwell explained, but I remember, Rowan.” His voice cracked. “I remember their screams, and I’ll always remember.”
“We need your help, Lars.” Lachlan kept his tone crisp and commanding.
Lars straightened, swiping the tears from his face. “Okay.”
“Lars, this is Lachlan,” Rowan said. “He’s the leader of the team who rescued us from the base.”
“Lars, another person is under the influence of the artifact,” Lachlan said. “We need to find her and help her.”
Lars’ hands twisted in the sheets. “I just remember overwhelming feelings. Urges. I needed the cold, needed ice. I wanted to…hunt.” He shook his head. “I don’t really know how to describe it.”
“You’re doing fine,” Lachlan said. “That’s good.”
“Anything will help, Lars,” Rowan said.
Lars’ brow creased. “I remember I was looking for Rowan.”
Rowan glanced at Lachlan, but he kept his gaze on the man on the screen. The young scientist’s cheeks went pink.
“I, ah…I like her a lot.”
Lachlan forced a smile. He couldn’t blame the young guy, he had good taste. “There’s a lot to like.”
“He needs to rest,” Ty said.
“Take care, Lars,” Rowan said. “I’ll see you soon.”
The screen went black.
“You think she’ll try to see her husband and daughter?” Rowan said.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t help since she’s been caught by this group. Dammit.” Lachlan turned and barely resisted thumping his fist into the wall.
“Who are they?” Rowan asked.
“No idea, yet.”
“The man who shot me and the one I tangled with at the Cosmopolitan had accents. French, I think.”
Lachlan frowned. “Anything else?”
Her nose wrinkled. “He looked like a soldier.”
Brooks was back on the screen and listening. He looked at Rowan. “Any identifying marks? A scar?”
“No, I…” She frowned. “Wait. He had a tattoo on his wrist. A trident.”
Brooks started tapping. “Running a search now.” A moment later, he turned his tablet toward them. “This it?”
Rowan nodded. “That’s it.”
Brooks’ face turned serious. “European crime syndicate known as Legion de Mer. The Sea Legion. They’re on Interpol’s Most Wanted list, and are known for a whole host of ugly crimes.”
“They have any properties or links in Las Vegas?” Lachlan asked.
“That will be a slightly longer search,” Brooks said. “Leave it with me.”
Rowan had wandered over to the window. Lachlan watched her, seeing the way she wrapped her arms around her middle.
He moved up behind her. “We’ll find her.”
Rowan nodded. “I just want this to be over. To know that no more people will get hurt. For life to go back to normal.”
His muscles stiffened. So she could leave and forget this happened? Forget him?
He wrapped his arms around her. Hell no. He wasn’t going to let her go.
Everything in him went still. For years, he’d avoided relationships and kept his interactions with women casual. All his life, he’d worried the darkness he carried would make him change, like his dad.
But he wasn’t his father. Rowan was his, and everything inside him wanted to protect her, cherish her, ensure her happiness. He wouldn’t let anything hurt her, especially himself. He was going to stake his claim and convince her to stay.
But Lachlan knew that before he could do that, he had to find Airman Kowalski.
“Okay,” Brooks called out. “I got a hit.”
Keeping hold of Rowan’s hand, Lachlan pulled her back to the screen. “Tell us.”
“It’s a warehouse. Not far from where we lost track of the truck. I had to dig hard to find it, because a legitimate business runs out of it. One that stores props for Vegas shows. It was buried, but I found a link back to Legion de Mer. They own it and rent it out.”
“Call Blair and the others, Brooks. Tell them to meet us there.” Lachlan met Axel’s and Callie’s gazes. “Let’s go.”
Rowan stepped forward. “I’m coming.”
“No.” Lachlan’s gut rebelled. “I think it’s safer if you stay here. My condo has good security and now that these assholes have the artifact, they aren’t interested in you.”
“I’m seeing this through, Lachlan.”
Her words were firm and there was determination on her face.
“I want to help end this,” she said. “No, I need to help. And Aimee talked with me, connected with me. I could help.”
“Fuck.” He shoved his hand through his hair. He didn’t want her in danger again. “You just fell off a building, Rowan.”
“Twice,” Axel said.
Lachlan growled.
“I know, I was there.” Rowan grabbed his arm. “Please.”
“Lachlan—” Axel said.
He spun to face his teammate. “It’s been pure luck she hasn’t been killed.”
“But she’s right,” Axel said. “Airman Kowalski spoke to her. Rowan could help us contain her. We’ll keep her safe.”
“We all will,” Callie added. “Besides, you know she won’t just sit here quietly if you leave her behind.”
Lachlan ground his teeth together and glared at her. “You stay right beside me.”
Rowan nodded.
“You don’t run off into danger.”
Another nod.
He shook his head. “Why do I get the feeling you’re lying to me?”
She touched his arm. “Because I’ll do whatever I have to do to help. I don’t know what that might involve yet.”
Damn. Trust him to fall for a courageous woman who scared the hell out of him. “Let’s end this.”
Chapter Seventeen
Wearing a bulletproof vest again, Rowan sat next to Axel in the back seat of the SUV as they sped toward the warehouse.
She was nervous. They had no idea what they were heading into, and the Legion de Mer didn’t sound like nice people.
She could feel the anger vibrating off Lachlan from the front seat. She sighed. She hated that he was upset and worried, but she had to do this. She had to do her part to help.
They stopped a block from the warehouse and slid out of the SUV. A moment later, Blair, Seth, and Smith appeared from nowhere.
Team 52 moved into formation, moving silently. Rowan found herself surrounded by them, and she tried to move as quietly as they did. She watched Lachlan every time he made a hand signal, his team responding like a well-oiled machine.
They reached the side door of the large warehouse. Smith moved forward. She watched him fiddle with the handle and then, with a nudge of his large shoulder, he broke the door open. They moved inside.
The place was huge. Rowan looked around. Sunlight filtered in from high windows. Rows of shelves filled the space, but unlike the Team 52 warehouse back at the base, this didn’t look orderly. The place was packed with stuff. The shelves were stacked to bursting with an array of odd items. Some were small, and others were huge. As they walked down a row, she took in painted horses, large feathers, scary-looking masks, and other pieces that looked like they definitely belonged on a stage.
She stared at a giant clown’s face and shivered. The place was more than a little creepy.
After another hand signal, Blair, Smith, and Seth peeled off, moving down a different row of shelves. Lachlan, Axel, and Callie stayed with Rowan.
From somewhere deep in the warehouse, she heard a roar.
Oh, God. Lachlan held up a closed fist and they stopped. Rowan peered around him and saw the glint of lights ahead.