Rick walked side by side with Brody as they made their way to the general’s office. He’d come to trust the man since that fateful accident. He’d had no idea at the time that this one trip would change his life. Rick lowered his gaze. He still hadn’t come clean with Lydia about why he’d really tagged along. Things had changed since he’d agreed to this mission.
There was no way he would have given up any of the Bennetts, but when he started digging into Lydia’s past for Mike while trying to catch the notorious drug king, Winters, it had raised enough red flags that Rick had to find answers.
Brody knocked his shoulder. “Dude, you look like you’ve got something heavy on your mind.”
Rick glanced at Brody. “I know you and I might have started off on a bad foot but things have changed and I need you to make me a promise.”
Brody’s lips turned up at the corners. “I’ll love and cherish her forever.”
Rick felt the smirk on his lips. “Smart ass.”
They both stopped before they entered the control room. Brody cleared his throat. “Okay, spill. What could possibly be important enough that you would grovel to ask a favor from me?”
Rick glanced down at his feet. He would never ask another man to take care of what he considered his, but the more he thought about Lydia and what she needed, he knew he had to come clean with her about everything. There was a chance that she was going to hate him, despise him even. He couldn’t expect her to trust him again, but she needed to know if they were going to have a chance at more of a relationship.
Rick raised his gaze. “There might come a time when Lydia decides she doesn’t want anything to do with me. It’s possible that she won’t even be talking to me.”
Brody raised his brow. “What did you do?”
Rick cleared his throat. “Nothing yet, just trust me. If that time ever comes, I need to know that you’re going to be there for her. Don’t let her disappear or do anything stupid, no matter how angry she gets.”
Brody crossed his arms over his chest. “What could you have possibly done to piss her off that bad?”
Rick was saved from having to explain. The sound of a single gunshot rang through the hall, and the lights flickered three times before they went out. The emergency lights above their head clicked on. Rick and Brody exchanged a look before they both exclaimed at the same time. “Lydia.”
They both ran as fast as they could down the hall, crashing into the door and knocking it off the hinges. What he found scared the shit out of him, more than when he’d been stuck with an unknown drug. Marlaina lay bleeding and shot in the stomach, and Lydia was passed out with the gun clutched in her hand. “What the hell happened! We’ve been gone five minutes.”
Brody hurried to Marlaina and checked for her pulse. He pulled his phone from the clip and started talking. Rick wasn’t paying attention to any of the conversation. He rushed to Lydia’s side and lifted a finger to her neck. He breathed a sigh of relief. Thank god she was still alive. He took the gun from her hand and stuffed it in the waist of his jeans then scooped her up in his arms, moving swiftly to the couch where he laid her down. He placed a kiss to her lips and whispered, “Rest easy. I’ve got you, honey.”
He walked to Brody. “Is she…”
Brody nodded with the phone held against his ear. He covered the speaker. “Is she…”
Rick shook his head. “I think she’s going to be okay. Did you call Jaime?”
The air in the room was thick. The aroma from the crimson blood covering the floor was overwhelming.
Brody shook his head. “I’m going to call Jamie. Take Lydia to your room and don’t let anyone in until we get this straightened out. Try and give her some coffee.”
Rick scooped her up and hurried from her room to his. He shut the door behind him and gently laid her down on his couch. He pulled the comforter off the bed and used it to cover her. He locked the door and pulled the stashed coffee pot from the cupboard. He’d hidden it in an attempt to spend more time with her, but he needed it now more than keeping his secret. He hoped beyond anything that it was going to do the trick.
He’d hit the button on the coffee maker when a pounding began on his door. He pulled out his gun and pointed it at the door.
“Thompson, let us in,” Briggs shouted with a strain in his voice. “I know she’s in there.”
Rick didn’t make a move to lower his gun. “Who is us?” he hollered back.
“Briggs and Jaime. You have to the count of five, and then I’m kicking the damn door down.”
Rick put the gun on the counter and pulled the door open before Briggs had even begun to count.