Nate’s eyes flash with worry. “He’s…”
My heart stops. “Dead? He’s dead?”
“No.” His hands cup my face again. “He’s at the vet. They’re going to do everything they can for him.”
“But… He’s alone?”
“Lila and Gemma are with him.”
“We have to go,” I say immediately, stepping out of his arms. “I need to see him. If he doesn’t make it…
“He knows you love him, Phoebe.”
A tear drips down my face. “Swear to god, if my demon-dog doesn’t pull through this… I will kill Keegan MacDonough myself.”
Nate’s lips twitch. “He’ll get what’s coming to him. Don’t worry about that. Your father’s testimony against him is all the FBI needed to move in. They’d been waiting for probable cause to search this place.” He gestures at the swamp. My eyes follow his hand and I see the SWAT guys moving methodically through the tall grass, scouring the area for something.
“What are they looking for?” I ask quietly.
Nate doesn’t answer. When I meet his eyes, I see they’re guarded.
“Bodies,” I whisper, answering my own question. “They’re looking for bodies.”
He nods. “A lot of Mac’s hits were rumored to take place out here. But it’s private land so they needed a warrant. Your dad’s information on Mac, on some of their dealings, things he’s learned over the years… He gave the FBI exactly what they needed.”
I swallow hard so I don’t panic. “Is my dad… is he in custody?”
Nate nods again.
“He tried to save me the only way he knew how,” I whisper. “He gave his life, his freedom, for mine.”
“He’s the reason your life was in danger in the first place,” Nate rumbles, dislike etched clearly on his features. “I know he’s your dad, but I can’t forgive him for that. He deserves to go to jail, along with Mac and all his boys.”
I sigh and my eyes land on Cormack. Two men in black are zipping him into a body bag.
“Don’t look at that, little bird,” Nate says, turning my face up to his. “He deserved to die. He would’ve—”
“I know.” I take a breath. “If you’d gotten here one second later…”
“Don’t think about it.” He pulls me into his chest again, hugging me until my ribs ache. “I got here. That’s all that matters.”
A thought occurs to me. “How did you even find me? How did you know I was here?”
A chuckle moves through his body. He snags the chain of the sunshine pendant hanging around my neck with one finger, and pulls it up to the light.
“This necklace?” His voice is wry. “I told you I had it made specially, didn’t I? After they took you the first time, I decided I wasn’t taking any more chances.”
When I look up at him, there’s a mischievous light in his eyes. “What did you do?”
“Let’s just say, it’s not made of sterling silver.” His lips twitch. “There’s a GPS tracker chip embedded in the center.”
“You bugged my necklace?” I gasp out, not knowing whether to be offended or flattered. “That’s insane.”
“Maybe.” He shrugs, unapologetic. “But it saved your life.”
I can’t argue with that. He’s right. Still, I wish his macho man antics hadn’t been validated.
I narrow my eyes. “You’re going to be impossible to live with now, aren’t you?”
“No,” he lies, grinning at me.
I sigh. “Do I have to debrief with the commando dudes?”
His eyes flash with mirth. “They aren’t commandos.”
“Whatever.” I eye their black-on-black attire and large guns. “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…”
“They’re an FBI tactical team.”
“Do I have to talk to them, or not?”
“You do.”