It was almost as if he was supposed to have met Grier and her father at this precise junction in his life—that the pair of them had been preordained to show him a way out that was far more honorable than what he’d planned.

Jim Heron was going to be important as well, however.

Palming up one of his guns, he slipped out the back door into the garden.

Sidestepping the motion-activated light, he waited in the shadows without making any noise, and sure enough, one of Jim’s pals stepped up a moment later. The instant he laid eyes on the guy, it was clear the vibe remained off: This one with the braid had the tight lips and hard stare of a man who still didn’t know where a member of his team was.

“Jim not come in for a landing yet?” Isaac asked. Even though the answer was clearly, Fuck no, given that expression.

“I’m hoping you can see him in the morning.”

Isaac glanced at his watch. “I don’t know if I’ve got that kind of time.”

“Make it.”

Easy for him to say. “Will you let me know if he shows?”

As the guy nodded once, Isaac got pretty frickin’ worried. “Is he all right?” When the man shook his head slowly, Isaac cursed. “You going to tell me what’s doing?” Silence. “You know, FYI, people think he’s dead.”

“All I can say is . . . right now, he wishes he was.”

Adrian watched as Eddie talked to Rothe up near the back door, and whereas Ad was usually nosy as hell, he didn’t care what they were saying.

Nigel. Cocksucking Nigel.

Mr. Holier-than-thou-aboveboard.

Who was more than willing to let his best asset get used and abused by the enemy just because he was too much of a little bitch to roll up his sleeves and pound Devina into the ground.

Meanwhile Jim was gym equipment for a bunch of pervert assholes.

Man, he just didn’t get this do-nothing. If one of his boys was captured and he could spring them? Didn’t matter what he had to do, what sacrifice there was to make, where he went: He would get the sorry sonofabitch back. And yet where was their boss man? Having dinner.

Made a guy want to feed Nigel his dessert right up the ass.

Adrian rubbed his face so hard he nearly sanded his nose off. The trouble was, Devina’s little workshop wasn’t accessible to him and Eddie unless they jumped through her mirror—otherwise she had to take you there herself . . . and she released you only when she was good and ready.

And not before.