Page 72 of Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad World

Abasi’s dark eyes never strayed from the captured men. “They need to die,” he said simply.

Noah moved to stand in front of him, blocking his access to the captives while hoping Abasi wouldn’t shoot him instead.

“You’re right; they deserve to die,” Rodrigo said. “But if we kill them, the investigation will focus on us instead of where it needs to be. Right now, we need them alive to talk to the cops. And we need to take care of the women.”

Abasi didn’t seem to hear him. He stood tense and focused, his face unreadable but his intent clear—he planned to put the men down like animals.

And Noah couldn’t blame him for wanting to.

“Get out of my way,” Abasi ordered, his voice low and cold as ice.

“You’re with Benson Security now.” Noah tried to reason with him. “We don’t just kill whoever we want. You’re part of the team, which means you play by the rules.”

There was nothing but cool determination in Abasi’s eyes. “Whose rules? Rochelle’s? Because we didn’t give a damn about her rules when we started this.” He slowly withdrew his weapon from its holster, making Noah wish he’d confiscated it earlier.

“We don’t have time to deal with you right now,hermano.” Rodrigo joined Noah to form a barrier in front of the gang members. “We need to get help for those women.” He lifted his chin at Noah. “Call it in. I’ve got this.”

Noah wasn’t so sure, but he pulled out his phone as Abasi raised his gun to point it directly at Rodrigo’s face.

“You’ve got this?” he said.

“Noah, make the damn call,” Rodrigo said, refusing to take his eyes off Abasi. “If you’re going to shoot me, aim to kill. You won’t get a second chance if you miss.”

“I don’t miss.” Abasi sounded detached. As though he’d disconnected from what was really happening.

Noah stayed alert while hitting his speed dial, ready to jump in if needed. Abasi teetered on the edge of a precipice. He could as easily pull the trigger on Rodrigo as on the men on the ground.

“Johnson,” Noah said when he answered. “We intercepted a Demons shipment. Thought it was drugs. Instead, we have twenty-one women, all sedated and in bad condition. We need medical attention here fast.” He rattled off their location.

“What the f—” Johnson snapped.

“Argue later. I have a situation here. Send help and get your ass here now.” He hung up and rejoined Rodrigo. “Don’t make us take you down,” he told Abasi. “The cops are on their way. These guys are going to prison. The women will be looked after. You need to take a step back and calm the hell down.”

“They need to die.” Abasi was undeterred. “Move, or I shoot.”

A car approached, speeding along the highway, and screeched to a halt behind Abasi. Noah and Rodrigo had their weapons out and trained on it before it stopped. Abasi still aimed at Rodrigo’s head, unconcerned about the new arrivals—if he even noticed them.

“Great,” Noah muttered as Rochelle climbed out of the driver’s seat.

“Put down your weapons,” she commanded.

Noah and Rodrigo did as they were ordered; Abasi didn’t seem to hear her.

“Abasi,” she shouted. “Put down your weapon.”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he moved like lightning, hitting Rodrigo with a left hook to the jaw that made him crumple to the ground. He strode past the fallen man toward the gang members, arm outstretched and gun unwavering. Noah rushed to stand in front of him, but Abasi froze in place, shook violently, and then collapsed in a heap beside Rodrigo—out cold.

Noah quickly disarmed him while eyeing the wires attached to his back. Wires that led to Rochelle and the Taser in her hand.

She glared at Rodrigo, who was awake and rubbing his face, then at Noah. “Do I have to Tase you too?”

“No, ma’am,” he said, taking a step back.

Just as sirens announced that the police and ambulances had arrived.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The new Benson Security team was a fractured mess that was unprofessional at best and recklessly dangerous at worst. Noah didn’t need to read Rochelle’s mind to know that’s exactly what she thought, because he thought it too. Lake Benson’s American experiment was an unmitigated failure.