Page 36 of Dane

Hannah’s hand found my elbow. Not gripping, just there. A reminder I wasn’t alone. “I’ve considered it,” I said. “For twelve years, I’ve considered very little else.”

Something flickered behind Sutton’s eyes. “Then you know this doesn’t end with lawyers. It ends when I have what belongs to me, and when certain understandings are reaffirmed.” He closed the folder, tapped it against his palm. “I’ll wait outside. I believe your other… friend is out there waiting for you.”

He turned and walked toward the revolving doors, not hurrying or looking back. The navy-suited woman watched him go, then looked at me, puzzled.

Tiny’s jaw worked. “We need to go.”

I followed them toward the side exit, trying to focus on everything around me, but the past kept swirling in my head. Happy times with my grandmother. Her declining health. All the times I tried so hard to make her believe everything was fine when it felt like I was falling apart.

Once outside, we found Hawk under the trees just outside of the bank’s camera angle where he could keep an eye on everything. He’d definitely spotted Sutton, but hung back, assessing the situation carefully. He spoke into his radio, but I had no idea what he said since Tiny didn’t have his.

I looked back at the big man, raising my hand over my heart. And the pocket holding the panic button. Tiny shook his head, so I dropped my hand. I guessed we’d wait and see what happened.

I kept the box hugged against my ribs with one arm, my other resting over the pocket on my chest with the panic button. Hannah walked beside me, close enough our shoulders brushed. Tiny moved ahead of us as we approached Hawk’s truck.

“Don’t push it yet,” Hannah murmured. “Not until I say.” I nodded, though my throat had gone dry with anxiety.

The Bronco sat three rows down, nose pointed toward the street. I could see Hawk behind the wheel of the green pickup, idling near the lot’s mouth. The gray sedan was still up on the hill, a dull smear against the overcast sky. Sandlin inside, maybe with a camera, maybe with a phone call to Sutton. Maybe both.

Tiny’s hand came up, a small gesture toward the Bronco. “Straight line. Don’t stop. He’ll come around the corner.” The autumn air bit at my cheeks as the sweat dried on my skin as we moved.

Sutton stepped from behind the building’s corner. Just like Tiny said he would. “Brielle.” He smiled, that same small regretful thing he’d used inside. “Are you ready to continue our conversation?”

He didn’t reach for me. His hand went to the box, fingers brushing the lid and it hit me. “You think your files are inside.” I pulled the box back, hugged it tighter. “These are my grandmother’s things.”

“Of course.” His hand dropped from the box. Then rose again, faster than I expected, and closed around my wrist. His thumb pressed into the tendon there, the same thing he’d done before, years ago, when he’d guided my hand to a pen. When he’d shown me where to sign. “Brielle. We’ve always understood each other.”

I broke his hold, using one of the things Hannah had drilled into me. His grip broke, and I stumbled back against Hannah’s shoulder. Sutton’s face changed from arrogant superiority to enraged and dangerous.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Stupid cunt,” he snapped. “Give me the files you stole!”

I looked at Tiny. Hawk was on the move but still, too far to reach us before Sutton could move again. The gray sedan on the hill caught my eye as the door opened and a man I assumed was Sandlin stepped out. The situation was brutal and clear. Sutton was counting on Tiny and Hawk not making a scene and risking going back to prison. I was sure he hadn’t counted on Hannah. She stood beside me, compact and furious, and Hannah had never been convicted of anything. My guess was, Sutton had overlooked both of the women in the group. After all, the men were the more obvious threat.

Sutton reached for me again. For my wrist, for the box, I couldn’t tell and didn’t wait to find out. I used the same move to break his hold again, and then Hannah moved.

She grabbed the same hand he reached for me with, using her thumb to press down on the back of his hand and twisting. With her other hand, she pushed the back of his elbow, so his arm was bent behind him at an angle and Hannah had all the leverage she needed to break his arm if he fucked too hard with her.

Hawk had the green pickup moving before Sutton could even cry out. The truck swung wide, tires chirping, blocking the mouth of the parking row just as Sandlin ran in our direction. He stopped after a couple steps, probably getting a look at the two giant men with me and Hannah.

“Move,” Hannah commanded, giving Sutton a hard shove so he landed heavily on the pavement. She pulled my arm, so I had no choice but to follow her.

Tiny had the Bronco’s rear door open, and Hannah pushed me toward it, hand at the small of my back. I climbed in, box still crushed against my chest. Hannah piled in after me, and Tiny’s weight made the whole vehicle rock as he took the driver’s seat.

The engine roared to life and Tiny peeled out of the parking lot. I looked back to see Sutton pushing himself up on one elbow. His overcoat had hiked at the waist, showing the white of his dress shirt untucked on one side. I met his gaze for a brief moment before we turned the corner and I lost sight of him.

“Well, that was fun,” Hannah breathed, leaning her head back against the seat. “Ethan’s just gonna love this.”

Tiny’s eyes found mine in the rearview. “You good?”

I looked down at the box. “Yeah,” I said. The word came out rough, scraped thin. “I’m good.” I tried to catch my breath even as my heart felt like it would pound through my chest. “He thought the files were in the box Mr. Norris brought,” I said.

“‘Course he did.” Tiny’s gaze shifted to the road, to the mirrors, to the traffic behind us. “He probably couldn’t imagine Norris doing something simply to keep his word. Naturally, the box had to hold the key to his troubles.”

“We’re gonna be in so much trouble…” I winced thinking about what Ethan and Lana would say about this. “I’ll take the blame if you get in trouble, Hannah,” I said in a soft voice. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” Hannah gave me a puzzled look. “None of this is on you. Besides.” She grinned at me. “I’ve done worse to men like him.” Yeah. I wasn’t touching that one.