“If that’s the case, answer a dying man’s wish.”
“What, Leclair?”
Hallene’s heart hit her feet. This man knew exactly who Sam was.
“Why did you send a team after Esteban? Were you after me or my team?”
W brushed at his suit as if the air carried dirt. “There is quite a price on your head. On Esteban’s too, but you were the one reported as shooting the leader of the Libyan drug-smuggling group.”
Sam seemed seriously confused. “You’re telling me a drug-running bunch has the kind of money to have us tracked down?”
That amused W. He laughed, a wicked sound. “That would be absurd. You killed the only son of the top bomb maker in our world. S’abe offered his newest design in exchange for the person who brought him evidence of your deaths. He offered a bonus for your head alone.” His mean gaze moved to Hallene. “Thank you for helping me connect the last dots to find him.”
Hallene was going to be sick.
She’d put Sam in the crosshairs of this maniac.
“As much as I would enjoy more conversation, I need Phoebe. Her association with her father is now of value.”
Phoebe started whimpering.
Sam said, “You must have better intel than to expect a child to fill in the blanks for you.”
Hallene loved Sam for what he was doing to protect Phoebe, but she could see in W’s face that his words had little effect.
She did love Sam.
She would protect him to live and fight another day.
W said, “You misunderstand me. I don’t need intel. Her father has caused me undo stress. He will pay a price by being linked to my operation.”
“No, please, no.” Phoebe crushed her body against Hallene.
“Enough!” Hallene ordered.
Everyone went silent. W studied her as he would an odd insect. “You clearly do not value your life, Hallene.”
She couldn’t look at Sam. “You want someone who will be an unquestioned tie to Kovac? I’m your girl.”
“Don’t do this, Hallene,” Sam pleaded in a heartbroken voice.
She finally turned to him with all the love she felt in her heart for him. “It’s me or Phoebe. I spoke to Kovac twice in the past week. That is the simplest way to link him to W’s plan.”
Sam tried to speak.
She shook her head, begging him to not say a word.
What could he say? They would not take him because they had an equally disgusting plan for him, but she was betting on his team to save Sam and Phoebe if she could buy them time.
Betting her life on it.
She fought back tears. She’d just found Sam. None of this was fair. “Protect her for me, Sam.”
He struggled to breathe. “I’ll find you.”
She smiled, unable to say another word.
W sighed loudly. “Very touching, but you have convinced me you will be a suitable connection. I had not decided how to pay you back for escaping the explosion. This will work perfectly. Then I’ll find something fun for little Phoebe.”
