Chapter Thirty-Five

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Z ooming down the road that led to OZ headquarters, Xavier tried to push the worry aside and enjoy his ride. The motorcycle he’d purchased in Chicago had arrived while he’d been away with Jazz, and this was his first time riding it since his return home. There was almost nothing that soothed him like an exhilarating bike ride through the winding, mountainous terrain of Montana—the wind on his face, the vibration of the powerful motor beneath him, and the excitement that came with the challenge of handling such a beautiful piece of machinery at breakneck speed. Today, he felt none of those things. He was headed to a meeting that might well end in disaster for Jazz.

The last two weeks with her had been some of the most frustrating of his life. She had made it clear that she wanted space. And since he’d been the prick who’d told her she wasn’t allowed to leave the cabin, he’d figured giving in to that request was the least he could do. Hadn’t made it easy or enjoyable, though. Especially since any closeness they’d shared before had also seemingly ended.

Increasing the bike’s speed, Xavier ground his teeth in both frustration and denial. No way had it ended. He had backed away to give her some space, and yes, he’d give her time, but they were not over. He’d made that clear when he’d walked out of her apartment. What they had together was genuine and solid. She might try to deny what she felt, but he knew the truth. They were forever, even if forever was going to take a little more time than he liked.

He pulled into the parking lot of OZ headquarters, noting vehicles belonging to Ash, Serena, Liam, Eve, and Gideon were already here. Jazz’s gray BMW was nowhere in sight. His mouth tilted slightly as he remembered how excited she’d been when she’d purchased the little SUV, extolling all the gadgets and features as if it were an exotic spaceship and not a four-year-old used vehicle with over eighty thousand miles. It had been new to her and had replaced her fifteen-year-old Toyota.

The fact that Jazz could afford a new vehicle every year if she wanted had been lost on no one. However, not one person had mentioned that to her. Jazz was Jazz, and that was all right with them.

He parked and jumped off his bike, debating whether he should wait in the parking lot for her arrival. He wanted to talk to her, see how she was doing. Tell her he was there for her if she needed him.

At that thought, he shook his head. No, she knew he had her back and how he felt about her. He needed to treat her as she’d requested. She was a member of the team, and he would treat her as one. Their personal relationship was just that—personal. When they were on the job, they were partners and teammates, nothing more.

When he stepped into the conference room and took in everyone’s expressions, he saw the same emotion he was feeling. None of them knew what the next few hours would mean for Jazz, but they would all be ready to help her, come what may.

Jazz took a deep breath and then walked into the conference room. Everyone was waiting for her. On most days when OZ had team meetings, everyone was milling around, drinking coffee, and chatting about odds and ends. That wasn’t the environment she walked into today. Every operative sat at the conference table and, from the look of things, were barely speaking to one another. The instant she entered, though, light entered their eyes, and every one of them smiled at her.

The last thing she wanted to do was get emotional. She was here to get answers and give answers, but seeing their delight in her recovery was almost more than she could handle. A lump developed in her throat, and she was only able to manage a husky, “It’s good to see everyone,” before she shut up and sat down.

Xavier sat at the end of the table, close to Ash. When his eyes met hers, the heat in them skyrocketed her already jittery nerves. That look said so many things, and deciphering them all was beyond her at the moment. Then, as if he knew exactly how she felt, he gave her a gentle, encouraging smile, and suddenly she felt stronger than ever. How did he do that?

“Jazz,” Ash said, “it’s good to see you looking so fit.”

Jerking her attention back to the entire room, she cleared her throat and said, “Thank you, Ash. And thanks to all of you for saving me. I did something dumb and almost died. I’m truly grateful to all of you.”

“We’re just relieved you look so well,” Serena said.

“Thank you. I’m feeling great and ready to get to work.”

“That’s good to hear, but I think you wanted to say something before we get started?” Ash said.

This was their signal. She’d sent a text to her boss this morning to let him know she wanted to make a formal apology and explanation to the team. He’d replied with, Sounds good .

“I feel the need to explain in detail why I did what I did. When Bass was shot, I took off after the shooter. Xavier got caught up in saving a woman from being trampled, so I went on ahead. When I ran out to the alley, I saw the shooter getting into a black SUV. The description I gave you was mostly accurate. His height and weight were accurate. What I didn’t mention was that a strand of golden-blond hair was sticking out from beneath his skullcap. Also, when he went to open the car door, I saw a glimpse of his wrist and noticed a thick scar. Additionally, our eyes met for a second or two before he got inside the vehicle. His eyes were an unusual shade of green, a blend of aquamarine and jade. They were vivid and unlike any color I’ve ever seen, except for one person.”

“Your brother,” Ash said solemnly.

“Yes,” she answered softly.

Thankful there were no interruptions, Jazz continued, wanting to get everything out in the open. “I panicked. I couldn’t get my head wrapped around the fact that my loving, kindhearted brother was a killer. I thought if I could find him first, I could talk to him and bring him in.

“I had nightmares of OZ finding him and there being some kind of shootout that didn’t end well for anyone.” She glanced around the room again, wanting to make sure they understood her sincerity. “I messed up, and I’m incredibly sorry.”

“I’d like to suggest that we move on from here,” Eve said. “Jazz, yes, you screwed up and didn’t trust the team. But there’s not one of us who hasn’t screwed up in some way. We’re human, and we make mistakes.”

“I agree,” Liam said. He sent Jazz a grim look. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you, Jazz, but Aubrey and I were overjoyed with relief when you were found.”

“Thank you, Liam. And even though I sent you a text, I want to say in person, congratulations on your baby girl. I cannot wait to meet Lily.”

Grinning like only a proud father could, he said, “And she can’t wait to meet you.”

“All right, then,” Ash said. “Are we agreed that we need to move on? Jazz has owned up to her mistakes, and we’ve got a lot on our agenda. However…” Pausing for effect, he sent each of his operatives a warning glare. “This better be the last time any of you remove your trackers. They’re there to protect you, not inhibit you. Understand?”

Jazz nodded along with everyone else. It had been an insane thing to do, and its absence had almost gotten her killed.

“Next up, let’s talk about Jazz’s abductor.” He looked at Serena and said, “I understand you have some interesting intel to share.”

“Yes.” Serena sent an apologetic grimace to Jazz. “Sorry. If I’d searched the correct parameters earlier, I would have found him sooner.”

Jazz sat up straight in her chair. “You found him?”

“I believe so.” She clicked a couple of keys on her laptop, and the photo of a well- dressed older man with thinning hair and a sallow complexion appeared on the large wall screen. Jazz knew the face well, as it continued to appear in her nightmares.

“That’s him,” Jazz whispered.

Serena sent her another quick, apologetic smile. “His name is Kevin Doyle, once a high-ranking soldier for the Byrne crime family in Chicago. When Byrne and his family were killed, the organization fractured into various factions. Doyle took a piece of it with him, but he never could gain the support to grow beyond a small-time gangster.”

“But why did he take me?” Jazz asked. “I knew nothing about Ronan Byrne and want nothing to do with him.”

“Maybe so,” Ash answered, “but you’re the daughter of the man they looked upon as a king.”

“So they wanted to use me…for what?”

“That’s a question we all want answered,” Gideon said.

Her mind whirling in a thousand different directions, Jazz let the intel sink into her brain. She was aware that her teammates continued to make remarks and give their opinions, but she heard the comments only in her periphery. That was, until Liam said, “Serena, you said if you’d used the right parameters, you would have found him sooner. What did you mean?”

“I should have broadened my search to include the deceased.”

Jazz’s attention jerked back with a vengeance. But it was Xavier who growled, “What? Doyle is dead? How?”

“He died two days after we found Jazz. There was no obituary, nothing online. The only way I discovered it was one of my people found a two-line statement that the owner of Archie’s, a restaurant in the Loop, was now Ryan Doyle, the son of the late Kevin Doyle. I did a deep dive and found a death certificate. It had been altered, but I was able to root around till I found the original. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

“He killed himself?” Jazz whispered to no one in particular. “But why?”

“Not sure,” Serena said, “but I also found a death certificate for his wife, who died of a brain aneurysm the week before.”

“Jazz,” Ash said, “Eve, Gideon, and I are headed to Chicago in a few hours. We’ll be meeting with Doyle’s son to see if he knows what his father’s intent was and why.”

“Aren’t we opening ourselves up—exposing Jazz even more by meeting with him?” Liam asked.

“We’re going in undercover as an investment group interested in buying into one of Ryan Doyle’s businesses. I want to get the lay of the land before we show any of our cards.”

Jazz tried to get her head wrapped around this new intel. All the time she’d been hating on the guy responsible for kidnapping and torturing her, he’d been dead. And though there were some clues about why he’d taken her, it was all too fuzzy and murky to see anything solid.

She sent a look to Xavier and wasn’t surprised to see his eyes were on her. Any other time, they’d be sitting together and discussing the findings and what they meant. Even though she could see love and warmth in his gaze, she still felt a huge disconnect from him that she didn’t know how to overcome. No matter which way she turned, confusion reigned.

“Damn,” Ash said softly.

“What’s wrong?” Serena said.

All eyes went to Ash, who was looking at something on his phone with a grim set to his mouth.

“Looks like we’re about to have company,” he said.

“Who?” Liam asked.

Ash stood and headed to the door, but before he walked out, he looked at Jazz. “Kate is on her way here. She said she has the answers you’re looking for. And it’s about damn time.”