Cole swiveled sharply, looking for them to make their appearance.
“He’s taking her out the back. He likely has a car parked behind the house,” Donovan reported.
Cole started to clench his first, and as if sensing his agitation, Steele focused on him. “Stand down. We know where they’re going. We have her on GPS. Get in your vehicles and make the block.”
The others quickly spread out, fading into the evening crowds on the street as they went to their parked vehicles.
“I’ve got a visual,” Donovan said over the wire.
“I wish she wasn’t so damn quiet,” Cole muttered to Dolphin, who was paired with him.
They slid into the BMW and Cole immediately pulled into traffic, looking for Donovan’s car.
He executed a left turn and spotted Donovan’s vehicle just ahead. Some of the tension left him. The hotel was at least a twenty-minute drive across town depending on traffic. Cole wanted to be there yesterday, because he damn sure didn’t want P.J. alone with this ass**le any longer than necessary.
As soon as she got him to talk, Cole was pulling the plug on this and he didn’t give a f**k what Donovan or Steele had to say on the matter.
Ahead, traffic slowed and flashing lights illuminated the area. Cole slammed on the brakes and then pounded a frustrated hand on the steering wheel.
“Are they still talking?” he demanded. “Are they caught in this snarl too or are they still heading to the hotel?”
His pulse was racing too hard to get a handle on what was coming through his earpiece. They were all wearing a receiver so they all could hear what transpired with P.J.
“Calm down. They aren’t saying much. Oh wait, okay, yeah, they must be ahead of it. P.J.’s doing good. She’s keeping us posted on her whereabouts without being obvious. Sounds like they’re just pulling into the hotel.”
“Son of a bitch,” Cole fumed. “Do your magic on this f**king GPS and find us a way around this goddamn traffic. I’m not leaving her alone with that slimy little bastard.”
“Relax, Cole. Our P.J. can take out one guy with her hands tied behind her back. She’s a badass.”
“He’s a hell of a lot bigger than her and he’s trained too,” Cole said gruffly.
“Yeah, well my money’s still on our girl. Okay, make a U-turn and then take the next side street to the right. We can circle around by detouring four blocks. Will take a few extra minutes but we should be through.”
Cole and Dolphin both strained to hear the conversation between P.J. and Nelson. It was obvious that she’d just let him into her room, and Cole was growing more nervous by the minute.
“I have a better idea,” Nelson said smoothly. “I have a house not far from here. Every kind of wine you can imagine plus whatever your heart desires to eat.”
“I’m more interested in something a little stronger,” P.J. said coolly.
“Thata girl,” Dolphin said approvingly. “Keep him there and keep him talking.”
“Name your poison,” Nelson said in an amused tone. He was likely thinking that a nice, young American girl had no chance of ever standing up after a few shots.
“Tequila, and I just happen to have a bottle in the liquor cabinet. This hotel is remarkably well stocked. Shall we have a drink to get . . . comfortable?”
“Damn she sounds sexy,” Dolphin said as they flew down the city streets.
“Shut the f**k up,” Cole growled.
Things went completely silent. Cole tapped his earpiece. “Hey, are you hearing anything, Dolphin? Things have gone too quiet.”
Dolphin was silent a moment. “No, not hearing anything, but they might be making drinks.”
Damn it. They were getting closer but the evening traffic sucked ass. Still too many damn pedestrians in the streets. Cole swerved to miss one crossing and kept going, bearing down on the hotel still eight blocks ahead.
He picked up his secure cell, planning to call Donovan or Steele, but he was likely ahead of them and would be on scene first anyway. No point in asking them what they were hearing, because he’d had enough of this bullshit.
He was going in and dragging P.J. out. He could claim to be a jealous boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend. Whatever didn’t get her cover blown, but he was pulling the plug because his gut was screaming that this was all wrong and that P.J. was in serious danger.
Five minutes later, he finally screeched into the parking lot of the hotel and parked underneath the awning in front.
“Whoa, wait a minute, Cole, what the f**k are you doing?” Dolphin demanded.
Cole was already out and running into the lobby. Dolphin caught up to him at the elevator and pinned him against the wall while the elevator rose to the top floor.
“I’m going in and taking her out of there,” Cole said. “She’s gone radio silent. This mission is over.”
Just then her voice slid like silk over Cole’s ears.
“I much preferred my hotel,” she said crossly. “I don’t know why it was so important for you to take me somewhere else.”
“Whoa, what?” Dolphin asked.
“Hell no. She’s not leaving this hotel. Check your GPS. Give me her location.”
Dolphin and Cole stepped off the elevator and quietly went to the room next to P.J.’s as Dolphin brought up the handheld GPS.
“It says she’s right there. Next door.”
“But she said why it was so important. Not is,” Cole said as his gut tightened even more. “I don’t like this, Dolphin.”