Free Rush: A MacKenzie Family Novella (The MacKenzie Family) by Robin Covington Page B

to the right decision faster. He knew the minute they’d won when Paulo’s eyes cast downward, defeat weighing on his frame like lead.
    “She’s in a cabin I own in western Maryland,” he said, his voice low and filled to the brim with fear.
    “Good boy.” Rush stood and patted him on the head, looking at Brant with a grim smile. “We found her, now let’s go get her.”
     

Chapter Ten
    The dream was really good.
    It was their honeymoon. Four days in the little casita in Mexico. Sand. Waves. Sun. Very little clothing in or out of the bedroom. His smile. Atticus wearing a full-on grin. As rare as pearls in an oyster.
    Olivia stretched out on the couch, grabbing the throw as it slid off her body. The steady pump of the air conditioning had chilled the air and goose bumps rose on the skin exposed by her sundress. She rubbed lightly at her arms and blinked away the heavy cast of sleep on her eyelids.
    The team had returned from Club D, armed with all the information they needed and formulated a plan into the wee hours. Using satellite technology and plats of the land and plans for the cabin hacked off various servers, they figured out how they would get in and get Katrina out. It had been exhausting to watch them argue every point, calculate distance and ammunition and plans B, C, and D just in case Plan A didn't work. They discussed the contingency for casualties and agreed that anyone injured would be left behind if it hindered getting the little girl out safely.
    It had been a long, silent moment where her heart had stopped as everyone agreed, their mouths set in thin, grim lines. It had scared the living shit out of her.
    Paulo was being held at his home by another member of the team and would be until the mission was done. And then they’d all settled in to catch a couple hours of sleep before they headed out before dawn, hoping to catch the kidnappers when they would least expect it.
    A glance at the clock told her it was three in the morning and another look around displayed the various bodies crashed around the room. Jade Jax was draped across the other couch, an arm covering her eyes. Brant was lying on his back on the rug, arms crossed on his chest like Dracula. The other three men brought here as part of the rescue team were lying on the floor, soft snores rising up from their prone bodies. There was no sign of Elena but there was another couch in Atticus’s office.
    Atticus. Where was he?
    She sat up, scanning the room. His all-too-familiar bulk was nowhere to be found. Olivia eased off the couch, shivering a little at the slight chill of air against the bare skin of her legs and shoulders in the sundress. Rubbing her hands over her arms, she moved around the side of the sofa and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dark as she scanned the room. Walking over to the stairs leading to the basement, she zeroed in her ears to pick up any sounds of him from below.
    Nothing.
    Turning, she peered out onto the deck and saw him. Or at least the top of his head over the back of a chair on the deck, the silhouette of his hand lowering a cigar from his mouth. The moon was high behind him, shining into the room and casting a silvery cast to his dark hair.
    Olivia moved forward, her steps silent as she tiptoed across the hardwood floor. The door slid open on a soft hiss, the brush of her skirt mimicking the sound when she eased through and stepped out onto the deck. The door closed behind her as she saw his head cock to the right in silent inquiry.
    “Are you okay?” she asked, scanning his features and trying to figure out his mood.
    “Just trying to get shit straight…” He pointed at his temple. “…up here.”
    Oh. She was intruding on his time to prepare for what he had to do tonight. She moved to go back inside but his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, holding her in place.
    “You don’t need to leave.” A couple of long beats passed before he whispered, “Stay.”
    “Are you sure?”
    All she got was