“Involving whom?” Linc demanded in an undertone.
Pearce replied, “That’s what we’re trying to determine.”
Linc’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out on reflex. He frowned when he saw it was a text from a number he hadn’t saved yet. The text was simple.
Please help. Miami Blues. Come now.
It dawned on him that it was Gentry. His ears rang. His heart pounded. He fell into pure instinct. “It’s Gentry,” he growled. He turned on his heel and bolted for the door. Seth was only a step behind him.
“Get her home safely from the club!” Pearce called out.
Seth and Linc ran to the car and jumped in. The siren wailed atop the cruiser as they roared across town to Miami Blues. Linc wove through traffic, his mind purely locked on Gentry, on getting to her before something bad happened. It was up to them to save her. The closer they got to the club, the angrier Lincoln felt. He was in a fiery rage by the time they pulled into the parking lot. Immediately, they saw the altercation.
On the sidewalk, just a ways down from the double-door entrance, was a small crowd. There were onlookers, mostly customers but with a couple in black and white uniforms, all watching as a lanky guy loomed over Gentry. He was shouting at her and waggling his finger in her face. Gentry was tearful and shaky as she backed away from him again and again, holding one hand up in surrender and the other hand clutching her phone. She gave it a quick glance every few seconds. Linc’s heart skipped. She was waiting for him to reply.
But he was already there. He lurched out of the car and sprinted up to the scene with Seth close behind. As they approached, they could hear the lanky man’s slurred words.
“You think you’re somethin’ special? You think you can just barge in here and start bringing cops around? You tryin’ to start some trouble, little girl?” he hurled at her.
“Please, I’m just doing my job,” Gentry cried. “I’m not trying to get anyone in trouble.”
“Yeah, well, you’d better keep your mouth shut!” he retorted.
Gentry did a double take when she saw Linc and Seth. She jumped and shouted tearfully, “I’m sorry, Linc, you said to call if I needed help!”
“We’re here now!” Seth called out.
“Sir, you might want to stand down,” Linc growled at the lanky guy.
“Shit! You already called them?!” the troublemaker snarled furiously at Gentry.
Before Linc could catch up to him, he took off running around the side of the building. Seth went chasing after him at top speed, yelling out, “I’ve got him!”
The pair of them shifted effortlessly into action mode. Linc pushed through the gathered crowd, including the brunette bartender still describing the scene to Maria on the phone, and got to Gentry. He wrapped her in his arms and held her tight for a moment while she trembled. Then he grabbed her hand, cupped her face, and looked into her eyes.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
Gentry met his gaze without hesitation. “Completely.”
Linc grabbed her hand and said, “Run.”
The two of them raced back to the squad car. Linc dove behind the wheel and threw the car into gear. They whipped around the side of the club, along the back of the building to a darkened alleyway. In the dim light, they could see Seth running after the lanky guy. The target had too much of a head start, though, and he was able to launch himself up over the chain-link fence, dropping something small and dark in the process. Seth came to a pounding stop as he picked up the item. He whirled around as Linc pulled the car up next to him. Seth hopped in and they peeled out.
“Where’d he go?” Linc demanded.
“You won’t catch him by car. The guy’s drunk, but he’s not stupid. That alleyway leads into a residential area. He’ll be jumping through backyards for the next half hour in the dark,” Seth explained. “But I think we’ll be able to find him.”
“How’s that?” Linc asked.
Seth held up the item so they could all see that it was a wallet. Seth flipped it open and it revealed a state ID with the guy’s full name and address.
“Got him,” Seth grinned.
“But not tonight,” Linc said, looking over at Gentry in the passenger seat.
She reached out for his hand, and when he took it, the electricity between them was instantly apparent. Everyone’s adrenaline was pumping. The tension in the car was so high, it felt like a fourth presence.
“Are you taking me home?” Gentry asked softly.