Page 102 of Steel Vengeance

But none of that mattered now. He was free, and he had Pat to thank for it.

A black SUV pulled up, the familiar silhouette of Patrick Burke behind the wheel. Pat had been waiting for him, as always. Stitch slid into the passenger seat, feeling the weariness of the past few days catch up with him.

“You look like hell,” Pat said, glancing over at him as they pulled out of the parking lot.

Stitch grunted. “Feels like it.”

Pat smirked, but his voice held a note of sympathy. “You did good back there. Kept your cool. Most guys would’ve folded under the pressure. They really had you under the microscope.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not like I had a choice.” He leaned his head back against the seat, staring out the window at the city lights. “You think they really bought it?”

Pat’s hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. “They didn’t have a choice. Between your intel and the heroin ring takedown, we gave them just enough to make it worth their while to keep you out of a cell. Plus, Mattison owed me a favor, so that didn’t hurt.”

Stitch shook his head. “I still can’t believe it worked. I was prepared to be locked up for a long time.”

Pat let out a low chuckle. “You and me both. But they see you as an asset now, and that’s all that matters. You’re out.”

Stitch looked over at him. “So what now? You really think I can just walk away from this?”

Pat gave him a sidelong glance. “Depends on what you want. You’re a free man, Stitch. You’ve got options. But... if you’re looking for a way to stay in the game, I’ve got a place for you at Blackthorn. We could use someone like you.”

Stitch didn’t answer right away, the offer hanging in the air between them. Pat had always been straight with him, always had his back. If there was one person he could trust, it was him. But the thought of going back into the field, of putting his life on the line again... he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. Not after everything that had happened. Not after Sloane.

“I’ll think about it,” Stitch finally said, his voice low. “But right now, all I want is to see her.”

Pat smiled. “That’s why we’re heading there now. Sloane’s holed up at a motel just outside the city with Phoenix. Blade had to head back to D.C. for some work, but Phoenix is keeping an eye on things.”

Stitch’s heart raced at the mention of her name. Sloane. The thought of her waiting for him, not knowing if he’d even make it out of this mess... it tore at him. He hadn’t told her he’d been released. He wanted to see the look on her face when he walked through the door.

“Thanks for doing this,” Stitch said, glancing over at Pat as they sped down the highway.

“You don’t need to thank me. You earned this. And hey, just think about my offer. We’re building something special with Blackthorn, and I know you’d be a perfect fit.”

Stitch nodded, but his mind was already elsewhere—on Sloane, on what it would feel like to hold her again. He wasn’t the same man he’d been before, not after everything they’d been through, but maybe, just maybe, they could start fresh. If she still wanted him.

The motel came into view, a dingy, low-rise building with a faded sign that flickered in the night. Pat pulled into the parking lot and parked the car. The place was just as grim as Blade had described—no one would look for them here. Stitch’s stomach clenched with anticipation as he climbed out of the SUV.

Pat clapped him on the shoulder. “Go get her, man. You deserve this.”

Stitch took a deep breath and nodded. “Thanks, Pat.”

He walked across the cracked pavement toward the room number Pat had given him, his pulse pounding in his ears. His hand trembled slightly as he knocked on the door. For a moment, there was silence. Then he heard movement on the other side, the sound of footsteps approaching.

The door swung open, and there stood Phoenix, holding a hand to his head. Blood seeped between his fingers, his eyes unfocused, his usually steady stance wavering like he was trying to find solid ground beneath him.

Stitch’s heart lurched. “What the hell happened?”

Phoenix blinked slowly, his face pale. “I—" He stumbled, gripping the doorframe to keep from collapsing. "I went outside... heard something.” His voice slurred, eyes darting past Stitch’s shoulder like he was still trying to make sense of it all. “Someone hit me.”

Stitch’s blood ran cold, adrenaline surging through his veins. “Where’s Sloane?”

Phoenix’s head dipped, his body swaying, and the silence that followed felt like a knife twisting in Stitch’s gut.

"Where thehellis Sloane?" Stitch barked, grabbing Phoenix by the shoulders, giving him a sharp shake.

Phoenix winced, pulling his hand away from his blood-matted hair, his gaze finally locking on Stitch’s. “She’s gone. Matthew... it was Matthew. He took her."

The world tilted.