And that was how Shade found herself in handcuffs while the DSS agent sat in the hospital bed next to her. She waited awkwardly as Elena called for the rest of Hobbs' . . . unorthodox . . . team while his daughter watched her strangely.

"You know you won't be able to keep me here long, right?" Shade taunted Elena as she entered the room again.

"You wish," she replied. "He's on his way, Hobbs."

"Good, I think it's time for a little family reunion," the man smirked wickedly.

"What—"

"Shade?!" Dom's familiar rumble said in shock, prompting her to look up in surprise.

"Dom? What are you doing here?" She had a sinking feeling she knew, but she didn't want to be right.

"Hobbs called. Some guy's brother is after us. He killed Han, and now he's coming for us. He blew up the house."

Shade's eyes closed with the realization that she was indeed correct. "You guys were the ones that crippled Owen."

"Yeah," he confirmed. "Wait, how'd you know about that?"

"That was Deckard's little brother, Dom. You guys shouldn't have gotten involved."

"He had Letty, Shade," Dom explained helplessly.

That was another unpleasant surprise. Shade understood now how they'd gotten pulled into this but . . . "Then you should have called me!" she snapped. "Deckard always had pull over Owen! He could have just told him to release her and tell her the truth!"

"I didn't realize they were brothers, Shade. He mentioned him once, but I thought it was just a coincidence. Shaw isn't exactly an uncommon last name."

"He is going to kill you, Dom," Shade groaned. "Do you understand the position you've put me in? You're making me choose between my family and the man I love! Before this I was celebrating my anniversary. Now look at what you bastards have done! In saving the life of a dead woman, you've ruined your sister's."

Dom closed his eyes briefly upon realizing that she was right. Saving Letty had effectively destroyed everything Shade held dear. "Where did you find her?" he asked Hobbs when he realized he could say nothing more to defend his actions to his sister.

"Hacking my office computer with Shaw. I managed to get a hold on her, and he still blew us out of the building."

"That's because he knows how to listen," Shade snarked. "This is hardly the first time I've been taken hostage by someone wanting to get to him. And I know he'll come back for me."

Hobbs scoffed. "How do you know? You're probably just his girl of the month. He's a shadow, and shadows aren't known for their consistency."

Dom rounded on the man in anger. "Don't talk to my sister like that, and do your research. She was just talking about their anniversary; they've been together for years. From what I've heard, he's sure as shit going to be coming back for her. And us."

Shade let out a cruel-sounding laugh. "Now, he's not only doing this because of his brother. If you let me go now, I might be able to talk him down. I might be able to stop all of this before it even happens. As much as his brother means to him, the fact that it's my family might be enough to get him off the warpath."

"She might have a point, Hobbs," Elena spoke up. "If he cares for her as much as she claims, she could be right."

The man didn't want to admit it—or to deal with a criminal for that matter—but if it would prevent the bloodshed that was bound to happen . . . "Can you contact him?" She nodded. "Elena, give her your phone. Shade, set up a meeting between him and your family."

Shade quickly dialed Shaw's number, praying that he would answer the unknown number since she was being held without her phone. She couldn't help but anxiously tap her fingers against her knee while it rang. It took a minute, but that accented voice eventually answered.

"How the fuck did you get this number?" he demanded.

"You gave it to me in case of emergencies, darling," Shade grinned. She turned to nod at Dom to tell him that it was Shaw. Literally no one else had this number; it was one Deckard kept for situations like this. She figured that the stress of everything that was going on made him jump to the conclusion that it was someone else calling.

"Put it on speaker; we'll stay quiet," Dom told her.

Rolling her eyes, Shade did as ordered while Deckard responded. "Shade? Where the bloody hell are you? Did you get away?"

Hobbs' eyes bugged out when he recognized the voice. From what Dom had told him, he shouldn't have been surprised, but he didn't really expect her call to wind up being successful. Part of him still half-expected that she was easily replaceable to the criminal.

"No, Hobbs still has me under his . . . care," she glanced up to glare at him as she said that. "Listen, they're willing to make a deal, and I believe them."

Shade could imagine the tension that was contorting his features as he sighed on the other side of the line. "What kind of deal?"

"I don't know. We need to meet in person at a place of your choosing to sort it all out. I'll make sure there are no unpleasant surprises waiting."

Shaw listed off an address. "24 hours; it'll take me some time to get back to the States from here. Be careful, Shade. I don't want anything happening to you. And, Hobbs," everyone but Shade looked surprised that he knew they'd been listening, "if she is harmed in any way, I'll make sure all of you die a slow death instead of the quick one I originally planned."

"You have my word," the burly man promised.

"Good." And he hung up.

Dom looked at his youngest sister curiously. "You sure can pick 'em, Shade," he commented. "Someone normal like Brian wouldn't do?"

"Since when is anyone we know normal?" she countered. "And no. There are reasons I've never told you more about Deck or my exploits with him; you're just now learning some of them and already you're overprotective. I wouldn't leave him for anything. Now, if I know Deckard, he's going to line that warehouse with explosives and have one of Owen's demonic go-carts that was actually built to hold two waiting for our getaway. If any of you do anything to warrant that action, I will join him and never speak to you again."

"That won't be necessary, Shade," Dom assured her. "Just keep him from coming after us and we're square."

"Good."