Risk It All - Raph X OC

Time to Catch Up

Author's note:

Hey everyone, just wanted to say thank you soo much for reading my story so far - I am letting you all know that Raphael and Brooke's adventure is coming to an end soon. I have 2 (I think) more chapters left. Will they finally find Leo? Is Sergei and Sidorov gonna get what's coming to them? What's going to happen to Raph and Brooke's relationship when all of this is over?!

Enjoy, review, subscribe, follow, favorite (or whatever lol) :)

An hour later, Raphael and Brooke arrived at the rendezvous point Wilson had chosen. Casey pulled up beside them in his truck. Ahead of them, nestled among mature oak and beech trees, sprawled a massive stone house. The garage was a separate three-car affair set at an angle to the main driveway. At the back corner of the property stood a separate white building that looked as if it might be a workshop.

Standing in the fading evening light, Raphael saw a man in his fifties emerge from the building. He possessed the tanned skin and strong physique of a laborer, and he crossed the yard, pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with cement bags.

The agent jerked his chin at Raphael. His eyes not widening at the turtle in front of him. Familiarity. "I thought you were coming alone."

"Casey and Brooke helped me find you."

After acknowledging them with a curt nod, Wilson said, "Show me the card."

Raphael held up the slim square in the palm of his hand. "There's enough evidence on it to get a warrant for Sidorov. Where's Leo?"

"Inside."

Raphael's heart sped up. "I wanna see him."

The man set down the wheelbarrow and dusted off his hands. "First, I should tell you what happened"

"Leo can do that," Raphael said, already turning toward the house.

"Unfortunately, he can't."

Every muscle in Raphael's body squeezed tight, including his heart, which struggled to keep beating. Please, let my brother be okay. He turned back, his expression grim. "Why not?"

"Because he doesn't remember what happened."

"I ain't followin'. He lost his memory?"

Wilson wiped his sweaty brow with his forearm. "The only way to explain it is to go back a little. When I learned about Danny's murder, I was sure Sidorov had been responsible. That got me worried about a particularly large turtle I had been working with. Another liability."

"My brother."

"Yes. The last time we'd met, Leo had told me he was talking to a girl named Marisa Sidorov who wasn't afraid of him. I figured, with that last name, she had to be related, and Leo needed to know one of her family members was dangerous."

"So ya went to the house where Leo was workin'."

Wilson nodded. "We talked for a while upstairs. Then I headed into the washroom. When I came out, I heard voices. Leo's voice got very low...and dangerous. I crept along the hall and saw Chernov with a gun, saying he was there to make sure Leo didn't touch Sidorov's daughter ever again. Calling him a freak and other things. There was a hammer at my feet. I didn't think, just picked it up and threw it. I nailed him good, but as he went down, the gun went off."

Raphael's mouth was so dry he could barely speak. "Leo was shot?!"

"A bullet nicked him. He didn't cry out or fall down. I didn't even realize at first that he was injured."

Wilson's story was out of whack with what Raphael knew. "I searched that room up and down. There was no bullet holes in any of those damn walls."