I can almost hear everyone suck in air, as if leveled by the uncertainty I"ve delivered. Tellar stands and disappears beyond the counter dividing our War Room from the main kitchen. I watch my screen as the "sending" icon becomes "complete." "It"s done," I say, leaning back to run my hands down my legs. "And now we wait."
Tellar returns, setting a bottle of tequila and five shot gla.s.ses on the table. "I"d say we all need this right about now."
Everyone at the table comes to life at his offering, cheering him as he fills our gla.s.ses, the mood steadily becoming more optimistic. Surprising me, Amy accepts her shot without hesitation, her actions confirming she is not pregnant after all. I am both relieved and sad for her, but this isn"t the right time. Not yet. But soon, I hope.
Lifting the gla.s.s, Amy smells the tequila and crinkles her nose. "I have to warn everyone, I"m a lightweight and a giggler."
"I"ll carry you, baby," Liam promises her, a gleam in his eye that would have made me want to punch him two weeks ago. Now, I"m just d.a.m.n glad she has a man who protects her and loves her.
I glance at Gia to find her watching me. Winking, I lean in close to her, nuzzle her neck, and whisper, "I"ll carry you, too."
She gives me a playful scowl. "Oh, Chad, you have much to learn. I"ll drink you under the table."
I lean back and arch a brow. "Really?"
"No," she snickers. "But it sounded good."
I wrap my arm around her and Tellar lifts his gla.s.s, while we all follow. "To f.u.c.king up our enemies," he declares.
"To f.u.c.king up our enemies," I agree, and everyone laughs, clinks gla.s.ses, and downs their shots, Gia and I laughing at each other as we do. We all stand, and I throw Gia over my shoulder and carry her to the bedroom.
EVERY NIGHT FOR three nights, I wake in a sweat, reliving the fire in my nightmares. Each time, Gia is there for me, kissing me, f.u.c.king me, bringing me back to this world, and finally making love to me. And I am not alone, no different from everyone else. On day three, we are all sitting in the War Room when Amy has another blackout, her first in weeks, and scares the s.h.i.t out of all of us.
It sets Liam into control mode, insisting we need a backup plan. He dials China again and intentionally puts a buzz out through his contacts that we are looking for a backup buyer. Bedtime arrives and we"ve still heard nothing.
On the eve of the deadline, when Gia and I finally enter our bedroom, she starts pacing, as if my habit has now become hers. I try talking to her. She paces more, and I take her to bed, where we don"t make love. We do a whole lot of f.u.c.king. And then we do some more. And finally we curl up together and sleep. Despite that, I wake from a nightmare in the throes of flames and fire, and find Gia is not in bed, a cold draft alerting me to the open door leading to the deck off our bedroom.
I grab my jeans and pull them on, and I have no idea why, but a sudden shooting fear for her safety overwhelms me, and I dart for the door, shoving back the curtain. Gia stands at the railing in only my T-shirt, shivering in the cold wind blowing off the water, staring forward to where the sun has begun to break the horizon. Certain she knows I am here, I gently snag her wrist, and she jerks, yelping in surprise as I lead her inside and shut the door.
"Are you trying to freeze yourself?" I demand, grabbing her robe and wrapping it around her.
"Yes," she replies, shoving her arms into the robe, her teeth chattering. "I am. I just want to feel something other than fear and worry."
Understanding seeps through me, in a far too familiar way, and my hands go to her shoulders. "I get it, sweetheart, I do. Waiting sucks. It guts you. That"s why I kept treasure hunting all these years. I could find a way aside from ma.s.s murder to save Amy, and the cylinder, and those hunts gave me the rush I needed and a lot of money if Amy and I needed it. If we need it, Gia."
"I don"t want money, Chad. I want a real life. I want to work in a lab, the way Amy wanted to live at archeological dig sites. I want to take a walk with you and not fear being grabbed and poisoned with a.r.s.enic."
"I know. Just have faith. We aren"t doing nothing. This is going to work. I feel it. I know it." I lead her toward the bed. "Come try and rest a little while longer."
She shakes her head. "No. I can"t. I think I"ll take a run."
Then my phone rings by the bed. I"ve carried it with me everywhere for days, and it had been quiet. I launch myself at the nightstand, grabbing it. I sit on the bed, and Gia goes down on her knees in front of me. Our eyes meet, antic.i.p.ation between us, and I draw a breath and hit Answer to hear: "We are satisfied with the terms, but Rollin is recorded as dead."
A crazy mix of relief and adrenaline rushes through me. "He was disinherited by his father. He"s trying to steal what we have to sell out from under his father."
"Make the call to lure Rollin out now, then, and get me details. Preparations for the destruction of Sheridan and his consortium are already underway." The line goes dead.
"Well?" Gia asks, on her knees beside me now. "What happened?"
"They"re in, sweetheart. We just have to set the trap for Rollin."
"Oh my G.o.d. Could this really happen? Could it be over?"
I grab her and bury my face in her neck, drawing in the sweet scent of woman, my woman, who I am not letting anyone else hurt. "Yeah, sweetheart. It"s happening. This is going to work."
She leans back. "Now what?"
I glance at the clock, which reads six in the morning. "We wake Sheridan and set the bait for Rollin."
She settles back to listen in, staring at me as I listen to the line ring once, twice. Sheridan answers, his voice like sand in a wound, and I don"t waste a good greeting on him. "It"s Chad, you piece of s.h.i.t. You win. Gia almost died. No one else gets hurt. I"ll give you what you want."
"You do know how to wake a man to sunshine," he drawls, and I can almost see the gloat on his face. "When? Where?"
"Full circle. Texas. The same spot where I last met Rollin."
"When?"
"I"ll be in touch." I end the call.
He autodials back, and I have not protected the number, on purpose-I want Jared to hack his phone records and show up. I"m looking for a standoff. I let the phone ring and stand up, pulling Gia to her feet. "Let"s go share the news."
I lace my fingers with Gia"s and we walk into the hallway, and I laugh as Gia shouts, "The Chinese called!"
I hear doors start opening around the house. "I guess that"s a good way to wake them up." I motion her forward and we make it to the living area before we are faced with Liam and Amy, both in robes, while Tellar arrives in just his boxers.
"They called?" Amy asks. "What happened?"
I relay the entire conversation. "Gia and I will leave for Texas tonight."
"I"ll go with you," Tellar says.
I shake my head. "No. You protect my sister. Gia and I will hole up in a safe house I have in Texas until we"re sure this is done."
"It"s not done until we find a way to truly protect the cylinder and make it available to the world if it"s needed," Liam points out.
"Then I plan to convince Gia to get the f.u.c.k out of Dodge with me for a few months."
Amy"s eyes go wide. "You"re leaving? No. You can"t leave. I"ve only just found you again."
"Just for a little while, sis. We aren"t disappearing. We"ll be in touch." I wrap my arm around Gia. "I just need some time to convince Gia I"m not the a.s.shole she"s always calling me. I think I need some time to convince myself, too."
Gia turns in my arms, her hand on my chest, teasing me. "Don"t totally stop being an a.s.shole. I might not like you anymore."
I cup her head and kiss her and she refocuses on Liam, Amy, and Tellar, her laughter fading into a gravelly, emotional confession. "I love you all. I want justice for you. I want happiness for you. I want this to be as over as it ever can be for any of us."
Her words, drenched with the heartache that had her standing out in the cold, fill the room, expanding and sweeping over all of us. Amy makes a choked sound and wraps her arms around Gia. I step toward Liam, motioning him to walk with me, stopping a few feet away. "If anything happens to me-"
"Don"t let it," he snaps. "Or I"ll come yank you from the grave."
"While I appreciate the power of a command given by Liam Stone, I"m the only one who knows where the cylinder is. If I die, it"s gone. If I don"t come back, tell Amy to look for our father and Tombstone. And no, I"m not foolish enough to bury it in my father"s grave."
"Amy will understand the clue?"
"It"ll take her some time, but she"ll figure it out if she has to."
My cell phone rings, and I dig it from my jeans pocket, glancing at the unknown number. "If this is Rollin, he"s either listening in on his father, or Sheridan immediately called Jared." I hit the Answer b.u.t.ton and hear "h.e.l.lo, Chad."
The sound of Rollin"s voice slithers down my spine, grating my nerves, and not just because I hate the b.a.s.t.a.r.d-also because, with this quick response, I"ve proven my theory about Jared and lost the last shred of hope of his innocence. "Dead man walking," I say. "How"s the zombie apocalypse going for you?"
"Better than it has been for you lately. Sell to my father and I"ll keep coming for you. Sell to me and I"ll kill my father and go away."
I go along with his silly, worthless ploy. "I hate you, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but you do know how to make a deal appealing. How much?"
"Five hundred million. Enough for you to disappear for good."
"You don"t have that much money."
"My buyers do," he a.s.sures me.
"Half up front, and half when your father"s dead."
"When and where?"
"You know where. You were obviously listening in on your father"s phone call. Same time. Same day of the week." I end the call and redial my China connection, relaying to him my plan to trap Rollin. When I disconnect, I inhale and look around the room. "It"s done. Two days from now-Thursday night at sunset-we deliver Rollin to the Chinese. Gia and I will arrange a flight and leave in the next few hours."
"Don"t you dare get killed," Amy exclaims, throwing her arms around me. "Don"t you dare."
"I love you too, sis," I say, and my gaze connects with Gia"s over Amy"s shoulder, and in her eyes I see understanding. She knows where my head is and what I intend. I didn"t make a promise I can"t be sure I can keep. I love Amy, and I love Gia. I will fight for them with my life, but I am still no hero. I set up this meeting with Rollin for a reason. I believe he set that fire in my house, and that he killed Gia"s father. I plan to find out the truth. And if I"m right, I will be his Grim Reaper.
TWENTY-ONE.
TWO DAYS LATER, and only two hours before my meeting with Rollin, Chen has rejected the meeting site I picked, saying it"s too open and impossible for a sneak attack, but I"ve convinced him I have a plan. One I can"t share with Gia without putting her in danger. In the meantime, I pull the new black Jag Gia helped me pick out the day before up to the door of the Jasmine Heights restaurant that had once been my house. Leaving my coat behind, my black short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans are my only protection from the near freezing temperature and light, cold drizzle. It doesn"t stop me from rounding the hood of the car. But I am not seeking a way to hide from the heartache that is this place for me. I simply want to feel and remember every last second of this moment.
I open the door for Gia and she pulls the hood of her parka up as she stands and steps into the wet chill of a gloomy evening, frowning at the sign above the restaurant. "Red Heaven? What a strange name."
"Sheridan owns it. This is where my house burned down."
"Oh, G.o.d." Her hand comes down on my chest. "Chad. I"m sorry. The name. It"s-"
"Fire and blood and death."
Her fingers curl in my now damp shirt. "Why are we here?"
"Back where it began, sweetheart. A place to say I"m sorry. To say good-bye."
"You want . . . to go inside and eat?"
"No. I don"t." A black sedan pulls up beside us. "That"s Coco. You"re going to get in the car and stay with her until this is over."
"What? No. I deserve to see him die."
My hands go down on her arms. "You do. I know. But as I stand here, where my parents were burned alive, I am begging you to do this for me. Her expression crumbles. "How am I supposed to not worry and wonder what"s happening? You could end up dead."
Coco walks toward us, dressed for battle in cargo pants and a black jacket, which I have no doubt hides a number of weapons. Good. I want her armed. I want Gia safe.
Gia follows my gaze and whirls on Coco. "I"m not going with you. I heard you helped save my life, and thank you, but not today."
Coco just looks at me and hands me a package. "That"s a wire," she says. "We"ll be able to hear everything going on."
"That"s not good enough," Gia argues, turning to me, her parka hood falling down. "I want to be there."
My hands go to her face. "You"re going to park a mile away from the meeting spot and wait for me on a private jet that"s waiting to take us to Dallas. The pilot is a friend of Tellar"s and Coco"s. Coco is my backup. If she hears a problem, you"ll stay with the pilot and you"ll be on that plane."
"What about Dr. Murphy?" she demands as I lead her to the pa.s.senger side of the sedan.
"We got her a bodyguard," I a.s.sure her.
"You planned this and didn"t tell me. You"re such an a.s.shole, Chad."
I wrap her in my arms, cupping her face. "An a.s.shole who loves you, Gia. I need you to know that. I love you."
Tears pool in her blue eyes. "I love you, too. a.s.shole."
I smile and kiss her. "Now go. I want you out of here." I open the door to Coco"s sedan and have to force her inside. She stares up at me, willing me to let her out. I hold the door shut while Coco joins her and quickly revs the engine, backing the car out of the parking spot.
I watch her until they"re gone, and then return to the Jag to grab a black jacket, sliding it over my shoulders. My gaze lingers on the "Red Heaven" sign once more before I start walking. Entering the building, I stop at the hostess station, aware of the rows of booths and the long wooden bar with televisions overhead, but in my mind I see my home. I see walls and couches and the kitchen table where Amy and I talked on the night of the fire. I see stairs where there are none, and flames.
I walk to the bathroom and put on the wire, exiting to claim a booth. I go so far as to order a burger and fries, buying time for my presence here to be the bait for the enemy I"m seeking.
And just that easily, faster than expected, even, I hook my fish. Rollin sits down in front of me, thinking he"s throwing me off my game, when this is my game.
He arches an arrogant dark brow. "Imagine meeting you here, like this."
"Imagine," I say, my tone sardonic, my fingers twitching to be around his throat. I want to kill him.
"Needed a walk down memory lane before the big meeting?" he asks, sounding amused, his voice a bit raspier now. His skin is more tanned. The wrinkles around his black, soulless eyes are deeper.
I mentally talk myself down, sticking to my plan when I walked in this door. "Nice suit, Rollin," I say, noting the expensive fabric. "Guess you aren"t out of that money I gave you quite yet. You were disinherited, and needed the cash."
He smiles, and it"s evil, a wicked twist of his thin lips. "It was a good gift you gave me that day. My father didn"t even know about the meeting, but he would have kept coming at you. He would have figured out you gave me the cash."
"So you killed my family." Somehow my tone is flat, unemotional, but the knife on the place setting is far too near my hand considering how much I burn to kill him.