Save Me If You Can (16 page)

“Know anything about what?” Renata’s head snapped up toward the door at the sound of Savannah’s voice. “Where… where is Harrison?” the other woman asked, looking around the empty room.

Renata blew out a heavy sigh. “I was hoping
you
knew,” she said, massaging her temples. “That was going to be my next thought, that maybe
you
let him out.”

“It would be my first thought.” Inez appeared in the doorway beside Savi. “But Savi has been with me all morning, since
before
Kendall stopped by here to bring Harrison breakfast. We need to search the house. He couldn’t have gotten out of here by himself without setting off the alarms. He’s has to still be here.”

But… thirty minutes later, that proved to not be the case. They’d alerted the other team members for a careful, thorough search of the entire house, but they’d turned up nothing. He was gone.

“How the
fuck
did this happen?!” SSA Barnes bellowed into the roomful of agents, but nobody flinched. “All this time, we’ve been solid, and suddenly this DEA motherfucker comes around, and everything falls apart. Who knows what he took with him, huh? What information he found out? And you’d better believe he’s taking whatever he knows to the highest fucking bidder. I’ve got one good guess toward who let him out.”

He turned pointedly toward Savi, who bristled in response. “I did
not
let him out.”

“You’re the only one who’s in his room every night. Talking, giggling and shit with him, and everybody knows you two are fucking. How much do we
really
know about this girl, huh?” He turned, directing himself to Kendall, Quentin, and Marcus. “You know Wolfe had plenty of groupies, and—”

“
Fuck you,
” Savi spat, crossing the room with such speed it seemed to Renata like she blinked, and the next thing she knew, Savannah was in Agent Barnes’ face, with a gun pressed against his forehead. “Yes, Harrison and I are close, but I’m nobody’s mole, you got it? If I wanted to help him escape, he and I
both
would have been halfway across the world sipping mimosas before anybody figured out we were gone. So you can keep your implications to yourself, asshole.”

Renata watched Barnes’ Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard, his eyes crossing as they traveled up to the barrel of Savi’s gun. She’d made no move to defend Barnes from Savi, partially because she thought she was telling the truth, partially because he was being an asshole. What
did
surprise her was that no one else had drawn their weapon either.

“Wow,” he said, when he realized no one was coming to his defense. “I’m the only reason any of you still have
any
type of standing in the FBI—”

“I’m not FBI, motherfucker,” Savi and Inez said in unison, then grinned at each other, like they’d said it many times before.

“Quentin and I had no real standing anyway,” Naomi shrugged, then glanced at her friend before looking back to Barnes. “And I feel like
you’ve
been acting a little strange. Why are you trying so hard to put this on Savi?”

“That’s a great question.” Marcus crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes at at his superior agent. “And where were
you
when Harrison was breaking out?”

“With the Cajun,” Barnes said, through gritted teeth, looking toward Quentin. “Tell them!”

Quentin rolled his eyes, then let out a heavy sigh. “That’s true. He was here with me, trying to figure out why I can’t get the tracker I put on Noelle to work. Been here all morning.”

A collective sigh of disappointment went around the room, and Renata shook her head as Savi lowered her gun, tossing Barnes a look of disgust as she slowly backed away from him.

“This puts us back at square one,” Renata said, pushing her braids away from her face as she looked around the room. “
Somebody
here helped him out.”

“It was me.”

A hush fell over everyone at the quiet sound of the teenaged voice. Renata tossed a questioning glance at Taylor, who frantically shook her head, then turned to see Kennedy standing in the doorway, with her arms wrapped around herself.

“I took Kendall’s key off his key ring when he put them down after he dropped off Harrison’s breakfast. I just wanted to talk to him, to ask about my parents. And he… I asked him, if there was any way he could find them, and talk to them for me. To see if they were still alive, and make sure they were okay. He said yes. So it was me. I’m the one who helped him out.”

After that, the room was a flurry of activity.

A million questions, people coming and going, computers turned on, phone calls placed, all to figure out the answer to the latest mystery.

Where the hell was Harrison?

Thirteen.

It was truly,
truly
an interesting turn of events.

That was really the only way Terry could describe Wolfe’s right hand man reaching out to him, with a goal of – or at least he
claimed
– negotiating.

It was interesting as hell.

Terry hadn’t been particularly interested in Harrison. He was Wolfe’s trusted assistant, sure, but loyalty among the criminal element Damien liked to hang with wasn’t particularly high. The man had gotten away, got the kids out of danger, if he were the type where noble acts actually meant something to him. If he were smart, he would have disappeared. Left the kids at some sort of safe haven and gotten the hell out of dodge, but instead, he’d gotten ahold of somebody’s cell phone and called around until he got the number he needed, until he got in touch with Terry.

Again… interesting.

And there was also the fact that the man’s face looked so oddly familiar. Like there was something he should know about him, but whatever it was stood just outside his field of vision. He chalked it up to having seen Harrison before because he was connected to Wolfe, and closed the laptop, removing the pictures from the screen. He was looking forward to their meeting later.

But before that… he had something else he wanted to take care of. They were leaving later tonight for Dubai, a little earlier than planned, but it was time. Terry wasn’t usually a man bothered by things like intuition, but lately, a feeling that something was about to go wrong had been heavy on his mind.

That wasn’t the only thing that had been heavy on his mind.

A sable-skinned beauty with a slick mouth had been occupying his brain waves as well, which wasn’t typical for him at all. He was accustomed to seeing a beautiful woman, bedding her for a trial run, and keeping her around for maybe a few sessions after that. There were very few times in his life that he’d been fully enamored by a woman, and his encounter at
Butter
with the gorgeous Sarai was certainly one of those times.

He
had
to see her again.

He settled back into his seat in the limo and pulled out his phone, navigating to the number she’d plugged in. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine those delicate, beautiful fingers of hers wrapped around his dick, just before it disappeared between her velvety lips.

Damn.

He shifted in his seat.

His wife hadn’t let him touch her in almost a year now, and Noelle…
that
bitch was crazy. He’d had to smack her around a bit because of her disrespectful mouth, and gave her a little extra “medicine” – and stuck around to make sure she took it – before the night he’d met TJ at dinner, and ended up meeting Sarai.

Noelle had been insisting on being taken out, screaming about going with him to Dubai. Neither of those were happening, so a few smacks and a few pills shoved down her throat had basically guaranteed an easy goodbye.

But damn her, and that body… and that face… and that mouth… and that…
paradise
between her legs.
Could he
have just gotten another woman? Sure, probably. But there was a lot to be said for dealing with a woman who knew exactly what he liked, and how to deliver on it.

So he’d sent for her. And she’d played her role, but now he was sick of her again. Asking if he would keep his promise not to harm Naomi, as if he’d
ever
intended on keeping it in the first place. He wanted any
one
and any
thing
related to Wolfe dead and buried, so he wouldn’t have to be constantly looking out for revenge. Of course he’d sat back and waited, creating a false sense of security that the thief and her friends had fallen for, and played right into his hands.

Damien, Noelle, Naomi, Kennedy, and as much as he hated to hurt Renata any further, Taylor had to go too. And hell… it wasn’t like Renata had any love left for him to lose anyway, since she’d ignored him when he tried to reach out. And to think… he’d considered sparing her.

But, no. It was time to end this. He was
beyond
sick of playing this little game. Everything was already set in motion, and by the time he touched down in Dubai, the worst of his personal enemies would be eliminated, and if the boy played his cards right, he’d have Damien’s assistant by
his
side.

It would be glorious.

But that was later.

For now, he was very interested in a little parting visit from Sarai. She’d played coy, like she was hard to get last time, but he had no doubt that she’d be more open this time. He’d invite her to the airfield, have her wait in the limo and ply her with champagne… and a little something else to loosen her up if necessary.

He hit the
call
button, and raised the phone to his ear as the line rang. She picked up on the fourth ring, sounding a little breathless. Terry closed his eyes again, imagining her sounding like that as he pounded in and out of her.

Soon.

“Hey!” she said. “I’m surprised to hear from you… weren’t expecting you to call.”

Terry chuckled. “Well I hope it’s a pleasant surprise. I’d like to see you.”

She hesitated, and Terry held his breath. “Okay… when?”

“Now?”

“Now?” she repeated, sounding a little panicked. “I… I just got home, and I’m a mess, and—”

“I’m sure you’re fine. But… I’m leaving the country, and I’ll be gone for a while. I wanted to see you before I left.”

“Is that right?” She sounded more confident, eager now.

Terry smiled. “Yes, that’s right. So… should I send my driver?”

“No, I have my own. I’d rather meet you.”

Got her.

“Okay. Hang up. I’ll send you the directions.”

&

Nervous didn’t even begin to describe the way Harrison felt, but he couldn’t let it show. He’d gone way too far, waited way too long, and worked too damn hard for this chance to let it slip away. Not over something as stupid as
nerves.

Not now that he was
in
Terry King’s house.

His thoughts went to Savi, and a deep ache rang in his chest. The chances that he would ever get back to her, ever have the opportunity to make her understand… they were low. But
if
he got back to her, he would finally be able to explain all of this. If she were willing to listen, after discovering he’d left without a goodbye, he’d be able to fully pour out the details of his past, and they could finally be together, without the fear, without the shadows, without the burning need for revenge clouding his thoughts. And if she weren’t willing to listen, well… that was just one more thing to add to his growing list of regrets.

He’d had to lie to Kennedy. Not for the first time, when her father was a man like Damien Wolfe. At some point, he’d grown used to telling half-truths to the little girl he’d watched grow up, to shield her from the ugliness by which she was surrounded. Still though, he hated to be that person, to
not
be the one decent man in her life.

But he hated her father more.

With tears in her eyes, she’d begged him to find her parents, and make sure they were okay. He’d promised to do that for her, if she helped him get out of the house, and… now that he really thought about it…
technically he hadn’t actually lied.

Harrison certainly
did
plan to find Damien Wolfe, just like he planned to find Terry King. He hoped Wolfe was alive and – relatively – well, because that would make the joy of ending his life so much greater.

Terry was first though.

Between the two men, he hated Terry more. So he was the goal, and the whole reason Harrison hadn’t already ended Wolfe even though he’d had ample chance. A simple killing was easy, and unimaginative, but the complicated plan Wolfe had laid for getting back at King… Harrison certainly didn’t mind co-opting that. And Terry King’s raid on Wolfe’s house, blowing it up, and probably keeping the man hostage somewhere… all of that was just icing.

As far as he was concerned, it was better to have both men as far down on their figurative knees as they could get before the final blow, and the attack against King Pharmaceuticals had been blistering. Harrison was glad he’d waited, glad he’d pushed his patience to the limit, because now… this was going to be beautiful.

King’s company was desecrated, and Wolfe was being held somewhere against his will? It was, honestly, the stuff revenge fantasies were made of. So yeah, he’d manipulated Kennedy to help him get out of the house. She was a kid, so he knew the team wouldn’t do anything to her beyond a little yelling and cursing out. He’d had her slip him her cell phone, and the keys to one of the vehicles. He used it to get as far away from the house as he could, as quickly as he could, and then left it in a mall parking lot, trading it for another. He knew he didn’t have long before his absence was discovered, and very little time, because of what he’d shared with Savi, before everything was figured out. So he didn’t have time to formulate a long plan. He had to
move
.

He’d traded Kennedy’s smartphone to some kid for a beat up old blackberry, and made a few calls to the right people. It didn’t take him long at all to get directly connected to Terry King, and now here he was, in one of King’s homes, waiting to meet the man he’d been wishing death on for damn near two decades.

Show time.

Harrison had been waiting for nearly twenty minutes when Terry King strode into the sitting room with purpose, and he bridled his hatred long enough to shake the man’s hand.

“I don’t have a lot of time – no time, really – so how about we get right to it. I don’t think I trust you.” Terry’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he delivered that statement, obviously goading a reaction.

Harrison raised an eyebrow at Terry King’s words, but kept his face otherwise impassive, giving nothing away. “I can’t say that I blame you. I understand that you and my previous employer were enemies.”

Terry smirked. “One might put it that way. How’s the leg?”

Harrison’s nostrils flared. “Healing.”

Laughing, Terry clapped Harrison on the shoulder. “I saw that little flash of anger there, and I like it. Lets me know you’re human, son.” Harrison cringed at the term of endearment, even though he knew it was said in passing. Terry clenched his shoulder again, and Harrison shook his head, looking away to keep the disgust from showing in his eyes. “Why don’t you follow me? Let’s take a little trip.”

I’d rather not
, Harrison thought. He had an ominous feeling about this “trip”, and was nowhere near as well-armed as he would have liked. One of his old connections had hooked him up with a suit and a few weapons, but most of them had been confiscated by Terry King’s men before he was allowed into the door. He had just enough left to kill somebody within a range of a few feet… but it wasn’t time quite yet.

He followed one of King’s bodyguards down a long hall and then a set of stairs, wondering what the hell he was walking into. With every step, he was, more and more, regretting having this emotional reaction and rushing to meet with King.

This was a mess. And really, it was reckless,

But now that Savi was involved… he needed this to be over with. The thought of her being touched, lusted after, pursued by
this
man made bile rise to his throat. And then, thinking about the fact that he’d actually reached out to Renata, claimed he wanted to be some sort of father figure… it was time for this dude to die.

Just… not
quite
yet.

Moments later, Harrison stood in front of a closed door. One of King’s men stepped forward to unlock it, and a second after, it was open. Terry tipped his head, signaling for him to step inside, and Harrison obliged. Whatever this test was, he intended to pass.

He cursed in his head when he saw what was inside the room.

Fucking dummy,
he said to himself as he willed his expression to remain unfazed. This was…
shit!
He didn’t really even have to wonder about what was going to happen next.

Damien Wolfe looked up from the book he was reading, and did a double take when he saw Harrison. “Well I’ll be damned.” he said, almost sounding… hopeful. Until Terry stepped into the room with a grin on his face. Damien shook his head. “I don’t see any chains on your wrists or ankles, and this motherfucker is smiling, so… I guess this isn’t exactly a social visit.”

Harrison scoffed. “Yeah. You guessed right.”

He looked back at the sound of clapping behind him, and turned to see King watching them with a bored grin. “Yeah, yeah,” he said, stepping forward. “Good act and all, but I’m a man that deals in decisive action. Harrison, tell me something, right here in front of your former boss. What do you want?”

“A job,” Harrison replied, pushing his hands into his pockets as he turned to face King. “I enjoyed a certain amount of protection, power, and respect when I worked for Wolfe. I’d like to be able to continue in that lifestyle.”