Save Me If You Can (17 page)

Terry nodded, then narrowed his eyes. “Okay. Your life of comfort and luxury, in exchange for blowing out this motherfucker’s brains. Sound like a fair trade?”

Harrison shrugged, even though inside, he was panicking, and searching his mind for a contingency. There had to be something, some alternative. There
had
to be a plan b.

In his fantasy, Terry died first. It was a death that he celebrated with Damien, the final defeat of a common enemy. And then, when he least expected it, Harrison would end Wolfe as well, and revel in the fact that he hadn’t seen it coming. This was fucking up the flow.

“Harrison?” King asked, from right beside him, pulling him from his reverie. “You seem a little unsure. How does that sound to you?”

Harrison swallowed hard. “Sounds good to me.”

No.

No it didn’t.

This wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen, but now Terry King was putting a gun in his hand. He wasn’t
ready
to take care of Wolfe, not yet, but… what else could he do in a situation like this? He walked up to the man who’d honestly raised him, for many years, ever since the death of his mother. “This is your fault,” he said, barely above a whisper. Damien smirked as Harrison pressed the gun to his forehead.

“You really gonna do this, boy? After all I’ve done for you? It’s funny that you claim
I
didn’t do right by her, when you—”

“
Shut up,
” Harrison growled, pressing the barrel of the gun deeper into his skin, making the man wince. “I
have
to do this. And you
deserve
this. All the people you’ve hurt, the lives you’ve ruined and taken… death is honestly too kind for you. And if it were up to me, it wouldn’t be anywhere near this quick. I’d make you suffer, just like other women have suffered at your hands.”

Wolfe snorted. “Turn that gun around and
shoot that motherfucker,
” he bellowed, his eyes flashing with anger, fists clenched. “Don’t forget I’m the only reason your ass is alive, and definitely don’t forget your hands aren’t clean.”

“But they’re cleaner than yours, motherfucker.” Harrison cocked the gun, moving his finger to the trigger. “I’ll atone for what I’ve done to keep up this charade. I’ll pay for it, I’m sure. But just like right now… I was doing what I had to do. Goodbye.”

Harrison didn’t get a chance to pull the trigger.

There was a loud
boom
from somewhere outside, so intense that the entire ground shook. Harrison looked toward Terry King, ears ringing, and mouthed
“What was that
?” but Terry shook his head.

He didn’t know.

And Harrison didn’t either, but he wasn’t taking chances. He followed when Terry King took off, trailing him down the hall and a flight of stairs to the basement-level garage, where all the vehicles were kept. Terry hopped into the backseat of a sleek-looking Escalade, and Harrison followed, closing the door just as the driver took off, barreling for the garage doors as the opened.

Suddenly, Harrison felt a tug at the front of his shirt, and a second later he was pinned to the floor of the moving vehicle, with Terry King’s knee in his chest and a gun aimed at his face.

“Tell me what the fuck just happened! Who did you bring to my house?!”

&

Damien relaxed back into his chair – his default state these days – and actually brought his hands together to clap as his old friend stepped into the room. Well… friend may have been a massive overstatement of their relationship, but at this moment, the other man’s face definitely seemed friendly.

“I didn’t realize you were going to need to be
carried
out,” the man said, shaking his head. “The mighty have fallen so far.”

Damien shook his head. “I may have fallen, but I don’t stay down.”

“And someday, you’re going to thank
me
for that.”

“Never.” Damien finally put down the book –
The Art of War –
that had been clutched in his hands since Harrison’s little visit, and stroked his chin. “That particular honor belongs to God. But I
will
thank you for your tireless efforts.”

“As long as your
thank you
involves a figure with at least seven digits being added to my bank account… whatever you say. And God?
Really
? Here I was thinking you considered
yourself
God.”

Damien chuckled. “No, not all. God is forgiving, I could never fill that role. I am a man of many strengths, but many weaknesses as well. My weaknesses would overwhelm the position. I fit better into the role of Satan, since many consider me to be that anyway. Where is my wife?”

The other man shook his head, stepping aside as the medics came in and began examining Damien’s injuries. “Running around the city spending Terry King’s money.” Damien gave a slight nod, and the man squinted like he was confused, then shook his head again. “So what are you going to do now? Now that you’re free?”

As the medics finished, and transferred him into a wheelchair, Damien turned to give his rescuer a big smile. “Well, Agent Barnes, I’m going to live up to my name. I’m ready to give these motherfuckers hell.”

Fourteen.

“You sure you want to do this? It’s not too late to call it off.”

Savi flinched at Kendall’s words as they broke the silence in the car, speaking life to the very doubts running through her head. She
wasn’t
sure she wanted to do this, but yes… it was definitely too late to call it off.

It would look suspicious, she knew, that she’d eagerly accepted Terry King’s invitation only to blow it off at the last minute, and with so much up in the air, the very last thing she needed was added suspicion.

When the phone had rang, and she realized it was Terry, her first reaction had been panic. Harrison was missing. Harrison wanted King dead. King was calling
her
of all people. So what was it? Was he calling to gloat, because Harrison was dead or injured? Was it
Harrison
calling, to say the deed was finally done? Or was it neither? Was it just the innocent call of a horny man, trying his luck for a second time with a beautiful woman?

It seemed to be the latter, but there was really no way to be sure. And when they
needed
this one last go at Terry King, having her not answer wasn’t really a risk they could take.

So she picked up the call.

Played along, flirted, acted as if she were really Sarai, excited to hear from this rich, handsome older man. As if she were looking forward to allowing him between her legs, which was undoubtedly what the invitation meant.

But it wasn’t going down like
that
. Savi would kill him first, though she hoped that wouldn’t be necessary. An arrest, on suspicioun of murder, arson, and kidnapping would be sufficient grounds to hold him until one of their agencies could make something stick. It wasn’t perfect, and may not even work well, but it was the last-ditch effort of the desperate. They just needed to get him to that airfield, and keep him there long enough for Barnes to make a warrant happen.

So, she went.

With Harrison stuck in her mind, wondering where he was, what he was doing, if he was safe – all feelings that were
very
familiar. She wanted to be angry with him for disappearing, but after what he’d shared about his mother, she couldn’t seem to do anything but hope he accomplished his goal. He was so obviously haunted by all of it, that more than anything, she just wanted him to
finally
have some peace.

She hoped that whatever he was doing, whatever his plan was… he’d stay alive long enough to realize it.

Savi nodded at Kendall, who had posed as her driver before and was reprising that role again. He pulled up at the airfield, and following the directions of one of King’s men, parked about twenty feet away from a sleek black Escalade. She took a deep breath as Kendall climbed out of the car and got patted down for weapons. She didn’t let it out until he opened her door, to help her out.

He met her eyes with a serious gaze and then scratched his ear, reminding her of the panic button concealed in one of her diamond earrings. She gave him a subtle nod as she climbed out, then submitted to her own pat down. It was much more “gropey” than necessary, and for all the extra touching, wasn’t even thorough. They missed the short, jagged-bladed pocket knife hidden in her jeans,
and
the gun strapped in her favorite hiding place – between her breasts. They
never
checked there.

With one last glance at Kendall, she turned to follow the short bodyguard to the escalade, where he opened the door to the back seat.

It was… empty.

Hmm.

Savi climbed in and sat down in the empty vehicle, flinching when the door slammed closed behind her. She hadn’t expected
this
, not at all, and this little meeting place was at least four miles from where an airplane would actually take off. Was that on purpose? Was he keeping her away from the plane? And where the hell was he, anyway?

The role she was playing, Sarai, was a woman of very little patience. She waited two more minutes, and was just about to open the door and make a minor scene when the door on the other side of the vehicle opened. Eyes narrowed, she crossed her arms and frowned, preparing to act the part of high-maintenance brat, but then… her gaze fell on Harrison and she sucked in a breath.

His eyes gave away nothing, not even recognition, and she quickly shuttered her own as Terry King came into view.

“Sarai,” he said, smiling as he climbed into the car and slid next to her. “As pleased as I am to see you, I’m afraid I’m going to have to cancel our rendezvous. Something urgent has come up, and I need to take care of it.”

Savi rolled her eyes. “So you’re brushing me off for work?” She waved a bored hand in Harrison’s direction, and let a sneer curl her upper lip. “I told you, I’m not a woman who responds to lackluster effort, not at all. This isn’t acceptable for me.”

“I know,” he said soothingly, placing his hand high on her thigh. Over his shoulder, Savi caught the cold fury in Harrison’s eyes as he watched King’s hand move over her leg. “And trust me, I had no intention of doing anything less than leaving a positive impression on you, but duty calls. I have um… a recent addition to my employment…” – he indicated Harrison – “so I have to do a little training before I leave. But…” – he leaned in close, brushing his lips over her ear – “when I come back, I
will
show you what I mean.”

It was a battle between her mind and her body, fighting the urge to shove King back, to get the sensation of his warm breath away from her skin. Her eyes traveled over Harrison as she nodded in response to King’s words, and her gaze fell on how tightly his fists were clenched. Because he hated King, or because he hated King being so close to her?

What had King just said, that Harrison was his new employee? So if he hated him so much, why on earth would he ever choose to work with him? Harrison was so close now – if he wanted King dead, why the hell was the man breathing heavy and pawing at her right now? He’d had ample chance!

She forced a smile to her face as King pulled back, his eyes full of lust as they raked over her body. Again, because she couldn’t help it, her eyes flickered back to Harrison, and it was
then
, right
then
that she noticed something she hadn’t before. King was already looking away from her, motioning Harrison into the vehicle, but Savi’s gaze shot back and forth between the two men’s faces.

Wha…how… what?

Her eyes locked with Harrison’s as he climbed into the car, and she could have sworn something in his eyes shifted, in a subtle affirmation of her suspicion.

“I’ll be in touch when I return stateside,” King said.

Savi didn’t have a chance to blink, let alone think of a response before the door on her side was pulled open, and someone grabbed her arm, pulling her from the car. She was unceremoniously marched back to the vehicle she’d pulled in with Kendall and deposited inside to watch the car holding the man she loved shoot away, towards the hangar.

“So what happened?” Kendall asked, when the door was closed, turning back to look at Savi. “Are you okay?”

Savi shook her head, chest heaving as she finally let go of the breath she’d been holding. “No. No, they have… Harrison is in there,” she said, pointing toward where the vehicle was now just a speck in the distance.”

“What?” Kendall’s eyes went wide. “So what now?”

“You
drive
, that’s what.” Savi ran a hand through her hair as she clipped her seatbelt.

“Follow them?!”

“No! No,” she repeated, taking a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. “No, don’t follow them. Not… exactly. Take me around to the back.”

&

“I am
now
officially convinced that your ass is crazy,” Inez said, pulling a smile from Naomi. She shook her head, then finished the task of rolling her thick natural hair into some semblance of a bun.

“Why do I have to be crazy?” she asked, running her hands over the kinky-curly edges of her hair in an attempt at smoothing. “Harrison is in the wind, Savi and Kendall went to go meet up with Terry King, Quentin and Renata are trying to hack a fucking
airplane
to keep it from taking off until Barnes gets a warrant for King, and Marcus is looking into Barnes. I… am about to go teach my ballet class. But
I’m
crazy?”

Her friend lifted an eyebrow. “
Yes
. Yes, you are. How can you be calm?!”

“Exactly like this. You’re watching me do it,” Naomi said with another grin as she tied on her ballet skirt. “I’ve spent enough time being worried and stressed. Lost my baby, because I was worried and stressed. Nearly killed myself, made Marcus mad at me sneaking into that house to try to see my mother, because I was worried and stressed. I’m done. I’m officially disengaging from this. Y’all can chase these people all you want, but Naomi is finished. If you want to talk me, talk to me about something else.”

Naomi’s words held much more certainty and confidence than she actually felt, but she had, long ago, mastered the art of “faking it until you make it.” She was still very much in process of “not caring” about Wolfe, or Noelle, or King. She wasn’t sure “not caring” was even actually possible, but she was
very
sure that she wasn’t willing to lose anything else in the pursuit of them.

“Okay, I can talk about something else. Did I tell you Kendall wants to get married?”

“WHAT?!” Naomi spun around to face Inez, eyes wide. “He
proposed
to you?! I thought you guys were just… you know… having
fun
?!”

Inez sat up. “
Exactamente!
Just having fun, and… I mean… I
liked
him. Liked him a lot. A whole lot, but… he wanted to talk about me leaving the agency, getting some boring job like what him and Renata and Marcus do at the FBI, so I could have a
baby
.”

Naomi’s eyes went wider, and she shook her head as she bent to pull on her slippers. “Already, with the knocked up and barefoot thing, when he
just
proposed? And did you accept?” She looked up just in time to see her friend cringing, with her mouth twisted to one side. “Inez…”

“
What
?”

Naomi lifted an eyebrow.

“Okay, okay, so it wasn’t…
really
a proposal. But still, it may as well have been! He wants me to change my entire life, to have a family with him!”

Naomi gasped, clutching a hand to her chest as she rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, I can’t believe him, he has so much nerve! How dare he have feelings for
you
and not just your pussy, and want to think about building a life together? What an
awful
person.”

“Naomi…”

“
What
?” Naomi asked, sucking her teeth. “Come on, Inez. I get it, without you even telling the whole thing. You like being able to run around and blow shit up, and live this exciting life. But guess what? That can’t last forever. You’re gonna get old, or injured, or something isn’t gonna heal right. Or something is gonna go wrong on an op, and you’re gonna die alone somewhere, wishing you’d gotten out while you had the chance.”

Inez rolled her eyes, fixing Naomi with a scowl. “Seriously Mimi? You’re gonna go all dramatic on me?”

“I sure am, after you said Kendall
proposed
to you. Listen, I’m not the person to talk to about this if you’re looking for a sympathetic ear. You and I met because I was forced into this life. All I’ve ever wanted was the normal stuff, a husband, a house, kids. I didn’t
want
to be a thief. I was doing what I thought I had to do, for this revenge that I thought I needed. But in the meantime, I’ve missed out on so much that I can’t get back. I don’t know if Marcus and I will ever get to just… go look for a home together. Get pregnant again. I have
no
idea. So… I love you, Inez, but I’m really not the one to talk to about your disappoint that you have a man that wants to love on you, and give you babies, and be able to sleep at night without worrying about where you are. I’m getting pissed off at you just thinking about it.”

Inez pushed out a heavy sigh, then nodded. “I know. I
know
. And you’re right, this won’t last forever, which is why I want to get it out
now
.”

“So tell him that.”

“I
can’t
.” Inez dropped her gaze, staring at her hands for a moment before she looked up again. “What if he… what if he decides to
wait
for me?”

Naomi narrowed her eyes. “Is that… bad?”

“Claro que si! I don’t want him waiting for me, what if he passes up some woman that would be good for him, while I’m off assassinating somebody? I don’t want him wasting his life away like that!”

Crossing her arms, Naomi leaned against the wall, looking at her friend. “So he doesn’t get a say? What if… what if he loves you, and just hasn’t said it yet? What if he doesn’t care, what if he’s willing to wait? You’re just going to take the choice away from him?”