Deception, page 13
“You think I can go home soon?” I longed for some normality. Even though I hadn’t known Lucius for very long, his absence left a hole in my heart that I found difficult to patch. I hoped being around familiar things and spending time with Thea would help fix it.
“They don’t tell me anything since I’m just a girl.” She shrugged and pumped her arms out like a gorilla, her voice going down an octave. “Because a real man keeps poor helpless women safe.”
I guessed she was doing an imitation of Gunner, and I laughed, nearly falling off the barstool I was perched on.
“Is that how you see me, spitfire?” Gunner’s deep voice rumbled behind her, and she jumped with a shriek, then whirled around.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what? Come inside the apartment I own? Or kiss my woman, who I haven’t seen all day?”
His words were followed by a move so smooth I suppressed a swoon. He engulfed Freya in his arms and tilted her back, then kissed the living daylights out of her.
She put up absolutely no resistance. Instead, her arms went around his neck, and one of her legs hooked around his.
Sofie stopped next to me, shaking her head. “At least I’m staying with Carter. He’s a lot less gross.”
I put my arm around her, loving the trust she displayed by once again leaning into me. “He never has women around?”
I found that hard to believe.
“Never. He said I’m the only woman he needs in his life.”
She said it with all the confidence a six-year-old could muster.
Freya had come back up for air, a dopey smile on her face. That was my cue to leave. “You mind calling Dalton to take me back?” I asked.
Freya nodded, her eyes still glazed over. I helped Sofie put all her things back in her backpack while we waited.
Dalton showed up ten minutes later. “Ready for a wild night of movies?”
I smiled at him, liking his easygoing manner. “How could I refuse such an offer?”
After promising Sofie an Uno rematch I said my goodbyes.
Dalton took me back to the house, and I watched movies with him until four in the morning, when I finally found a few restless hours of sleep.
Chapter 21
Lucius
“Looks like business is booming.” Santino plucked a grape off the fruit bowl, wandering the elaborate rooms of the suite. We’d disabled the hotel’s cameras and snuck inside with a key card I’d taken off a chatty maid.
Ignoring Santino’s sampling of the food, I checked for cameras and microphones. My eyes burned and my body ached. We’d driven over thirty hours straight, taking turns covering the 1,300 miles to get to Caracas, pushing ourselves to our limits.
But there was no way I’d risk letting Sam’s killer get away. I’d hurt more people and blown up more things in the last week than the whole time I was with Maurizio. My actions were getting harder to justify, and I knew I was at a crossroads. If I continued down this path, I might never come back.
Santino pointed to an open suitcase. “He’s still here.”
We hadn’t been sure when we first received the information if we would make it in time. The reason why I’d been having trouble pinpointing his location was because he moved around so much.
I took one last sweep around the room before nodding at Santino. “All right, let’s do this.”
With a sigh, Santino dropped down to his knees and rolled under the bed. I fought the urge to snicker at his bulky frame wedging underneath the bed. But he’d lost fair and square. Three shots at an empty beer can, winner gets the bathroom, looser the floor.
I disappeared behind the bathroom door, slumping against the wall. My eyes were heavy and I fought against the lure of sleep. We were so close.
A loud snore snapped me back to attention. Guess it was a lot harder to fight sleep when you were lying down. I crept back out, keeping an eye on the door. When I stood next to the bed, I blindly kicked underneath it, my foot hitting something soft.
“Fuck.” The word was followed by a loud smack that made the bed shake. “Why the fuck are you kicking me.”
“You fell asleep.”
He cursed under his breath. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.”
The snick of the door unlocking cut off any reply I might have had, and instead I sprinted back to the bathroom. The door slammed open, and giggles floated into the room, followed by grunts.
We agreed we wouldn’t do anything if he had company. But we also couldn’t stay here all night. But was I willing to risk an innocent life to get my revenge?
The bed springs creaked, and I grimaced. Things were about to get very uncomfortable for Santino.
But ten minutes later, all movement stopped, and shortly after someone came into the bathroom. I prayed the girl I could see through the gap between the door and frame wouldn’t want privacy. Because then I’d be forced to act.
To my relief she wasn’t shy; but she was slow, taking her time to do her makeup. My legs were tingling, and I was struggling with the decision if I should move now while I still could and risk the girl’s life or hold on a little longer.
The delay meant she left the hotel room before I could make a call I’d regret for the rest of my life.
The carpet muffled any sound I may have made on my way to the bed. Our target was sprawled on his back, fast asleep. He didn’t look like he was as skilled as his reputation suggested. No good hitman would let his guard down and make himself vulnerable like this.
I wondered if we had the right guy, but the tattoo on his chest confirmed he was our man, the intricately woven design of a serpent eating its own tail exactly how Officer Harris described it.
Santino joined me next to the bed, a deep frown line etched into his forehead. He wasn’t sure about this either.
It would be easy to put a bullet between his eyes and put all this behind us. But we needed information first. Santino tapped his gun against his head and the guy tensed, reaching underneath his pillow.
Santino clicked his tongue at him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Stilling his movements, the guy took us in, his face giving nothing away. “What do you want?”
I retrieved the zip ties from my pockets and bound his hands, then pulled him up to sitting. “Answers.”
A vein in his neck pulsed, betraying his outwardly calm appearance. “Do you know who I am?”
“You’re the one who killed my friend.” I dragged him off the bed and to the bathroom. No need to make an unnecessary mess on the carpet. “And I want to know who ordered the hit.”
He laughed, the sound ringing through the quiet room. “I recognize you. Been trying to get to you for months. Guess now that your boss is gone you can’t hide behind him anymore.”
Not many people knew Maurizio was my father. At least that was one secret that hadn’t gotten out yet.
I dumped the hitman in the bathtub, then put gloves on. Santino did the same before laying out an array of knives and a lighter.
Still smirking, the guy sat up. “You think your toys scare me?”
Sometimes, the promise of torture was enough. Other times, we had to follow through and hope we didn’t kill them before they gave us answers. Today looked to be other times.
“It’s not about the toys, but about who wields them.” I stepped back and pointed at Santino. “May I introduce my friend? The reaper?”
His face blanched and he shrank back. Guess Santino’s reputation reached far and wide.
I made myself comfortable, leaning against the sink. “Now where were we? I think you were going to tell us about who sent you to kill Sam.”
He broke faster than I thought and we were gone within the hour, finally having a name.
Chapter 22
Everleigh
“There’s no threat anymore—not that there ever has been—and I gave you all the information I have. There’s nothing else for me here.”
Gunner opened his mouth to say something else to sway me to stay a little longer, no doubt, but I held up my hand. I had shown up in his office twenty minutes ago, finally having had enough. We’d been arguing ever since.
I’d stayed another week as promised. A week that had passed as agonizingly slowly as the previous one. “No. I’m going home. I need to be home.”
He hung his head, and I inwardly cheered in victory. “Fine. But you need to check in every day. If I don’t hear from you by ten every morning, I’m sending someone out to you.”
“A bit of overkill, but fine. If that’s what it takes for you to let me go on my merry way, then I’ll call every day.”
I jumped in the air, feeling a spark of hope that I could finally start putting all my broken pieces together again. “Thank you. You won’t regret it.”
“I already do,” he mumbled, then waved me off when his phone rang.
I skipped through the office to find Sofie. My heart ached at the thought of not seeing her again, but I had to do this. I couldn’t stay here indefinitely. I was in limbo while at the safe house. I needed a purpose. Normality. And going home and hopefully back to work would be that for me.
Sofie wasn’t hard to find, her soft giggles echoing through the large open-plan setup. She and Carter were in the break room, Sofie putting butterfly clips in his hair. She must have also painted his nails, because they were now bright pink.
“The color suits you,” I said, approaching their little bubble. He was great with her, and I was glad she had so many people who cared for her. But knowing Lucius, he would have never left her if he wasn’t sure they would keep her safe and happy.
Carter held out his hands. “Pink has always been my color. Brings out my eyes.”
I chuckled. “Makes the blue pop.”
“You want to be my next customer?” Sofie asked, her attention on wrapping a hair tie around Carter’s short strands.
“Not today, chipmunk. I came to say goodbye. I’m going home tomorrow.”
She stopped pulling the hair that would never be long enough to fit into the tie and looked at me. “Why are you leaving? Are you mad at me?”
I rushed up to her and pulled her into my arms. “Of course not. But I don’t live here. I live in San Diego. And I have to go home.”
She sniffled into my top. “Will you come back to visit me?”
I brushed back her hair. “Of course I will. I still need to beat you at Uno.”
Her tears dried up as quick as they’d appeared and she nodded, holding out her hand. “Then shake on it. Because that means you can’t take it back.”
She looked so serious with her nose crinkled and her mouth pursed. Leaving her meant leaving my last connection to Lucius.
But I had to move on. It wasn’t healthy for me to stay here.
After a teary goodbye, I called Thea from one of the secure lines to let her know I was coming home the next day. She let out an earsplitting scream. She also insisted on picking me up, something I gratefully accepted.
The next day, I was finally standing outside San Diego Airport, waiting for my best friend to show up. And she didn’t disappoint, driving up in a bright-blue Mercedes AMG. She honked and rolled down the window. “Hey, hot stuff. You need a ride?”
I grinned at her and hopped in the passenger seat, careful not to smudge the shiny door handle. She threw her arms around me, ignoring the cars honking behind us. “I can’t believe you’re back. I was so fucking worried.”
She pulled back into traffic, earning more honks and a few middle fingers. As usual, she ignored everyone. In her life, there was only sunshine. She brushed off the haters and embraced the lovers. It made it easy to be around her and was one of the many reasons why she was my best friend.
We’d known each other since fourth grade and had been inseparable ever since. She was someone you wanted in your corner.
Even when she married a man twice her age who spent more money on a house than I’d ever see in my lifetime, we stayed close.
“New car?” I asked, taking in the new car smell. The engine was so quiet, you could have a conversation even when speeding down Pacific Coast Highway. Which was what we were currently doing.
But Thea did whatever Thea wanted. Maybe that was why we worked as friends. She ignored any walls I put up, and whenever I wouldn’t speak up for myself, she’d do it for me.
“Sure is. William thought it was time to upgrade.”
William thought it was time to upgrade anything about five minutes after he bought it.
I watched the familiar sights fly past the window, but the sense of unease in my stomach didn’t disappear. Maybe once I returned to my apartment, I’d start feeling more at peace.
Thea stopped at our favorite coffee shop, The Mission, on the way, the coffee ready and waiting. She liked to call ahead to order so she didn’t have to stand in line. But I wasn’t complaining, since it meant all I had to do was jump out and grab the cups.
We finally pulled into the familiar surroundings of University City. I lived in a nondescript apartment building, most likely the oldest in the area. But San Diego real estate was expensive, and even my outdated, small two-bedroom apartment still cost a mint.
Thea lived in La Jolla Farms, which was a short drive away. Her house sat atop the cliffs and had more bathrooms than a hotel. She didn’t have kids, so it was only her and her husband living in a place big enough to accommodate an entire football team.
She double-parked, turning the engine off. “Okay, so here’s the plan. Pack a bag, then stay with me for the next week. William is away on business, so it’s just us.”
Despite her husband’s stuffy personality and the fact that he was older than my dad, we got along well. He adored Thea, and she seemed to return the feeling. It was an odd relationship, but it worked for them. And who was I to judge? I didn’t even have a relationship.
Staying with Thea always felt like a vacation. But I wanted to be around my things. Preferably by myself. I had a lot more crying to do.
“I was thinking I should be home for a while.”
After jumping out of the car, she grabbed my hand and dragged me out of my seat, then inside. “Nonsense. I know you’ll sink into a black hole, and then I’ll have to do double the work to pull you out. You’re staying with me.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
But when I walked into my apartment that still looked exactly the same as when I left, I thought maybe she had a point. Same boring gray walls, same depressing view of the back of another small apartment block.
Thea had a spare key and had come in every few days to water my plants. I’d lost my key somewhere in Guyana and was grateful I didn’t have to call the building manager.
Ignoring my protest, she packed a bag. I gave in and helped or risked ending up with only bikinis. We were back in her car twenty minutes later. The car that still stood double-parked without a ticket or damage.
“We’re doing a spa day today, since I figured you’d be tired from your flight. And then tomorrow we’ll go sailing.”
I groaned. I hated sailing and spent half the time bent over the side throwing up. That would be one way to distract me. I doubted I’d be thinking about anything but how to hold on to my breakfast the whole time. “Do we have to? We could hang out by your pool instead.”
Thea shot me a pointed look, and I glared at her. I negotiated what we would do for the next few days the rest of the drive, replacing hang gliding with kayaking and scuba diving with snorkeling.
The sight of her home always took my breath away. The gigantic building nestled in the cliffs amid the trees, trying its best to blend in despite its size. Huge walls too high to climb surrounded the property, cameras and alarms set up everywhere.
I spotted a guard patrolling the grounds and raised a brow at my friend. That was new.
She parked the car and shrugged. “We had a few issues, so William thought it was safer to get a guard.”
We got out, and Thea waved to the guard, who gave her a chin lift and continued walking along the wall. I went toward what had become my room, and she veered off to the kitchen. “Join me once you’re settled in.”
Settling in meant dropping my bags in the giant walk-in closet only to find my clothes hung up and ironed a few hours later. I did just that, having given up stopping Thea’s housekeeper from doing the unnecessary work.
I joined her on their deck overlooking the ocean, where she had a full bottle of champagne on ice and two full glasses waiting.
With a satisfied sigh, I sank into the comfortable daybed next to hers and raised my glass. “To being back.”
Even if I felt like I was a guest in a life that was no longer mine.
Thea pinned me with a stare. “Now talk. And leave nothing out. I’ll know.”
I told her everything, finally able to talk to my best friend making me feel lighter than I had in a long time.
And she confessed to having someone look into Archer’s disappearance, despite William’s insistence that this was a job for the police. But none of us were any closer to finding him.
But I was sure I’d know if he was dead. He was still somewhere out there.
And despite not being able to return to Guyana, I wouldn’t rest until I either had proof he was dead or found him alive. Hopefully, Locked Security was as good as Gunner proclaimed and I’d find out what happened to my brother soon.
Chapter 23
Everleigh
I spent the next four days getting pampered while in a semi-drunk state. Thea went all out. But I still couldn’t sleep at night and found it hard to eat. Even Thea commented on my waiflike frame that seemed to shrink as the days wore on.
I’d called into work and would start back up next month. But not even the prospect of going back to a job I used to love did much to improve my mood. I pretended everything was fine, while inside I was crumbling.
