Chapter Twelve
Ana
Once we’re downstairs, inside the kitchen, Luke catches me to him and kisses me hard and fast but when he pulls back and stares down at me, his eyes say all that words do not dare with Kurt nearby. He’s here. He understands how much this Kurt situation eats me alive, and God it does. It so does. And, of course, the real message Luke offers is that no matter how this shakes out, I’m not alone. I touch his cheek, my fingers dragging over the rough-edged stubble of his jawline, a “thank you” in that gentle connection. I know he’s here. I know he’s worried. That’s all I need to know.
Forcing myself to leave him where he stands, I step backward and do so, despite an innate fear, no doubt created by this past two years, that any division between us will extend eternally. His hands fall away from my body, his eyes a storm of worry for me. Not physically I know, because Kurt is tied up, and I’m more than capable with my weapon of shooting him, and at this point, I won’t hesitate to do so if necessary.
That doesn’t mean I won’t suffer afterward, but I will survive.
Kurt taught me to do no less.
I turn away from Luke and exit the kitchen.
Moments later, I bring the sitting area just outside the office into view to find Savage sitting in a chair across from Kurt, a gun on his lap. The two men are in a silent stare-off. God, I love Savage and I barely know him, but I know enough. He’s just so damn Savage. The kind of man Kurt would respect. The kind of man Kurt will hesitate to test. Luke was one of those men to Kurt, but then I became Luke’s weakness and I have no doubt Kurt will continue to use that against him.
I stand there and watch them watch each other, my mind drifting back to Lara’s party. I’m sure had I been born her, I would have greeted my father with a hug and tears. But had I been Lara, my father would never have faked his death.
Closing the space between me and them, I motion for Savage to let me sit. He stands, his weapon in his hand, and steps to the rear of the chair, a protective stance to the way he plants his feet to stay a while. I motion at him again. “We need to be alone.”
He arches a dark brown. “You sure about that?”
I’m warmed by his protectiveness, a sign that these brothers Luke has found in our time apart, welcome me with open arms. As Adam said, he would die for me. Savage would do the same, but I would not want to meet his wife in the aftermath. I want to meet her with him alive and well. That means I need Kurt to talk to me. Really talk to me.
I give a tiny nod. “Positive, but thank you, Savage.”
He grunts. “I’m not positive,” he rebuts, “but I’ll be in the kitchen.” He scowls at Kurt and then saunters in that direction.
I claim the seat in front of Kurt, and for a moment, just a moment, guilt stabs at me, for allowing the man who sheltered and cared for me, to sit tied to a chair. But then a memory surfaces, me in a cave, my hands, and feet tied up as punishment for being captured by the “enemy.” The enemies were his men, and the mission was training at The Ranch. If my guilt was a word written on a chalkboard, my memories of his actions are the eraser that wipes it away, and does so in a clear, swift swipe.
“I knew you’d be back,” he states, a gleam in his eyes that almost reads like pride, though this emotion is illogical for most, it’s not for Kurt.
I tied him up. I took control. These are the actions of the person he taught me to become. More and more, I’m not sure I’m proud of that person. “Why come back now?”
“I told you why.”
“Tell me again. Because based on what you’ve said thus far it’s hard for me to believe you have a man on the inside of this operation we’re battling. And yet, you got here. You knew we were coming and that indicates that you indeed, do have an insider view of what’s going on.”
“I hired a hacker, some guy out of Germany. He’s monitoring everyone I know is involved, including Parker.”
“Then you have to know who Parker was reporting to,” I assume.
“Your boss, who’s now dead. He emailed him. That’s how they communicated. The three-day pledge was communicated to Mike.”
“That means they also know we don’t have the package.”
“Parker wrote about his belief that you were coming here to The Ranch, because the package is hidden here. We still have three days.”
I’m not sure I believe him, but I lean toward yes, at least on this. We all need to hope that’s a fact. Right now, I want to know why he’s back in this moment, and not a previous one. Aside from the idea that this package has surfaced.
“Were you working for or with Mike?” I ask, referencing my boss, who is now dead.
“No. A guy they called Maverick. Real name: Ted Maverick. He’s dead.”
“Did you kill him?”
He barks out a laugh. “I wish. I wanted to kill that little prick a hundred times over. He’s the one who used you as a weapon against me. The only reason I let him live was because I wanted him to lead me to his boss. I wanted to end this. And he did. Or so I thought. That was your boss. Turns out he was Maverick’s replacement. Once Mike came on the scene, Maverick had a heart attack. Translated to, he got himself killed off.”
“When?”
“Right after Kasey died. You can see why Luke leaving right at that point in time, set about as well as spoiled milk sits with me. Real damn sour.”