That was how she felt. As if everything had been ripped away.
“Well, then how about I help with some closure? I’ll recap for you, shall I?”
I want more than a recap. I want Remy.
“Preston Guidry sent two men to hunt you and abduct you in Halfway, Georgia. Those two individuals have become quitecooperative and are planning to testify against him. During the course of my investigation into Guidry, I discovered that he had forced you into a hidden room at his bar.”
He hadn’t forced her in there. She and Remy had snuck inside—
“At gunpoint, Guidry made you open the safe. A trigger inside caused the cash—twenty million, by the way, in case you didn’t know—a trigger caused the cash to be permanently dyed with red ink.”
She wet her lips. She still had a small dot of red on the tip of one finger.
“You fought him off when he was distracted by the dye. Stabbed him with a handy screwdriver.”
She had stabbed him, but so had Remy. They’d fought him together.
“I burst in and saw you trying to escape. You collapsed. I carried you to safety, then went back inside to discover that secret room was filled with stolen jewels, cocaine, and a whole lot of evidence that tied Guidry to money laundering schemes. The fool should have known better than to leave an actual paper trail in this day and age.” A disgusted shake of his head. “And, to tie things up in an even nicer bow, his ex-lawyer is begging for deals from anyone who will glance his way. Morris Hade was involved in the money laundering up to his beady eyes. The FBI and the CIA have a joint task force that is working on the long list of crimes tied to Guidry. By the way, in case you were wondering, the local authorities arenotinvolved.”
Because he’d had so many cops in his pocket.
“As I said, Guidry will not be seeing daylight again.”
In that whole story, he hadn’t mentioned Remy, and she now understood why. When he talked about cases that could be jeopardized, he meant Preston’s crimes…and more. BecauseRemy had worked undercover for so long. Because he’d done all of his “favors” for the Feds and the CIA and for everyone else who’d used him.
I used him, too.The knowledge settled heavily around her. Was that why he’d left? Because Remy felt like she was just another in a long line to use his skills? “Tell me he’s all right.”
“Guidry is perfectly fine. Had some fairly serious wounds, don’t get me wrong. You must have been quite enraged when you went after him. But we stitched him up.”
“Remy.How is he?”
“Remy doesn’t exist. He never has.”
Screw this. She rushed around the counter and grabbed his shirt. Her hands fisted as she yanked him close. “Nod if he’s okay because I have a terrible memory of him falling before me. Just…nod.Please.”
He nodded.
Her breath choked out. “Good. Good.” The choking of her breath had sounded like a sob. “You’re delivering messages to me, so can I get you to deliver oneforme?”
He stared at her.
“I love you.” There. “Just tell him…I love you. I don’t care what came before. I don’t care what kind of life we have to lead, I love Remy.”
“Remy doesn’t—”
“He exists to me! And he always will.” She was about to rip his shirt. Jacqueline let him go. Stepped back. “I love him. Just tell him, will you? And if he loves me, then he can come find me. He knows where I am. He can come back to me, and I will be here, waiting on him.”
His lips pursed. “That it?”
What else could she say? Jacqueline nodded.
“Nice to meet you, you know, when you’re not on the verge of losing consciousness.” He turned away. Started his slow walk for the door. He pulled the door open. The bell jingled. “Why would you wait?”
“Excuse me?”
“If you want something, I was always taught you fight for it. You don’t justwait.”
“He’s not here. How can I fight for him when he’sgone?” Gone and breaking her heart.