Her gaze breaks from mine and focuses on the view outside the window. The pain of her past is visible on her face. “He’s done terrible things, Jag. Awful, despicable, shameful things. If you knew what I know—what I saw—you wouldn’t think twice about going.” Emotion thickens her voice. “I should never have left you on your own.”
“I know he’s not perfect. Neither am I.” My throat aches. I swallow, wishing I had the water I threw on the floor, but it rolled beneath the driver’s seat at the last stoplight. “I’m a bad person, too. I’m a liar and a thief and a criminal. I’m just as dark as he is. Maybe worse.”
“Sounds like you’re going to fit into our family just fine, Jagger,” Nicky muses. “Give her a break, Cal. You’re no saint, but I love you anyway.” The gentle teasing in his remark makes me wonder about their history together.
“Since when did you become a champion of love?” Callie asks, a frown furrowing her brow.
“Since I met you, my love.” His fingers graze her chin.
Callie’s shoulders slump. “I never wanted this kind of life for you.” A tear splatters on our joined hands. She sniffles, squeezing my fingers until the bones creak. “You were supposed to take the money and start over, not go running back to Cash.”
We stare at each other for an interminable minute. Her chin quivers. I brush away the wetness on her cheeks. She loves me so much, and I love her, too. More than I ever realized. Whatever she’s done, she did because she cares about me.
“You know, you could’ve just phoned me,” I say.
“I tried and you hung up on me.” She brushes the hair back from my face. “You’re so beautiful and grown up. I always think of you as a kid, but I guess I need to get over that idea.” A smile bows her lips. “You have to forgive me, Jag. I had to be sure.”
“Of what?” My voice is hoarse from crying.
“That this is really what you want.” She taps the driver’s seat. “Okay, Spitz. Change of plans. Give him the address, Jagger.”
Twenty-Six
Cash
I’m in the middle of a business call with my accountant when Gage bursts through the door of my office. A trickle of blood runs down the side of his face. The panic on his face is an unfamiliar sight. I end the call immediately. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Jagger. Someone took her. I tried to call you but it kept going to voice mail.” The frustration and irritation in his voice is equal to mine.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I grab my head with both hands, trying to curb the desire to punch the wall. “How? Where?”
The frustration and irritation in his voice is equal to mine. “Somebody jumped me at the park.” He grimaces as he rubs the knot on his forehead. “There was a van parked next to mine. It was gone when I came to.”
The alarm for the front gate chimes. I call up the security camera on my phone to view an unfamiliar SUV rolling down the driveway. “Who the hell is this?” I’m about to grab my pistol from the desk drawer when the vehicle parks at the entrance and Jagger climbs out of the back, followed by Callie and her husband. We only met once, but I’ll never forget his face.
By the time we reach the front door, Jagger is standing in the foyer. I ignore everyone else, wrap my arms around her waist, and hold her to my chest, drawing in the scent of her shower gel and shampoo. “Where have you been? I was freaking out.”
“It’s a long story.” She holds onto me like her life depends on it, and it’s the best feeling in the world.
I let go of her to check her out from head to toe. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. A little pissed off.” Her gaze flickers to her sister. “But okay.”
“Shit, Jagger. I’m so sorry.” Gage gives her shoulder a squeeze with his big hand. “This is all my fault.”
“No. It’s not. It’s Callie’s fault.” Jagger’s arm slides around my waist as she turns to face her sister.
“Sorry, Gage.” Callie glances down at the floor, her face pink with embarrassment. “You weren’t supposed to get hurt.”
He stares at her. A dozen different emotions flash in his blue eyes—anger, relief, confusion. “Calliope Jones. Never thought I’d see you again.”
“I know, right?” A reluctant smile brightens her face.
“Get over here, girl.” Gage wraps his arms around her, lifting her off the floor and squeezing until she grunts.
Nicky clears his throat. Gage releases Callie. She pats his arm with genuine affection. “Gage, this is my husband Nicky. Nick, this is Gage.” The two men shake hands. She turns to us. “And you’ve met Cash.”
His stare chills as our eyes meet. I can’t blame him for hating me. I was with Callie for almost a decade. He warned me to stay away from her, and I went after her little sister instead. Recognizing that I’m responsible for mending the rift between us, I offer my right hand. “Welcome to my home.”
He squeezes my fingers tighter than necessary. “The pleasure is all mine.”
“So, does someone want to explain what happened today?” I pull my hand from his crushing grip.
“Let’s have a seat in the living room.” Jagger gestures down the steps. “This might take a while.”
I force myself to listen as Callie and Jagger take turns explaining their sides of the story. Through it all, I can only hear one thing. Jagger loves me. She wants to be here. The bullshit of the past few hours means nothing in light of this revelation. I never believed it was possible until now. She had the opportunity to leave and chose to stay. With me.
“I want out.” I lean forward, resting my elbows on my thighs to demonstrate my sincerity to Cal and Nicky. “Jagger means everything to me. I love her, Cal. You know me. I don’t do feelings and shit, but this girl—she’s changed me.” Jagger squeezes my hand. She’s been sitting next to me on the loveseat. “She wants to be with me, Cal. We have a chance to be happy together, but I need a way out of my life.” The burden of the past few months feels like a millstone around my neck. I have to make Callie understand. “You’re the only person in the world who understands where I’ve been and how big this is. I’m telling you that I want out of this business so that I can keep your sister safe and make her happy.”
A long silence stretches between us as she studies my face. The war raging inside her is plain on her face. She hates me, but she loves her sister more. Her fingers clutch the arms of the chair, digging into the soft leather. “What do you need me to do?”
Twenty-Seven
Jagger
Cash smiles at me as he buttons up the front of his shirt. We’ve spent the morning in bed, savoring our last few hours together. Warmth fills his gaze, but lines of tension bracket his mouth. Today is the day that our lives change forever. Over the past two weeks, with the help of Callie and Nicky, we’ve put together a plan for our future.
“Are you okay?” Cash bends down to kiss me.
“Just nervous, I guess.” And scared and excited. If I’m honest, the promise of adventure is almost as alluring as the sinful gleam in Cash’s eyes.
“No need. We’ve gone over everything a hundred times. Everyone knows their jobs.” He sits on the edge of the bed. Our fingers weave together. He lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles. “You’re going to the mall with Gage where people will see you and you can establish an alibi. Athena will go to the warehouse, set the detonators, and plant the DNA evidence. Frog is taking me from here to the airport.”
“You make it sound so simple.” My stomach twists with anxiety. A million things could go wrong. “What if someone sees you?”
“They won’t. I’ll be hidden in the back of a rental car.” His wide grin shows his two new dental implants. The teeth were removed by Cash’s dentist and will be planted in the rubble of the warehouse as DNA evidence that he was in the building at the time of the explosion. Placing an index finger beneath my chin, he tilts my face up to his. “You can do this. Just remember to breathe.”
“Okay.” I exhale. The escape of air cleanses my
thoughts. “Can’t I go with you?”
“No, baby. You know that won’t work. We need you out in plain sight. I’m the only person who’s going to die today.”
“That’s not funny.” I curl my fingers into the front of his shirt, pulling him closer.
“If anything goes wrong, you stick with the plan. Callie will help you.” His gaze dips to my lips. “Understand?”
“Yes.” I climb to my knees and wrap my arms around his neck, needing one more kiss before he leaves.
“Mm. You taste good.” With a reluctant sigh, he draws away. “I’ve gotta go, baby girl. Be good. Listen to Gage. I’ll meet you at the airport.”
“I will.” Unable to say goodbye, I watch him leave the room with the burn of tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. The ache remains as I shower and dress. No more FBI. No more craziness. Cash and I will be free to do whatever we want. Except—in the eyes of the law, he’ll be dead. Although the next few days are going to be stressful, the end result will justify the hassle. With one warehouse explosion, his past will be erased, and he’ll be free.
Downstairs, Em and Lucy are waiting for me. Tears glisten in her eyes glisten as she pulls me into a hug. “Be careful, okay?”
“Why are you crying?” I ask, but I’m crying, too.
“I’m not crying.” Her voice is thick with emotion.
“I’m only going to be gone a couple of months, and then I’ll be back. We’ll talk on the phone every day. Are you good?” I sound like Cash, and the similarity makes me smile. He’s had a powerful influence on me.
“I’ve got everything under control. You don’t need to worry about a thing. Gage and I will take good care of Lucy and Mr. Mercer.” She gives me a final hug, much harder than necessary. We hold onto each until Gage’s footsteps approach from the kitchen.
“Time to roll out.” He pauses long enough to scratch Lucy behind the ears. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” I take one last look around the house. Over the past months, I’ve come to think of it as my home. I’ve already said goodbye to Mr. Mercer. He thinks we’re heading on an extended vacation. I don’t want to jeopardize his safety by divulging the truth—at least, not until our plan has been executed.
I walk through the mall until my feet hurt. Shopping has never been my thing. I’m guessing by Gage’s frequent, exasperated sighs that he’s not enjoying it either. I’m too nervous to focus on anything but Cash and the plan. I glance at my watch. It’s a little past noon. The explosion is scheduled for twelve-fifteen. If only I could hear his voice. Nicky made us promise to avoid all forms of contact. One careless text or phone call could jeopardize the entire mission.
“Do you want to grab a burger or something?” I ask Gage, hoping to restore his usual good humor.
“I guess.” He shoves his hands into his pockets, oblivious to the stares of a mother and her two children. His tattoos and muscular physique attract a lot of attention in the suburban shopping center.
“Hang on.” I stop walking to retrieve my phone. It’s Athena. My heart skips a beat. I answer, my hands trembling. “Is something wrong?”
“Well, we’ve hit a bit of a snafu.” Her southern drawl increases my anxiety. “Cash needs you to come to the warehouse.”
“Why?” I elevate my gaze to Gage. “This isn’t part of the plan.” Or the contingency plan. Gage’s eyebrows lift in question over my panicked tone.
“Plans change. Just get your ass over here, sweet cheeks.” The call ends with a click and a dial tone.
“This is a bad idea.” Gage drums his fingers on the steering wheel as we race toward the warehouse. He presses the voice button on the Cadillac’s steering wheel. “Call Athena.” The phone rings over the speakers. After a few rings, a computer voice asks to take a message. Gage punches the roof of the car. “Damn it, Cash. I told him not to trust her. I told him not to go alone. I should’ve gone with him and kept that psycho bitch out of it.”
“You were with me.” A wave of guilt overcomes me. This is my fault. I should never have agreed to have Gage as a bodyguard.
“Don’t go blaming yourself. He’s trusting me with the most important person in his life. I consider it an honor.” His sideways glance reinforces the truth behind the statement. “But we could’ve worked something out.”
After an eternity, Gage turns into the empty parking lot of the building next door to the warehouse. He parks behind a trash bin at the back and leaps out of the car, shouting over his shoulder. “Stay in the car.”
He’s crazy if he thinks I’m going to sit here and do nothing. I jump out of the Escalade and follow him down the alley to the warehouse. I ease the door open and blink against the dim light until my eyes adjust. Inside, a few of Cash’s vehicles are parked in a neat row. Gage has already vanished. I take a step along the wall, careful to stay in the shadows. Pigeons scatter in a flurry of feathers. The spray of gunfire kicks up clumps of concrete in front of me. I dive beneath the nearest vehicle.
The gunfire stops. Footsteps clatter down the metal staircase. A pair of women’s boots come into view.
“Come on out. I promise not to shoot.” Athena’s unmistakable voice echoes through the emptiness. The boots walks a few steps past my hiding place and stop. She squats to peer beneath the car at me.
The pounding of my heart is so fierce against my ribs, I’m certain she can hear it. I drag myself to my feet and wipe the dirt from my clothes. Athena watches me, annoyance plain on her face.
“Where’s Cash?” I force my gaze to meet hers. No matter what happens, I won’t show fear in front of her. She doesn’t deserve the satisfaction.
“At the airport.” She sets the gun on the hood of the car, freeing her hands to smooth the tight bun of hair at the nape of her neck. “He’s going to be so heartbroken when he learns that you died in the explosion.” Her gray eyes gleam with sadistic glee. “But I’ll be there to pick up the pieces and put him together again.”
“That will never work.” I glance around the immediate area for something to use as a weapon. There’s nothing but dust and cobwebs.
“Sure it will. I got away with torching your building. I’ll get away with this too. The explosion will erase all the evidence.” She glances at her watch. “We’ve got five minutes before this place blows.” After a bored yawn, she stretches her arms over her head, bending and twisting like she’s warming up for an athletic event. “So, how should we do this? Slow and painful or quick and easy?”
Her momentary distraction is the only opportunity I need. I launch at her, knocking us both to the floor. She’s wiry and fast, but I’m heavier and high on adrenaline. We tumble across the concrete. I only have seconds to make my next move, and it had better be a good one. Years of combat training have honed her into a fighting machine. Her hands find my neck. Using her legs, she rolls me onto my back and straddles my hips.
“I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.” The fury in her voice chills my soul.
Splotches of light and dark flash in front of my eyes. I can’t pry her choke hold from my throat, so I use the last of my energy to search for something—anything—to defend myself. My fingers grab onto a hard, round cylinder. A pipe, maybe. Using all of my strength, I bring it down on her head. She slumps onto my chest. I shove her aside and scramble to my feet.
“Gage?” The name is more of a croak than a shout.
“Jag. Let’s go.” Gage grabs my arm. He half-drags, half-carries me through the door and outside into the sunshine.
The ground shakes. A thick, black cloud of air hurtles us through the air. I land on my back a few yards away. The impact knocks the breath from my lungs. The ringing in my ears drowns out all the sounds but my heartbeat. Thump. Thump. Flames dance in the corners of my vision. Above me, the sky is blue and cloudless, but it’s raining. I hold out a hand. Not raindrops but strange, gray, floating pieces of insulation, paper, and other debris.
The breath rushes back into my body. I choke on the acrid scent of sulfur and smoke
. A cry of anguish rips from my throat. The sound ends in a strangled chirp as strong hands wrap around my arms and haul me to my feet. Gage stares at me, his blue eyes wild. “Are you hurt?” His voice sounds like he’s shouting from far away. He gives me a shake. “Jagger? Are you okay?”
“Yes.” I smooth my hands over my chest, along my stomach, and down to my hips. Everything hurts, but I’m whole. “Are you?”
“Yeah.” The relief in his gaze eases my fears. He pulls me into a tight hug. “Shit, that was intense.” His big body is trembling almost as much as mine. He jerks his head toward the Escalade. “Come on. Let’s get you to the airport.”
Twenty-Eight
Jagger
The helicopter lifts into the air. The water below us is crystal clear and the most beautiful shade of blue-green imaginable. The final leg of our journey takes forever. My hands are sore from wringing them in my lap. Nicky is up front with the pilot. On my left, Callie rubs my arm, her smile sympathetic. On my right, Cash has his fingers threaded through mine.
At last, an enormous white yacht comes into view. It floats in the center of the crystal-clear waters. We land on the upper deck. My fingers stumble over the harness. Callie reaches over to help me unclasp the buckles.
I glance over at Cash, needing reassurance. His smile is wider and brighter than I’ve ever seen. Black sunglasses cover his eyes, but I can feel his relief. We’ve made it. Once my feet are on the deck of the yacht, I throw my arms around his neck and rain kisses on him.
“Hey. Easy, baby girl.” His deep voice vibrates through me. “Doing okay?” The open edges of his white shirt flutter in the ocean breeze, revealing those delicious abs. He’s wearing tan Bermuda shorts and sandals.
Absolute Trust Page 17
