by Rylee Swann
“Yeah, he’s an alright guy,” Shawn said in an offhanded manner that belied how much he cared for his brother. “Did he give you all that down-home ‘darlin’’ crap? I swear, the guy thinks he’s some Southern cowboy from the old west.”
Rayna’s gasp at Shawn’s potentially damning words turned into a laugh. “He did, but it made him endearing.”
Alec sighed and rapped his knuckles on the table. “Hello? Important things to discuss here.”
Shawn playfully rolled his eyes at Rayna. Turning to Alec, he sobered. “My first opportunity to complete the mission was on the rooftop. When you saw us. Hesitation or not, I did the job.”
“Why did you hesitate?”
Shawn bore down on Rayna’s hand until she made a little strangled sound in her throat. Sparing her a glance, he eased up and leveled his gaze on Alec. “Not relevant. I did the job.”
“Answer the question. This is a debriefing. You can’t pick and choose what you want to tell us,” Alec said in a calm but firm voice.
Shawn leaned forward, his face a mask of barely contained rage. “No, I can do whatever the hell I want, and you know it. Technically, I don’t work for you. There’s no record of me. If I leave this building and am spotted by the police, your people won’t lift a finger to help. I’m left to fend for myself and do all your dirty work. What transpired between Ramón and me is my business and no one else’s. Move on, Alec. Next question.”
Shawn sat back and stared unblinkingly at Alec. He felt Rayna’s eyes on him too but kept his attention on Alec across from him. He’d decided to take his relationship with Ramón to his grave, and if Alec chose to push the point too hard now, he’d get up and leave. Deal off, despite what Rayna wanted for them.
Alec met Shawn’s glare with one of his own and they sat in silent stalemate for several long seconds. At last, Alec opened the folder on the table in front of him and pulled out a thick stack of eight-by-ten glossy photographs.
Shawn only moderately relaxed. He’d won this particular battle, but that didn’t mean the war didn’t still rage.
“Take a look at these.” Alec slid the photos across the table to Shawn. “We took pictures of all the men in the settlement. Tell me which are Ramón’s assassins.”
Shawn gave Rayna’s hand a quick squeeze then let go to flip through the images. He began making two piles, the assassins in training and everyone else. When he got to a photo of Tommy he looked up at Alec, murder in his eyes. “You think a nine-year-old kid is part of this?”
Alec held up his hands in a placating gesture. “That kid was hanging with most of the ones you put in that pile.” He pointed to the pictures of the assassins. “We don’t know how young Ramón took them in.”
“He’s not involved,” Shawn spat, and put the picture of Tommy on the other pile.
He quickly went through the rest of the photos, placing them in their proper piles until he’d reached the end. Only three faces were missing—Matt, Leon, and Eddie. He suppressed a smile and pulled out one of the images. “This is Drew. He and two others are the only ones who have killed for Ramón. The other two, Leon and Eddie, are not here.”
Alec leaned forward and took the picture of Drew. “Are Leon and Eddie the two who went with you to Miami?”
Shawn nodded, a knot forming in his stomach.
“They’re dead.”
Rayna gasped and put her hand on Shawn’s arm. “I’m sorry. Were they your friends?”
Shawn shrugged, hardening himself against the stab of pain and keeping his expression impassive. “I knew them.”
Alec grimaced, motioning helplessly at Rayna. “My men tried to take them in, but they put up too much of a fight. And, remember, they were the bad guys. Shawn just told us they murdered people for money.”
Rayna sighed but said nothing more, and Alec returned his attention to Shawn.
“Anyone else we’re missing?”
“For Ramón,” Shawn said in a low whisper. “They murdered people for Ramón. But it doesn’t matter. However you say it, you get the same result. No, no one else is missing.”
Alec kept his eyes on Shawn for seconds that turned into minutes, but Shawn refused to squirm under the scrutiny. He would never give up Matt and hoped one day their paths would cross again. “Are we done? There are some things I want to discuss, like the funding for the settlement now that Ramón’s money will stop flowing in.”
Alec shook his head, checking his watch. “Not yet. I’m waiting for someone to join us.”
Shawn frowned. “This is important. The people of the—”
Someone knocked sharply on the door.
He cut his eyes to the sound as Alec called, “Come in.”
The door opened, slowly swinging wide to give Shawn a full view of the person standing in the hall. His eyes going wide, he sprang to his feet so quickly his chair fell over and crashed into the wall behind him.
Allie.
“Shawn, what’s wrong?” Rayna turned to see who stood there.
Allie’s attractive olive skin was scrubbed fresh and her blue eyes shined as she looked at Shawn. She had her hair teased up around her face in the classic eighties “big hair” style that was so different from her braided hair it made him blink. She took a step into the conference room, taking a moment to shut the door behind her. She wore a silver Members Only jacket and skintight blue Jordache jeans. From her ears dangled white eagle feather earrings. When she turned back to the room, she offered a tentative smile.
For a moment, Shawn’s heart stopped. Hours ago he’d murdered her father. This wouldn’t end well.
“Alec, what the hell?” Shawn said, his voice strained.
“Please don’t be alarmed,” Allie said, and with hips swaying, sashayed across the room to Shawn. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
She stopped in front of him, looking into his face with a quiet plea in her eyes.
Shawn’s muscles bunched with tension, and his heart banged in his chest like an angry drum. He gazed down at her, unable to speak, the fight or flight instinct demanding action.
When he found his voice, he rasped, “But I killed your—”
Allie reached out and placed a soft finger against Shawn’s lips. “I know what you did, Sam. Or, I suppose I should say Shawn now.” She fingered the small braid in his hair. “I’m happy to see you’re still wearing your hair like this.”
In a movement so fast it was hard to follow with the eye, he grabbed her hand and thrust it aside. “If you know what I did, how can you not be here for vengeance? I deceived you, lied to you, made you think I was something I’m not.”
She shook her head, still offering a sweet little smile. “That’s not exactly true. I know who and what you are, and I’m not here for vengeance. You know how I felt about my father. I don’t hate you. I’m here to thank you.” She again raised a hand and gently placed her palm on his cheek. “You set me free.”
Rising up onto her tiptoes, she kissed Shawn on the lips. He found himself responding to her feather-soft touch, his mouth closed in a chaste kiss, though he had no compulsion to pry her lips apart with his tongue. Pulling away, she brought her other hand up to his cheek, holding his face.
“Thank you.” Flashing a smile with a hint of mischief, she said, “I hope we’re still friends.”
Shocked, and unable to form words, Shawn nodded. Managing to utter, “Always,” he wrapped his arms around her slight frame. She made a small sobbing sound in her throat and hugged him back.
Rayna stood and cleared her throat. “Umm…”
Allie lifted her head from Shawn’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry,” she said to Rayna awkwardly, untangling herself from Shawn’s embrace and offering a small smile. “By now you must be thinking I’m some bitch come to take your man. It’s not like that at all, please believe me. I’m Allie. Shawn and I met in the Yukon. You must be the woman he had to get back to. It’s an honor to meet you.” Glancing at Shawn and Alec, she held out her right hand to Rayna.
&nb
sp; Rayna shook hands with Allie. “Yes, I’m Rayna. I’m only now learning about what happened in the Yukon. Please forgive my ignorance.”
She retook her seat, glancing up at Shawn with a million questions in her eyes.
But now wasn’t the time to give her answers.
Allie nodded. “It is my hope that you and I can become great friends.”
Shawn picked up his chair and sat down. “Allie, how did you know?”
Allie took the only open seat on the other side of Shawn. “That there was a woman? How could there not be? Besides, if Rayna didn’t exist, you would have tried much harder with me. Or, really, tried at all.”
Shawn slowly relaxed, amused. “I see you still think rather highly of yourself.”
“And why shouldn’t I?” She laughed, but a hint of sorrow darkened her eyes. She favored Alec with a warm smile. “Alec and I have had time to talk. Or debrief, as he calls it. Although, I’ve never heard of dinner following a debriefing.”
Alec looked down at his file folder, an embarrassed smile coloring his expression. “Shall we continue?”
Shawn pierced Alec with a glare. “You had time to take Allie to dinner, but you couldn’t manage to let me see Rayna until now?”
Alec shrugged, his expression cold. “You’re the one who hesitated.”
Shawn’s fist clenched as he imagined it connecting with Alec’s smug face. “Enough of this! Are you a child who will repeat that over and over like some maddening nursery rhyme? Poor Alec who didn’t get his way?”
“Shawn, please don’t,” Rayna murmured.
“You don’t understand, Ray. He’s baiting me on purpose. It’s an interrogation tactic, and he’ll keep doing it until he gets what he wants.” He cut his eyes to Alec. “Isn’t that true?”
Getting nothing but silence, Shawn let out a long, slow breath.
“Alright, I’ll end this now.” Shawn scooted his chair around to face Rayna. Taking her hands in his, he spoke directly to her. “I wanted to stay. I liked it there, but I wanted to get back here to you more. I made a promise that meant as much to me as it did to you. I did what I had to do to keep that promise. My hesitation was a human moment, mere seconds, and nothing more.”
Rayna nodded, holding tight to his hands. “So, we’re okay?”
Shawn nodded, not sure he could trust his voice.
Allie belly-laughed. “Well, now, Alec really pushed your buttons, didn’t he?”
Alec chuckled, but Rayna suddenly flew to her feet, her face scarlet. “You think this is funny? What about any of this is funny? I almost lost Shawn. And, for weeks, I thought I had. I cried so many tears I lost count! Death is not funny. Killing is not funny! What the hell is wrong with you people?”
All laughter ceased and the room grew as silent as a tomb. Shawn reached up to take Rayna’s hand, but she pulled it out of his reach.
“No, dammit, no! I’m not done yet! This is the last time I get left out of the loop. Next time, I will be involved every step of the way, you hear me? I will be part of this. Not left feeling like a third wheel, like I do right now.” Her anger faded, replaced with the threat of tears. “Well?”
Allie pumped a fist into the air. “Right on! Sing it, sister!”
Shawn flashed Allie a “shut up” glare. “Ray, we’ll work something out. Just not here. Not now.” He held out his hand to her. “Later, alright?”
Rayna ignored Shawn’s hand as she sat back down. All eyes were on her, and for a moment time stood still. She looked at each of them in turn, small spots of color returning to her cheeks. “I swear, if any of you start laughing now, I’ll scream.”
Relief flooded Shawn as Rayna settled and let her point go for the time being. He didn’t like his personal business being aired in public. It made him uncomfortable, left him at a disadvantage. Thankfully, Allie and Alec grinned, but neither laughed.
Allie clapped her hands together a couple of times. “Come now. Enough of this. I have business to discuss.” She grew serious, her gaze going to each of them. “With the death of my father, all of his holdings have become mine. I am his sole heir. That makes me a rich woman. Very rich, if I were so inclined to keep the money. But I’m not, and as I’ve learned, the government wouldn’t let me if I wanted to. But I found a loophole. If I choose to use the windfall for humanitarian means, the government will look the other way.”
She pierced Alec with a pointed gaze, as if seeking his confirmation. He sat back in his chair and nodded, a pleased smile playing on his lips.
Shawn guessed where Allie was going with this but needed to hear the details. “So you’ve decided…?”
Allie turned to him, grinning madly. “To give it all to my people’s settlement in the Yukon. With a small living stipend for myself as needed. Or maybe a not so small stipend. We’ll see. Details to be determined.” She bounced in her chair and waved her hands as she spoke, unable to contain herself. “We’re going to expand. Bring in more of our people. There will be scholarships and better wages and, and I can’t even think of what else now. We could even start settlements elsewhere as tourist attractions. There is so much money.” She laughed, her blue eyes sparkling. “Ramón was a whiz at investing.”
A weight lifted off Shawn’s chest. He’d been worried about the people he’d grown to care for now that Ramón was gone. “Thank you, Allie.”
“Oh, but there’s more. Alec doesn’t like this part, but I’ve put my foot down. Some of the money will go to a lawyer and trial expenses for Ramón’s boys if needed. They’re good boys who were misguided, and I’m going to set up scholarships for them too. They’ll also receive counseling, whatever they need to integrate them back into a more normal type of life.”
“Allie…” Alec started, but she wagged a finger at him.
“No, no, no.” She tapped her foot impatiently, and Shawn chuckled. “You said you were going to stay out of this part of it. We decided you were too biased, didn’t we?”
Alec sighed dramatically, only half hiding a smile. “Shawn, I think Allie covered what you wanted to talk about, so we’re done here for the time being. Good job. My report will reflect that, and nothing more.”
Shawn nodded his thanks, having understood what Alec hadn’t said. The part about his hesitation would stay off the record.
“I’ll probably have additional questions later,” Alec continued, “but, for now, why don’t you let Rayna take you home?”
He grinned at Alec. “I’m free to go?”
Alec stood from his chair. “You still work for us, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but…”
“Then you’re free to go. I’ll be in touch.” He turned to Rayna. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll give Allie your phone number. She’ll be in town for a while.”
“Yes, of course, that’s fine. We won’t let Alec monopolize all of your free time, Allie.” Rayna pulled Shawn to his feet and toward the door. “Come on. Let’s not wait for Alec to remember something else that will take hours to get through.”
Shawn stopped only long enough to shake hands with Alec and give Allie another hug. Thoughts of the sniper who’d shot him still lingered and he would have to address that. But not now. Now, he wanted nothing more than to get Rayna home and finally be alone with her.
27
Shawn followed Rayna into her apartment building. They’d spent a seemingly endless taxi ride from Alex’s office when, in reality, it had only taken twenty minutes. He’d kept a tight hold of her hand, unwilling to let go. He’d fought hard to get to this moment and wouldn’t let anything come between them.
Rayna unlocked the front door to the apartment and stepped inside, turning to Shawn with a nervous smile. “Do you like it?”
Shawn took in the sterile furnished apartment, noting the personal touches she’d added. A vase of wildflowers on the coffee table, a quirky framed purple peace sign, and another of the registered nurse emblem.
“I do.” He stepped farther into the apartment and tugged off his boots, ad
ding them to the collection of shoes next to the door. Shrugging out of his winter coat, he hung it on one of the hooks above the shoes. “So this is the place Alec got for you.”
“He helped.” She wrung her hands together, then smoothed down her shirt. “I mean...you were…”
“Gone a long time. Yeah, Ray, I get it. It’s alright. I’m glad he was here to help. Keep your mind off things.” He crossed the living room and, holding the curtain aside, gazed out the window to the street view. Cars whizzed by, headlights already on and blazing a path through the murky twilight. “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was more than that.”
“What? Oh, my god. What did he tell you?” Her voice rose an octave or two, and Shawn spun around. Rayna hadn’t turned on the overhead light yet and she stood in shadows, a silhouette of long hair and hidden features.
“Nothing, but you just did. How far did it go?”
Her eyes filled with tears and her hands went to her mouth.
“Wait, no, don’t cry. I’m not angry. It’s just in my nature to want all the facts.”
“You’re not angry? You? What about me?” Rayna jabbed a finger toward him. “Did you just pull some kind of interrogation tactic on me?”
He looked down at the bland carpeting and took a deep breath. “I’m terrible at this. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He slowly raised his eyes to her face again. “Or is this a stalling tactic on your part? Did you sleep with him?”
“Oh, god no! No, we didn’t.” She took a step toward him then stopped awkwardly in the middle of the room. “Are you jealous?”
He grunted out a laugh. “No. I’d have understood if you did. I was gone, you were worried, and he has big shoulders.”
Rayna’s eyes widened, a look of shocked horror on her face so vivid Shawn felt like he’d been slapped.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Am I not behaving appropriately or something?”
She shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. “Is this because you’re part alien? Because no man on this planet except you is okay with their girlfriend sleeping with someone else. I mean, no man. None.”
