I hoped it wouldn’t come to that, though. I needed information. Like where the hell was Olivia?
“I honestly don’t care about the contents of that damn box. If you and Mason are out of the picture, there’ll be nobody to open it. So it remains inconsequential, don’t you think?”
Was the man threatening to go after my kid brother? He had no idea who the hell he was dealing with. “Where’s Olivia?”
“Why on Earth would I tell you that?”
Standing in front of Declan now, I could feel his breath on my face. Neither of us would back down. “Take me to Olivia.” My face was burning as rage consumed me.
“Why would I do that when you have the prototype here?” He nodded at the case I still clutched. “I had no intention of making any kind of deal with Matthews Tech. Just needed the prototype.”
I shook my head, and a breath of air escaped from my lungs. I looked over at the assholes who’d killed my father, Tyson, and Jessie. I had every intention of making sure they either rotted in jail or in hell. I preferred the latter.
“You and I both know you’ll never get your hands on it until I see Olivia,” I responded as my eyes bore into him. “The case was designed by the best minds at MIT,” I lied. “If the wrong code is entered and my voice doesn’t activate the briefcase, then a chemical gas is released inside the case to erode and destroy the weapon.”
He rolled his neck a little and sighed. “Fine. If you want to see your woman before she dies, then so be it. I made preparations just in case . . .” He motioned for Andrei and Oleg to follow.
His two goons trailed behind me as we made our way to a dark Lincoln Navigator. The fact that Declan made no attempt to blindfold me meant that he didn’t anticipate I’d be leaving the next building alive.
“Don’t take the normal route,” Declan instructed Andrei, who was in the driver seat, his tattooed hand resting on the wheel. “I’m assuming your FBI pal is watching us.”
I glanced at Oleg, who sat next to me. “No, he’s not,” I replied. Jake had other plans.
After about ten minutes of silence, as Andrei took turn after turn, Declan asked, “Do you love her?”
“Go to hell!” I rubbed my free hand against my jeans as my fingers wrapped tighter around the handle of the case. I couldn’t wait to clobber the prick.
“I’m just curious how much you’re willing to do for her. I had hoped you and Olivia would reconnect, but you made me a little nervous out in Vegas. I was worried you were too pissed, that I’d have to use your brother instead.”
I kept my mouth shut, trying to put a temporary cap on my rage as it grew with each passing moment.
“Poor, star-crossed lovers.” Declan laughed. “You two probably worked it all out between the sheets.” He tapped my letter against his knee and peered at me from over his shoulder. “Your father sure was a grade-A asshole.”
I had no clue what he was talking about.
Declan pulled a folded white sheet from the envelope and switched on the light above his seat. “Are you as bored as I am, Connor? Maybe this will cheer you up.”
He fixed his gaze down on my father’s fluid handwriting, a smirk lighting his cheek as he began to read, “Connor, I’m so sorry for everything. I can’t imagine what you must be going through right now, but I chose you to carry this burden because I know you can handle it.” Declan’s high-pitched sing-song voice had my nerves on edge. “I’m going to die. Today or maybe tomorrow. It’s my life or yours. And your brother’s.” Declan paused for a moment, his eyes reading me. Then he dived back in. “I’m dying with the hope that you’ll live. I know that I can trust you to use this information to take down the bastards who have been threatening our family. Yadda yadda yadda, passcodes and security box numbers.” He grinned and cleared his throat.
“I regret so many things in life, but none of them more than what I did to separate you and Olivia.”
Oleg was staring at me now, and Andrei shot me a quick look in the rearview mirror. Repulsed, I looked away from everyone and out the window.
“Ready for more?” Declan loved every second of this. “Let me be very clear, son. Olivia Scott, your ex-girlfriend, did not have an abortion.”
My gaze landed back on Declan, and the smile that met his eyes had me lunging at him.
Oleg was on me in an instant, pulling me back, and Andrei slammed on the brakes.
“Calm down, Connor,” Oleg warned.
“Your father was a shitty guy—allowing you to believe all these years your girlfriend had an abortion when in fact she’d had a miscarriage.”
Hearing the truth from Declan’s tongue was more than I could stand. I started for him again, but the tip of Oleg’s gun pressed against my temple.
I would be no good to Olivia if I were dead.
“Where was I?” Declan’s brows slanted as he refocused on the letter.
I leaned back in my seat and placed my forehead in my hand, worried I’d lose my shit again hearing my father’s words from Declan’s mouth.
“The hospital called after Olivia lost the baby. You were at my house at the time, and I answered your phone when you weren’t in the room. I went to the hospital, paid the bill, and told Olivia you wanted to end it. I’m so sorry I lied to you both, but at the time, I thought it was for the best.”
“We’re here,” Andrei announced as we pulled into an alley.
Declan tucked the letter back into the envelope. “Guess you don’t need to know the rest. Inconsequential now, don’t you think?”
Olivia had a miscarriage. I wasn’t surprised—not anymore. I’d started to suspect that my father had lied after Olivia and I had slept together the other night.
How could I have believed my father’s lies, though? I’d loved Olivia so much, and yet, when he showed me the hospital paperwork and the bill . . .
“Connor?” Declan’s voice was in my ear.
Andrei stood outside the open door, waiting for me.
I forced the memories from my mind, but when I saw where we were, I had to fight every damn part of me not to go after Declan again.
The blood rushed from my face as we made our way through the club where Olivia and I had first met, where Jessie had died.
I followed behind Declan, and Andrei and Oleg trailed closely behind me. We made our way to the back area down a set of stairs.
When I rounded the corner and saw Olivia, my entire body tensed up. I couldn’t help but reel my arm back and pound my fist into Declan’s face.
Olivia
“Connor,” I cried out as Andrei, Oleg, and Blake drew their weapons.
Connor stormed Declan again. His face was beet red as he attacked him, his fists swinging.
“Back away from Declan or she dies,” Andrei warned as he focused his weapon at me.
Connor faltered. His hands dropped to his sides.
Declan wound back his hand, and he struck a blow to the side of Connor’s head. “You piece of shit,” Declan rasped.
Connor ignored the pain. He charged across the room. “Olivia. Are you okay?” He pressed his palms to the cage and, for the first time, I felt safe. I knew Connor probably couldn’t help me—he was down here with me now—but part of me had to believe we’d get out of this alive.
“I’m so sorry I dragged you into this mess.” His fingers covered mine, and I leaned my head forward, pressing it against the metal.
“Get her out of here,” Connor roared, spinning around to face Declan.
“Open the case.” Declan touched the blood at his lip.
Andrei was behind him, holding a large metal briefcase. Was that the gun? Did Connor bring it with him? Oh God. Where was Konstantin?
“I’m not opening the case until you take her out of there,” Connor demanded, stepping up to Declan.
Declan waved his hand at me like Connor’s request was no big deal. It probably wasn’t. We were outnumbered. Blake appeared by my side with a key.
The sound of the key in the lock was the sweete
st noise. The second the door swung open, I dove at Blake, beating his chest. I ignored the pain shooting down the left side of my cheek as Blake gripped hold of my wrists. “You disgust me,” I screamed in his face.
Connor’s hands were on my hips a second later, pulling me free. I buried my face in his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. “I won’t help you as long as you have her down here. She goes free or no deal.”
I looked up to see Declan, Andrei, Oleg, and Blake standing side by side a few feet away. How were we going to get out of this? It didn’t seem possible.
Declan removed his blazer and tossed it at Oleg. He started to roll his sleeves up to his elbows, exposing the cross and skull. “If you don’t open the case, she dies.”
Connor was staring at the men, his body trembling against my skin. But not from fear, I had to assume. He was pissed. He glanced down at me in his arms and pulled me closer.
Connor rattled off the numbers for the lock, and I flinched. Why would he do that? Once they had the weapon, they’d kill us. But the way his fingers blazed up and down my back, comforting me, meant he wasn’t afraid.
“I thought you said it required voice activation and—” Declan said as the case popped open.
“I lied,” Connor said in a low, calm voice, his eyes focused.
Declan held the gun in his hand, running his fingers over it. “A thing of beauty. I couldn’t believe that Matthews Tech was manufacturing this gun. What good fortune. Of course, you didn’t have the funds to make much headway on it. You would never have succeeded if we didn’t land the Saudi deal.” Declan approached Connor and me, holding the EMF gun in front of him, his team of idiots lining up behind him like a wall.
“So the deal had nothing to do with helping the company—it was all to expedite the development of the weapon, so you could steal it and produce it yourself?” I was floored.
“Smart, right? If Olivia hadn’t pushed her boss to join the case, Konstantin and I would have teamed up with some other tech company, and we may never have had this weapon. So,” Declan said, tilting his head and finding my one good eye, “thank you, Olivia.”
Connor’s heart was beating slow in his chest. That was a good sign, right? If it was racing, that meant he was nervous. He appeared calm. He was my rock, and I clung to him.
“It won’t work.” Connor took a step back, releasing his hold on me. “Go ahead. Try it out.”
Declan studied the gun and played around with it. The muscles in his face grew taut, and he handed it over to Andrei. “What’s wrong with it? I thought it was finished?”
“Oh, it is,” Connor answered. “But it’s useless without the chip. The chip has all of the technology in it.” He raised his hands in the air, palms up. “No chip. No weapon.”
Declan looked over at me and back at Connor. “Where’s the chip?”
Connor pulled me close to him again. “You honestly thought I’d just show up and hand you the weapon? I knew you had Olivia.”
Declan’s eyes were on the concrete floor. “Are you prepared to die like your father—willing to exchange one life for another?” His dark eyes flashed as he reached behind his back and pulled out a handgun.
“Until Olivia’s free, you’ll never get the chip,” Connor said smoothly as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and tugged me closer. Shielding me.
Declan looked over at Andrei and Oleg. What was he thinking? My heart was thrashing wildly in my chest, and I wasn’t sure if I could remember how to breathe. Different scenarios, each with alternate outcomes, played out in mind.
“What do you propose?” Declan clasped his hands in front of him and trained his eyes on Connor.
“You let Olivia go, and I get you the chip. But she comes with me, and I make sure she’s released. Then the chip is yours.”
“Where’s the chip?” Declan asked in a low voice, hiding his anger behind a thin veil.
“At the bank,” Connor replied, and I maneuvered around to his side, curious to read Declan’s features.
“Might as well open your father’s box while we’re there.” Declan pointed to the cages. “The bank opens at eight in the morning. We’ll leave then. You’ll be sleeping there for tonight.”
Oh God, not again.
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Connor shook his head.
“If you really want to swap your life for this woman, then get in the damn cage!” Declan’s voice exploded throughout the room. The music above increased just in time to mask his shout.
“It’s okay,” I whispered.
“Olivia,” Connor’s voice was a plea as I willingly re-entered the cage. Blake moved past Connor and was quick to lock me back up. Glowering at him, I forced myself to ask, “Where’s Sean?”
“Unfortunately, he has to die.” Blake removed the key from the lock and stepped up next to the empty cage, which sat a few feet away from mine.
Connor stared at me behind bars. Then he lowered his head and moved inside the second small prison. There was no way I’d let Connor die for me, but I also knew Connor had no intention of doing that. Connor was never without a plan.
Blake locked Connor’s cage and pressed his palms against the bars, staring at him. “Is her pussy really worth dying for? I sure as hell don’t think so. And believe me, I know . . .”
Connor sprang forward, his hand reaching between the bars and grasping Blake by the throat. His eyes grew wide as his skin turned crimson.
Blake pushed away from the cage, breaking from Connor’s grip and kneeled over, coughing.
“Come on—leave the two lovers alone. It’s their last night together.” Declan motioned for Andrei and Oleg to head toward the set of stairs that led out of the basement.
Blake re-approached the cage. “After you die, I’m going to fuck her again. And she’s going to like it,” he said in a low voice before Connor slammed one palm to the metal frame.
How could I not have known the kind of man he was? I knew he was dominant and controlling, but no—he was a fucking psychopath. I shrank against the back of the cage as Blake followed Declan up the stairs.
“So, you’re FBI?”
I wasn’t all that surprised that he knew. I just wish it had been me who told him. If only I hadn’t listened to Blake, things could’ve been different right now. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but—”
Connor held up his hand and leaned against the back of the narrow cage. “You don’t need to apologize. Trust me,” he said in a low voice.
I didn’t expect that. “My boss, Blake, he’s on Konstantin’s payroll.”
Connor’s eyes grew round. “Makes sense. I knew they had to have someone on the inside. There was no way they could have manipulated all this from the outside.” He was surprisingly calm, and I hoped that meant he wasn’t worried.
“I’m sorry about what he said to you.” My face flushed with embarrassment.
“That was Blake?” I saw him swallow as his hands curled into fists at his sides. Yeah, I wanted a piece of the prick, too.
“He actually used my history with Konstantin. They chose your father’s company to prey on because they thought they could use our relationship to their advantage.” I wasn’t sure if they were recording us, but they weren’t about to learn anything new if they were.
Connor took a few breaths. “They threatened my father. Sent him photos of me, Mason, my mother, and even you. If he didn’t work with Declan and make the Saudi deal, then they’d kill one or all of us.”
“Me? Wow. They must have gotten their information mixed up. Your father wouldn’t care about me.” I was surprised to hear his father hadn’t willingly entered the deal. I never liked the man, so it hadn’t been a far stretch for me to imagine he’d partner with Declan to save his company. I guess I’d been wrong.
I never would have thought that my ex-boyfriend would somehow lead to all of this, but I guess it takes the mind of a criminal to think up such an absurd idea.
“My father felt guilty about you,” Connor admitt
ed after a few long minutes of silence.
“What? For calling me white trash and saying I was using you for your money?” I didn’t mean to say that. This wasn’t the time or the place, but my anger with his father ran so deep I couldn’t hold myself back.
Connor’s sun-kissed skin lightened. “He said that to you?” He held on to the bars and hung his head low. “Olivia, it’s more than that.”
I wasn’t sure if I could handle any more revelations. I’d met my max for a lifetime.
“My father felt guilty because he lied to me about you.”
My eyes remained on Connor’s bowed head, but I couldn’t speak.
“He came home from the hospital showing me paperwork for a D&C. An abortion. He said that you demanded he pay your hospital bill because you didn’t have insurance. And he told me that he offered you money if you’d end things with me. Fifty-thousand.” Connor looked up, and my hand was pressed to my chest. I couldn’t breathe. “He was an arrogant prick. He had some PI research you, and he discovered that you lied to me about your age. I was furious with him, and we fought. I didn’t believe it, but when I called the hospital to ask about you, the nurse said you weren’t taking calls. She wouldn’t tell me what happened to you, but when I said I was the father, she whispered into the phone that the baby was gone.”
“I had a miscarriage, Connor. A D&C is performed after a miscarriage, not just for an abortion,” I dragged the words from my mouth, almost choking on them. “How could you ever think that I would terminate the pregnancy?” I covered my face with my hands.
“Olivia, I’m so sorry. I was young and stupid. I should never have believed my father. I was just so angry about losing the baby, and when he told me about the money, and I saw his credit card on the hospital bill, I snapped. I took off, ignored your calls, and ended up in the Marines. I never gave the truth a chance,” Connor’s voice broke.
I looked up at him, pain striking me from so many angles. I felt like I was being punched all over again. “I didn’t ask him to pay my bill. I refused, but he did it without my knowledge. And yes, he did offer me money if I’d leave you, but I said no. God, he hated me so much . . .” The man was worse than I’d ever thought.
The Hidden Truths Series Box Set Page 70
