Last Chance

by Christy Reece

  “So the plan is for me to contact Damon, tell him I’ll exchange myself for Jamie. We set up the meeting. As soon as she’s safe, I get away and you guys come running.”

  Noah nodded. “He’ll probably expect a setup, so you’ll need to make it convincing. Make him believe that this is just something between you and him…no one else is involved. You saw a news report, saw Jamie’s photograph, and immediately knew. Let him think you’ve changed your mind…say whatever you have to say to make him believe this is what you want.”

  Since she knew what Damon wanted, what Damon liked, that shouldn’t be a problem. There were things he liked to hear her say and he had done things to her to make her say them. Hearing the words without coercion would be like an aphrodisiac to the lunatic.

  “I’ll be convincing.” What else could she say? They would know the truth tomorrow. Giving them details today wouldn’t do any good.

  When everyone nodded, she said, “I need to go shopping…get my hair done. Damon doesn’t know about my training. I need to look as unchanged as possible. Feminine and weak. If he thinks I’m the same person I was years ago, he’ll be less likely to suspect anything.”

  “Your hair has grown out in the last few months, but it’s still much shorter than Jamie’s,” Samara said. “Getting it back to your original color should make a big difference, though.”

  Noah checked his watch. “Why don’t we meet back here tomorrow afternoon?” He glanced at McKenna. “Will that give you enough time to shop and get your hair colored?”

  “Yes. I’ll only get a few things.”

  McKenna started toward the door. She stopped and turned when Noah said, “What about Lucas Kane?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Does he know about any of this?”

  “No. He needs to stay out of it.”

  She waited for him to say something else, but instead he just gave her the small, enigmatic smile he was famous for and said nothing at all.

  McKenna went through the door and thought about all the things she needed to do. Shopping for clothes to wear to lure a killer. Gee, that sounded like such fun.

  “Want some company?”

  She turned to see Samara standing behind her. Relieved that she didn’t have to face this alone, she nodded. “Love some.”

  Samara pulled her cellphone from her purse. “I’ll call my hairdresser and see if she can squeeze you in. She’s a whiz with color.”

  The elevator doors opened and McKenna entered, listening to Samara talk in broken French to her hairdresser. A surreal feeling washed over her. It was about to happen. She was finally going to face the man who’d killed her family. She had dreamed about it, had nightmares about it, and even fantasized about the actual deed. Deep down she had never believed she’d have the courage to really carry it off. Now she had no choice. She had to do it, to save a young woman’s life. And in the process, she might lose her own. That seemed only fitting. Because of her, the monster had taken the most important people in the world to her. Dying to avenge them seemed only fair.

  sixteen

  “I know you’re nervous, but you look wonderful.”

  Aware that Samara was only trying to boost her confidence, McKenna managed a small smile. Yesterday, at the salon, the stylist had turned her chair around so McKenna could look at the final results of her hard work. A slap in the face couldn’t have had more impact. Seeing the old McKenna Sloan staring back at her wasn’t something she had been prepared for.

  Last night she’d spent a sleepless night convincing herself she could do this. This morning, determined to go forward, she had dressed in her new clothing and practiced being McKenna in the mirror for several hours. After changing everything about her persona for so long, she’d felt the need to relive who she had been back then. The experience hadn’t been pleasant but had been necessary.

  This afternoon she’d walked into Noah’s office as the old McKenna but with a few important changes. She might look the way she had years ago, but there was a core of strength she hadn’t had before. She could and would rescue Jamie Kendrick and in the process deal with Damon Hughes one last time.

  If yesterday had been difficult, today would go several steps beyond. And despite what she’d told herself, she could feel the panic rising again. Giant winged gargoyles had replaced the butterflies in her stomach. She was about to make a call to her worst nightmare, the man she feared above all people, and now she didn’t know if she had the courage to go through with it.

  “McKenna.”

  Noah’s voice snapped her out of her terror. She lifted her gaze to see his expression of compassion and concern. Oh hell. Seeing Noah McCall worried grounded her and brought her back to where she needed to be. The man was rarely blatant in showing his concern for an operative. The fact that he was allowing her to see it turned the job back to what it was. A job. Nothing more. She’d taken down evil bastards before; this was just one more.

  “You don’t have to do this,” Noah said. “We’ll find another way.”

  “No. We have no other way of getting to him without me.”

  Noah handed her a small plastic bag holding a ring. “One of our designers came up with this. If something goes wrong and you get taken, the ring has a GPS device in it. We can track you up to a thousand miles.”

  McKenna pulled the silver ring from the bag. Celtic in design, simple yet intricate. Since she had never worn a lot of jewelry, she was glad the ring was unpretentious. It shouldn’t attract Damon’s attention.

  “You’ll be wearing an earpiece. We’ll hear everything and you’ll hear us. That way, as soon as Jamie is safe, we’ll be able to alert you.” Noah looked around the room, his eyes stopping on everyone. “Are we ready?”

  When there was a round of head nods, McKenna took the disposable cellphone that had been purchased just for the occasion. Trying to act like this was any other op, she took a breath and punched in the number she’d memorized long ago, then pressed the speakerphone key so everyone could hear.

  Damon answered on the first ring. “McKenna.”

  The familiar oily voice knotted her stomach even more. “Yes.”

  “At last, my darling. I’m so pleased you called. Are you ready to come home?”

  “Yes. On one condition.”

  “Condition?”

  The anger in his voice didn’t surprise her. Damon didn’t like conditions. He insisted on total control. She’d learned that the hard way.

  “I know about the woman you took.”

  “What woman?” The words were a denial, but she heard the shock in his tone.

  “The woman who looks like me. Her name is Jamie Kendrick. You took her from Little Rock, Arkansas. What did you do with her?”

  There was a long pause. It seemed everyone in the room had stopped breathing. When he spoke again, collective soft breaths were released.

  “Say I did take a woman who looks like you. What about it?”

  “Is she still alive?”

  Another long pause, then he said, “Yes.”

  Praying he was telling the truth, she said, “Good. I want an exchange.”

  “An exchange?”

  “Yes. If you’ll release her, I’ll come back to you.”

  Fury filled his voice. “Are you working with the police? Because if you are, you will fucking pay for it and so will the woman.”

  “No, this is between you and me, Damon. I saw her picture on the news. She looks just like me. I don’t want her to pay for my mistakes. This is all my fault. If I had done what you wanted me to do…given you what you wanted…” She trailed off.

  Knowing that all eyes were on her, McKenna turned slightly away. Every word dripping with submission, she continued, “I’m ready, Damon, to be what you want me to be. You were right…we were meant to be together. I’m nothing without you.”

  There was such a pregnant silence, McKenna felt as if the entire world were holding its breath. Finally Damon said, “You’ll submit to me? Be what I need
you to be? Give me everything I want?”

  “Yes.”

  “I want to believe you, McKenna. I want to believe that you’ve learned your lesson. How do I know this isn’t a trap?”

  “How could it be a trap, Damon? You convinced the authorities that you were dead. No one would believe me if I went to them.”

  He chuckled. “That is true. The beauty of having greedy friends in high places.”

  “So you’ll agree to the trade?”

  “If you’ve learned your lesson, why should I have to give something up?”

  “Because you love me…and I know you want to make me happy.” Her stomach clenching, she forced even more submission into her tone. “I’m begging you, Damon…as a favor for me…please.”

  He sighed. “I don’t know why I’m so good to you…but yes, I’ll let the woman go.”

  “Thank you, Damon. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

  “Yes, you will.”

  “When can we make the trade?”

  “I ask the questions, McKenna. Have your forgotten your lessons?”

  “Yes, Damon. I’m so sorry.”

  “Monday afternoon, three o’clock. Mandeville Wharf isn’t far from my home in Tampa. I’ll be waiting at the end of Pier 77. As soon as I see you walking toward me, I’ll let the woman go. If you try to trick me, she gets a bullet in her back. Got it?”

  “Yes. Thank you, Damon.”

  “We’re going to have a wonderful life together, McKenna. Once you’ve proven yourself and I know I can trust you, we’ll start out brand new. I’ll forgive your betrayals and we can finally be together the way we were always meant to be.”

  “That’s what I want, too.”

  “See you soon, darling.”

  McKenna closed the phone and turned back around. Unable to face the people at the table who’d heard every groveling, sniveling comment she’d made, she kept her head down as she put the phone in her purse.

  “McKenna, look at me.” The compassion in Noah’s voice almost crushed her. She looked up, surprised to see that only Samara and Noah were still there. The other operatives were gone.

  “Dylan and Aidan left. They knew this wasn’t something they needed to hear,” Samara explained.

  “You have nothing to be ashamed of…nothing to hide from,” Noah said. “Damon Hughes is the monster.”

  Working to keep her emotions on lockdown but unable to articulate her feelings, she gave a small nod of thanks. “I guess it’s best if they come back in so we can discuss any last-minute details.”

  Samara went to the door and opened it. Both men returned and sat down. Dylan shot a glance at Noah. “When and where’s it going down?”

  “Monday. Tampa, Florida. But I doubt he really lives there. There’s no reason for him to tell you where he lives other than to throw off anyone he thinks you’re working with.”

  “You’re right,” McKenna said. “I’m sure he expects us to trick him. That’s why we can’t.”

  Dylan leaned forward. “What are you talking about?”

  “Until Jamie is completely safe, we have to make it seem as though I’m the only one involved.”

  “Agreed,” Noah said. “But don’t think for a moment that you’re alone, McKenna.”

  She nodded, reassured but feeling oddly disconnected from everything. The feeling wasn’t unusual for her. When she worked an op, she often put herself into that kind of mode. One where she felt as if she were acting on automatic pilot and saw everything from a distance. A coping mechanism she’d learned during the worst of Damon’s torture, it had kept her halfway sane during her time with him and had kept her alive for the last several years.

  She only hoped she could stay disconnected. Just hearing Damon’s voice after all this time, every word tainted with evil, brought back the old fears and insecurities she thought she had conquered.

  She stood. “When do we leave for Florida?”

  “Tomorrow morning. Ten o’clock.”

  McKenna headed to the door. “We can go over scenarios on the plane.”

  She hurried out before anyone could stop her, needing to be by herself for a while. She’d been so busy gearing herself up for what she had to do, she hadn’t even allowed herself to grieve over Lucas. Once that was done, she would return to the hell she faced. But just for a few hours, she wanted to relive the wonder of what she had found with him. And then she would put all of that behind her and do what she should have done years ago.

  Palm Beach

  Excitement beat within Damon as he closed the phone. The one he’d kept specifically for McKenna to call him on. And she had finally called. McKenna was coming home! The real McKenna. Not that slut of a fake he’d gotten rid of.

  After all these years, his McKenna had called him. So what if it was to make a trade? The reason didn’t matter. What mattered was that she would be with him. Once that was accomplished, he’d make damn sure they never parted again. She had said she was ready to accept her place, her role. He would soon see.

  Was she working with someone? She had said she wasn’t, but how could she not be? McKenna might be the love of his life, but he knew her well. She wouldn’t be able to conceive of making a trade all by herself. She would need someone guiding her, telling her what to do. His McKenna was an innocent in the art of deception. One of the many things he loved about her. She couldn’t lie worth a damn.

  If she tried to double-cross him, she would pay a high price. Either way, he was determined to have her back. This was the closest he’d been to having her back in years. He’d damn well not fail.

  His body hardened at all the ways he intended to ensure that she would stay with him forever. All the things he’d done to her when they were together before had been to train her, but they hadn’t worked as they should have. The years they’d been apart had given him plenty of time and opportunity to study and practice how to create a perfect submissive McKenna.

  He would reinitiate her to the pleasure of exquisite pain. Once her training was over, she would finally be everything he had dreamed.

  Willing his body to settle down, he picked up another phone. To show her the depth of his love, he would even attempt to keep his promise and return the woman. The man he’d sold her to might still have her. If not, there were plenty of substitutes he could use. One whore was just as good as another.

  Either way, soon McKenna would be back where she belonged. And he would kill anyone who got in his way.

  London

  The photographs strewn across his desk were better than he remembered. The photographer might be a sleaze, but he was a talented sleaze. Of course, McKenna was an exquisite subject to photograph. The elegant lines of her face, the lovely tilt of her chin when she spoke, the unbelievable but much too rare smile that could brighten her entire face to a beauty beyond description…the ache he’d had since she left increased.

  “Which ones do you want to use?” Myron Phelps asked.

  Lucas slid two photographs across the desk—the two that clearly revealed their faces and that they were only aware of each other. “Do you have the wording?”

  “Yes, I typed it up this morning.” Myron handed him a sheet of paper. “Just to make sure it was exactly what you wanted. Then I’ll send it to Tattles.”

  The handsome, mysterious, and oh so wealthy Lucas Kane is apparently holding out on us once again. Who is this new lovely? Insiders report the first name McKenna. Can it be that one of England’s most eligible bachelors has finally been snared?

  Lucas inwardly winced at the over-the-top description, but it sounded similar to other things that had been written about him. No one should be able to detect that the message was a lure for a killer. “This gives just the right amount of information. And you’re sending it to the major newspapers tomorrow?”

  “Yes. Tattles will run it tomorrow in their paper, and then the rest will have it by the next day. Are you sure you don’t want to go with just the newspapers in the southeastern U.S.?”

&n
bsp; “No. Even though it’s likely he lives there, I want to do this only once. If we hit them all, he’ll be certain to see it at least once.” Lucas shrugged. “And if he sees them several times, that will only make him more anxious and determined to come after me as quickly as possible.”

  “Once they’re printed, other countries will have them, too.”

  Meaning McKenna would see the photos as well. That was inevitable. He just hoped to hell she saw them after he got to Damon. Either way, his course was set; he wouldn’t change his mind. “Damon needs to see the photos as soon as possible. Making them widespread will ensure that.”

  “If he’s got eyes out, he should know about them within forty-eight hours.”

  “Perfect. I want to make the abduction as simple for him as possible, but not so easy that his suspicions are aroused. Put out another news notice the day after the photos are published. I’ll be in the U.S. all week. Give an itinerary with as much information as you can without it screaming that I want him to know where I am.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Yes. Once I’m taken, you should be able to track me with the GPS in my watch. However, I’m not certain he’ll leave that on me, so I’ve asked my dentist to implant a small one in one of my back teeth.”

  Myron grimaced. “I’ve heard about the procedure. Sounds painful.”

  Lucas shrugged. He fully expected more than just pain in his mouth. When Damon’s men took him, he’d have to endure some abuse. If he acted as though he could handle himself, they’d keep a closer watch on him. If he acted like the untrained, wealthy man most of the world thought him, they’d be less on their guard.

  “After the implant, I’ll fly to Atlanta. If he is in the Southeast, being that close to him should make it easier for his people to get to me.”

  Phelps stood and shook Lucas’s hand. “I wish you well, Lucas.”

  “Thank you.”

  As Conrad saw his investigator out, Lucas mentally reviewed his plans. Tomorrow he would clear up anything urgent at his office. If he didn’t return, provisions had to be made. His attorney had been round that morning already and Lucas had initiated some key changes. If the worst did happen, McKenna would be a wealthy woman. Most important, she could finally live in peace, because if there was one thing he would ensure before he took his last breath, Damon Hughes would have breathed his last, too.