Shock made her body go tense for a moment. “All these years?”
“I take making love very seriously.”
“I guess you do.”
She wanted to ask more questions, hungry to get to know the man invading her body and soul, but she forgot everything she wanted to say when he started moving. His lovemaking was slow and entirely focused on her. There was nothing of the roughness that had driven his eyes wild in the alley. There was only careful observation, his concentration set on the sensory clues she gave him with her moans, gasps, and whimpers. He fucked her leisurely, taking his time to bring her to a slow orgasm before pressing their mouths together in a bruising kiss. When her lips were swollen, he started kissing the rest of her, moving from her breasts to her thighs and between them. He only came after her second orgasm, his face a beautiful portrait of ecstasy as he pumped himself empty in her body.
Spent, they lay in each other’s arms, listening to the music and the voices coming from the street. As the night approached, the partying was moving toward a crescendo. The big eruption was still to come.
Reluctantly, she moved from his embrace. “I have to go home.”
The words were charged. So many things were going to happen, and the way it was going to play out depended on Godfrey’s whims and the state of his deranged mind.
Cain didn’t answer. He got up from the bed and walked to the adjoining bathroom. The water in the shower came on. When she got to her feet to pick up her discarded costume, he stuck his head around the doorframe.
“Come,” he said, holding out his hand.
She hesitated. The sun was low in the sky. Time was running out.
“Olivia.” His tone left no room for arguing. “Let me take care of you.”
The expressed need of providing care made tears spring to her eyes. It had been a long time since anyone had cared, and especially since a man had cared about anything but taking. She wouldn’t deny herself this luxury. Giddy with something she couldn’t name, she walked to the door, allowing him to take her hand and pull her into the shower where he washed her hair and body. He paid meticulous attention to every inch of her skin. When they were both clean, he turned off the water and offered her a towel.
It was while they were getting dressed that the severity of the situation started to press down on her shoulders anew. Keeping her back to Cain, she didn’t allow him to see the turmoil that had to be showing in her eyes. Godfrey had wronged her in every possible way. This was her score to settle. If Cain could be saved in the process, even better. There was a time she didn’t want to submit to sin, but now that she was standing knee-deep in misdemeanor, she might as well go all the way and commit the ultimate wrong in taking a life. She took the headdress from the dresser––Letítia would want the hired costume back––and walked with a straight back to the door.
Cain grabbed her arm before she could open it. His voice was dark. “How are you going to take care of him, Olivia? Attack him with a knife? Shoot him?”
She turned back to face him. “Something like that.”
“No.” The word was soft-spoken but definite. “You won’t risk your life.”
“He’s waiting for you, Cain. It’s a trap.”
“Good. I’m ready.”
“Please, don’t. You don’t know him, not like I do. He’ll expect everything you’re planning. He wants you to protect me. Don’t you see? It’s exactly how Godfrey operates.”
“This is a fight I’ve been waiting for—more years than I care to remember.”
“It’s not worth fighting it at all costs. He used me. He told your chiromancist he’d be coming for me knowing it would lead you here. He paid the informant who tipped you off about my whereabouts.”
“Then I’m thankful it led me to you.”
“Cain, don’t. I can’t handle you sacrificing your life.”
Cupping her face in his big hands, his warmth and tenderness engulfed her, wrapping her in an invisible cloak of safety.
“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “I know how to take care of myself.”
“He’s counting on me to be your downfall.”
“He’s right. You’re my Eve. My only temptation.”
“Don’t let him win. Don’t let him use me against you. I can’t live with that, either.”
His voice dropped an octave. “This is something I’ve known for a long time, Olivia, and I don’t regret it, not for a second. Sacrificing one life for the good of the world is a small price to pay.”
She pulled away, her heart twisting with the familiar pain of pending loss. “Don’t you dare,” she hissed. “You’re not Jesus. You don’t have to die for everyone.”
Instead of answering, he pulled her back to him, pressing her body against his chest. “You’re going to be all right. That’s a promise. You’re going to live long and die happy.”
“Stop it.” She writhed in his hold.
“Let me finish. You’re going to find happiness. Promise me.”
“Cain.” She turned her face to his chest, muffling the sob that escaped her throat.
“Promise me, Olivia.”
Her body sagged against his in defeat. “You know I’ll do anything you ask.”
“Good.” He lifted her chin and kissed her lips. “We have to go. Ready?”
She nodded, even if she wasn’t anything of the kind. Cain pulled on his jacket and held the door for her. She was so tired of hiding. She wanted to carry the emotions of the afternoon on her sleeve for anyone to see, but they left their naked selves in a room on top of a bar, and descended to the street with their costumes and masks intact.
There was a sense of finality in the air as they walked into the street. Cain felt it in his bones. He gripped Olivia’s hand harder. The knowledge that it would come to this had always been there. It didn’t make it easier. He was only human.
They made their way through the procession, heading for the quieter streets. He’d hoped Olivia would trust him enough to come clean about the child, but she had no real reason to confide in him. Exiting into a street where the noise was more distant, he paused.
“Who’s the child, Olivia?”
She looked him straight in the eye. “Godfrey’s.”
“That’s obvious. Is he yours?”
“Godfrey didn’t tell me who his mother is. He only said he’s a clone.”
“Created from stem cells, no doubt.”
“He may be a product of Godfrey’s DNA, but he’s still a child, a child who needs love and care.”
He smiled inwardly. Olivia was such a nurturer. “Don’t worry. It’s not in my nature to harm children.”
Her shoulders relaxed visibly.
“How old is he?” he asked.
“Eleven.”
“When did Godfrey bring him to you?”
She regarded him strangely. “Don’t you know? I thought you were always watching.”
It concerned him more than he’d like to admit. “As he has a monopoly on the world’s communication companies, he’s manipulating our satellite feed, which means we can’t track him through those means, and he slipped past my team who was on watch.”
Her eyebrows pulled together. “How did he do it?”
“I don’t know.”
Nodding absent-mindedly, she stared into the distance. “I see.”
“You didn’t answer my question. When?” he repeated, bringing her back to the present with a gentle shake.
She studied him as if she was seeing him for the first time. “This morning.”
“How is the child?”
“Sweet,” she said without hesitation. “Lost.”
“All right.” He rubbed his hands over her arms, needing the contact. “You’ve met Josselin, my team leader.”
She stepped away from his touch, leaving him cold. “Where are you going with this?”
“I want you to contact him if you need anything, and I mean anything at all.”
Even before he’d finished his sente
nce, she already started shaking her head. “No.”
“Listen to me.”
He reached for her, but she took another step back.
“Olivia, please.”
“I’m doing this my way.”
“You’re not doing any-fucking-thing. Understand?”
“He took the phone.”
For a minute, he was off-balance. “What?”
“Godfrey took the phone. He found it. He’ll know you gave it to me.”
This changed everything. Godfrey wouldn’t take betrayal lightly. If he had been willing to murder his own daughter, what would he do to his wife? “I’m taking you to the safe house.”
“He’ll find me, and then your safe house will be exposed.”
“Not this one. Not even Godfrey’s satellites can breach our security.”
“You don’t understand.” Her chest heaved as she inhaled. “He planted a tracker in me.”
Red flashes of anger marred his vision. “What did you say?”
“I have a tracker in my body.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“It wouldn’t have made a difference.”
He shook with rage. He barely managed to push it down enough to speak. “Where?”
She touched the back of her neck, her fingers flittering over her nape.
With his hands on her shoulders, he turned her toward the wall. Lifting her hair, he exposed the scar of a stitch mark just under her hairline. He trailed his thumb over the bump under her skin. That son of a bitch. He’d take him apart with his bare hands.
For her sake, he toned down his fury. “My doctor can remove it.”
Pressing her forehead against the wall, she said in a defeated voice, “No, she can’t.”
He rested his hands on her hips reassuringly, pulling her back to his chest. “It’s a small operation. She can do it under general anesthetic if you wish.”
“It’s not that.” She turned in his arms and tilted her face up to him. “I’ve tried to cut it out.”
He flinched at the mental image. “Tried?”
Sadness transformed her eyes. “When I fiddle with it, he murders a family.” Her body trembled in his hold. “Fathers, mothers, babies, Cain. He promised to take out a whole city if I remove it, and I believe him.”
Goddammit. So did he. Godfrey was capable of committing genocide. The terrible anger grew to helplessness, which only infuriated him more. Every molecule in his body demanded retribution for what Godfrey had done to this woman.
“I promised you freedom,” he said gently. “You’ll have no less.”
“And you?” Her haunted eyes shimmered as she assessed him. When she blinked, a plump tear slipped free and ran under the mask. “What is your destiny?”
He hated that he couldn’t wipe her tears away, that they left traces of wetness on her cheeks where he couldn’t reach. There were too many places inside of her he couldn’t reach, too many questions left unanswered. They floated around in his head, but before he could open his mouth, a shadow fell over the entrance to the street.
His fingers tightened on the cane. Used right, it made a deadly weapon. He placed his body in front of Olivia’s, sheltering her behind his back, but it was a woman who stepped into his line of vision. She wore the same outfit as Olivia.
“Olivia!” She ran up to them. “There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” She spared Cain a fleeting look. “Who’s this?”
Olivia cleared her throat and stepped around Cain. “This is Cain. He’s a friend. Is something the matter?”
“Marcia called. It’s the boy. You have to fetch him immediately.”
“What’s wrong?” Olivia’s shoulders tensed. “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” the woman replied. “She didn’t want to tell me on the phone, but she sounded upset.”
“You must be Letítia,” Cain said, recognizing her from the satellite photos. “Olivia told me so much about you.”
Olivia turned her head quickly toward him at the uttered lie, but she didn’t comment.
“Don’t worry.” Cain gripped Olivia’s fingers. “I’ll take her.”
“Are you sure?” The woman looked between Olivia and him. “I don’t mind driving you, Olivia.”
“I’ve got this.” Cain was already ushering Olivia forward.
“Call me later,” Letítia called after them as they cleared the street.
“I have a vehicle parked not far from here.” Cain was about to turn the corner when his wrist pad rang with an incoming call from Josselin. He took the call without breaking his stride.
“I hope you’re sitting down, Cain.”
Josselin’s gravelly voice was unusually shaken, so much so that Cain stopped dead.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“It’s the women and our kids in Santiago. Godfrey took them hostage.”
Chapter 13
Time slammed to a halt. Cain’s world was plucked from under his feet, every carefully constructed wall he’d built on the foundation of his team crashing down around him.
The children.
Katherine and Asia.
“What about Wayne?” Cain asked.
“He not only has Wayne, but Bono, too,” Josselin answered.
Cain’s blood ran cold. Olivia regarded him with a concerned expression.
“Where?” was all he managed to ask.
“He’s holding them in Lann’s house.” Josselin’s voice rose in rage. “In our own fucking safe house.”
The question Cain asked next was emotionless, logical, as strategy took over and feelings took a second place in the game of life and death.
“Do you have proof?”
“Yes,” Josselin said, the word laced with anguish and pain. “He’s there. We saw them on a live feed.”
God help them. “What does he want?”
“To negotiate terms with you. Cain…” The way in which the team leader spoke his name held a warning. “You’ve got to bring Olivia and the child in. They’re our only bargaining chips. If Godfrey hurts a hair on one of those children’s heads…”
If Godfrey hurt the children, Olivia would die. If the children and adults were unharmed, Olivia and Godfrey’s son would be the payment in a hostage trade deal. A dead weight settled in his stomach. His answer came quietly. “I know.”
Josselin’s tone changed from a warning to an unmistakable threat. “Are you bringing them, or must I come after them?”
“I’m on my way.”
“One more thing, you better keep Olivia and the child out of Lann’s sight. He’s acting up in a real bad way.”
The only time the Russian had lost his cool was when Godfrey had taken Katherine. Lann was a quiet force, but terrifying when provoked.
Cain cut the call and turned to Olivia. “Godfrey is holding the children and spouses of my team members hostage.”
She covered her mouth with a hand. “Not this.”
Tightening his grip on her hand, he dragged her behind him. “Come. He wants to talk terms.”
Her smaller steps could hardly keep up with his brisk strides, but there was no time to waste. She almost tripped twice before they made it to the car. He opened the door on the passenger side and threw her headdress on the backseat before taking off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. She accepted the offer of modesty, shoving her arms into the sleeves and doing up the buttons. Peeling off his mask, he dumped it with his cane in the back. After helping Olivia into the car, he settled behind the wheel.
While he programmed the address of the orphanage in the Sat Nav, she removed her mask and dragged her fingers through her still-damp hair. She stared at him with a pale face from the farthest side of the car where she’d made herself small against the door.
“You’re going to trade us.” Her expression remained void of emotion, but her eyes betrayed her hurt. “Us in exchange for your team’s families.”
He clenched the wheel so hard his knuckles ached.
Unable to stand that look in her eyes, he trained his gaze on the road and kept it there.
They didn’t speak when there was so much to say. Words that normally came easy failed him. How could he choose? He wasn’t prepared to let the team down as little as he was ready to let Olivia go. He suffered his turmoil in silence until they parked in front of the orphanage.
When Olivia reached for her door, he stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Stay.”
What he didn’t say rang louder between them. He couldn’t risk letting her out of the car. She was his prisoner, now, as much as she was her husband’s.
A flash of pain crossed her face, but she removed her fingers from the handle. Cain got out and activated the specialized locking system. Not even Maya with all her skills in electronic devices would be able to unlock the car from the inside.
At the door to the orphanage there was a bell and an intercom, but he was in no mood for longwinded explanations. It was faster to pick the lock. He entered a foyer and walked straight to the only office on that floor. The door stood open. Behind the desk sat a middle-aged woman wearing a red apron. Godfrey’s miniature sat in the chair facing her.
She looked up in surprise when Cain entered. “Who are you?”
“I’m a friend of Olivia’s. I came for the boy.”
“Where’s Olivia?” she asked with mistrust. “Who let you in?”
“Olivia’s in the car.” He motioned at the window so she could see for herself and opted for a lie. A lie was the quickest. “Letítia gave me the key.” He looked the child over. “What was the emergency?”
Having seen for herself that Olivia was indeed in the car, the woman appeared more at ease. “I’m sorry, but we simply couldn’t cope with him.”
He studied the boy who had a remarkably mature face. The man-child gave him a faint smile.
“What has he done?” he asked.
“He was bullying the other kids and he…” She seemed flustered. She licked her lips and continued in a lowered voice, “He tried to kill the cat.”
Unease chewed at his gut, but he didn’t analyze it. He was too preoccupied with the bigger problem at hand.
“If I hadn’t gone looking for him when I did, the cat would’ve been dead. He was trying to choke it by stuffing grass down its throat.” She spared the child, who hadn’t flinched or moved, a fleeting glance. “He also stole one of the boy’s ninja stars and threw it at him. Luckily, the boy ducked and the star went into the wall.”
Man (Seven Forbidden Arts Book 9) Page 19
