Melting Point

by Pierce, Nicolette

  “We’ll have to come back for them. I don’t have any other plans, and this is our only window to stop Dmitri.”

  Morgan had hoped Dmitri would have included them in his plan to save Marik. They would have been far better off with him on their side. But he chose to shut them out and only focus on Marik. It left her no choice but to proceed with her plan.

  “If he closes his eyes right away, he shouldn’t lose his vision.” Morgan inspected a piece of steel. It was the perfect size. If she could rig the welding gun to stay on even when she wasn’t holding it, then Dmitri would have to keep his eyes closed. As long as the trigger was compressed and the nose was touching metal, it’d stay active.

  “Which way should we run?” Liam asked. “Do you know where we are?”

  Morgan shook her head. “I have no idea. As long as we stick together and find a hiding spot, we should be able to figure out everything else later.”

  “There are guards at the entrances of the house, but I didn’t see any on the grounds.”

  “I didn’t see any either. But there are no places on the grounds to hide. It’s wide open, not even a tree to climb.”

  “We might be running for a while before we find somewhere.”

  “I guess this would be a bad time to tell you I’m a horrible runner.”

  He smiled. “I think it might be, but we’ll run together. If this is our only chance, we have to try.”

  “Are you sure? I can keep welding and see if another opportunity presents itself.”

  He shook his head. “This is probably the only opportunity we have. Let’s take it and hope for the best.” He kissed her softly and then smiled. “And hopefully I’ll be able to do that many more times.”

  She returned the smile. “How did I get so lucky to get stuck with you?”

  He laughed. “You can thank Reed for that.”

  “I will.” Morgan’s smile slipped. Not only did they have to successfully escape, but then they had to come back for Reed and Trace.

  “One step at a time,” Liam said, reading her thoughts. “We’ll do it together.”

  The scraping sound of the bolt sliding open alerted them to Dmitri’s return. He tossed them each a water bottle. “Drink.”

  Morgan gulped the water down, coughing and sputtering when she drank too fast. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was until the liquid hit her parched tongue.

  Dmitri picked up his shield and placed it onto his head.

  She discreetly nodded to Liam, silently motioning him toward the door.

  “Break is over,” Dmitri said.

  Morgan palmed the scrap metal and geared up. She’d only have a moment before Dmitri would realize what she’d done. It was now or never.

  Morgan took a breath and steeled her nerves. She knew what she had to do.

  Dmitri held the pieces together. “Weld,” he ordered.

  Morgan pressed the trigger and slipped the chunk of metal into place. By the time Dmitri cursed, blinded by the light, she was sprinting, tossing off the shield and gloves.

  “Follow me,” Liam said.

  They ran to the side of the mansion, not covering nearly enough ground for escape.

  “Where are we going? They’ll find us.”

  “Up,” Liam said.

  “Up?” As soon as she questioned him, she realized what he’d meant. He was going to climb a trellis to the roof. “Are you insane?”

  He didn’t reply, just motioned for her to follow. As soon as they reached the trellis, Dmitri bellowed. From the sound, he must have left the shed and was calling for guards.

  “Climb,” Liam urged.

  Morgan began climbing, her fingers catching in the vines that intertwined through the fragile wood. Her feet had a harder time finding purchase. She slipped a few times, hitting Liam hard. He must have had a better grip, because he didn’t budge.

  “Sorry,” she whispered.

  Morgan was nearing the top when a guard ran from the back. She held still, knowing they were caught. But he passed by, looking everywhere but up. Maybe Liam knew what he was doing.

  When she reached the final rung, she pulled herself to the top. Liam was right behind her, leading her along the edge of the slanted roof.

  “They’ll see us,” Morgan said. “There’s no place to hide up here.”

  “We won’t be up here for long. Trust me.”

  They hurried to the other end. As soon as they reached the edge, Liam jumped, scaring Morgan.

  “Liam!” she squeaked. She peered over the side to find him smiling up at her from a balcony.

  “Jump. I’ll catch you.”

  Catch her? Was he insane? She’d end up flattening him. Maybe he had the same thought because he didn’t argue when she said, “Move out of the way. I’ll lower myself.” He stepped away from the drop zone.

  Morgan sat on the end as far as she could, then turned and began slowly sliding off. Liam grabbed her hips, dragging her to his side. He pushed her down as two guards ran by.

  “Sorry, angel,” he whispered. “I didn’t want them to see you. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “I’m fine,” she lied. Morgan was pretty sure she was bleeding from a sharp edge she hit on the way down. But she didn’t want to worry him or make him feel bad. He’d only thought of keeping them safe and out of sight.

  Now they had a different problem. They were on a balcony, trapped in a place they didn’t want to be.

  “What now?” she asked.

  “This is the balcony to Sonya’s bedroom. Let’s wait for a minute and see what they do.”

  Sonya’s bedroom was beyond the balcony’s doors? Morgan’s gaze automatically snapped to his lip. It looked okay now, only a small red spot existed. She’d thought Liam had been hit. But if he knew this was Sonya’s bedroom, then perhaps that wasn’t the case.

  Morgan didn’t like the feeling of the serpentine tail winding around her heart and squeezing. It was jealousy, something she hadn’t experienced in a very long time. She’d forgotten how acute the pain could be. Was she falling for Liam?

  Of course she was. She’d have to be in serious denial not to see it and suppress all of the feelings that had been building in her.

  “Won’t Sonya see us if she comes in?”

  “It’s a big day for her. She’ll probably be busy until tonight. But if she does appear, hide there.”

  Morgan glanced behind her to where Liam was pointing at a tall potted plant. If she hid behind it, she’d look like a fat spy hiding behind a thin tree. There was no way Sonya wouldn’t see her.

  “Don’t worry, angel.” Liam peeked over the side of the solid balcony.

  “Do you see anything?”

  “The guards are spreading out, and they brought more help.”

  “How are we going to get to Reed and Trace?”

  He shook his head. “One step at a time. We’ll wait for an opportunity.”

  “Maybe when Sonya leaves tonight. She’ll want to bring her guards with her, I’d think.”

  “If she does, it will make it easier for us. One or two guards left behind can be managed.”

  Morgan sat and leaned against the wall. Her side really hurt. She rubbed it, hoping to soothe the pain away, but it only made it worse. Wincing, Morgan pulled her hand away and found it slick with blood.

  “Liam,” she said, fighting a wave of nausea.

  “What?” When he looked over, his face fell. “How?” He scanned, trying to find a cause. When he looked up, dawning caused his face to fall further. He kneeled next to her, his hand on the hem of her shirt. “Can I see?”

  She nodded and watched as he peeled away the saturated fabric.

  After studying the injury, he said, “I think you need stitches.”

  “I’m sure it’s not that bad.” She didn’t want to worry him, and it wasn’t like there was a doctor nearby.

  “I don’t even have a shirt to give you to stop the blood.”

  “It will stop on its own.” She hoped. While the woun
d was long, stretching from the side of her bra down to the dip in her waist, it didn’t seem deep enough to cause alarm.

  Liam peeked through the glass door and tested the handle. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Where are you going?” But he’d already slipped through the door and returned moments later with a blouse. He knelt down and pressed the fabric to her side.

  “Is this silk?” she asked.

  “It was the only thing I could find.”

  “You could’ve been seen.”

  “I wasn’t.”

  “You shouldn’t risk it, not for me.”

  He sat back, his hand still at her side. “Why not?”

  “Because.”

  “Because?”

  “Just don’t go back inside.”

  “Were you worried?”

  “Yes.” She shouldn’t have admitted it.

  “I was gone for less than a minute and you’re bleeding. I’d do it again, if need be.” He placed her hand on the silk and then removed his so he could check on the guards’ movements. “They’ve begun scouting the roads by vehicle.”

  “They think we ran.”

  Liam nodded. “We’re in the clear for now.”

  “And then what?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know, angel. But we’ll figure something out.”

  “So we wait here?”

  “For now.” He sat next to her again and resumed the silk ministrations. If it wasn’t for the fact that the shirt belonged to Sonya, and she was bleeding, Morgan might have enjoyed it.

  “Just relax,” he said. “Everything will be fine if we’re patient.”

  Somehow Morgan didn’t think patience would help them. But to continue this moment with Liam, she would be.

  Chapter 21

  When Piper and Greer couldn’t find Grandpa anywhere, and he didn’t answer his phone, they decided to drive to Vegas. After an entire night on the road with Greer’s heavy foot, they finally made it as the sun rose. The only thing that kept them awake was worry and a gallon of coffee. If it wasn’t for Grandpa and Morgan, Piper would have demanded they pull over and sleep.

  And after a whole night of thinking, she still couldn’t understand how Grandpa was involved in this. She couldn’t wrap her head around his tattoos and prison time. Grandpa! It just didn’t make sense. He never spoke with an accent and never talked about anything Russian. He wouldn’t even speak about politics if it had to do with Russia, and he loved politics. Piper never thought anything of it until now. And now that she had, it was as if he was purposely leading them down a different path than the one he had walked.

  “I think someone is following us,” Greer said, glancing in the rearview mirror.

  “Why do you think that?”

  “He exited at the same time and has been behind us for at least an hour.”

  “It’s probably a coincidence.”

  Greer turned on a side road and immediately turned again. “He’s still following us.”

  Piper peeked behind to see the car but saw a motorcycle instead. The rider was wearing black leather with a black helmet. “I still think it’s a coincidence.”

  “Piper, it’s not a coincidence. I just drove in a circle and he’s still tailing me.”

  “Can you try to lose him?”

  “I’m trying!”

  “How far away are we?”

  “To where, Piper? I have no idea where we’re going. I have no idea where Grandpa could be.”

  “Then we have to find the Ivankovs.”

  “And how do you suggest we do that? We can’t stop at the gas station and ask for directions, especially not with someone tailing us.”

  “Just lose him and we’ll figure out the rest after.”

  Greer rolled her eyes. “Sure, just lose him. Thank you for your advice.”

  Piper dipped her head so she could see the motorcycle in the side mirror. Greer was right. He wasn’t giving them any space, and he wasn’t trying to hide that he was following them.

  The rider motioned for them to pull over.

  “Did he just tell us to stop?” Greer asked.

  “I think so.”

  “Then he has porridge for brains.” Greer sped up.

  “Hang on,” Piper said. Something about this felt off, and not because they were being followed, nor because she was now experiencing caffeine jitters. It felt familiar somehow. She whipped her head around to take a better look. “Greer, it’s —”

  Greer screamed and slammed on the brakes. Piper had only a moment to see a semi-truck pass in front of them. Greer clipped the end of the trailer, sending them spinning into a light pole.

  * * *

  Liam watched Morgan warily. He had told her to relax and be patient, but he could tell she was struggling. He didn’t blame her. Liam wanted to get her as far away from this place as possible. Morgan was his primary concern at the moment. He’d deal with Trace and Reed after. How, he had no idea. He couldn’t even help Morgan without injuring her.

  His stomach had dropped when he saw her bloody shirt. She’d end up with a scar for sure, and it was entirely his fault. The way he was going, he might end up getting her killed before finding safety. It’d been an insane idea to climb the roof and hide on the balcony. But there’d been no other options. The mansion sat on acres of land that had no trees or nooks to hide in; it was flat and endless. Morgan’s truck sat in the long driveway, but Dmitri held the keys.

  “What are you thinking?” Morgan asked.

  “I wish I knew how to hotwire a truck.”

  “You didn’t learn that in school?”

  He looked at her, unsure if she was teasing. “No, it wasn’t in the curriculum. Did you?”

  “No, but I distinctly remember you saying you were good at everything.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “I’m pretty sure you did.”

  He smiled unexpectedly. “Can I modify what I said? I was being an ass.”

  Morgan nodded. “Please do. I’d like to know what you’re bad at.”

  “Why?”

  “So the rest of us won’t feel incompetent.”

  He laughed. “Instead of listing all of my faults, including having a large ego, it seems, let me apologize.”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because then I’d have to do the same. Plus, you’re not so bad. I rather like you when you think you know everything.”

  He leaned over and kissed her. “You just like arguing with me.”

  A sly smile escaped. “I never said that.”

  Liam could have sat all day talking nonsense with her, but she looked a little pale. “How’s your side? Does it hurt?”

  “Just a little.”

  “Let me see.”

  She moved the cloth, revealing that the wound was inflamed. He didn’t want to worry her, but he had to get her to a doctor. Most likely, her body would fight any infection, but there were no guarantees and he didn’t want to take any chances.

  “It looks bad, doesn’t it?” Morgan looked down. “But I think the bleeding stopped.”

  It had slowed, but there was still fresh blood seeping out. “We’ll go to the hospital as soon as we can.” He peered over the balcony edge. “The guards are still out. I’m afraid they’ll figure out we’re here if we stay too much longer.”

  “What should we do?”

  He thought about the truck again. “If I knew how to hotwire, we could take your truck.”

  “Would it help if I had a key?”

  “Do you?”

  She smiled. “I’m nothing if not prepared. There’s a spare taped in the wheel well.”

  “Will you be okay to run?”

  “If it gets us off this balcony, I’m okay for anything.”

  Us. That simple word wound its way around his heart. He knew she might not have meant it the way his heart had heard it, but it felt like more. Normally, he steered away from more, but he liked it coming from her.
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br />   “How far of a jump down is it?” she asked.

  He scratched his jaw, annoyed at the stubble that had taken over his normally clean-shaven face. “It’s too far,” he said. If they attempted to jump, he’d end up breaking her leg as well. “We’ll have to go down the stairs. I’ll go see if the hall is clear.”

  “I’ll go with you.” She attempted to stand but groaned and clutched her side.

  “Stay here. I’ll only be a moment.”

  “No, I’m coming with you. We can’t split up.”

  He could see the determination in her eyes and so helped her to stand. When she’d caught her breath, she gave a nod to proceed. Liam quietly opened the door and listened for sounds. When he was sure it was safe, he took Morgan’s hand.

  Stepping into Sonya’s bedroom, he waited again for sounds. The last time he’d entered her room to retrieve the shirt he was too worried about Morgan and didn’t use caution. He should have. There was no excuse for it. This time would be different.

  He noticed Morgan studying the room as if she was taking notes. Did she like the bedroom? He couldn’t see her as the red-with-gold-trim type. He saw her as she was in her bedroom, soft brushed steel and lavender. It was perfect for her.

  As they moved across the room, her steps in sync with his, he knew he’d do anything to protect her.

  “Did you hear that?” She stopped to listen.

  “Someone is coming.” He pulled her to the walk-in closet and closed the door. He’d found on his first trip into Sonya’s room that her closet was bigger than his office. It didn’t surprise him. She was used to such luxuries.

  He hated them on principle.

  Liam had purposely designed his own house small. While he had to have nice clothes for work, he loved the simplicity of a minimalistic existence. Even Morgan’s house was refreshing compared to this mansion. She had what she needed and a few things to make it cozy and inviting, but there wasn’t wasted excess.

  Sonya’s voice shrilled from outside the door. “Are you sure?”

  “Da, Nikolai Pavlovich is coming.”

  “He will ruin everything!”

  “There is no way to stop him.”

  Sonya cursed and then was silent for a moment before saying, “We can stop him. We just need his granddaughter. Have you found her yet?”