by Taylor Hart
Ari still didn’t speak. Abruptly, she turned and slapped him across the face. “How dare you?”
Parker rushed toward them, but three guys from the plane were on him, two grabbing his arms and one seizing his middle to stop him. “Ari!” he called out.
She turned and rushed toward him, but Carlos held her arm. “It wasn’t that hard to get you to reveal yourself, Arianna.”
Parker twisted and elbowed one guy, but he wasn’t fast enough to stop another from shoving a rag into his mouth as a gag. Zip ties were already tightening around his wrists.
Ari shrieked, but Carlos put a rag over her mouth, too. That was the last thing Parker saw before everything went dark.
Chapter 21
Ari woke to the sound of soft jazz music. Her hands were tied behind her back. Alarm shot through her.
She opened her eyes and realized she was on the jet, in Carlos’s room. No one was in the room, and her heart sank. He knew.
Where was Parker? She cringed, thinking about what horrible things could be happening to him. “Chuck?” she whispered.
Nothing. Great. Her mind raced, and she sat up, then scooted to the window. They were still in the Paris airport. She couldn’t hear or see anyone.
Carlos. Where was he? How long had he known who she was? Why wasn’t she already dead? She looked for anything that could be a weapon. A small metal flashlight rested on the table by the bed. She scooted toward it.
The door burst open and Carlos strolled in, smiling like the Cheshire Cat. “Hello, sleepyhead.”
Every part of her was on alert. He would kill her. She knew it. His eyes were dark and hollow. She thought of the light Parker had spoken of—Carlos’s eyes held none of that.
She stuck her chin into the air. “Why haven’t you killed me yet?”
Carlos moved next to her, sitting by her on the bed and leaning in to smell her neck. She jerked back, and he laughed. “Imagine my delight when I realized as we were walking down the rows of art at the Louvre, the last memory I have of Arianna Claire is the one where we were looking at the Mona Lisa together.”
Anger surged inside of her chest, and she hated that tears misted in her eyes. “Your father is a bastard.” She leaned back and spit in Carlos’s face.
Carlos casually wiped the spit off his face, then leaned in and picked up a piece of her hair. “I know he is. That’s why he’s in jail and I’m out here. I do not approve of my father’s methods.”
“You killed my father. Put a knife in his chest.” Confusion broiled with her anger and pain. “I found him. And I found that note.”
Carlos let go of her hair and searched her face. He frowned. “I did not kill your father or order that hit.”
“You liar!”
He exhaled and scooted back on the bed. “I have suffered many things because of what my father did back then. And what he commands from prison.”
All she could think about was how to maneuver herself so she could hurt him. Once again, she tried to scan the room and look for weapons.
“I lost my own mother. When she realized what he’d done to yours …” He broke off, looking sad.
Ari’s desperate search paused. This was the first she’d ever heard of this.
Carlos let out a long sigh. “He killed her.”
Shock coursed through her. “Your father killed your mother?”
Carlos nodded and then blinked, wiping beneath his eyes. “My father is a ruthless man. He wants all the control. He still controls many things.”
There was no way she was going to feel sorry for him. No way. “Like you?”
“He thinks he does. I didn’t kill your father. Of course, I heard about it later. I … was angry at him for it. And when I heard about the threat on your life, I actually sent out a request that you not be killed.”
She didn’t know what to believe. All of her truth felt like it was crumbling.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
“Where is my brother?” she finally asked.
“You just keep up this game, pet.” He snorted. “Once I realized you were playing me back there, I texted my men that he was some kind of government agent.”
Fear trembled through her. “Where is he? They’ll know if you hurt him.”
He let out a bored sigh. “The government man is fine. The man is deceiving. I didn’t smell a whiff of government on him, and I usually do.” He reached out, tracing her face. “But I guess I was distracted.”
The urge to spit at him again boiled inside of her, but she couldn’t give him a reason to kill her. Not before she could act.
“I know you don’t trust me, but I didn’t kill your father, and I won’t kill you.” His eyes softened. “I don’t know if you know this, but Arianna, you were my friend once. You were beautiful, and after you and your father left … I missed you.”
She could hardly believe Carlos was saying this. “I was sixteen.”
“And I was eighteen. I was waiting for you. I had my eye on you.” He looked her up and down, and it made her skin crawl.
There was no more pretending. She was done. “Why?”
He let out a sardonic laugh, sounding like a villainous prince. “Because I want you.” He put a hand on her leg. “But first I want you to tell me more about your … brother.”
She glared into his lightless eyes. “Go to hell!”
Chapter 22
“Wake up!”
Parker woke with a start. Pain throbbed in every part of his body. His eyes squinted against the bright light shining down on him. He was lying face up on cold, rough pavement. Must be a warehouse, he decided. His hands and feet were zip-tied behind his back. He tugged on the bonds. Amateurs. They’d left him too much freedom of movement. “Did you drag me behind a horse?” His voice came out rough and raspy. He needed water.
“Get him to talk!” someone said.
Parker turned his head and found two men standing not far away—one had a mustache and the other was rather chubby. He recognized the mustache from the plane. “Who are you?”
May as well stay under his cover. “I’m Parker.”
The fat one sent a swift kick to his ribs. Pain erupted in his side, and Parker repressed a groan.
“I know that, mate. Tell me who you’re with.”
Parker wasn’t an amateur, but he tried to act like it. “I’m Sabrina’s brother.”
Another kick. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe; then he couldn’t stop himself from laughing. If these guys thought a couple of kicks to the ribs would make him talk, they were in for a lot of pain.
“You’d better hurry and tell us who you’re with before we just finish you by slitting your throat,” Mustache said
Chuck’s voice murmured in his ear. “You’re awake, friend?”
Finally, some good news. “I am.”
“What?” The one with the mustache leaned down and glared.
“Warehouse.” He sniffed, trying to discern what he was smelling. “Musty.”
“One step ahead of you, cowboy.”
“Good.” Parker braced for another kick.
“What?” The mustached guy grabbed Parker and hauled him up to a sitting position.
In a blink, Parker slammed his forehead into the mustache guy’s nose. Even with his legs bound together, Parker easily knocked the man’s legs apart, forcing him to stumble. The satisfying crack told Parker that the man would be knocked out for a bit.
Parker sat up, ready to break the zip ties around his wrists, when the sound of a gun cocking made him take pause. “Maybe you just hold still.” It was the fat one.
Parker smiled. He’d always wanted to try this. In one move he broke the zip tie on his legs, then twisted and yanked his legs over his head in a backward roll while at the same time yanking his arms apart hard. With a sear of pain, the zip tie on his wrists broke, and his hands were free. Parker used his momentum to launch himself at the fat man, who was thrown off-balance by the impact. Parker bounced to his feet, knocked the
gun from his hand and swept the man’s legs out from under him. The guy landed hard, his head bouncing off the concrete.
“Sounds like you’re having fun,” Chuck said in his ear.
Parker grunted. “Another day at the office.” He scanned the warehouse, noting that he was on the airport tarmac. He checked the first guy for weapons, scored a machine gun and rushed to the nearest door.
“We’re still looking for your girl. The tracking device must have fallen out of her ear,” Chuck said.
“No kidding.” If she still had it, he was pretty sure she’d be talking to them now.
Chapter 23
Ari wished she was more charming. She wished she had more training. She wished Carlos was not on top of her, kissing her jawline.
“Get off,” she said through gritted teeth.
He inhaled deeply. “The smell of peaches, I say.”
He was heavy. Too heavy. She couldn’t move. How could she hurt him? She wasn’t left with many options. “I always had a crush on you.” She said it in a whisper because she could barely breathe.
Carlos paused the kisses, and his octopus hands stilled. “You did?”
She tried to smile but wasn’t sure she managed it.
Carefully, he let up his weight, rolling off of her. “When?”
Her mind spun. No weapons in sight; her only tools were her feminine wiles. “We were friends. We spent a lot of time together. I had a crush on you then.”
The edge of his lip turned up. “My father used to say we would end up together.”
“My father used to say that, too.” As if it ever would happen after his father killed her parents. “You could let me have my hands free so I can sit up and talk to you.”
Carlos hesitated. “Did you really have a crush on me?”
She blinked at him, trying to look innocent and helpless. Was this drug lord seriously discussing a high school crush like he was eighteen years old? She let out a little giggle. “I did.”
From nowhere, Carlos pulled out a pocketknife and cut the zip ties at her wrists and at her ankles.
She rubbed at her wrists, then flashed him a grin, an idea forming. “I thought you were adorable.”
Carlos cocked an eyebrow.
She hadn’t heard from Chuck in a while, but maybe, if the earpiece was somewhere close, they could do this the right way. Carlos could be put away, and the whole world would know. Maybe he’d take down a few more thugs in the process. She let out another little laugh. “Honestly, I’ve been stalking you the past few years, and you’ve gotten more and more handsome.”
His expression turned suspicious. “Are you for real? Why should I trust you? After all, you are here with a government agent.”
She batted her eyes at him. It was ridiculous, but she knew it was working somehow. Doing crap like this worked on men who only had one thing on their minds. “When I saw you at the Christmas ball, I was torn between wanting to kill you and wanting to … give myself to you.”
Carlos’s eyes flashed wide, and he put on a sinister grin. “Pet, that’s exactly how I feel right now.”
Slowly, she reached out and caressed his shoulder. “I hated it, but I would dream about you. It was the most exquisite torture.”
His eyes took on another level of darkness, a deeply possessive look.
Her other hand touched his chest and traveled up to his face. Could she break his neck? Was she strong enough? She hated him enough but he was a lot bigger than she was.
Carlos closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. “So what was your plan?”
She decided to be honest. It seemed to be working so far. “To kill you first.”
His eyes flashed open and he let out a loud, barking laugh. “Like in Mr. and Mrs. Smith?”
“Exactly like that.” She pulled her hands back, putting on a fake, rubbery smile. Every part of her was still calculating a plan. He’d left his knife open, on the edge of the bed. Could she get to it before he stopped her?
He smiled and then leaned in to kiss her. “For the make-up moment, too.”
She leaned in to kiss him back … and grabbed the knife. “I like the make-up moment better.”
Chapter 24
Parker burst out the door and onto the tarmac. Sure enough, Carlos’ plane was sitting nearby.
With his adrenaline pumping, it only took Parker a moment to take care of the security around the plane.
He rushed up the stairs and tried the door.
It wouldn’t open.
“No!” Parker said.
“On it,” he heard. He looked back in time to see Chuck pulling up in a car and hopping out. Chuck tapped on his phone, and the door unlocked.
Yay for the tech guys.
Parker didn’t know what to expect once the door opened. All he knew was that if Ari was dead, Carlos would be wishing he was dead, too.
Chapter 25
Ari pushed Carlos down onto the bed and deepened the kiss.
He let out a low purr, and she positioned the knife to jam it into his throat.
Parker had been concerned about Ari’s ability to kill, but she didn’t hesitate. She thrust the knife at the side of his neck as hard as she could.
Carlos caught it, stopping the gleaming edge just an inch from his skin.
Time froze. True fear pricked her heart. His cold eyes gazed up at her.
“You thought I wouldn’t know where I put the knife?” He cocked an eyebrow. “You thought I wouldn’t be testing you?” Carlos casually twisted the knife out of her hand.
Ari lunged for the door, but his other hand shot out and grabbed her arm. He threw her back on the bed effortless, as if she weighed nothing. “You thought you could best me?” His voice went shrill and he laughed. “This is why your father was so easy to kill.” Carlos pointed the knife at her.
He had done it. Her mouth went dry, and all the old hate flared into an inferno inside her. A scream boiled up her throat, and for a moment her own safety was forgotten. “You murderer!”
Carlos chuckled. “He trusted me, too. When I came to the door—the fool actually let me in.”
Ari flung herself at him. She had no idea how she would take him, but she barely cared. She would cause him pain.
He caught her, dropping the knife and seizing her around her middle. Ari kicked and flailed and scratched his face, ripping the skin of his cheeks with her fingernails as she bit at any part of him she could reach. He growled and pushed her back on the bed.
Before she could move, he grabbed the knife and jumped on top of her. Ari cried out when he yanked her head back by her hair and slowly lowered the knife to her throat.
Chapter 26
Gunfire rang in the air when Parker opened the plane door. He held back, waited for it to ebb.
Chuck was at his heels. “You go low; I’ll go high.”
“On three. One, two, three!”
Parker was infinitely glad he knew the layout of the plane. He somersaulted in, drawing all the fire. Behind him Chuck sniped off the shooters one by one.
Parker bore down on Carlos’s master suite and yanked open the door. If this were some action movie where the hero entered the scene right before the villain hurt the girl, he couldn’t have timed it better.
Carlos straddled Ari on the bed. He had her head pulled back and a knife at her throat, ready to strike.
Carlos smiled. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Parker aimed the gun at Carlos’s head. “Oh yeah?”
“You get to see her die.” The knife lowered to touch Ari’s skin.
“Not today.” Parker pulled the trigger, and Carlos was gone.
Chapter 27
Ari clung to the man she’d fallen in love with at the age of seventeen. Parker had just saved her life, and she never wanted to let him go. They stood outside of the jet on the tarmac, and a whole team of FBI was swarming the area.
“You’re still shaking.” Parker squeezed her tighter, and she let him.
She couldn’t stop tremb
ling. Looking up at him, she felt her eyes get misty. “I was so afraid he’d killed you.”
“Shh. I’m here. I’m right here.”
She’d felt the tip of the pocketknife at her throat. Half a second more and Carlos would have killed her. “You saved me. You are a hero. My hero.” She couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. Then she shut her eyes and just let herself feel safe. It was an unfamiliar, but not unwelcome feeling. “Thank you.”
Gently, he kissed her head. “You’re okay. You’re okay. It’s over now.”
She didn’t know if he was saying it to remind himself or to comfort her, but she would take it. She snuggled into his embrace, and she knew his were the only arms she would ever feel safe in.
More FBI agents came to talk to Parker. He answered their questions succinctly but never let her go.
The more she thought about everything that had happened the worse she felt for him.
“What’s up?” he asked her after Chuck had walked away.
She peered up into his handsome face. “I’m sorry you had to kill for me. I know you said you didn’t like to kill.”
His eyes narrowed and he squeezed her tighter. “No, I said sometimes I’m haunted by it, but make no mistake, I will never second guess pulling the trigger tonight.”
There was a hardness in his eyes she recognized.
“You won’t?”
He shook his head and blinked. “When I saw that knife to your neck, all I could see was a bullet going in his head.”
She felt more tears stream down her face as thought of all the hate and revenge and guilt that had consumed her for so long. “Thank you for ending it. Maybe one day I’ll be able to let go, too.”
He put his hands on her face and smiled at her. “Grace takes time, but don’t worry, it’s always there when you need it.”
