“Definitely not. There’s barely electricity where she is. I told you that after her daughter’s death she became a recluse. That was why her and Benjamin’s marriage broke down. But she didn’t move out of the city until after Benjamin went missing.”
“And if she’s not where you think she is, if you can’t find her, what are you going to do?”
It wasn’t a question, he was asking her to recite their agreed contingency. “Go to Thane and stay with X until you come for me.”
“That’s right,” he said and kissed her forehead.
Rora sighed. “I wish my directions were better. Leandra’s is so off the beaten path.”
“Don’t worry about that,” he said. One of his hands slipped from her back down to her wrist and he squeezed it in his fist before brushing his thumb up and down against it. “I’ll always be able to pinpoint your location… Opal has the ability to train up to a dozen satellites on you at any given minute.”
Leaning back again, she tried to figure him out. Strike kept caressing her wrist, but held up his own to show her, much like he had the time he’d told her about… Rora gasped. “Your implant,” she said, and his thumb stopped on the center of her wrist. “Oh my god, you put something inside me?” His lips quirked, but she smacked his chest. “You’re allowed to put that inside me. But this…” Pulling her arm from his hand, she clutched it to her chest. “I don’t know how I feel about this.”
“It allows me to protect you, that’s all. I’ll always be able to find you and monitor your life signs. It’s my way of showing you I care.”
His way of being romantic. “Will I get zapped if someone else touches Opal?” she asked, wringing her hand around her wrist.
“No, not unless you want to. I can reprogram it at any time to do pretty much anything you want.”
Relaxing as she absorbed this development, Rora figured there was no point in fighting it, so she embraced it instead. “Will it tell me every time you get an erection?” she asked, her lips curving. “Or every time you put your dick in another woman’s pussy?”
He lowered to brush the tip of his nose against her hairline. “I don’t have a chip in my cock… but I guess that’s something we can look into.”
She shoved his chest but didn’t really want him to go anywhere. Happy to settle into his arms when he pulled her to him again, Rora exhaled. “I love you, Strike,” she said, closing her eyes and nestling herself against his chest, knowing their time was coming to an end. “With all my soul, I worship you, lord.”
“And I love you, my corrupted queen,” he said, cupping his hands beneath her jaw to draw her face up and join their lips again.
Neither of them wanted to go, but there was work to be done, and hopefully this would be over without any hiccups in less than a week. Afterwards, all they would have to look forward to was the rest of their lives together.
TWENTY-FIVE
“Wow, this is some place,” Spear said, leaning forward to look at the timber building emerging from the woods up ahead.
Set over two floors, the four-bedroom house was designed to camouflage with its surroundings and was set five miles back from the nearest road.
“There’s space in the basement for cold storage and a dry store that can be stocked to keep this place going for two years,” Rora explained.
“How did she end up here?”
“After Benjamin went missing, she got anxious. She’s always been kind of a nervous woman. The cops didn’t help with their constant questions. Though I guess I wasn’t much of a help myself. When she hinted that she was thinking about disappearing, I jumped on the idea and convinced her to do it. I knew Benjamin would’ve wanted her protected… This was one of three places that Benjamin and I had discussed, you know, in case of emergency if we needed to get off the grid. So, I helped set her up here.”
They stopped the truck near the corner of the porch, facing toward the road they’d just used, presumably to allow a quick getaway if it was needed.
“We have to do some recon,” Crescent said, twisting to look over the shoulder of his chair at her.
“For Exile?”
Crescent nodded. If everything went to plan, Rora would convince Leandra to go with these men and then she would lie in wait for Strike to bring Bella to this isolated location, hopefully with the processor.
It wasn’t possible for Rora to get a message to him from here, but if Crescent and Spear left with Leandra, they’d be able to get one to him when they were back on the road taking Leandra to safety.
Strike had tried to convince her to go with Crescent and Spear to safety, but Rora didn’t want to miss out on Bella’s demise. She also didn’t want her man dealing with the crazy bitch alone; he needed backup.
Burke was out there somewhere, tailing Bella, waiting for the right time to strike, and they couldn’t be complacent about that. If Burke thought Strike was going to damage his target, he might try to step in and take Strike down himself.
Even though Torres was supposed to be watching her love’s back, Rora couldn’t guarantee he’d go to extreme lengths to stop his ex-boss from killing Strike, if given the chance. Not that the narc could necessarily protect anyone, she’d never seen him in action in the field, so couldn’t vouch for his skills.
“You ok?” Spear asked, and she realized she was the focus of both men’s attention.
“I’d feel better if Exile was here,” she said with a shrug. “No offence to your skills, I’m just… worried about him. I have you two at my back and we’re in a secret place. He’s out there in the open with a looney toon woman and I don’t know for sure that I can trust his backup.”
The men shared a look. “Why didn’t he ask for more backup from Thane?”
She smiled. “We don’t use force, we use manipulation. Besides, what we want to do, we want to do slow and I’m not sure your boss would condone it.”
Thane didn’t know what Bella had put them both through and if he wasn’t the type to be comfortable taking down Feds, he probably wouldn’t be comfortable torturing a woman either.
“We’ll go in with you first,” Crescent said. “To make sure the environment is secure and that we don’t freak the woman out, skulking around the place. But after introductions, we’ll do a perimeter sweep, take a few pictures, and survey the interior.”
She nodded. “Whatever he needs,” she said. “We want the works and I want him prepared when he gets here.” The guys both nodded together and reached for their doors, but she spoke before they could exit, drawing their attention back to her. “I appreciate this. We both do. I know the trip has been uneventful so far, but… having you with me has made me feel safer and I know it puts Exile’s mind at rest. You’re probably irritated to be on babysitting duty, but the woman in there, she meant the world to a dear friend of mine who killed himself to protect a secret only he and I shared. It’s only right that I do whatever I can to keep her safe… it’s what he’d want.”
Crescent offered a tight but comforting smile. “We do what our First tells us to do and we’re never complacent enough to shrug any assignment off as babysitting or uneventful. We’re ready to do whatever it takes to keep Leandra safe… and to keep you safe too.”
“Yeah, and our High Priestess made it clear she’d kick our asses if you got hurt, so that guarantees you’re getting out of this alive,” Spear said to Crescent’s amused nod, and they all climbed out of the vehicle together, sharing a smile.
Leandra was surprised to see them. To see anyone. Rora didn’t blame her for that, the woman had only left the place once in all the months she’d been stuck there alone.
Rora did think that if it had been anyone else, Leandra might have died there on the spot. After the initial second of shock, she did look happy to see Rora until the two great hulks appeared like daunting menaces at her flanks.
Quickly explaining that they were friends here to protect her, Rora managed to calm the woman and sent her two bodyguards off to do their reconnaissan
ce work.
Guiding her into the kitchen, Leandra talked about her life there while she made tea. She spoke of the plant life and her time in the forest and her love of the quiet.
It did seem that Leandra was better grounded than the last time Rora had seen her. But from her quick, almost constant speech, Rora did wonder if some part of the woman had missed having a human to talk to.
Once Leandra had brought the tea to the table, she settled down and began to pour. “Now, you must tell me, how is our Benjamin? Has he been injured? Is that why he isn’t here? Maybe he’s in hospital, but you’re here to tell me he’s going to visit me when he’s released. I can’t believe he got himself kidnapped like that, what a horror! Tell me the complete truth, Aurora, you know I can handle it. What did they do to him? How did he get away?”
Rora had known this conversation was coming, but that knowledge didn’t make telling this truth any easier.
“Benjamin is dead, Leandra,” she said, softening her voice.
Leandra had just put the teapot down but froze with one hand on the lid and another on the handle.
Swallowing her own grief, Rora felt her heart ache for the beauty who had had so much taken from her in her life. No wonder Leandra wanted to be alone. All she’d wanted was a happy family, but that dream had been torn from her piece by piece and now she was truly alone.
Even after the divorce, Leandra and Benjamin had remained friends, maybe sometimes more; Benjamin had always been cagey about just which of Leandra’s needs he fulfilled. And he had fulfilled her. He supported his ex-wife; Leandra’s adoration and gratitude was always obvious. It was just a shame that their relationship hadn’t survived the tragedy of losing their daughter.
“I’m so sorry,” Rora said and tried to reach for Leandra’s hand, but the woman sat back, settling both hands in her lap.
“Was it quick? Did he suffer?”
“No,” Rora said, having no intention of telling her of the torture he endured. “He didn’t suffer. It was quick.”
Leandra’s eyes floated toward the window. Rora didn’t know how to comfort her. How did she make the woman feel better about losing her great love? She knew how it felt watching Benjamin fall and how devastated she’d been by losing Strike, and there were no words that would’ve appeased or comforted her in those moments. Handling Benjamin’s death had only been possible for Rora because she’d had Strike. But Rora couldn’t offer Leandra comfort like Strike offered it to her.
“How did it happen? Where is he buried?”
Those were normal questions, but Rora had to be delicate about telling the truth. “He was shot,” she said, which was true. She shifted to the edge of the chair and reached over to rest her hands on Leandra’s on her lap. “The danger is still out there, and I’m worried about you.”
“About me?”
“The people who took Benjamin didn’t get what they wanted…”
It took a minute for her thoughts to catch up, but Rora saw the moment Leandra caught on. “That’s why you came here? To warn me? But I… what do these people want? I don’t know how I can—”
“Don’t worry,” Rora said, offering a tiny smile. “I came to make sure you got to safety. The men who brought me here are part of a group who can protect you. I know it’s a lot to digest, but Benjamin would want you safe. So, I need you to pack your essentials as quickly as you can and go with them.”
Leandra was clinging to her now, either trying to draw strength or to vent her growing panic. “Where will they take us?”
“Not us. I’m staying here,” she said, and Leandra gripped her tighter. “Don’t worry. They’ve been keeping me safe for days and I trust them with my life… Benjamin would too.”
Leandra thought about it for only a few seconds. “I suppose I don’t have a choice. With Benji gone, you’re the only person left I can trust on this matter. But I don’t feel comfortable leaving you behind, Benjamin wouldn’t have it.”
Benjamin had left her alone. But he’d expected her to follow him, so it wasn’t clear who’d abandoned who.
“Don’t worry about me. There’s a plan in place to put an end to this once and for all. I have backup on the way, and I’m going to take care of this. Benjamin knew I could take care of myself that’s why he reached out to me to help him. I failed to save him; I won’t fail him again by letting you get hurt.”
It was slow, but Leandra eventually managed a smile. “You’re a good person, Rora,” she said. “It’s no wonder he loved you as much as he did.”
“He loved you too, Lea,” she said, resting a hand on her cheek. “And grieving him is one of the hardest things either of us will ever have to do.” She pulled herself closer. “But the best way for us to honor his memory is to be safe now. We have the chance to end this. Let’s do it… for Benji.”
It didn’t take Leandra long to pack. Most of her things were grouped in the same place and she hadn’t brought much in the first place.
Crescent and Spear packed the truck and didn’t waste much time in saying goodbye. They issued instructions to her, much as Strike had, and once everyone had said their piece, she watched them bundle into the truck and disappear from view.
Rora stayed there until long after the sound of the engine had faded. It was getting late and Leandra had left food in the kitchen for her, so she couldn’t stay there in the fresh air all night, appealing as it might be.
Rora had to keep her strength. She needed to eat, to sleep, and to do everything Strike had told her to do to prepare for their final showdown with Bella. If all went to plan, her love would be leading their prey here in less than twenty-four hours and Rora was going to be ready.
TWENTY-SIX
Rora didn’t know what had woken her up. But lying in the dark, she tried to adjust to the absolute blackness around her and remember where she was.
The first thing she did was reach to the other side of the bed, but when she found it empty and the sheets unfamiliar beneath her palm, she recalled that Strike wasn’t there. No one was. She was all alone in this isolated place and alone was eerily unfamiliar.
It took her a second to read the glowing numbers on the clock on the nightstand and establish it was just after four-thirty in the morning.
Usually she only woke this early if Strike was waking her, either for fun or to flee. But she sank onto her back and closed her eyes again. Letting her fingertips brush across her thigh, this seemed like a rare opportunity; being all alone with thoughts of her man, she could enjoy a little quality time with herself.
She heard a creak and sat up immediately, clutching the blankets to her chest. Strike had warned her not to sleep naked, though she wouldn’t have anyway, but instinct made her want to protect her body even though it was clothed.
She heard it again.
Quiet as she could, Rora crept out of bed and reached for the jeans she’d left on a nearby chair. She made little noise pulling them on but heard enough from outside the room that by the time she was done, she was sure there was another person in the house.
Strike wouldn’t be so obvious, or make so much noise, if he was trying to sneak up on her and he was the only ally she had left who might be approaching this place that few people knew about.
Leandra hadn’t mentioned any friends and Rora couldn’t imagine anyone showing up for a social visit at this time.
Her switchblade snicked when she opened it. Rora crept forward, one careful step at a time, low, braced, ready for whoever might—
The bedroom door opened, and a bright white light suddenly blinded her. She held up a hand to try to block the beam, but couldn’t make out who was there.
She was about to ask when she heard the unmistakable sound of a bullet being loaded into a gun barrel.
“Did you miss me, Aurora?”
Rora couldn’t say that her fear lessened when she identified Junker’s voice, but it did change hue. Her blade was going to make little difference in a gun fight, so she let her hands fall to her sides and str
aightened up.
“Junker,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“You led me to exactly what I needed. I always knew you would. Now tell me, where is he?”
“If you’re looking for Exile, he’s not here,” she said. “No one’s here, so if you’re going to kill me—”
“No,” he said with what could only be pain in his tone. “No, Aurora, I don’t want to hurt you… I always felt sorry for you, I always…”
He exhaled, and the brightness of the flashlight beam vanished a breath before the overhead light came on.
The generator was rarely used, candles were preferred for light. But it was there, and although it was hidden at the far side of the house, she wondered now if it had been the generator starting up that had woken her up.
She’d been tearing around the country for so long that she’d lost any notion of familiar sounds or smells, she had to adjust to somewhere new almost every day. The only thing that she’d had with any kind of regularity was Strike and even he hadn’t been a constant.
“I don’t want to fight with you, Aurora. I want to make you understand… I don’t like the way things ended between us,” he said. “Will you let me explain everything?”
She hesitated. “You lied to me.”
“I think we were both guilty of not being honest with each other,” he said. “Let’s change that. Let us go downstairs, have a drink, and lay all our cards on the table.”
Rora wasn’t going to confide in him, but Strike wasn’t going to be there with Bella for hours. She couldn’t let Junker leave, and it seemed unlikely that he’d want to. Keeping an eye on him was the smartest option.
He’d revealed himself to her, so he wanted something, and if she had to keep him talking until Strike could get here, that’s what she was going to do.
They were wary of each other. Rora tried to hide her suspicion, but this guy had already held a knife to her throat, she didn’t know what he might do next. They’d both left their weapons in the bedroom and gone to the living room. Each sat in an armchair at opposite ends of the long coffee table that stood beside the rug in front of the fireplace.
Kiss Chase (Exile Book 2) Page 22
