“Apparently a little too late,” Michael said while shaking his head.
David nodded and rose to his feet. He began to pace alongside Michael’s bed. “I didn’t want Kate to know her mom cheated on me and that we fought before her death. I wished I didn’t even know that. And how do you explain it to a child? Then, when Kate told me she was considering opening a third location for her business in Charlotte, I panicked. I worried she would discover the truth somehow, that she would hate me. That she would find out that I might not be her father.”
“Are you?” Jake asked.
“I don’t know. I never looked at the results of the paternity test. I have them in my safe, but I loved her the second the doctor put her in my arms. I didn’t care what the paper said—she was mine.” His voice broke with emotion.
“How does Dustin fit into all of this?” Michael studied David from hooded eyes. He clung to his last grain of self-control.
“I’m a defense lawyer. I asked one of my clients if he knew someone who could tail someone for me and frighten them without doing harm. I just wanted to scare Kate away from Charlotte. She’s so headstrong. I knew it would take a lot to frighten her. But I never meant for any of this to happen. I didn’t even know his name. I was given a phone number and a location to drop the money and information. I provided the person with her name, picture, and the information about her current job.”
“Damn.” The word slipped from Michael’s mouth. “You hired an assassin—an associate of terrorists—to follow your daughter,” he said in a low voice.
“I didn’t know, I swear. When Kate called me about her mother, I realized everything had gotten out of hand. I tried to call the job off, but I couldn’t reach him. I flew down to Charlotte right away, but I didn’t know what to do.”
“You should have told us the second you arrived,” Jake said while reaching for his phone. “I need to make a call. Before I leave, is there anything else you’d care to share with us?” Flippant sarcasm laced throughout his words. “Like who gave you the man’s contact information in the first place?”
“I can’t divulge client information.”
Michael glared at David. “Tell him.”
“Alexander Konstantin,” he grumbled, his cheeks reddening a bit.
“The Russian mob boss at Brighten Beach?” Michael’s forehead wrinkled in shock. “You don’t deserve to be called her father. Get the hell out of my room.” He looked to Connor, and then to Jake. “Everyone. Leave.”
***
“I just don’t understand.” Kate rubbed her wrists and stared at Dustin. He was sitting on the bed she had previously occupied, having moved her to a chair an hour ago. Only her ankles were tied to the legs of the dusty seat.
“If your original job was to scare me back to New York, why all the stuff about my mom? What kind of badass hitman sends flowers?” What in God’s name is wrong with you, Kate? You are taunting a lunatic! She swallowed back her nerves, trying to keep her head high and poker face on.
Dustin averted his eyes from the computer screen on his lap and fixed them on Kate. “Listen, my love, I don’t have a clue about any fucking flowers, but I can tell you that I’m a genius.”
Is he lying? She squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment, before returning her gaze back to the dark eyes of the madman. “Well, you failed at your job. I didn’t leave Charlotte.”
“And thank God for that. Running to Michael for protection triggered my brilliant idea of manipulating him.”
God, she was dying to strangle the bastard.
“I mean, when I discovered the intense dynamic between the two of you . . . I simply couldn’t resist.” He shot her a perverse sideways grin before he continued typing with deft fingers.
“I guess you could call it fate,” he continued. “I was given a precious gift. An opportunity to cash in on much more than a worried father . . .” He sniggered. “Of course, your father had no clue that I was much more dangerous to you than the city of Charlotte ever could be.” He lifted his long fingers from the laptop for a brief second to crack his neck. “What does he have against this place, anyway? I noticed that you visited your mother’s grave—she died here, huh?”
What is wrong with you, you sick prick? A sour taste filled her mouth. She couldn’t wrap her head around the truth. Her father had hired a deranged psycho, and now the lunatic was using her to get to Michael. She chose to ignore his mention of her mother, and responded through gritted teeth, “Michael will never give in to you.”
His lips twisted at the edges, giving him an eerie half-smile. “He has a nasty hero complex, sweetie.” He wet his lips and arched his shoulders back before moving the laptop onto the bed. “Sure, Michael has a reputation for tossing women to the curb, and I got worried about the frequent visits by the redhead, but I knew that Michael would fasten his superhero cape and soldier around like the savior he thinks he is.” He stood up and moved toward Kate before kneeling in front of her.
She tried to hide her trepidation as he placed his hand on her knee. Her body rippled with anxiety. She could feel the bile rise into her throat.
“I never anticipated it would be so easy, though. I just wanted to be sure he truly cared about you—the look on his face when I aimed my sniper at you was priceless.”
He ran his cool fingers up to her cheek, and she jerked her hand up, ready to hit him, but he caught it in the air. When she responded by swinging her other hand at him, he gripped both her hands so hard that she had to bite her lip to fight the pain.
He released her hands and rose to his feet, taking a step back. “Feisty thing, aren’t you? I see why he likes you. And why he’ll do whatever I want.”
She angled her face up and narrowed her eyes on his. “He’s a patriot, first and foremost. He won’t sacrifice the safety of the nation for me. I won’t let him.” She gripped the arms of the chair. “Money is one thing, but giving you access to national intelligence . . . you’re certifiable.”
“I have men already bidding top dollar for the information—the bid is nearing eight hundred million dollars. Come on, even you can appreciate a good auction.” He winked at her. “He’ll give me what I want. And if not, I’ll empty the few hundred million from his bank account into mine and kill you all. Mother told me to always have a back-up plan.”
She could never let Michael endanger the nation’s secrets for her. But who was she kidding—she knew she didn’t need to worry about that. He wouldn’t betray his country.
“How many times are we going to recycle this dialogue? Michael won’t sell out his country. He doesn’t care for you. Blah. Blah. Blah.” Dustin cocked his head. “Do I need to tape your mouth?”
“Asshole,” she muttered.
“Hey, you really should blame yourself for all of this. What kind of moron goes on a date and dancing when there’s a gun-toting stalker following her around? You should have stayed penned up in Michael’s cozy loft.” He guffawed. “You could be asleep in his arms right now. Instead, you followed the orders of Michael’s FBI buddy—which I counted on. I knew that I could rely on Homeland Security to draw you out for me.” He exhaled a breath, and his eyes shifted to her chest and to her mouth. “I am always two steps ahead, baby.”
“Just kill me now. Get it over with.” Gone was the pain and sadness that had infiltrated her earlier in the night. In its place was the reality of her situation.
“Where would the fun be in that?”
She hated how he towered over her, immense. Solid muscle pressed against his black T-shirt. She felt weak. Powerless.
“If Michael does give me what I want, I plan on sparing his life. Imprisonment as a traitor of the U.S. government is a fate worse than any death I might deliver.”
“You son of a bitch.” Without hesitation, Kate jumped up from her chair with her hands out in front of her, ready to claw at his face. Instead, she fell to her knees and pulled the chair down with her.
She looked up at him, hands pressed against the dusty
, hardwood floor. Her ankles sang with pain from rubbing and twisting against the rope as she fell. “He’s going to kill you,” was all she had managed before he knocked her unconscious.
Chapter Twenty-One
It wasn’t easy to escape the hospital without setting off all the bells and whistles. But Michael was never one to hide from a challenge.
He called a taxi from his bedside phone before sneaking out of his room. The taxi brought him to a hotel a few blocks away, but he was careful to avoid the one where Jake and the Feds were camped out.
He entered the lobby of the hotel wearing his worn and bloody clothes. It was only three in the morning, but seven hours had passed since he’d last seen Kate. The pain in his chest throbbed as he made his way to the conference room in the lobby. He ignored it as he settled behind a computer. He accessed his private account—his untraceable, unhackable account. How had Dustin known about it? He held his breath as he clicked open the only new email.
He slammed his hand against his face and rubbed his forehead. There was no way in hell he could turn over sensitive government information to that psycho. Or give him carte blanche access to the encrypted intelligence software currently being used overseas. He couldn’t even consider the option. He had to try and negotiate with him—offer him money, something . . . anything else. He would trade his own life to bring Kate back alive.
His fingers stabbed at the keyboard.
When he pressed the send button, Michael sat back in the chair, fingers in a steeple at his chin, waiting. When the sound of new mail binged a minute later, he felt like a vice was gripping his heart. His eyes burned as he read the note.
Bring what I want in exactly two hours. Meet me at the place where her mother died. And send your buddies to my rental home—you know, the one they are watching under surveillance. Come alone, or she dies.
Michael closed out of his email and erased any evidence from the system. He rushed out of the hotel lobby and back to the taxi that he’d paid to wait on standby. He needed to get to his office in the city, and fast.
***
“He has five minutes.” Dustin looked over at Kate as she sat in the chair next to him with cuffed hands and roped ankles.
The headache she had from being knocked out by Dustin was nothing compared to the pain pooling in her gut in nervous anticipation for what was to come. Oh God, this can’t be happening. No! She glared at Dustin before glancing at the computer screen. The computer displayed a home on the lake, one that was rigged with explosives, or at least, so Dustin told her.
“Your friend Jake should be credited for allowing my plan to work so flawlessly.” He shook his head and brought his hand to his chin as he focused on the screen.
She swallowed her fear as she watched men cloaked in black uniforms, guided by headlamps and long-range weapons, move in on the house.
Don’t go. Don’t do it.
An explosion blasted from the home moments later. Smoke billowed from the scene. The camera went out.
She struggled against the cuffs as tears filled her eyes. Had Jake or Connor been there? Oh God, how many people died because of her? How could Michael follow Dustin’s commands? Didn’t he know it was a set-up? And what further hell did Dustin have in store?
“So many Feds. So many dead Feds.” He raised an eyebrow, and his eyes lit with obvious excitement. “Next.” He tapped a few buttons, and the screen switched to her grandparents’ home.
She held her breath and watched with trepidation, her face mimicking the panic that swelled inside her. “Please . . .”
It was dark outside. The sun had yet to slip into the sky, but she could see a dark figure approach the back of the house. He moved toward the back door with a large briefcase in his hand. There was no gun in sight. Oh God, Michael, no!
“Good boy,” Dustin said, staring with intense focus on the screen.
Kate’s eyes widened, and she tried not to betray her shock. “I guess you win,” she said, trying to hide her excitement. The body of the man in the video was leaner than Michael. And his hair was just a little too short.
No, it was Connor. Which meant that Connor was still alive.
Distract him. “I can’t believe Michael would really betray his country.” Dustin diverted his attention to Kate, a smile of victory planted on his face. “You win,” she said again, trying to hide the fact that she’d caught sight of a shadow on the deck off the kitchen.
“I guess that means he loves you. Too bad he’ll never get to be with you.” He reached for the gun that hung from his sidearm holster strap.
She shivered as she heard Michael’s voice.
“You’re always one Goddamned step ahead of me, but not this time.”
Dustin jerked his head up to see Michael a few feet away.
Before Kate understood what was happening, she heard a shot ring through the air. Her body jerked back in her seat as flecks of blood splattered her shoulder and arm.
Michael had shot Dustin in the hand. Blood spurted from Dustin’s hand as his gun clattered to the floor. He pulled his hand to his body, screaming in agony.
“Michael,” she cried.
Michael shifted his gaze to Kate for just a second before focusing his weapon back on Dustin. “You thought you could outwit me? That you could trick me into that house? Do you think that what you saw at the rental home was real?” He shot Dustin again without hesitation.
The bullet pierced his shoulder and Dustin took a step back, moving farther away from Kate.
“You believed what I wanted you to.” Michael took a step closer.
She was so close to him. If her hands weren’t cuffed, she’d reach out and touch him, just to make sure he was real.
“The Feds want me to keep you alive.” He tilted his head and studied Dustin, watching the blood ooze from the open wound. “I don’t know if I can do that.” He trained his weapon back on Dustin, aiming for his head.
“Put the gun down,” shouted a loud voice.
“I can’t do that,” Michael responded, his eyes laser focused on the bloody figure before him.
Jake entered the room with a few other officers close behind him, dressed in full SWAT combat gear. “Michael, please, we need to interrogate him for information. We need to know his sources. Please.” He moved up behind Michael and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Kill me,” Dustin taunted. “You know you want to.”
Michael’s eyes darkened as he tightened his grip on his weapon and straightened his arm.
“Michael, no—it’s what he wants. Death is too easy for someone like him.” Jake was desperate.
Dustin kneeled on the ground in the living room a few feet away, still holding his bleeding hand, the hole in his shoulder gaping and bloody.
“Michael, don’t do it.” Her own words surprised her. She wanted Dustin dead just as much as Michael, if not more.
At the sound of Kate’s voice, Michael directed his attention to her. And after a few long moments, he lowered his weapon. “Kate,” he muttered as federal agents swarmed the room.
“Michael, I—”
“Are you okay?” He swooped to his knees in front of her and began untying the ropes at her ankles. A nearby officer tossed him a cuff key, and he freed her wrists.
She flung her arms around his neck, holding him as she sobbed. She felt him flinch, and she pulled away. He was hurt—of course he was hurt. They’d been in a crash. She touched his chest, where a spot of blood had blossomed. “Are you okay?” She swiped at her tears, trying to focus.
“Not a big deal. Just left the hospital a little too early.” He helped her out of the seat and pulled her close to his body. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get you.”
“How’d you know I was here?” Her voice was raw and strained with emotion.
They held on to each other as they exited the cabin through the front door.
They were greeted by a swarm of flashing red and blue.
“The bastard was always one step ahead
of us. I realized he would take you to the last place I would ever think of.” He walked her toward the awaiting ambulance.
“Your own cabin,” she concluded and shook her head in disbelief. “I was at my grandparents’ place. That was where he first took me—I didn’t even realize it until he rushed me out of there.” She sat down on the bed in the ambulance and reached for Michael’s hand as he followed her inside.
“I don’t know what I would have done if something happened to you.” He tipped her face in his direction. “Dustin didn’t . . . um . . . he didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Understanding flashed in her eyes. “No.” Thank God.
“This is all my fault. He used you to get to me. I am so sorry,” he said, his voice thick with guilt.
“I’m pretty sure it’s my dad’s fault.” This was a fact she still couldn’t quite comprehend. Tears began to pool again in her eyes.
He sat down next to her and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. “I wasn’t sure if you knew about that.”
His touch made her lose control. The feeling of safety was intoxicating. She looked down at the floor as the tears released. He wrapped his arm around her, comforting her, as the ambulance lights turned on. The noise of the siren faded almost inaudible beneath the sound of her frazzled and dizzying thoughts.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Michael walked the few blocks to Kate’s hotel, his nerves twisting like melted steel with each step. It had been a few days since the showdown with Dustin. He still couldn’t believe everything that had happened.
When he reached Kate’s room, he stood in front of her door, trying to figure out the right words.
His arm felt heavy as he lifted it to knock. The pain in his chest from the gunshot wound, and the bruises from the accident were still fresh and very much active. But some other weight was dragging him down.
“Hi,” she said in a small voice.
He studied her as he entered the room. She looked better than yesterday. Her face had its natural glow back, and her eyes looked a little brighter. “How are you?” He stuffed his hands in his pockets.
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