“You have a right to feel whatever you’re feeling,” Aric said, brushing my hair from my face. “Don’t shut me out. I need to know what you’re thinking.”
“Seriously, how did you get him while I got stuck with Mark?” Brittany was back to her old self – and then some.
“I got lucky.” I shot Aric a small smile.
“We both got lucky,” Aric said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Everyone spread out and look around. We need any documents that may lead us to whoever’s helping him with the Academy, or whatever else he has planned.”
I opened the top drawer of the filing cabinet while Aric started going through Mark’s desk. I kept one eye on Brittany as she searched through the books on the shelf. I was so fixated on my task I almost didn’t notice the shift in Brittany’s demeanor.
“Um, guys … I think I found something.”
I jerked my head up and watched as Brittany pressed a button on the bottom of one of the shelves. The sound of mechanized gears whirring to life filled the room, and the middle row of shelves disappeared into the base, revealing a large board with hundreds of photographs tacked to it.
I pushed myself to my feet, my heart pounding as I closed the distance. The photographs were familiar.
“That’s us,” Aric said, moving in behind me. “All of these photographs are of us.”
My stomach rolled, and I was glad Aric had the foresight to take the gummy candy from me before I really did make myself ill. “These were taken at our house.”
“That’s where you live?” Brittany asked, her eyes widening as she took in the majestic cabin Aric had designed. “Nothing in my life is fair. I can’t believe you live in a house like that.”
“Aric designed it and had it built for us,” I said, reaching out to touch one of the photos. “This was taken out back by the bee hive.”
Aric shifted his attention to the photograph in question. “We were probably arguing about the bees when he took it. This one is us in the hot tub.”
I involuntarily shuddered and pressed my eyes shut. “Please tell me we’re not naked.”
“We’re always naked in the hot tub, Zoe,” Aric said. “I’ll rip his head off and shove it down his bleeding stump!”
“That was a lovely visual,” Brittany said dryly. “What about this one? Where was this one taken?” She pointed at a simple photograph. It was me in a black dress and Aric in his suave suit. We stood on the deck of a restaurant.
“That was taken at the engagement party,” Aric said, drawing me to him. “He was standing in the woods taking photographs. That’s right before the explosion.”
“Oh,” Brittany said. “You guys look happy.”
“We are happy,” Aric said, kissing my cheek. “He didn’t ruin our happiness. He only ruined our party.”
“He’s been watching us for a long time,” I said, moving closer to the collage. “This was taken when we visited that lake with your parents. That was more than a year ago.”
“This was taken when I took you to the zoo,” Aric said. “That was two years ago. He’s been watching us all this time.”
“Most of the photos of our yard look like he took them from the other side of the security fence,” I said. “They’re all from outside angles. He was literally outside looking in on our lives.”
“And getting more and more bitter by the moment,” Aric said, pointing to a photo that showed us laughing on the deck. I was on his lap, and in stitches from whatever Aric had said. “He saw us happy when he was miserable, and vowed to end it.”
“There are some files here,” Brittany said, grabbing a stack and splitting them up.
I sat on the floor and opened the first folder, glancing up when Aric positioned himself next to me. Our knees touched as we went about our business, but I knew he was keyed up. “It’s okay,” I said, grabbing his wrist. “We’re okay.”
Aric forced a smile. “I’m going to kill him.”
“Let’s figure out what he’s up to first.”
Aric leaned over and gave me a soft kiss. “I’m still going to kill him.”
“Here’s something,” Brittany said, pulling out a sheet of paper. “It looks like Mark has been trying to conduct research on your family, Aric. He keeps paying investigators, but they all come up with the same thing. If this correspondence is to be believed, he’s angry.”
Aric took the paper and studied it. “He’s trying to figure out where our money is,” he said. “I wonder if he thinks he can steal it. He’s an idiot if he tries. Our assets are insured, and not in one place. What a moron.”
“It looks like he was trying to track down my family, too,” I said, tapping my file. “He has photos of my parents’ house before it burned down.”
“I wonder if he knows your parents are renting a place by us while their house is being rebuilt,” Aric mused. “Remind me to call my father to have him increase security. I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Mark is probably scrambling to deal with us right now,” I pointed out. “Why would he go after my parents when we’re close enough for him to swat without putting miles on his car?”
“What better way to get us out of town?”
My stomach rolled. “I don’t feel well.”
“I told you not to eat that candy,” Aric said. “I’m throwing it away. I’m sorry I bought it for you in the first place.”
“It’s not the candy,” I said. “It’s all of … this. Shouldn’t we have known he was watching us? Shouldn’t I have felt his presence? You said I sense things when it’s important. Why didn’t I sense this?”
“I don’t have an answer for you,” Aric said. “My guess is that your inner danger alarm didn’t go off because Mark wasn’t an immediate threat. He was a distant danger at the time. You somehow know how to react in the moment. Don’t read too much into this. I’m the one who messed up on this one.”
“How do you figure?”
“I was on the other side of that fence more often than you were,” Aric explained. “I should have scented him.”
“You were on the lookout for paranormals, not disgruntled humans. You couldn’t have known.”
“I should’ve known,” Aric argued. “It doesn’t matter now. The fence is down and we’re not going back. Mark isn’t going to be a threat much longer. We’re not leaving here until he’s been dealt with.”
“I think I found something on the Academy,” Brittany said. “It’s on college stationery and it never actually spells out that it’s talking about the Academy, but it details how much money Mark is going to need if he wants to start his sponsored group and maintain it for a full year.”
“That sounds about right,” Aric said, taking the sheet of paper from Brittany. “This is dated two weeks ago. Mark keeps asking for permission to restart the group but this … Dan Lincoln … says that he can’t unless he secures the funding himself.”
“That’s why he wants my inheritance, isn’t it?” Brittany asked.
“That would be my guess,” Aric confirmed. “The space where the Academy used to be was mostly empty except for some gym mats and books. Zoe shredded both just to mess with him. I’m not sure how often he visits that space, but when he does go down there he’s going to find the surprise we left.”
“He’s also going to plug the security hole we walked through thanks to Rafael’s sources,” I reminded him.
“That’s not going to be a concern, because the Academy will be dead in the water without Mark,” Aric said. “Has anyone found anything else of use? If not, I want to get moving. We know enough. I need to call my father and get some backup. We’re moving against Mark tonight.”
I lifted my eyebrows, surprised. “We are?”
“I don’t trust him, Zoe,” Aric said. “He’s a threat to you. He’s a threat to us. The sooner we end him the better it will be for all of us.”
“He’s having a party tonight,” Brittany said. “He’s inviting a lot of people with money. I thought it was for som
e scholarship program he keeps talking about, but I’ll just bet he’s really looking for investors to fund the new Academy.”
“Then we’re definitely moving on him tonight,” Aric said, climbing to his feet and pulling me to a standing position. “We need to send a message to people who might be likely to invest in something like the Academy. They have to know it won’t be tolerated.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’m ready to go home, so I agree. If we’re lucky, we’ll be out of here tomorrow.”
“That’s my girl,” Aric said, grinning.
I returned the smile and then hurried over to the collage so I could remove one of the photographs. When I turned around, Aric’s eyebrows knit in confusion.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to frame this photo.” It was the one of us on the deck.
“Why?”
“Because I look really cute in it,” I replied.
“But … he took it when he was spying on us.”
I held up the photo. “See how cute I look?”
Aric fought the urge to smile and lost, finally shaking his head and giving up. “I like the way my muscles look in that photo, so I guess I don’t care where it came from. You do look cute.”
“See, this trip wasn’t a total loss.”
“You guys really are perfect for each other,” Brittany said, a heavy sigh escaping her pouty lips. “It makes me want to throw up.”
I tossed the gummy candy in her direction. “That will help you finish the job if you’re really interested.”
“Oh, well, thanks.”
“Don’t say I never gave you anything,” I said, laughing as Aric chased me out of the office.
26
Twenty-Six
“How do I look?”
Brittany pirouetted before the bedroom mirror and smiled at her reflection.
“You look nice,” I said, hoping I sounded more enthusiastic than I felt. Knowing that we were about to take down Mark – a guy I once considered my friend – weighed heavy on me. I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread washing over me.
After leaving Mark’s office, Aric dropped Brittany, Kelsey, Paris and me at the mall so we could pick out party dresses. He thought we should fit in as much as possible before we put an end to Mark’s charade.
I hated shopping on a normal day, so picking something out to wear to Mark’s comeuppance was a tall order. I finally let Paris and Brittany argue it out until they settled on a dress. I didn’t really care. My mother would’ve been proud of the way they wore me down.
“I can’t wait to see Mark’s face when he realizes I know what he’s been up to,” Brittany said. “Do you think he’ll cry?”
“I’m sure of it,” I said, forcing a smile.
“I’m going to go talk to Aric and leave you to get dressed. Paris and Kelsey should be here soon, right?”
“Aric’s father sent help, so one of those guys is shuttling them over here,” I said. “It won’t take long.”
“Okay. See you in a few minutes.”
I watched Brittany go, frustrated by her chipper attitude. I knew she had her own reasons for hating Mark – and they were well earned and numerous – but she seemed almost giddy in celebrating his death.
I slipped into the dress Paris and Brittany selected, frowning when I saw how deep the neckline plunged, and then sat on the bed to pull on the thigh-high stockings. My mother’s voice echoed in my head, and I was thankful I’d shaved my legs the previous evening. At least she would be happy with my outfit.
The bland sound of boy band music – Brittany’s choice, not mine – caused me to flip off the radio. I stilled when I heard low voices in the other room. It was Brittany and Aric. I moved closer to the door, chastising myself for eavesdropping, and then proceeded to listen to their muted conversation despite my reservations.
“I’m glad things are going well for you and Zoe,” Brittany said.
“You don’t have to lie. It’s not necessary,” Aric said. “No one says you have to be best friends with Zoe. Trust me. No one expects you two to hug it out when this is over. You don’t have to force a relationship that isn’t there.”
“I don’t hate Zoe. I just think you could do better.”
“There is nothing better than Zoe,” Aric said. “We’re building a life together.”
“I never understood what you saw in her,” Brittany pressed. She clearly wasn’t giving up. “At first I thought you were leading her on because you wanted something from her. Then I thought you were attracted to her because she was magical. Now, though … now I think you really love her.”
“I’ve loved her from the moment I set eyes on her,” Aric said, causing my heart to warm. “I didn’t realize what I was feeling at the time, but that was it. She was it for me from that moment forward. She’ll always be it for me.”
“What would you have done if you weren’t ‘it’ for her?” Brittany asked. “Would you have found someone else?”
“Are you asking me if I would’ve settled for anything less than what I have now? If so, the answer is no.”
“But … how did you know you and Zoe belonged together?” Brittany sounded wistful. “How did you know you were destined to be together forever?”
“I believe some things are meant to be,” Aric replied, not missing a beat. “Zoe and I are meant to be.”
“And you’re going to be happy following her from one dangerous scenario to the next for the rest of your lives? You know people will always be after her, don’t you?”
“I don’t care about that,” Aric said. “Zoe has proved she can take care of herself. She’s the strongest person I know. I’ll follow her wherever she needs to go, and I’ll do it gladly and with nothing but love in my heart.”
“What about when you have kids?” Brittany pressed. “Don’t you worry people will come after them because of who their mother is?”
“I think someone would have to be an idiot to come after my child,” Aric replied. “I think someone would have to be an absolute moron to go after Zoe’s child. As for anyone who would take on both of us together? They’re going to have to invent a new word for stupid.”
“I wish I could find someone who loves me as much as you love Zoe,” Brittany said. “As much as I dislike her, I’m envious.”
“I know,” Aric said. “That’s why you went after Will in the first place. The thing is, if you look back on that situation, Zoe wasn’t the one who ended up hurt. You were. You need to pick a life plan based on what you want, not who you can beat in the process. That’s the only way you’ll find happiness.”
“That’s sage advice,” Brittany said. “It comes a little late this go around, but I’ll keep it in mind when I decide I’m brave enough to start dating again.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” Aric said. “Are you ready to go?”
“I’m ready,” Brittany said. “Is it wrong that I’m excited to go undercover?”
“I think you’re excited to get your life back,” Aric countered. “There’s nothing wrong with that.” He cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Zoe, if you’re done eavesdropping, we need to get moving. Put your shoes on and join us.”
I scowled as I pulled the door open and glared at him. “How did you know?”
“Because you can’t seem to stop yourself,” Aric answered, raising his eyebrows when he saw my dress. “Wow!”
“Paris and Brittany picked it out,” I said, suddenly self-conscious. “I usually don’t like to show this much cleavage.”
“You look amazing,” Aric said. “Try not to ruin this dress. I have ideas for things I can do to you in it once this is over.”
“Does the first idea involve prime rib and crab legs as a reward?” I asked.
Aric grinned. “It does now. Come on. I think everyone is ready to get their lives back.”
“You can say that again,” Brittany said.
“OKAY, does everyone understand the plan?” Aric asked, shifting in the driv
er’s seat of the Explorer so he could focus on Paris and Kelsey. Brittany was already inside, eager to open the door and usher us inside Mark’s sanctuary. We had to give her time to get settled.
“We understand,” Kelsey said, making a dramatic face. “You don’t have to talk to us like we’re idiots.”
“Maybe I should draw it in crayon,” Aric suggested, causing me to snicker. He reached over and grabbed my hand, offering me a warm squeeze. “Are you ready for this?”
“I still think you should let me kill him,” I said. “You want to send a message. What better way is there to do it?”
“I love you, Zoe,” Aric said. “You’ve had to kill in the past to ensure our survival. I don’t think that’s necessary now. We’re going to take him into custody, question him, and then my father’s men are going to … take care of the rest. I’ve given it a lot of thought, and that’s what I want.”
“That’s not what you said before,” I pointed out. “In fact, that’s not what you said five hours ago when we found his creepy photo collection. What changed?”
“It’s something Brittany said,” Aric conceded. “I don’t want to change you. I wouldn’t change you for anything. That doesn’t mean we have to change ourselves to live a happy life.”
“You killed Quinn so I wouldn’t slip to the other side,” I said, remembering the look on the megalomaniac’s face when Aric snapped his neck. “You did that for me, didn’t you?”
“I did that for us,” Aric clarified. “I’m not saying our life will be perfect … although I’m as close to perfect as there is if you believe all the women in our world. I’m not saying we’ll always get exactly what we want when we want it. I am saying that we don’t have to kill in this situation. We’re not on our own. We’re not outnumbered. If that changes, the plan changes. We can be adaptable. I don’t want our first instinct to always be killing.”
“He’s going to end up dead anyway,” I said.
“Yes, but with this plan my father’s men will be able to question him and then put him down their own way,” Aric said. “I don’t want to be a part of that unless we have to be a part of it. When we have kids – if we have kids – I don’t want to teach them to kill first and ask questions later.”
Dark Covenant (Living Covenant Trilogy Book 2) Page 20
