by A. V. Asher
“Jesus,” Patrick murmured.
“Tell me McKinley wouldn’t trade Mercedes for the two of them.”
“You’re a sick fuck, you know that?” Adam’s eyes were filled with disgust.
Mariah glared at him. “It won’t work, anyway.”
“Why not?”
“After all this time, I still don’t think you have a fucking clue who you’re dealing with,” Mariah scoffed and shook her head. “How would he even know we have his sister and her baby? Alec isn’t going to call his mum and check-in to see how the family is doing.
“He’s going dark, and he’s taking Mercedes with him. If anyone knows how to fall off the grid, it’s Alec. He could, at this very moment, have her on a charter jet to America, or France, or fucking Morocco. They could be going anywhere. It could be weeks before he makes any sort of contact with his team. And because we’ve lost access, we won’t find them until he’s ready to resurface.” She scowled. “That’s how bad you’ve fucked us tonight.”
“You’re just sad to lose your little fuck buddy.” Jason sneered.
“Ha. Not at all. I don’t get attached the way some people do.” She cocked her head at him. “You know, he’s quite good in bed. I’m sure Sadie is really going to enjoy herself.”
Fire lashed through his gut. He lunged.
Click-click. The sound of a bullet entering a chamber stopped him. Adam had his .9mm aimed at the side of his head.
Jason met Adam’s dark blue eyes and froze.
“One of my men is dead. The cops are all over that house, leaving us with a mess to clean up, and now we’re blind.” Adam pressed the barrel against his temple. “We’ve barely been able to stay a step ahead of McKinley, and he doesn’t even know he’s playing the game. There’s no doubt he’s about to catch on, and then we’re fucked. Explain to me why I shouldn’t put a bullet in your brain and be done with you.”
“I can get what we need.”
“How?” The cool metal pressed harder. “Kidnapping babies?”
“No. Mariah’s right; it wouldn’t work, anyway.” Jason leaned back to lessen the pressure on his bruises. “But you know there are loose ends we haven’t tugged on. Let me work them.”
Adam stared at him, clearly contemplating his choices. “You’ve made a lot of promises.”
“I’ve kept a lot of promises,” Jason shot back.
The gun lowered. “This is your last chance. No more fuck-ups, or I end you.” Adam turned to go but stopped and looked Jason in the eye. “And if I hear anything has happened to the sister or the kid, I’ll tear your tongue out through your throat. You get me?”
Jason swallowed hard. “Understood.”
Adam looked to Patrick. “You stay with him. Make sure he doesn’t do anything else stupid.”
Patrick nodded. Adam stalked out of the room, Mariah following behind.
Jason let out his breath in relief. Shit, that was too close. He brought the ice pack back to his face, his mind racing.
He needed to find Mercedes or find what they were looking for. There were no leads on either.
One way or another, he had to get to Mercedes before Adam did.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The city had fallen away to the darkness of the country motorway. The only sounds were the heavy rumble of the engine and a nineties radio station playing quietly.
The ache in Alec’s gut hadn’t eased since they’d left the warehouse. Every mistake he’d made replayed over and over in his mind. He should have known, should have seen the attack coming. Mercedes had trusted him to get her away from that fucking madman. And he’d failed her.
It was unforgivable.
Alec stole a look at her. The dim lights coming off the dashboard washed her in a soft glow. Her head rested against the window while her fingers danced against her thigh. A lock of chestnut hair fell forward, and she brushed it back behind her ear.
The simple movement made his breath catch. She’s everything. She doesn’t even have to try.
An image of that fucker’s fingers squeezing her throat assailed him, and his stomach roiled. Her nails digging into an unrelenting grasp. Panic in her eyes. The weight of her terror was hanging onto him, sucking away his ability to breathe.
Fuck.
How had they gotten so god damn close? Why hadn’t he known?
Mercedes hadn’t spoken much since she’d chosen to come with him. There was no doubt in his mind she was regretting the choice.
Alec could feel her slipping away from him again.
He cleared his throat. “Sadie,” he choked out. “I owe you an apology,”
She didn’t answer right away. “Yeah? For which part?”
He swallowed, his throat dry. “For all of it. I made a promise to you, and I didn’t keep it. I got outplayed.” Alec took his eyes off the road to meet her gaze. “You know the things I’ve seen. The things I’ve done.” He shook his head, his voice thick. “It shouldn’t have been possible to play me like that. And they did. I underestimated him. He hurt you again because I fucked up.”
Another agonizing silence lingered between them. When she spoke again, she had lost the heat that had peppered her tone since the warehouse. “I know you’re doing everything you can.”
“It wasn’t enough.” The words were suffocating.
Mercedes exhaled sharply and put her head back against the seat, staring at the ceiling. He didn’t miss her dabbing the corner of her eye with her finger. When she turned to him, tears were threatening to spill.
“Alec.” Her voice shook with emotion. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be sleeping next to him right now. I’m grateful that I’m not.”
He jerked his head to look at her. “You would have gone back to him?” he asked, his voice strangled. The thought of her lying next to him made his stomach lurch.
“I wouldn’t have had a choice, would I? You’ve seen how they work. I’d never have made it out of the hospital on my own.” Her lips turned up. “I needed help, and you gave it to me. I’m not happy about having to run again, but I always knew the risks.”
The knot tightened again. They were only on the run because of Mariah. He knew how it looked, what Mariah had made her believe. The fact he was about to kiss Mercedes when everything went to shit made it all seem worse.
Christ, that doorbell couldn’t have come at a worse time.
“About Mariah . . .”
“No,” Mercedes shook her head. “I’m not ready to go there yet.”
“Sadie, I . . .”
She stopped him. “Alec, please. I can’t right now.”
God, this was going to kill him. But he’d do it if she wasn’t ready to talk about it. He bit his lip and nodded.
They let the road and the radio lull them.
The shrill sound of a phone ringing broke the silence, and Mercedes jumped.
“You have your phone?”
“It’s a burner phone. Only Cress and Dec know about it.” He pulled it from his back pocket and answered.
Cress’s voice came through. “Good evening, Renegade. Busy night?”
He scoffed. “Aye, Artemis. What do we know?”
“Well, I have a few updates. The safehouse has one deceased male. He isn’t one of Jason’s known associates. The police are all over the house. The press is also on the scene.”
“Shit.”
“Rebellion will cover police statements and press releases. It should hold them off of you for a while. Everyone is going quiet.”
“Good. What lodgings did you secure?”
“I have some unfortunate news there. There’s no availability in isolated properties, so you’ll have to be wary. I’ve done a background check. It’s a solid location. You have a map in your encrypted messages.”
“Let me verify.” He slowed the car and pulled onto the shoulder of the road to scroll through the phone and find the map.
“Confirmed. Establish new comms as soon as it’s safe to do so.”
“Will do. Sta
y safe.”
“You as well.”
Alec hung up and studied the map. Once he had it memorized, he opened his door, walked in front of the car, and tossed the phone in the dirt. He pulled his gun, and shot two rounds into the phone, and tossed the remaining pieces into the night.
“Why did you do that?” Mercedes’s eyes were wide. “Now we don’t have a way to contact them.”
“Aye. Now we’re dark.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was no turning back.
Pulling back onto the highway, he figured now would be a good time to go over what she should expect.
“Unfortunately, Cress couldn’t get us a place on our own, so we will have to interact with people. My name will be William Cameron. I’m an investment banker in London. I don’t have identification for you, so you can pick a name to go by. When you speak, people will know you’re an American. There’s no reason to pretend you’re not. In fact, stay as close to reality as you can.”
“Lies are hard to keep track of.” The hollowness of her words hit him. How many lies had she told to keep what that asshole had done to her a secret?
Alec swallowed. “What shall I call you?”
“Elizabeth. Elizabeth . . . Carter.” She scoffed. “It’ll be an improvement on Mercedes.”
Alec cast a glance at her. “Mercedes is a beautiful name.”
A ghost of a smile played on her lips, but she wouldn’t look at him.
“We have a few hours left. You should get some rest.”
Mercedes leaned forward to take off the sweater she had borrowed from him. She balled it up and laid it on the window to use as a pillow.
It took a while before her strumming fingers quieted, settling against her thigh. Even though her face had softened and her breath had evened out, there was no way she’d get a restful sleep like that.
Guilt gnawed at him. Mercedes deserved to be sleeping in her own bed. Not leaning against a cold car window, injured and running for her life. She deserved the whole fucking world.
A gentle shake of her shoulder woke Mercedes. “Sadie, we’re almost there.”
She rubbed her eyes and sat up, her neck tight. The night was an inky black. Only a few sparkling lights twinkled at them in the distance.
Mercedes snuck a look at Alec. His brows were furrowed, and his jaw set tight. The heaviness between them was taking a toll on them both.
“There isn’t anything out here,” she said.
“We’re pretty far from any sort of city, that’s true. There’s a town just over this hill. Hey, can you reach into the back seat and get that beanie?”
Mercedes grabbed it and held it to him. Alec shook his head. “It’s for you. There’s some blood in your hair.”
A few turns later and a charming little village came into view. Tall stone shops and houses lined the deserted cobblestone roads, illuminated by decorative street lamps. The rumble of the car’s engine cut through the slumbering streets.
They turned onto a long drive. The sight of the inn breaking through the trees made Mercedes draw in her breath. The sprawling house wasn’t a castle but a large manor lit from below to showcase the red and cream brickwork. A stone sign announced they had arrived at Kennison Manor Inn and Spa. Alec pulled the car into the mostly empty parking lot.
Mercedes opened the door and was immediately struck by the freshness of the air. Gone were the sharp scents of cars and people. A soft and earthy essence filled the night.
She covered her hair with the cap and followed Alec into the inn. The scent of cookies warmed the entryway. It had the feel of a comfortable cottage rather than a large estate.
“Oh-ho lad, I’ll be right with you,” a voice called from the adjoining room. A tall white gentleman emerged, brushing crumbs from his shirt. He was older, perhaps in his early seventies, with closely cropped gray hair and a salt-and-pepper beard.
“You caught me whilst I was stealing one of my wife’s biscuits. Supposed to be for tomorrow, but she’ll never miss it. Can I get you one?”
“Oh, no, thank you.” Alec smiled. “I believe my assistant called and made a reservation for Cameron.”
“Aye, she did. You must be the young lovers looking for a romantic getaway. My name’s Gavin Kennison.”
Alec gave a short cough to cover his surprise. Mercedes winced and pursed her lips. She knew exactly who to thank for that.
“Aye sir, I’m William.” Alec extended his hand, which the man took heartily. “And this is Elizabeth Carter,” he added, putting his hand to the small of her back.
The man turned his twinkling eyes toward her, and she couldn’t help smiling at him. He shook her hand as well, giving it a cheery pat.
“Thank you for fitting us in on such short notice and so late,” Mercedes said.
“Oh no, no need to worry about that, lass. I’m a night owl, and I don’t mind a bit.” He gave Alec a tap on the shoulder. “Come, we’ll get you all signed in.”
“Remind me I need to sack Cressida the next time we see her,” Alec muttered into Mercedes’s ear before following the man to the desk. Mercedes chuckled softly.
She examined the architecture and artwork of the room around her. A painting of the estate in the late 1700s caught her attention, and she moved in to study it.
“Hello, I heard we were having latecomers,” a male voice said behind her.
Mercedes yelped and leapt away from the stranger, her heart racing.
He stepped back with his hands up. “Oh, so sorry, lass. Didn’t mean to give you a turn.” His rich brown eyes were surprised.
Alec was more than halfway across the room to her when she met his gaze and gave him a small shake of the head. He stopped, fists clenched at his sides.
She felt like an idiot. “It’s okay. Sorry, I’m a little jumpy.”
Alec narrowed his eyes at the man but backed away, returning to the front desk and their host.
“I’m David Kennison. My parents own the inn.” He offered his hand to her. The corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled. She took it, noticing the roughness of his palms.
“Elizabeth Carter.” The name sounded so strange coming out of her mouth. She made a snap decision. “You can call me Eliza.”
“Eliza, lovely. You’re an American?”
“Guilty.”
David’s mouth was turned up in a pleasant smile. He was attractive. Maybe he didn’t have the chiseled handsomeness of the McKinley cousins, but he had a certain charm.
“I’ve always wanted to go there but never have. Whereabouts are you from?”
Alec had told her to stick to the truth as much as possible. “San Francisco, originally. Now I live in London.”
“Oh, brilliant. San Francisco’s on my bucket list for sure.”
A wave of homesickness washed over her as she thought of home. She was so out of step with the world she was in now.
Alec had finished with the check-in and joined them.
“William Cameron.” He offered his hand to David with a smile that didn’t meet his eyes. He was studying the man’s face intently. David took it and seemed to take the measure of Alec as well.
“I was saying to Eliza, I have always wanted to travel to the US. San Francisco is on the top of that list. She was about to tell me some of the best places to go. I’d love to finish up that conversation while you’re here. Maybe it will inspire me to buy a plane ticket.”
“Of course. Be happy to,” Mercedes said.
David flashed her another smile and tilted his head at her.
Alec cleared his throat. “Well, it’s been quite a long day. Darling, we should head to our room.”
Her pulse leapt. The “darling” threw her. It was the only pet name she’d ever loved, and only from his lips.
She flushed. “Of course.” She turned to David again. “It was lovely to meet you. We’ll chat soon.”
She took Alec’s hand, and he led her to the grand staircase and to their suite. It was stunning. Large firepl
ace with a sitting area around it, perfect for reading in front of the fire. Floor-to-ceiling curtains that perfectly matched the modern red and cream decor.
Except there was only one bed.
Since Cressida had told the owner this was a romantic getaway, there was a tray perched at the foot of the fluffy cream down comforter. On it was a variety of chocolate truffles, a bottle of red wine, and two glasses.
Alec frowned at it like it might jump and bite him.
Mercedes walked to the tray and picked up the card that was tented on it.
Enjoy you two
~ C & D
“Well, it looks like she had help.” She handed the card to Alec.
“My next communication with them should be fun,” Alec grumped.
The bed was large enough to fit them both. But given the state of their tattered relationship at the moment, Mercedes doubted they would both be sleeping on it.
She’d worry about that later. Right now, she needed a shower. Jason hadn’t had his hands on her for long, but she could still smell him on her.
The water stung when it hit the crown of her head. She washed until the suds no longer came back pink in her hand.
When she left the bathroom, he had lit the fire and set up blankets and a pillow on the rug for a makeshift bed.
“You don’t have to sleep down there. There’s no way you’ll get any rest.”
“It’s fine.”
Mercedes frowned. “You’re paying for this room. It’s not right you’re sleeping on the floor.” This is silly.
“I don’t mind.” Without warning, he stripped off his shirt and tossed it in his bag. “I’ve slept in worse places.”
The firelight flickered on his skin, shadows dancing around his taut muscles. Pure need washed through her, pooling heat between her legs. Lord, help me.
He gathered his clothes and went to the shower, seemingly unaware of what he’d just done to her. Mercedes rubbed her temples, willing her heart to slow down.
Yeah, he should probably sleep on the floor.
The bottle of wine caught her eye. Perfect. She poured a glass and snagged a chocolate truffle from the plate. It was a little piece of heaven. With the chaos of the night, they hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. She wasn’t about to disturb the hosts, so this was probably all they would get until breakfast.
