The woman continued past her and dropped her box into the Jeep before silently returning back to the house for more.
Dammit.
It wasn’t worth the breath to argue or try to stop them.
Instead, Kinley popped the door on her car and set the case inside. Gray came behind her and immediately pulled it back out again, then carried it over to the Jeep.
Fed up, she finally turned, put her hands on his back and shoved hard. “What do you think you’re doing? Leave my shit alone!”
“Kinley, I’m not letting you deal with the Russians by yourself. Let us help you get out of here. I have a private jet at the airport waiting on standby to take us wherever you want.”
Why the hell would he do that?
Kinley stared at the man in front of her, completely dumbfounded. “I ruined your life.”
“No, you didn’t, but we can talk about that later. Right now, we need to get out of here.”
The woman came back with another case and stacked it on the others. Anger, fear, desperation and hope all mixed together in her belly, making her want to throw up. The two of them were certainly acting like they wanted to help.
The faint sound of an engine lifted into the air.
“Shit,” Gray said. “They’re here. Get in.”
“But I don’t have everything.”
“There’s no more time.” Grasping her arm, Gray pulled her over to the Jeep, gripped her waist and tossed her into the back seat. The woman with him scrambled up into the other side as Gray vaulted into the passenger seat.
The driver, clearly a local, spun the tires as Gray urged, “Hurry up.”
One of the other reasons she’d chosen the house was because there were two paths in and out, something the driver clearly already knew because he headed in the opposite direction of the approaching car.
Everyone was silent as they jolted into the overgrown vegetation. Anxiety filled the air between them and they all waited to see if the car behind them would stop at the house or follow.
Kinley twisted so she could see out the back. And let out a huge sigh of relief when the wide circle of headlights stopped, shining straight onto the house. A handful of men jumped out of the two vehicles, swarming up onto the front porch.
That was all she caught before they took a hairpin turn and the house completely disappeared from view.
Turning around, Kinley stared at the back of her brother’s head. Her world had just gotten very surreal.
The woman beside her leaned forward, catching her attention. Holding out a hand, she said, “Hi, I’m Blakely. I work with your brother.”
* * *
The Jeep was silent and rife with tension. Blakely wanted to do or say something to cut it, but nothing would help. Gray was only in the front seat, but for some reason he suddenly felt very far away.
Not once since they’d gotten in had he looked back at her. Or at Kinley, for that matter. Blakely’s stomach knotted with apprehension and uncertainty.
They pulled into the private entrance at the airport, racing toward the jet sitting on the tarmac.
Several people milled around. A few were loading luggage and cargo. Clearly, Gray had instructed someone to pack their things and bring them. She hadn’t even seen him send a text or make a call.
But that was Gray, silently taking care of the things that needed attention.
They pulled up close to the jet. Several men raced forward, pulled Kinley’s cases from the back and rushing them toward the plane.
“Wait,” his sister protested, reaching for one. “I’m not going.”
The man gave her a look like she’d grown two heads, shook off her hold and then proceeded to do exactly as he’d been instructed.
Gray approached his sister. “Kinley, we’ll take you wherever you want to go, but I can’t leave you here while the Russians are so close. It’s not safe.”
Kinley shook her head. “Why are you doing this? Helping me?”
A small smile played at the edges of Gray’s mouth. “I know about what you do. You steal money from really bad people and give it to those that need it.”
“I stole money from you.”
“Yes, you did. Did you mean to?”
Kinley threw her hands into the air. “Of course not!”
Gray shifted, rocking on his feet like he wanted to reach out to his sister, but stopped himself before actually touching her. “Trust me, my bank account is fine.”
“I have the money. You can have it back. I’ve been trying to figure out how to put it into your accounts without screwing myself or you even worse than I already did.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
Gray took another step closer to his sister. “I happen to know a hacker who’s almost as good as you are.”
“Who?”
Gray’s grin widened. “Not my info to share. But I have a feeling you’ll have an opportunity to meet at some point.”
Blakely watched Gray tentatively reach out a hand to Kinley and set it on her shoulder.
Brother and sister faced off, Kinley with a perplexed expression and Gray with hope. Blakely’s chest tightened. It was a surreal moment, one she was grateful to witness.
Gray had lost so much. The only family he’d ever known abandoned him. He’d learned the woman who’d given birth to him never wanted him and didn’t care what happened to him. Sure, he’d found two amazing friends that were as close as brothers, but at the end of the day it wasn’t the same as blood.
God, she really hoped Gray was right and Kinley wouldn’t screw him over, too. She was hopeful, but it was difficult for her not to let the cynicism of her childhood color that hope.
“I own a security company. We can always use someone with your skills.”
“No.” Kinley didn’t even contemplate Gray’s tentative offer. “I work alone.”
“You still can. I’m just saying, if you ever want to freelance...” Gray pulled out a cell and handed it to her. “My number is programmed. Call me. Anytime.”
“Just like that. You’re going to let the twenty million dollars and everything else go?”
Gray shrugged. “It’s not like I need it. Use it for something good, Kinley.”
“You’re not going to turn me in?”
Gray shook his head. “No.”
Blakely took a step back. She wasn’t surprised to hear him voice that decision, but it still made her heart hurt. He was giving up the one thing he’d been working so long and hard for.
Fourteen
Blakely had been quiet since they’d gotten onto the plane. A few hours ago, they’d made a fuel stop in Hong Kong. They’d also left Kinley there.
It had been difficult to watch his sister walk away. Not just because she was in danger, but because he’d just found her. And a huge part of him wanted the opportunity to get to know her better.
But that wasn’t his choice. He’d made the offer of a position with Stone—from there it was up to her what happened next with her life. What he could control was what happened in his.
Gray watched the ground disappear beneath them as they rose higher into the sky. Soon enough, they’d be back in Charleston. He wasn’t surprised when Blakely sat down in the chair next to his.
Since they’d boarded the plane, she’d been keeping a distance between them. Maybe she’d sensed he’d needed the space. Or maybe she was avoiding him.
He was so mentally and physically exhausted, at the moment he wasn’t sure whether or not it mattered. The result was the same. There was this space between them that hadn’t been there before.
“What now?”
Her question was simple. Unfortunately, the answer wasn’t. Hell, he wasn’t absolutely certain what she was really asking. But he could answer one thing.
“Nothing. We go back to the
office and go on with life.”
Leaning forward, Blakely put her elbows on her knees and dropped her head. “I was afraid you were going to say that. You’re not going to tell the authorities or your father.”
It wasn’t a question. Clearly, she’d already figured out he wasn’t. Not only had he said as much to Kinley, but deep down, he knew it was the right thing to do.
“It would put her in someone else’s crosshairs and she’s already got plenty of people chasing her.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You deserve your life back, Gray. You didn’t do anything wrong and you’ve lost everything.”
Had he? Gray wasn’t so sure that was true.
“Getting my life back would mean destroying hers.” And he wasn’t willing to do that. They might not have shared history, but they did share DNA. And at the end of the day, she was as much a victim in all of this as he was. He refused to punish her for her parents’ manipulation and a mistake she’d made when she was sixteen.
“Not necessarily. She’s really good at being a ghost. Just because you produce evidence that you were framed doesn’t mean you need to give up her trail.”
“Maybe, but it’s a risk I’m not willing to take. My father has means and determination. At the moment, he thinks I have twenty million stashed somewhere. If he discovered someone else was in possession of those Lockwood assets...he’d stop at nothing to find the person responsible.”
“Kinley’s willing to give back the money.”
“And that might help, but it won’t stop him. I know him, and he’s relentless when he’s on a crusade. No, it’s better if he never knows. I’ve already paid my debt to society, Blakely. I can’t get those years back, no matter what.”
“No, but you can get your family back. Your reputation and legacy.”
Gray laughed, the sound bitter even to his own ears. “I don’t really have a family, do I? And I never did. My father doesn’t give a damn about me. He cares about appearances. The woman I thought was my mother couldn’t care less what happens to me. And the mother who gave birth to me is only interested in what she can get out of me. No, thank you. I’m perfectly happy with the life I have.”
“What life? Gray, I’ve spent the last few weeks with you. Your existence has been entirely wrapped up in proving your innocence. The last eight years. All I’m saying is, don’t make this decision in haste.”
A tight knot cramped Gray’s stomach. Blakely stared at him through those pale blue eyes that always cut straight through him. He’d seen them filling with passion and heat. Hope and frustration. Right now, they were awash with guilt and disappointment.
“Don’t give up the chance to clear your name. Everyone needs to know you’re not a criminal. You deserve the chance to shake off that stigma.”
In that moment, Gray realized just how important that was to her. Images of her father standing in the middle of the office hallway, everyone staring at the spectacle he’d created, flashed across his mind. Her embarrassment and irritation at the precinct. The tired disappointment in her voice as she’d talked about growing up with a criminal as a father.
Clearing his name had become a crusade for her, as well, and not simply because of the guilt she harbored for her part in putting him in jail.
Blakely had a clear sense of right and wrong thanks to the gray world her father lived in. She’d lived with the taint of that stigma her entire life, and she’d done everything she could to distance herself from it.
And if he didn’t clear his name, being with him would taint her once again.
He couldn’t ask her to do that. But he also couldn’t use the information he had to clear his name.
“I’ll think about it.” Although he wouldn’t. Standing up, Gray gave her a weak smile. “I’m going to make a few phone calls and take care of a few things back home.” And he walked back into the bedroom.
This day was about to get worse, but just like the fights he’d been in, sometimes he just had to take a punch.
* * *
Gray had spent the rest of their flight in the bedroom, only coming back out minutes before they landed. Blakely almost regretted what she’d said, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to get there. He’d worked so damn hard to prove his innocence, she hated to watch him walk away from the opportunity to get back everything he’d lost.
Maybe he just needed time alone to deal with the disappointment of getting so close only to watch the redemption he’d wanted slip through his fingers. She completely understood the decision he was making...but that didn’t make it suck any less.
It was late at night when the plane touched down. They disembarked and Blakely tried not to worry about the fact that Gray kept his distance and didn’t touch her. He was just dealing with things.
That was, until they reached the tarmac. Two cars waited for them. Blakely caught a glimpse of her bag being loaded into one...and Gray’s being put into the other.
Turning, she said, “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why are we taking separate cars?”
Gray cocked his head to the side. “Because we’re both going home.”
Blakely couldn’t stop herself, even though she already knew the answer. “Alone?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He pulled in a deep breath and held it for several seconds before finally letting it out. “Look, Blakely. You held up your end of the bargain. You helped me prove my innocence.”
“Even though you’re not going to do anything with the information.”
His mouth thinned. “Even though. I’m following through with my end. You should be receiving a phone call tomorrow from an accounting firm in town. They’re going to interview you, but it’s just a formality. You can start your life and career over.”
Blakely stared at Gray for several seconds. An anxious pit opened up in the bottom of her belly. This wasn’t what she wanted.
“That’s it?” Her purse slipped through numbed fingers, dropping to the ground at her feet. She took several steps forward, right into his personal space. Gray didn’t flinch—he just stared at her out of cold, remote eyes.
This was not the man who’d rocked her world and spent hours worshipping her body just days ago. The man in front of her was the aloof felon. The intense brawler hell-bent on victory.
“You’re going to pretend the last few days didn’t happen? That you didn’t spend hours with your mouth and hands on my body?”
“No, why would I pretend it didn’t happen? I enjoyed every minute of it. You did, too. But that was just proximity and chemistry, Blakely. We were physically attracted to each other.”
“Were.” The single word fell flat.
“There’s no reason for us to see each other again. The job is finished.”
“What if I want to stay at Stone?” She’d really enjoyed the work they’d done together. Being part of solving the puzzle had been exhilarating. And it didn’t hurt that they’d been trying to find justice, something she prized highly thanks to her childhood. Being part of that had felt...purposeful and important.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why? You’re not this asshole, Gray.”
His mouth twisted into a self-deprecating smile. “I assure you, I can be as much an asshole as the next guy. It was fun while it lasted, but it’s over. Time for both of us to go back to our lives.”
Blakely stared up at him, a mixture of hurt, pride, anger and pain making her physically ill. Heat washed over her body, and not the kind that normally filled her when Gray was near. Her stomach felt like she’d swallowed a cup of battery acid.
She refused to beg him, even if her brain was screaming at her to convince him he was wrong. She deserved to be with a man who wanted her, not someone who
felt she was disposable as soon as she wasn’t useful to him anymore.
Never once had she thought Gray was that kind of man, but apparently, she was wrong.
Taking two steps back, Blakely began nodding her head. “Normal. That’s exactly what I need.”
She spun on her heel and stalked away. It was either that, or let him see the tears she couldn’t hold back silently rolling down her face.
* * *
“What the hell is your problem? You’ve been a right prick the last few days.” Finn leaned back in the large leather chair, a single dark eyebrow winged up in that sharp, insolent and questioning way he had.
Gray fought the urge to reach across the table and punch him. Logically, he realized the reaction was way too much. But he was having a very hard time controlling his temper.
“Heartbroken fool.” Those two words were Stone’s contribution to the conversation.
“O-o-oh,” Finn said, drawing out the single word. “Poor bastard.”
Stone shrugged. “He did it to himself so I don’t have a lot of sympathy.”
Finn’s lips tipped up at the corners. “Yeah, but you remember both of us had a stupid moment ourselves before we got our heads out our asses.”
“Speak for yourself. I don’t remember any stupid moments.”
Finn scoffed, the incredulous sound echoing through the room and scraping against his last nerve. “Bullshit. Just because you don’t want to admit it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Besides, I’m pretty sure you had more than one.”
“No reason to go there,” Stone said with a pointed look. “Besides, we were talking about Gray.”
“Any bets on how long it takes before he comes to his senses, goes after her and grovels?”
Stone tipped his head sideways, studying him like he was a specimen beneath a microscope. “I’m pretty sure he’s close to the breaking point right now. I’d say...two days. Max.”
“Nah, I’m going with tomorrow. I hear her dad’s case is going before the judge then.”
“No fair, you had insider information.”
The Sinner's Secret Page 15
