Sweet Revenge

by Christy Reece

  “May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Kane.”

  Jamie jerked her attention back to the wedding proceedings, mortified that she’d been daydreaming and had missed the rest of her sister’s wedding. Appalled at her selfishness, she exploded into applause, startling everyone. Thankfully, the entire room followed suit, everyone joining in exuberantly.

  McKenna gave Jamie a loving smile and a wink. Relieved that she hadn’t ruined anything, Jamie pulled herself together and followed the newly wedded couple down the aisle. Today was Lucas and McKenna’s day. Her preoccupation with a man who frustrated and irritated her beyond reason didn’t belong here.

  Nor did she want to think about the phone call she’d received an hour before the wedding. Unsurprising news, but nevertheless devastating. Soon she’d go back to considering what lay ahead of her. For now, she wanted to celebrate and be thankful for what she had. The hard stuff would be here soon enough.

  She was doing that thing with her mouth again. Dylan had watched Jamie during the entire ceremony. Did she know that every emotion she experienced revealed itself on her face? Did she know that when she was nervous, she nibbled on her lower lip? Did she know that it was as distracting as hell?

  He stood in a corner of the small reception hall, his back to the wall. He’d congratulate the bride and groom later. For now, he wanted to watch her—the maid of honor—the loveliest creature he’d ever seen in his life.

  The hell of it was, she didn’t know it. He’d never seen anyone so incredibly artless and unaware of her own appeal. She thought she had offended him somehow, and while he regretted her hurt feelings, he couldn’t change his attitude toward her. He’d much rather see disdain in her eyes than fear.

  Jamie had been through hell, and though she had adjusted better than any victim of abuse he’d ever seen, she was still vulnerable. If she knew his thoughts, she’d be wary, maybe even terrified. And what good would it be for her to find out the truth anyway?

  So he’d be the jerk, something he had a lot of practice with, and she’d never know that his heart thundered like a herd of stampeding rhinos when she was near or that another body part hardened at just the thought of her. These were secrets he’d take to his grave.

  “We need to talk.”

  Dylan turned to see Noah McCall standing beside him, the grim expression on his face not a sign of anything good. “What’s up?”

  “Let’s go outside.”

  With an ominous chill zipping up his spine, Dylan followed his boss out the door to an enclosed courtyard. Both men remained silent until they stopped at the other end of the small area.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “All charges against Reddington have been officially dropped.”

  Dylan didn’t even have a curse vile enough to spew. “I thought at least a few of them were going to stick. What happened?”

  “I don’t have the details yet. I’ve got a call in to the prosecutor’s office.”

  “Jamie know yet?”

  “Yeah, apparently she got a call earlier today.”

  And she’d stood at the wedding, looking beautiful and happy, as if all was right with her world. Dylan hadn’t thought his admiration could get stronger.

  “What are we going to do about it?”

  “I’m going to get the details; then we’ll go from there. With what she’s told us she overheard while she was in his house, there’s got to be a way we can get inside his organization and stop the bastard.”

  Dylan gazed around the peaceful serenity of the private garden. Peace was only a façade—he’d learned that painful lesson long ago. But, dammit, if anyone deserved to have that illusion, it was Jamie.

  He turned back to McCall. “Whatever it takes to get to him, I want the job.”

  “I figured you might. Jamie’s asked to see me tomorrow … I’m assuming about this.”

  “Don’t bring up my name … okay?”

  McCall paused for a second and then said, “You know, it’s not a sin to be attracted to her.”

  The hard glare he gave his boss would have stopped most people from treading further into dangerous territory. Of course, Noah McCall wasn’t most people.

  “At some point, you have to put the past to rest.”

  “Let it go,” Dylan bit out.

  Having made his point, McCall started back to the church. “I’ll let you know when I learn more.” He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “You coming?”

  “In a minute.” Dylan turned his eyes back to the darkness. Put the past to rest? No, some things couldn’t be put to rest or forgotten. Like a stench that never leaves your memory or a vile taste you can never forget, some things are meant to stay with you forever.

  “You’re missing all the fun.”

  The soft, almost melodic voice hit his ear like a wind chime—the last voice he wanted to hear.

  Without looking at her, he said, “Then why are you out here?”

  “I wanted to ask you what I’ve done.”

  Turning, Dylan faced her and felt his heart do that damn thudding thing again. Beautiful, delicate, with the face of an angel and a smile like sunshine.

  “Done?” Dylan asked mildly.

  “To offend you.”

  “You’ve done nothing.”

  “Then why are you so cold to me?”

  Dylan raised one brow. An affect he’d practiced and perfected as a kid to show everyone he didn’t give a damn. This time he used it purely for self-defense. “I wasn’t aware I was anything. Last night was the first time I’ve seen you since you returned.”

  “And when I saw you, you acted as if I’d done something I shouldn’t have.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t usually see the people I rescue after it’s over.”

  “I see.”

  Regret hit him, and he wanted to snatch the words back. As if her importance were only relegated to being a victim. Hell, what was it about her? With anyone else, he would’ve come up with something acceptably vague. With Jamie, not only did he not know what to say, but when he finally did speak, it came out either garbled or so damn blunt, even he winced.

  This time was no different. As he watched hurt shadow her face, he made the determination that he just needed to get away from her and stay away for good. He couldn’t treat her like anyone else because she wasn’t like anyone else. It was that simple.

  She turned away from him. “Fine. I won’t bother you again.”

  The instinctive need to offer comfort had Dylan reaching out his hand. A second later, he pulled away, allowing her to leave. What could he say? Nothing that would do a damn bit of good. She needed to get back to her safe, secure life, and he needed to return to the one he’d chosen.

  Her movements swift and agitated, she almost ran to get away from him. Unable to look away, Dylan watched her silver-and-gold gown shimmer like a graceful, beautiful butterfly until she disappeared from his sight. And then, once again, he was alone.

  Last Chance Rescue headquarters

  Paris

  Noah McCall’s black eyes were penetrating and cool as he shook his head. “We’re not in the revenge business, Jamie. You know that.”

  Sitting across the massive cherry desk from him, with every muscle in her body almost spasming with tension, she carefully watched the man’s face. She’d known him for a few months and had only ever seen the compassionate side of the LCR leader. As she had explained her position, his expression had grown noticeably harder.

  Unwilling for him to think her plan was so self-serving, she said, “Revenge isn’t my only reason.”

  “But a large part. Correct?”

  “Do I want to punish the man who purchased me like a toy for his son’s entertainment? Of course I do. But Reddington’s done and will continue to do much worse things than what he did to me. He has to be stopped.” She gave a nonchalant shrug, not feeling nonchalant in the least. “Revenge is merely a by-product. The icing on the cake.”

  The black eyes narrowed and turned flin
ty, no doubt trying to pierce the thin veil of bravado she had going for her. Little did Noah realize that he could cut straight through her till he saw daylight and she wouldn’t change her mind. Yes, she was terrified, and yes, she knew she had a long road ahead of her, but that didn’t mean she was any less determined.

  “I still haven’t talked to the prosecutor’s office,” Noah said. “And I know Lucas has got a call in to them, too. There’re still avenues that haven’t been explored. Don’t give up hope that he can’t be—”

  She snorted softly. “Let’s not lie to each other, Noah. Reddington’s claim that he and his son found me in a ditch and nursed me back to health wouldn’t fly for most people. Stanford Reddington is not most people. He’s got so much power and influence in Spain, even if the charges did stick long enough to go to trial, there’s no way he’d ever be convicted.”

  The grim set of Noah’s mouth told her he wanted to argue with her, but she knew he couldn’t. Despite having the police there when she’d been rescued and even though two people, one of whom was her sister, had been shot, Reddington had finagled the telling of the story so well that, on the surface, he looked like a cross between a fairy godfather and the Good Samaritan. He’d only been trying to do the right thing, and look what it’d gotten him. Poor, misunderstood bastard.

  The things she’d heard while she was in that house of horrors had been amazingly detailed but, in the end, pointless for the prosecution. Her word against his. And Reddington’s held a hell of a lot more weight.

  The phone call she’d received yesterday, before the wedding, had confirmed what she’d long suspected was going to happen. “We’re so sorry, Ms. Kendrick. Without actual, physical proof, there’s nothing more we can do.”

  The man was not only going to get away with what he’d done to her, he was getting away with so much more—horrendous, vile things that had been going on for years. He had to be stopped. Despite the fear, the knowledge that she wasn’t trained for this, she had to be involved in bringing him to justice. There was no other option.

  “I can’t be the only person LCR has rescued who’s asked to work for you.”

  “Is that what you’re asking … to be an LCR operative?”

  Was it? She didn’t know. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Do you ever train people to be operatives and then, if they decide it’s not for them, let them go?”

  Though he didn’t smile, she saw a spark of amusement in his expression. “Working for LCR isn’t a prison sentence, Jamie. I’ve had a couple of people who chose different paths after a year or so. And several of our operatives came from successful rescues.” All amusement gone, he leaned forward. “What I do insist is that my operatives are focused solely on the well-being of others, not their own agenda. Rescuing will always be our primary reason to exist.”

  “But in this case, there are people to be rescued.”

  “Then we can find them, without your help.”

  She raised her chin determinedly. “I want to be involved.”

  “Having an operative go after their abuser or abductor is asking for trouble. Personal involvement can screw up your thinking.”

  Jamie took a silent, bracing breath. Might as well go for broke. When Noah refused, which she now had no doubt he would, she could get up and leave, and go on to her second choice. “I’m giving you an opportunity, Noah.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “With or without your help, I’m going to get what I need to stop the man. If you want to be involved, this is your chance.”

  Only by a small, subtle shift in his body could she tell that she had surprised him. “And if I don’t agree …?”

  “LCR is my first choice, but there are other organizations and people who would be more than happy to assist me. I wanted to give you the first right of refusal.” She leaned forward and said, “What’s it going to be?”

  Jamie watched coolly as McCall pondered her challenge. Hiding behind a mask had been her way of life for years, so she wasn’t worried that he could see the emotions jumping through her like popping corn in an overheated popcorn machine. Dylan Savage was one of the few people who had the ability to destroy her carefully built façade. Thankfully, he wasn’t here to challenge her.

  Her ability to hide her thoughts from others was one of the biggest reasons she knew she could do this job. Being someone else would be no problem. Defending herself if something went wrong was most certainly an issue. She was just hoping that Noah would see fit to offer her a solution.

  As she waited for his answer, her sister’s face came to her mind. McKenna was going to kill her. Okay, probably not kill her, but she was going to be very upset. Her sister had risked her life to save her. How was she going to react once she learned that Jamie planned to pursue the devil in his own backyard?

  Noah thought she wanted to do this for revenge. No way would she deny that she wanted revenge. That would be disingenuous; plus, she was human enough to want to make sure the bastard paid. But what he’d done to her was barely a ripple in the man’s dark pool of evil.

  “Tell me what you’re suggesting.” McCall’s grim voice was a reminder that she still had some major hurdles to jump before she could even get to that point.

  “I have no real concerns about being able to get inside or about getting the information I need. My biggest problem is, if I’m caught, I need to know how to survive. I’ve had no training. If I had, I probably wouldn’t have been taken in the first place. I need LCR to teach me what I need to know.”

  “You’re not afraid that he’ll recognize you?”

  “No, he only saw me a few times, at the beginning. My face was so bruised and swollen, even I didn’t recognize myself.” Odd that she could speak of something so painful and humiliating as if it had happened to someone else. Though the memories lingered, they were covered with a determination so strong, a need so fierce, that the hurt was buried. And if she achieved her goal, she could bury it so deep with satisfaction that anything remaining would be like a bad dream.

  “What about his son Lance? He saw you after you healed, didn’t he?”

  She didn’t even flinch at the sound of the disgusting name. “The prosecutor told me he’s been sent to live with a distant relative in Germany. He’s going to school there and has apparently been told not to return for a long while.”

  “You’ve already told me you’re untrained, so what makes you think you can get anything? What qualifications do you have to get inside and get this information?”

  The truthful answer would be “None.” However, she had something that trumped experience. She had inside information that could get her into the midst of Reddington’s family. She spoke fluent Spanish and had no doubt that she could play her role well. Last, and probably the most important: she had the sheer determination to do this job. To anyone else, it might be just another mission. To Jamie, it was her life’s goal.

  “My lack of experience is a plus.”

  “How’s that?”

  “Who would suspect someone who looks like me of coming in to spy on such a powerful, wealthy man? La Femme Nikita I’m not.”

  “Maybe you should tell me exactly how you think you can get inside and how you plan to get the information.”

  She wouldn’t fall for that. “Not until after my training.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if I tell you, you’ll pat me on my head, tell me to go back home, and then you’ll do this on your own.”

  “We can do this on our own, Jamie. Never doubt that for a minute.”

  “I have a way inside that no one else … no other operative, would.”

  “Are you willing to risk your life and risk failure if this doesn’t work?”

  “I won’t fail.” Brave words, but she spoke the truth.

  “What about McKenna? What would you tell her?”

  She lifted her chin higher. Funnily enough, she’d rather face ten Noah McCalls than have to explain her plan to her sister. McKenna wouldn’t
like it, but if there was anyone who could understand why she had to do this, it was her sister.

  Before she could answer him, Noah spoke again, and this time, he went straight for her heart. “She almost died saving you. Putting your life on the line like this is a hell of a way to show your appreciation.”

  The barb went deep, as he’d intended. Jamie refused to let the hurt show or the sting deter her. There were a lot more painful things coming her way. “McKenna will understand.”

  “Will she?”

  “Yes.” She glanced down at her watch—a defense mechanism she’d learned while living and surviving with Aunt Mavis. The tactic had worked with her aunt, since if Mavis didn’t look like she was getting a rise out of Jamie, she usually shut up. Though it probably wouldn’t work with Noah, the familiarity of the habit soothed her.

  “Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you.”

  “No. I either have your agreement now or I’ll leave and not bother you again.”

  Yes, she knew she was on shaky ground, and she felt like crap for being so hateful to the man who’d done so much for her. Noah didn’t deserve this treatment, but if she didn’t stand strong, he’d never agree to her proposition.

  His stare almost melted her, that Jamie withstood it. Determination and sheer adrenaline kept her from falling to the floor in a mass of nerves.

  “All right.”

  Instead of her nerves making her fall to the floor, the shock of his agreement almost did. Oh sweet Lord, he was agreeing. She took a moment to steady her heartbeat, which was now rivaling a runaway freight train for speed.

  “Thank you, Noah. You won’t regret it.”

  He gave her a final warning: “Be very sure this is what you want, Jamie. You get into this kind of life, it changes you in ways you could never imagine.”

  As she was about to reply that she was willing to take the risk, Noah added an ultimatum of his own: “Before you start training, I need an assurance from your therapist that you’re ready to go through the challenges you’re going to face.”