Chapter Thirteen
PRI
The man I’d seen exit the house hurries toward us and extends his hand in my direction. “Hi, Pri. I’m Blake Walker.”
“Blake,” I say shaking his hand. “How are you here? Why are you here?” I can feel myself pale, adrenaline spiking again for a whole new reason. “God. Please tell me—”
“They’re fine,” Adrian says, his hand settling on my back, warm with promise and comfort, and when I look up at him, he confirms, “Your parents are fine.”
I breathe out in relief. “Thank you.”
“I would have told you if something had happened.”
“I know,” I say. “I know. I just thought—while we were on that bike—” I turn to Blake. “And you’re obviously here for a reason.”
“You two were hiding in a damn cave,” he says. “How the fuck could I not be here? When one of our own is in trouble, we stand with them.” He eyes Adrian. “That means you, asshole.” He doesn’t give Adrian a chance to reply. He motions to the door. “Let’s all go inside and talk and then you two can shower and get some rest.”
Savage and Adam join us and Savage grins and adds, “Because you look like shit. Just in case I forgot to tell you.”
“You did tell me,” I say. “And I know you remember.”
He grins. Blake arches a brow at him. “As my mama would say, you’re the pot calling the kettle black, man. You look like shit, but then, you were born that way, Savage. You can’t wash that off.”
I laugh and Adrian and I exchange a look—it just sort of happens, a familiar, intimate look, and yet the strain between us is there, a pulse that refuses to be ignored. Blake leads a path up the stairs, with Savage flanking him and talking smack. They’re family, I realize then, brothers. I understand why Adrian defended them so heartily when I suggested one of them might have betrayed him. They’re his family and yet so was his brother. I wonder—I wonder so many things.
Adam steps closer, parallel to me and Adrian, and gives me an inspection. I laugh. “Are you going to tell me I look like shit, too?”
“No,” he assures me. “I was just going to ask how you are. You had a hell of a ride out there.”
“I’m good,” I say. “Thank you for asking. It was actually kind of fun.” I laugh at the insanity of that reply. “Well, aside from the men shooting at us and the fact that we could have rolled and died at any moment.”
He smiles. Adam has a nice smile, a warm smile. A Captain America kind of smile, filled with charm and honor. “There was that.” He glances at Adrian. “I’ll see you inside.”
Adrian gives a barely perceptible nod and Adam walks away. I assume we will follow, actually taking a step to do so, but Adrian halts me with a softly spoken, “Pri.”
I pause, aware that he’s avoiding touching me. Facing him, our eyes collide, and Lord help me, that pulse is back. It never went away. “Are you really okay?” he asks.
“Yes,” I assure him. “You can stop worrying. I’m pretty darn daring as long as you don’t shove me into a small space.”
The rapidly rising sun beams down on us, almost as if it’s a warm spotlight, burning hotter by the moment. He steps closer, the air charging between us. “I know more about small spaces than you might think. And boxes. I’m in one now.”
I blink, surprised by this reply when I perhaps shouldn’t be. He is a man of secrets who dances with demons. And Waters is only one of them. The worst is the one of his own creation. The one he calls his own self-hatred. “Yes,” I agree. “I do believe you are.”
He studies me for several heavy seconds, and I hold my breath, waiting for a reply, for more. He doesn’t seem to ever give me more.
Blake shouts, “You two coming?!”
For a beat, Adrian ignores him, his attention locked on me, a deep burn in his eyes that fades and then disappears as if a shutter had been dropped. “On our way!” he calls out, turning away from me, and while his energy says he’s withdrawn, his hand settles on my back, urging me forward.
And that hand is still possessive.
That’s exactly why his touch both scorches me and confuses me, but that comment he just made does not. When he testifies, the defense will demonize him. He and everyone around him will have to live with all those dirty stories, all the dirty pieces of his life. And they will call him a bad man. That’s his box. The one where he lives as a bad man for the rest of his life, not the hero he deserves to be called. I decide right then that I’m going to get him out of that box. One way or the other, we will take down Waters without him destroying Adrian. For now, I focus on how we stay alive and that starts with gleaning all the information I can from this “talk” Blake wants to have.
Chapter Fourteen
PRI
The house turns out to be as gorgeous and elaborate as the exterior and grounds suggest. One of those oh-so-chic Austin places with lots of windows, bountiful views of the hill country, big open spaces, and modern finished concrete floors. Adding to the modern look, glass-encased stairwells lead up and down to additional levels of the house. A giant balcony seems to wrap around the house and overlook a pool. This place is worth at least two million.
“This is quite the safe house,” I say, as Adrian and I walk through a living area with navy blue couches and a matching rug.
“It’s all about location and size,” he says. “On a hilltop, surrounded by neighbors with security footage that complements ours, and a view of whoever is coming from all directions. As a plus, it has plenty of room for all of us.”
A large team, I think. That’s how complicated and dangerous this case has become. We need a large team. We need a hill to see our enemy approach. Unbidden, I’m back in the cabin, trying to stop Pitt from bleeding out. He’s dead. There’s no question he’s dead and that guts me. It scares me, too, but I’m angrier than I am afraid. I have to win this war. I will win this war.
Blake and company are waiting for us in the open-concept kitchen, around a rectangular marble island, with the added headcount of Lucifer. He and Blake have claimed the endcaps and set-up their MacBooks for action.
Adrian and I step to this side of the island and Lucifer eyes me and Adrian and says, “Jumanji level one successfully played. Level two coming right up.”
Meanwhile Savage is at the stainless-steel fridge, holding up two beers. “Jackpot.”
I’m pretty sure it’s about eight in the morning, but I don’t comment. At this point, time feels rather irrelevant. I wave off his offer of a bottle of my own, but Adrian does not. He twists off his top and slugs back a drink, comfortable here, unwinding no doubt, while I am still fact-gathering. “Is there any news on Pitt?”
“None,” Blake says. “And there won’t be. No body, no crime, at least not one easily proven.”
“Right,” I say flatly. “It’s our word against Deleon’s, and he plans on us being dead.”
“He better pray I die before I get to him again,” Adrian murmurs, setting down his beer. “Do we know how Pitt found us?”
“I can help there,” Lucifer offers. “He got a text last night that looked like it was from you, Adrian. Looks like a burner phone. I’m in the process of tracking his activity for the past couple of months, to see where that leads us.”
Savage steps to the spot across from Adrian. “How did anyone know about that cabin?”
“One of my brothers,” Adrian says. “That’s the only way anyone could know and I find it hard to believe Raf would tell anyone about this place.”
“You have two brothers?” Lucifer asks. “I thought you just had one.”
“Alex is dead,” Adrian says. “But in life, he talked too much.” He offers nothing more. In fact, he moves on. “Is the DA secure?”
“Oh God, yes,” I say quickly. “Is Ed secure?” I glance at Savage. “I thought you were going to stay with him?”
Savage sets own his beer. “My boy Ed is with Jacob and Dexter on a plane to New
York, and out of Deleon’s reach.”
“I almost forgot Dexter was involved,” I say, thinking of all the manpower involved in fighting this war with Waters.
“After Deleon missed his first targets,” Blake adds, “moving Ed feels like a good strategy. If Waters is desperate to end the trial, going after Ed seems like his next move.”
“Or the judge,” I say. “I can’t believe I haven’t thought of the judge, though he’d be easier to replace than Ed.”
“Not at the holiday on this high-profile a case,” Blake argues. “We can’t offer the judge protection. It’s a conflict of interest, considering he’s supposed to be neutral and we’re on the side of the prosecution. I did connect him with someone I trust. And the DA did talk to him and stress the importance of seeing the trial through.”
“I’d hoped that we could make that easier by flipping Deleon,” I say.
Adrian snorts and tips back his beer before he says, “I told you, that was never going to happen. The only good news is he’s hurt. He’s not going to be the one coming after anyone for a while.”
“But he’ll send someone else,” Blake says. “Who will that be?”
“I can make a list of the top five options,” Adrian says, “but the Devils are broad and deep. Waters wants us dead. That means he put a price on our heads. His followers will come from all over to serve Waters via Deleon.”
I don’t allow myself to think about just how terrifying that concept is. I focus on the case, on the witnesses, on making every sacrifice count. “Please tell me my witnesses are safe,” I say.
“They are,” Blake assures me. “And we’ve made sure they feel safe, too. No one else in this group of witnesses is going to back out on you. But that only matters if you and Adrian make it to the trial alive.”
I read exactly where this is headed and I rotate to face Adrian. “Even if Blake tells me to go to New York, too, it does not mean I’m going. I get why Ed needed to leave. He’s dead, we’re dead, but if I die, he can take over. I need to work the case.”
“You can,” Adrian insists. “Do it remotely.”
“I need to meet with the judge and if we manage to capture one of Waters’ people, I need to be here to interview that person.”
“We can have you back here in a few hours,” he argues.
“The first few hours are critical in an interrogation,” I counter.
“That’s why they have law enforcement,” he snaps back.
“Who might be dirty,” I argue. “Come on, Adrian. You of all people know how deep the corruption with Waters runs.”
He glowers, hands settling on his hips. “You’re the most stubborn woman I have ever known.”
“And you, Adrian Mack, are the most hardheaded man I’ve ever known. This isn’t about your personal baggage.”
“And yet, it is, Pri, in more fucking ways than you know.”
“That’s because you won’t tell me.”
“She’s right on that,” Adam agrees.
“Yep,” Savage chimes in.
“They sound married,” Lucifer says. “Are they getting married?”
Married?
My God, what is he saying and why is he saying it now?
My cheeks heat and Adrian rotates away from me to face them. “Are you trying to convince her to stay or go, assholes?”
“She should go,” Adam says, eyeing me. “You should go. If you’re dead, it’s over. Dead is pretty much the end.”
“I need to meet with the judge,” I repeat.
“You and the judge need to keep a distance,” Adrian snaps. “Teleconference with him.”
“If we leave,” I say, glancing over at him, my eyes burning, no doubt, “Deleon goes after someone else.”
“You’re right,” Adrian says, facing me again. “Which is why I already decided that I’ll stay. Adam will take you to New York City.”
My eyes go wide. “So, you’re passing me off so you can carry out your death wish alone?” I don’t wait for a reply. “No,” I say. “No. I’m not leaving. I intend to take Waters down and I can’t do that by hiding.”
Blake stands up. “I think you both need a shower and some rest. We can talk this out later tonight.”
“Yep,” Savage says again. “You two are stinky.”
“Lower right bedroom,” Blake says. “And Pri, I set you up a secure phone and MacBook. We also brought over some of your things.”
Adrian scrubs his jaw and settles his hands back on his hips before glancing at me. “He’s right. We’ll fight later. I need a damn shower.”
I nod, but anger tics in my jaw. “Fine. Later, but I’m not giving in.” I glance around the room. “Thank you all. I’m fairly certain I’d be too dead to argue about how to get myself killed if it weren’t for all of you,” I joke.
No one laughs. Instead, Blake says, “You fit right in, Pri. These guys are always volunteering to get themselves killed for the greater good. Fortunately, we always find a way to get the job done and keep everyone alive.”
I fit right in.
There is a pinch in my chest, a past pain, and now my demons are the ones asking me to dance while they declare permanent residence in my life. Fitting in is exactly what I wanted once upon a time. And then I discovered fitting in can come with a price. With my father, that meant giving up my soul. If fitting in here means giving up someone else’s life, then I’m not okay with that.
I start to turn away from the group when Blake says, “Pri.”
I glance back at him. “Use your technology as needed,” he says, “but full disclosure. I forwarded your calls to that phone. I’m also listening in. You have zero privacy right now.”
“Your team signed confidentiality agreements and I have no private life. I can forgo privacy for the greater good. I just want to catch Waters.”
“Right there with you,” he replies and Savage, Adam, and Lucifer hold up their breakfast beers, and add a cheer of, “Here, here.”
I almost smile, but tiredness wears heavy. There is no denying the surge of confidence and unity I feel.
I’ve often had a team around me, but until Walker, until right now, I still felt as if it was me against the world. This shift to having a team is all because of Adrian. I glance up at him and he motions toward the stairs. We head in that direction and travel to the lower landing, side by side, but without words.
Two flights down we pass through a lower level complete with a fancy full bar, a living area, and a pool table on our way to a hallway, and then a door. Adrian opens it and motions me forward. I step inside the massive, master bedroom with its own bathroom, and expect him to follow, but he does not. He lingers in the doorway.
I turn to face him, expectancy in the action.
Instead, I get his command. “Rest. It’s been a hell of a ride.”
“You’re not staying?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. And I want to check on my brother before I lay down.”
His rejection punches me in the chest and I hug myself, fighting the impact. “All right,” I say, “but I wanted to tell you that I was wrong to question Walker. I know they didn’t betray us. I’m not used to having people I can trust around me. I’m lucky to have them working on this and I know that’s because of you.”
He draws a barely perceptible breath and then says, “You’re still trying to make this about trust. You still don’t understand.”
I step toward him. “Adrian—”
“Rest, Pri. We both need rest.” He backs up, shuts the door, and then he’s gone.
Chapter Fifteen
ADRIAN
I head upstairs, where I hunt down my bag that thankfully hasn’t been put in with Pri’s stuff, and just when I think I’ve escaped a conversation, I hear my name.
Grimacing, bag on my shoulder, I walk into the kitchen where Blake is sitting at the kitchen island. “Shower and sleep, then conversation,” I say, “unless you have a loc
ation where I can go kill Deleon.”
“I do not,” he says.
“Sleep it is,” I say. “Where’s my room?”
“With Pri, asshole,” Savage says, “Make up with her before you screw that shit up.”
I grimace and start to turn away but stop myself. “Rafael? Anything from the team watching him?”
“He’s good, man.” He glances at his watch. “He’s in Paris, right about now, on stage, performing.”
Thank fuck, I think.
With a nod of appreciation, I turn away, jogging back down the stairs. Me and my bag end up in the downstairs bedroom, where I find a duffle on the bed. I don’t know who’s claimed this room and I don’t care. It has its own bathroom, which I’m about to claim.
Tossing my bag on the tiled bathroom floor, I strip down. The lure of the hot water is real and I step under the showerhead, and soap up, washing away the weather and the forest, but I can’t wash away my sins or my mistakes that keep piling up. I press my hands on the tiled surface of the shower, chin to my chest, those sins, and bad decisions eating me alive. My inability to stay the fuck away from Pri is eating me alive right along with them.
The door to the bedroom opens, and my first thought is Pri. She’s looking for me. Adrenaline drives away my weariness and I turn off the shower, yank the towel from above and wrap it around my waist. Opening the door, I step out of the shower to find Savage leaning on the doorframe between the bathroom and the bedroom. He wiggles an eyebrow. “I had no idea you liked me like this, Adrian.”
I ignore him. That’s the best way to handle Savage’s humor, that or a stupid joke of my own, and I really don’t have one in me. “What do you want, Savage?”
“What happened to you and the sexy ADA?”
“Nothing I plan to tell you. I barely like you.”
“You love me and you know it. Talk.”
“I’m wearing nothing but a towel, Savage.”
“And I have all the same manly parts as you but better.” His tone shifts and darkens. “What the fuck is your deal?”
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