Why? Every floor was bugged. Microphones and tiny cameras had been built into the walls so not even the top-notch security knew. Roy’s stolen laptop had given Kirno access to every file he’d touched.
This needed to end. Every day felt like she’d survived a fist fight, when all she wanted to do was walk barefoot in a park and lie down in green grass.
She banged her head back. “Everything is more complicated.”
Mariam said, “You’ll still get that pay-off if you help us.”
Money. Right. She’d never had any in her life. If she was broke and penniless, it wasn’t anything new. Maybe she should have just married Bart like her parents had wanted. But then she’d just be a different kind of miserable.
Her life wasn’t anything like those movies and TV shows where having money meant happiness. She sighed. “I’ve betrayed good people.”
Mariam said, “This isn’t about good or bad. It’s a paycheck.”
Lois glanced at the ceiling, murmured a silent, quick prayer, and said out loud, “Look, I’m thinking it’s time to stop.”
Mariam’s voice didn’t crack at all as she said, “Then your parents will pay for your mistake.”
No. Ice rushed through her. “What?”
Mariam kept her words slow and measured. “Your parents go to church every Sunday. They volunteer at the food pantry every Saturday. They have a nice quiet dinner together every Friday night. It would be easy for them to have an accident.”
The hard words tore into her. Every muscle in her body was tense as she jumped off the bed. “So you’re threatening me?”
“Finish the job you started and no one gets hurt.” Mariam hung up without another word.
Lois headed into the living room, but then paced back to her bedroom.
Mariam could see her almost everywhere and tears stung in her eyes.
She went into the safe room in her closet. The Navid-installed additions were literally the only quiet place in the condos.
She didn’t fully close the door, but she collapsed on the bed and let her tears fall.
Her parents didn’t need to pay for her mistakes.
Everything she believed was a lie and somehow she needed to fix this situation without hurting anyone else.
She wiped her eyes and sat at the desk near the door. She thought best with lists.
So she penned out what she could do. She wrote the word “police” but the only crime committed right now was her own. And this wouldn’t save her parents. She wrote down “Adam,” her brother, but he’d not be able to protect their parents from a group as large and evil as Kirno. Next, she wrote down “Dylan.” Hmm. He’d hate her, but then he probably already did. She underlined his name because he had the resources.
And in exchange for his assistance, she’d point out some cameras in the building’s architectural blueprint.
He could keep his family safe too.
And helping them might, just might, free her from the guilt that ate at her.
Lois heard the front door open. She left the safe room and returned to the foyer. She drank in the tall figure of a man far too sexy to ever be hers, for real, and her body tightened. It was time to come clean.
She walked toward him, this time with her head a little higher than usual. He didn’t notice as he removed his tie and headed to his bedroom without glancing at her. “Lois, are you ready?”
If she said anything unusual here, Mariam would know. Her parents needed her to be strong. Lois knocked on his bedroom door and pointed to her own. “Yeah. Bags are packed. I’m ready, but you need to come and get them.”
His gaze narrowed.
She walked toward her room without waiting, but knew he was right behind her. Her hips swayed a little, for the impossible dream, but she needed the spies around them to think she wouldn’t betray them. Once he came to her room though, she headed into the safe room.
He followed her.
Any second, she’d see true hatred grow on his expression. She ignored the impulse to pray for real and straightened her clothes.
Once he was also inside, she closed the door and realized just how small this place was. He stared at her and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” she said automatically. Where were the words?
He stepped closer. Her heart did a little flip from his nearness though they both knew they hated each other. “Don’t give me that. You were crying.”
He’d noticed? She licked her lips, unsure how to start. The hammering in her chest demanded she get going already. She blinked and held his gaze. “I… look. Don’t worry about it.” They didn’t trust each other, and what she had to say wouldn’t help.
Dylan said, “Lois, you’re pushy and religious, but not a bad person. I don’t do crying though.”
She’d been the woman her parents had trained her to be. Funny how acting like the religious wife who read the bible at all hours hadn’t made her a saint, or in truth a good person.
It was time to stop all pretenses. It was time to be the person she was and not lie about everything, ever again. “Right.”
“So what’s going on?”
Now. There was no more time. She let out a sigh and pointed to her chest. “I… Caitlyn’s not the spy you need to worry about.”
His eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
She checked that the door was fully closed, then pressed her back against it to face him.
“It’s me. I’m the spy for Kirno. And now I need your help.”
His braced himself. “You’re the spy?”
Was it so impossible? She never said much, always tried to blend in or disappear into the walls, but then that had been her life. Now she needed to shine a small light on the truth. Lois hugged her waist and didn’t move from the door. “Look, my contacts at Kirno are Sam Zandi and a woman named Mariam Shahpour.”
Dylan swayed on his feet like he recognized the names. “Mariam?”
If Lois planned to work out a deal to protect her parents, then she needed to at least give him some information. Trust had to start somewhere. She loosened her bun and let her plain, straight, boring brown hair down. The ache at her temples eased. “I’ve worked with Natasha Stephens and know she was paid to marry Oliver so we could work together. She failed, and her job at Kirno was over if she couldn’t get more information for them. My job continues, even now that you’ve been found innocent, I guess.”
She played with the elastic and didn’t look at him.
Dylan brushed her shoulder. “Why are you telling me now?”
She sucked in her bottom lip. He was innocent. One day he’d have a beautiful family with picture-perfect children and some model on his arm.
She wanted him to be happy. She’d hurt him enough. And maybe one day, if she was lucky, she’d find herself another Bart. She winced at the idea but then lowered her head. “Because I’ve been lying since we met—when I agreed to the job I thought you were guilty. And now, I can’t let them hurt my parents.”
He reached for the door behind her to open it. “Let’s get your brother.”
Adam? If he helped, he’d be in danger. She used her shoulder and slammed the door closed. Once she heard the click she said, “The building is wired. It’s why I brought you here. In exchange for your help I’ll show you a building schematic and every camera Kirno has on you.”
He scratched his chin and stared at her. “After what you’ve done, you trust me to be fair?”
Why was this so hard? Her body jittered but she wasn’t sure what to do. She pressed her lips together and told herself to be grateful that he hadn’t thrown her out or laughed at her or said no. She met his gaze. “No, but you’re my only hope to ensure they’re okay.”
He put his left hand in his pocket. “How?”
She needed to be clear with him. “We invite them here, where my brother can keep them safe, while you continue your search. I’ve given you Mariam’s name already, and I’ll help you with the security breach.”
&nb
sp; He put his arms to his sides. She trembled as she waited for his response. Dylan had spoken for months about getting revenge on those who’d hurt him.
She was one of them.
He shifted, studying her. “You need me to save them?”
She never wanted to live with her parents again, but she couldn’t let them be hurt either. She bounced on her feet and said, “Yes. If you bring them here and keep them safe, I’ll tell you everything I know.”
He widened his stance. “How can I trust you?”
The knot in her stomach squeezed and perspiration dotted her brow. She took a deep breath and wished that worked to ease her tension as she said, “Because you’ll have the people I love.”
He touched her shoulder like they were friends as he said in a low voice, “I thought you wanted to be free of them.”
Lois couldn’t stop the tears that came from her eyes. She was so weak and she hated herself for crying. “Free doesn’t mean hurt. I don’t want to live with them, but I don’t want them in danger or worse, because I was stupid and reckless. I thought you were guilty as charged and I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong. And I’m sorry for everything I did to you.”
He opened his palm and held it in front of her.
She wasn’t sure what he meant. She just stared at him. He said, “Then let’s work together, Lois.”
Really? She reached for his hand and held it. For the first time she wasn’t racing to push him away. She wasn’t looking to say something pious or meek. She was just holding his hand. His strong, capable hand, as they walked out the door together.
Once her parents were safe, she’d let him go, but for now she needed Dylan Bentley.
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About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author, Victoria Pinder grew up in Irish Catholic Boston then moved to Miami. Eventually, found that writing is her passion. She always wrote stories to entertain herself. Her parents are practical minded people demanding a job, but when she sat down to see what she enjoyed doing, writing became obvious.
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