Say I Do

by Cynthia Eden

  “Lots of rage. Lots and lots of it.” Dex glanced up. “Is that why you killed Heather? Why you dressed her up in Lacey’s coat and hat and scarf and shot her in the back? You wanted to send a message to me? You wanted me to see that if I didn’t stay away from Lacey, she would be the next to die? That you’d rather see her dead than to ever see her with me? Is that what you were trying to say?”

  “Hell, no!” A fierce shout of denial.

  Larry inched forward.

  “Not yet, Larry,” Dex murmured. “I don’t think that counts as a full twitch yet.”

  “Are you sure?” Larry didn’t look convinced. A bit disappointed, but not convinced.

  Dex nodded.

  “I did not kill Heather!” Roman thundered. “I was pissed at her. Felt used and betrayed. But I didn’t hurt her. I wanted to know who she was working for. I wanted to know who put out the hit on Lacey—and on me.”

  “Well, you have screwed over lots of bad people during your time as a double agent. I mean, you screwed me over, too, when you went rogue after the rescue mission. When you wouldn’t listen to reason and you went dark.”

  “Rescue mission?” Roman’s face reddened. “Are you insane? There was no rescue.”

  Yes, there was.

  “You honestly think I could ever trust you again?”

  Now they were getting to the good stuff. “You trusted me to find Lacey.”

  Roman’s stare cut away.

  “I’ve been thinking a whole lot about that. About just why you turned to me—a man you purportedly hate with every fiber of your being.”

  “Screw yourself.”

  Dex ignored that—uh, offer?—and continued, “Maybe…maybe you asked for my help because you were worried. Worried that when you were all pissed at the CIA and selling your secrets to the highest bidder, you made some bad enemies. Enemies that you knew would use a sweet, innocent sister against you. A sister who didn’t grow up in your world, so she’d have no way to handle the danger you brought to her.”

  Roman wasn’t meeting his stare. “She doesn’t seem so sweet and innocent, not if she’s falling for you.”

  “She is a fucking sweet perfect rainbow, and don’t you ever say any different.”

  Roman’s gaze whipped back to him. “Are you serious right now?”

  “As a heart attack, I believe the saying is.” He rolled back his shoulders. “So, you didn’t deny any of the things I said. That means they’re all true.”

  “You knew that stuff was true,” Roman muttered. “You always know, don’t you? You don’t enter a room with a suspect unless you’ve got the winning hand.”

  “I want to know who it is that you fear the most. Who is here at the lodge? What enemy? Who am I missing?”

  “I don’t know,” Roman gritted out. “If I knew, I would have killed him by now!”

  So they were all chasing their tails in the dark. Wonderful. “Then make me a list. Give me the top ten names of the worst badasses that you screwed over. I can get my tech super star to find out exactly where those people are.”

  A bitter laugh. “You know these people have multiple identities, right? Just like you? Like me? It’s not as easy as tapping on a computer in order to find—”

  The door swung open. Antony stood there, holding tightly to his laptop. “I found something. Something you need to know.”

  Dex leaned back. “See? Sometimes, it is that damn easy.”

  “Dex.” Antony’s voice was tense. “It’s about Lacey…”

  Dex lunged off the chair.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Does he have to stay in here?” Elizabeth whispered as she cast a quick glance over at Cornell’s silent form. “I-I need to discuss something private with you.”

  They were in Elizabeth’s suite, and a warm fire crackled nearby. Cornell had taken up a position near the fireplace. “Cornell stays. He’s here for our protection.” Lacey raised her voice and said, “Besides, I’m thinking he can keep a secret or two, can’t you, Cornell?”

  “Kept plenty of them.” His deep voice rumbled as he never changed his stoic expression.

  She gave him a smile. “Thanks.” She sat down on the couch next to Elizabeth. “See? You can talk in front of him. Your safety is paramount right now.”

  “I’m not the one missing.” Elizabeth grabbed her hand in a claw-like grip. “It’s Jonathan. I…I didn’t tell you everything downstairs.”

  “What is it?”

  “We’ve been having some trouble.”

  Lacey didn’t let her surprise show.

  “The media…the press…they paint us as this perfect couple…”

  When Lacey had been working the protection detail for them, they had seemed perfect together.

  “But no one is perfect,” Elizabeth continued with a voice that shook. “When he told me that we should get away, that we should come here, I thought—this is our chance. He wants to put us first. He’d been working so much, shutting me out, and he seemed so different from the man I’d fallen for…but here, here everything could go back to the way it had been.”

  “We’ll find him,” Lacey assured her. “You two will have the chance to work out whatever is happening.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “I-I thought he was cheating on me.”

  Cornell gave a low whistle.

  Lacey frowned at him.

  “Sorry, but if he’s cheating on you, he’s a fool.” Cornell shrugged.

  Elizabeth straightened a little. Even managed a brief smile. But then the smile wobbled. “I found texts. He left me in the middle of the night. I thought—I thought he went to her.” She rose. Paced across the suite. She put her hands flat on the desk that waited in the corner.

  The flames danced in the fireplace. Darkness had fallen outside. Lacey couldn’t see the mountains or the snowfall that had been predicted.

  “I didn’t trust him.” Elizabeth reached for the desk drawer. “Would you like to see why?”

  Damn straight, she would.

  ***

  “Who the hell is this one?” Roman demanded to know. “Another blindly-following lackey?”

  Antony didn’t even glance at Roman. “I don’t have time for him.” He put the laptop down on the table. Pointed to the screen. “Do you see this?”

  Dex leaned forward. Narrowed his eyes.

  “The name in the bottom of the corner. One of the original designers of this lodge. Looks familiar, doesn’t it?” Antony pushed.

  “Thaddeus Radcliff,” Dex read. Then his head snapped up.

  “You’re the one who has always told me, there are no coincidences in this world.” Antony pulled off his glasses. Began to polish them on his shirt. “Did a little digging. Back in the early 1900s, it seems that Thaddeus Radcliff—the second son of a duke—came to the US seeking fortune. Like, literally, as in the name of this town. Fortune, Colorado. He was one of the first to settle here. He even helped to build the lodge. It was originally the home for one of his friends but—”

  Dex was already whipping out his phone and whirling for the door.

  “But if he was one of the builders, then he would have known where the tunnels were located. That’s why the name Radcliff nagged at me when you said it. Because I’d seen his name on the old images I pulled up and—”

  “Somebody get me a comm links, now! I want to be connected to every agent on this property!” Dex was already rushing down the hallway. He heard Roman shouting behind him, but he didn’t stop.

  The phone he gripped to his ear rang once. Twice. Three—

  Lacey, pick up.

  ***

  Her phone rang, vibrating in her pocket. Lacey pulled it out and frowned at the screen. “It’s Dex.” Lacey swiped her finger over the screen and put the phone to her ear. “Did you locate Jonathan?”

  “Lacey,” Dex growled, “I want you to come to me right now.”

  Elizabeth’s fingers fluttered near the drawer.

  “Why?” Oh, God. “Jonathan?” Had Dex found Jon
athan, or rather, his body?

  “You were right about the passages on the Whisper Floor, and I think Jonathan knew about them, too.”

  But, wait, if Jonathan knew—

  “Can you help me?” Elizabeth suddenly asked Cornell. “I think the drawer is stuck.”

  He hurried to her side.

  “Jonathan’s ancestor freaking built this lodge. You know I don’t believe in coincidences,” Dex snarled.

  Neither did she. And hadn’t Elizabeth just told her that Jonathan had gotten mystery texts? That he’d disappeared in the middle of the night?

  Elizabeth’s husband could be the killer we are after. Elizabeth had been worried the man might be a cheater. This was worse. He was a murderer—

  Elizabeth’s hand came up in a fast blur. Her fingers were curled around something. What was that?

  “Lacey? Lacey, are you listening to me?” Dex demanded.

  Lacey jumped to her feet.

  Elizabeth had just shoved a syringe into Cornell’s throat. He was trying to pull out his gun.

  “Cornell!” Lacey yelled as she surged toward him.

  He fell. Elizabeth grabbed his gun. She aimed it at Lacey. “Hang up the phone.” The gun was shaking in her grasp.

  Cornell wasn’t moving.

  “He’s not dead. Just unconscious. And I don’t want to kill him. But if you don’t hang up the phone, I will. I will shoot you and him.”

  Lacey had the phone gripped in one hand. She hadn’t been given the chance to grab her own weapon. Because I didn’t suspect Elizabeth.

  “Lacey!” Dex was shouting in her ear. “What’s happening? Baby, are you hurt? Talk to me.”

  Elizabeth moved the gun. She put it against Cornell’s temple. “Hang up right now or I will pull the trigger.”

  Lacey swiped her finger over the phone’s screen. She didn’t end the call, though. Just acted as if she’d hung up, and then she tossed the phone behind her onto the sofa. “Happy now?”

  “No. I haven’t been happy for a while.” Elizabeth didn’t move the gun from Cornell’s temple. “You care about other people. I saw that when…when you worked with Jonathan and me before.”

  “You mean when I saved you both?”

  “Appearances are deceiving,” Elizabeth replied.

  “Yes, I’m getting that.” Her hand slowly began to inch toward—

  “I know you like knives, Lacey. I learned that about you before, too. I sincerely hope you aren’t reaching for a knife right now. I don’t want to kill this man. His death would be so unnecessary.”

  Her hand froze. “I don’t think you will kill him. I don’t think you’re a killer. I don’t think—”

  The gun fired.

  ***

  “Lacey!” Dex roared. He’d been listening the entire time. Hearing every single word.

  Elizabeth Radcliff. She’d seemed so innocent. Acted as if she was a real friend to Lacey.

  I guess Lacey and I weren’t the only ones pretending at this lodge.

  He’d been on the elevator from the basement level, racing up to her, with Antony at his side. Antony had given Dex his comm link. Dex was damn grateful he’d had the link on him. While Dex had tried to reach Lacey, Antony had texted more of the team members. He’d ordered them to swarm on the Radcliff suite.

  But at the sound of that gunshot…

  The world stopped.

  Dex waited for more. There had to be more. Lacey—bless her clever heart—had left the phone on so that he could hear what was happening. There should be more after the gunshot. There should be another sound. Someone talking. Something, something!

  There was nothing.

  “Lacey, baby, I am coming.” If the elevator would just move.

  The doors opened. He’d made it to the lobby. Now he had to take a fucking second elevator ride in order to get to his destination. Sonofabitch. He ran across the lobby. When someone stepped into his path, Dex didn’t even slow down. He shoved the man out of the way. Jumped into the next elevator—the one that would take him to the suite he needed. Antony was right on his heels.

  “How small is Elizabeth Radcliff?” Antony asked quietly when Dex jabbed and jabbed the buttons on the elevator. “Do you think she could have fit in the air duct and gotten into your suite?”

  Yes, she could have fucking fit.

  “Her suite is on the same floor as yours. Figured that out, too, and if she—”

  Dex drove his fist into the elevator’s control panel. “Why the hell isn’t this piece of shit moving faster?” He still gripped the phone to his ear. Still hoped that Lacey would say something but—

  “Dex.” Antony grabbed his hand. “Dex, man, this isn’t you. Take a breath. Get that famous control in place—”

  “There is no control without her!” Guttural. Didn’t Antony get that? Lacey gave him his strength. She kept him grounded. Without her, he was shattering.

  She can’t be hurt.

  Can’t be dead. No, no, she’s not dead. Not Lacey.

  Elizabeth just found the phone. She turned it off. Muted it. Something. That’s all. That’s—

  The elevator dinged. Dex rushed into the hallway just as he saw the stairwell door fly open. Two of his team members ran out.

  They all headed for the suite. When Dex got to the door, he didn’t even slow down. He just lifted his foot and kicked that door in. First fucking try. The door slammed back against the wall. “Lacey!”

  “Dex!” Antony barked behind him. “This isn’t protocol! This isn’t you! This isn’t—”

  Cornell was on the floor. Sprawled with his arms loose at his sides. Dex stumbled toward him, put his hand on Cornell’s throat, and felt the thready pulse. “Get him an ambulance, now!”

  There was a hole in the carpet next to Cornell. Dex’s eyes narrowed. A bullet hole.

  That was the shot I heard.

  He surged back to his feet. His agents had been searching the suite.

  “It’s clear,” Harmony Skylar said. “No one else is here.”

  Where the fuck was Lacey? Dex ran through the suite himself. Searched every-damn-where.

  “Does he not believe me?” Dex heard Harmony say.

  “Just give him space,” Antony advised.

  Dex raced back to the couch. Lacey’s phone was on the couch. Muted. Rage and fear rose, nearly choking him. Lacey is gone. I was supposed to protect her. Lacey is gone.

  “Um, Dex?”

  His head whipped round at Antony’s call.

  Antony pointed to a knife that was half-way under the couch. “Looks like we have a weapon.” Carefully, he eased it out. His breath released in a rush. “No blood on it.”

  “That’s Lacey’s gift.”

  Antony’s brow furrowed. “Her what?”

  “She was supposed to keep it on her. I told her to keep it close.” He surged toward Antony and grabbed him by the shirtfront. “Where did they go?”

  “Dex, ease up—”

  “You just had the plans for this building. You know this lodge. Tell me, where did they go? Where would they go?” His head turned toward Harmony. “You came up the stairs. Did you see anyone in the stairwell?”

  “No. But we came from the third floor. If they were going up, not down, then we wouldn’t have passed them.”

  Up. He looked up. The roof. The roof could be an escape route. But you’d need a chopper. You’d need someone to fly up and meet you if you were planning to escape via the roof.

  Or…

  Or you could just go to the roof if you wanted to toss a person over the side. You could let the body crash into the ground if you wanted to send a message.

  The way that Heather had been a message when she’d been tossed below.

  His gaze flew around the suite. One agent—Ken Rathers—was at Cornell’s side. “You stay with him. Don’t leave his side for a moment.” His stare whipped to Harmony. “I want this whole lodge searched. Every room, every nook. We’re looking for Lacey Amari, Elizabeth Radcliff, and Jonathan Rad
cliff. Elizabeth and Jonathan should be considered extreme threats. Pass the damn word.” He stormed for the door. “Antony, on my six. I need you to reach out and contact every—”

  Roman appeared in the doorway. A broken cuff dangled from his wrist and blood trickled from a wound near his mouth. “Where…where is my sister?” Roman panted.

  Antony gasped. “How the hell did you get up here?”

  “Get out of my fucking way so I can find her,” Dex blasted at Roman. Then he didn’t wait for Roman to get out of his way. He shoved the bastard back. He didn’t have time to waste on Roman, and, unlike Antony, he knew exactly how the guy had gotten up there. Roman had fought—and won—a battle against Larry. Not an easy task, and Dex was sure that when Larry regained consciousness, he’d be ready for a rematch. Right then, though, Dex didn’t have time to deal with Roman’s shit.

  Lacey. She was all that mattered.

  His feet pounded across the floor as he raced toward the stairwell.

  Baby, please hold on. I’m coming.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “So what’s the plan?” Lacey kept her arms at her sides even as her teeth began to chatter. “You’re going to make us both freeze to death?”

  “Shut up!” Elizabeth yelled. She still had the gun in her hand—the gun she’d had shoved into Lacey’s back the entire time they climbed the stairs to the roof. In time with her yell, she jabbed the muzzle of the gun deeper into Lacey’s back.

  The snow was falling on them. Lacey knew that the longer they were out in the cold, the more uncoordinated she’d become. She was going to have to make her move soon. Otherwise…

  What does she intend? To shoot me in the back, like Heather? Then to toss me over the edge? Except… “You couldn’t have shot Heather. I saw you leave the Whisper Floor.” Lacey had been with the other woman. Then Elizabeth had spotted Jonathan—or she’d said she’d spotted Jonathan—and she’d hurried down the steps. Lacey had even seen her in the crowd.

  But I never saw Jonathan.

  Lacey glanced over her shoulder at Elizabeth. Tears were on Elizabeth’s cheeks. “He’s the killer. Not you.”