The Gilded Cage

by Lauren Smith

  She could almost feel the unspoken words, like a fine spun spider web—sensitive, delicate, barely there but so crucial.

  Everything here is falling apart.

  His life was crumbling around him, and she was helping to destroy it. She had shown up like a Trojan horse with a belly full of deception. She wanted to return him to Long Island for selfish reasons—to help her brother, to help Fenn’s family, and to earn that gold star of approval she’d never managed to get from her parents. In all of her planning she had never given any consideration to Fenn and his life here. Just because he’d been born on Long Island didn’t erase the fact that he’d spent almost his entire life here in Walnut Springs as the son of someone else, living a life he’d accepted and believed was his. Didn’t that make it just as important? A life worth fighting for?

  His words cut deep, but she deserved the pain. Aside from her parents’ emotional distance and coldness, she’d been privileged, having everything she’d ever wanted except her freedom. Freedom was all Fenn had. What a funny pair they made.

  “You’re right,” she whispered and buckled her seatbelt. Her eyes burned, and she looked out the window, watching a bus full of hikers drive past as it headed up the mountain, the path they would soon take. Suddenly cold, she rubbed her arms and wished she could lean against Fenn again. But that wasn’t possible. He’d thrust a barrier between them, and she was too weary to tear it down.

  For a long minute neither of them moved. The truck stayed still and unstarted, stuck in the parking space. Finally Fenn reached behind the seat to the cramped confines of the tiny space behind her cushion.

  “Use this. It will keep you warm.” He pulled out a long black coat, like the type she’d just bought for herself at Flint & Sons. A duster. He dropped it over her lap, tucking it in around her hips.

  “Thank you.” She buried herself in its warmth and inhaled his scent. She shut her eyes, foolishly wishing that simple act could protect her from the world.

  “I’m sorry.” Fenn’s gruff voice was accompanied by his hand stroking a lock of her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

  She finally opened her eyes, hating how fragile he made her feel. None of her usual bluster or bravado worked to keep him out of her head and her heart.

  “Don’t be. You were right. I come from old money and being raised like that, I often forget how to see the rest of the world.”

  He sighed. “Maybe that’s a good thing. In a way it’s like a type of innocence.” He leaned over and brushed a kiss into the crown of her hair.

  How could he do that? Take such a simple act and turn it into something so powerful and intimate? As though he’d done so a thousand times.

  “We should get going. It’s a long way home, and I have to figure out how to tell Jim we won’t be getting supplies this month.”

  She bit her lip, debating before she took a chance. “Uh, about that…”

  He stared at her, apparently waiting for her to continue.

  “Well, I took you at your word and did what needed to be done. The supplies will arrive tomorrow.”

  She expected steam to blow out of his ears at her confession. Scowling, he tipped his head back onto the seat, then exhaled.

  “I should be surprised that you just bought your way out of a tough situation, but I’m not. Don’t do that again. Not for me. Ever.”

  She sat up a little straighter. “So, you’re not angry.”

  He grinned at her, the feral expression unsettling. “Oh, I’m furious, honey. If you and your brother plan on staying in town, you’ll have to abide by some rules when dealing with me. First rule: no financial bailouts okay? I don’t need your money. Jim and Callie don’t need your money. We’ll be paying you back as soon as we have the funds.”

  “I agree to that. But if the ranch needs money to be saved, we’re going to have to talk about it.” She hoped he’d agree to that.

  “The ranch is my business. Not yours or your brother’s.”

  “If it’s your business, then it’s mine, too.” She wasn’t backing down on that.

  He sighed. “I’m thinking I might have to just spank that rebellious streak right out of you.”

  “You can try,” she quipped.

  “I just might.” He stroked her cheek, then turned the truck on.

  As they rumbled out of Elk’s Pass, she glanced at her watch. Was it really late afternoon? The long drive here, the shopping and now the long drive back—well, they wouldn’t reach the ranch until early evening. She hoped Wes wasn’t getting himself into trouble while they were gone. They needed to focus on getting Fenn back where it was safe. Surely they had a little more time before the replacement assassin arrived, right? Nothing could happen in just a day.

  Chapter 10

  Greyson hefted his hiking pack as he walked up the steep trail. The tour guide was rambling on about local animal and plant life while the rest of the recreational hikers tramped around the area talking and laughing. The hiking spot they’d trekked was halfway up the mountain and many families were seating their children at wooden picnic tables while cameras were retrieved from bags.

  He didn’t pay any attention to the activity around him as he slipped away from the others and into the underbrush. In one hand he held a small map of the trails that the guide had given him earlier. A narrow trail led up and over the nearest hill, halfway between both Walnut Springs and Elk’s Pass. After a quick glance over his shoulder to see he wasn’t being watched, he trotted up the trail. The sun was already starting to set. If he could get to the overlook spot that was just above the road, he could achieve his goal easily enough. It was all about timing.

  He’d caught a flight out from Heathrow fifteen minutes after ending his call with his new client. A private plane had brought him to Denver and from there he’d taken a small prop plane to Walnut Springs. He’d brought the hiking gear in the store next to the diner after he’d marked his quarry. Then he’d bumped into the woman accompanying his target and was now able to pinpoint their location. They were driving back along the road through the mountains to Walnut Springs.

  If everything went as planned, it would look like an accident.

  Greyson used the trees as leverage to pull himself along the steep path until he reached the overlook point. Then he slung his bag off his shoulders and onto the ground. He dug around inside until he found the pieces of his rifle. He started building it and in a few minutes he was moving some large rocks into position so he could rest the rifle for a steady shot. There was enough wind to make it that much harder. He squinted up at the skies as a drop of rain smacked onto his nose.

  “Bullocks.”

  If a storm moved through it would be difficult to get a clear shot. He rifled through his bag and pulled on a light raincoat, flipping the hood up. Then he pulled out his phone and activated the tracking app. The truck was about ten minutes away. He wouldn’t have long to wait. Then it was off to Long Island to finish the job. It was a pity about the woman; she’d surely perish with the target, but if she’d decided to be around the target then she’d sealed her own fate. The man on the phone had explained everything to him. The death of his client’s father¸ the loss of his company to his uncle, and the client’s two greedy cousins. Sure it was a family feud, but Greyson was happy to render his services considering his own personal need for revenge. After losing his father to these two targets, he wanted to spill their blood himself. These twins were destined to die.

  A tiny part of him still whispered in the back of his mind that he should have run a background check, but he hadn’t had the time. And time mattered so much. The man who’d called him clearly knew Antonio, knew the right code phrases and other private things that demonstrated he’d been one of Antonio’s clients. And since Antonio’s death had been confirmed by morgue photos sent to his phone, Greyson knew he had to act right away, while the two men were still vulnerable.

  He checked the location of the truck on his phone then settled into his nest to
wait. Like a spider, hiding out of sight, he only had to wait until that first tug on the delicate strands sent vibrations to him and he would strike.

  * * *

  Fenn felt like a damned villain. He’d snapped at Hayden, letting his anger strike her through his words. That wasn’t the sort of man he was. Even though he’d apologized, the weight of his guilt hadn’t really eased. It didn’t help matters that his bad mood had affected her. She was quiet, solemn, not as feisty as earlier. He missed her snarky comments and outrageous conversations. He, a man who had loved silence for so long, was unhappy with it now.

  The road curved onto the highest peak, nearing the halfway point between Elk’s Pass and Walnut Springs. Fat droplets smacked the windshield in an increasing pattern and the skies darkened. The road would be slick and dangerous until the rain was heavy enough to wash away the oil residue on the asphalt.

  He glanced at Hayden again, wanting to thread his fingers through her hair and inhale her sweet scent, but she wasn’t looking at him, because he’d been an asshole. The clouds were almost black now with the coming storm. He turned his attention back to the road, curving around the bend just at the middle point between the two towns. A pair of headlights from a semi-trailer hit him and he winced, flipping down the visor to block as much of the brightness as he could.

  Thunder rumbled in the distance, vibrating through Fenn’s truck. Hayden turned to look at him, eyes wide with concern.

  Crack!

  An explosion of sound ricocheted through the hills around them, and the semi-trailer swerved toward the inside lane. Toward Fenn’s truck.

  “Fenn!” Hayden screamed.

  The sound made his mind go blank except for the paralyzing fear that her scream created inside him. All he wanted to do was to protect her, keep her safe, but he’d failed. He could never keep anyone he loved safe.

  He jerked the wheel, but there was nowhere to go, so he pumped the brakes and prayed. The semi-trailer careened toward them, like a vengeful metal god intent on smiting them.

  “Hold on!” He shouted, reaching for Hayden, grabbing her arm just as the semi-trailer smacked into them. Metal screeched and brakes failed. Everything seemed to go fast after that, like a gathering avalanche, an unstoppable force of death and destruction that would cover them until they died.

  Fenn blinked and in that single moment, he lost any ability to save them, not that it would have mattered. The truck slid off the cliff, hit a small ledge and then rolled several times. All he could hear was Hayden’s screams, his own raspy breaths as he failed to suck in enough air through his lungs. Everything in his body shut down and pain exploded through his skull.

  Blood. Blood everywhere. One man’s body lying at the bottom of a half-collapsed stairwell covered in cobwebs. Another man held Fenn. He was so small, yet his pain was so great.

  “Shush…” The man holding him tucked his gun back in its holster and lifted him up.

  “Emery. Where’s my brother?” he croaked in a small, frightened voice.

  “We gotta run, kid. No time. Can you walk?”

  “But my bro—”Pain, agonizing pain. He touched the back of his head and his hand came away soaked in crimson liquid. His blood. His stomach roiled and he tried not to throw up.

  “We have to go!” The man hauled him to his feet, but he stumbled and everything went black. Forever black.

  The truck slammed to a sudden stop, the driver’s side facing downhill, half-resting on a knot of trees jutting out from the mountainside. Fenn peered through his broken window, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. Blood dripped into his eyes, and he wiped the back of his hand over his eyes to clear his vision. He was staring down a steep cliff, a sheer drop of a hundred feet to a rocky outcrop below.

  A little cough and a whimper came from above him. He craned his head around and saw Hayden hanging by her seatbelt. Red lines of blood trickled down her face from a wound on her forehead where glass must have cut her. As he tried to get back control of his mind, he watched the dark droplets move down her pale skin in the fading light. Rain pelted his face and body where it came through the shattered windows. Each time he shifted the truck creaked and inched closer to dropping.

  They were going to die. If he didn’t find a way to save Hayden…His throat closed and he swallowed the old familiar lump of fear back down. He’d done this before. He’d had to save someone. The instinct was primal and powerful. It dragged his own fear down into the depths of a midnight sea, drowning it, keeping it from harming him.

  Clarity returned, and he twisted carefully around. His door opened slightly beneath him, but he couldn’t open it all the way without risking the truck falling. He needed to go through the windshield, or what was left of it, and catch hold of the trees below. There was a ledge to the side—if they could reach it, they would be out of the way of the truck if it fell.

  “Hayden,” he called out softly.

  She rubbed at her face with balled fists, like a weary child, and his heart clenched in his chest. She blinked dazedly and focused glazed eyes on him. “Fenn, I think I’m going to be sick…” She covered her mouth with the back of her hand, but held it inside her.

  “Listen to me, honey, here’s what we’re going to do. You are going to wait there, okay? I’m going to undo my seat belt and climb out the window to the trees and then to the ledge off to the right. Then I want you to do the same. But wait until I tell you.” He prayed to every god that might exist that she could hold it together. He needed her to be okay. If she broke down, it might just break him.

  “Okay.” She hesitated then reached out for his hand. “Please don’t leave me. Just promise you won’t.” She sounded like a frightened child and it broke his heart. It echoed in his soul, dragging old, horrific memories to the surface. Ones he couldn’t face.

  “Everything’s going to be fine. I’ll be right here. Trust me.” He raised her scratched hand to his and kissed her palm. He met her gaze and held it, drinking in her blue eyes, which were now as dark as onyx gemstones.

  Letting go of her was the hardest thing he’d ever done. He unclicked his seat belt, just catching himself as gravity tried to yank him down to his death. He climbed through the windshield, cursing softly as the glass cut his hands. When he reached the clump of trees below, he hissed out a relieved breath as the thick tangle of branches held his body weight.

  “Now it’s your turn,” he called up. “Just hold on to the dashboard and the head cushions of the seat as you’re unbuckling your belt.” He crouched on the branch just beneath the truck, body tense in case he had to reach out and catch her.

  Hayden braced herself against the dash, then unbuckled her belt. She yelped as she dropped against the driver’s side door more forcefully than either of them had expected. The truck groaned around them, and slid a few more inches along the branches.

  “We’re so high…” Hayden murmured, eyes almost glassy as she stared down the steep cliff side.

  “Yeah, we are, so we need to get out of this thing and get to that ledge. You see it? Down and to the right?” Please focus, honey. He kept praying for her to trust him and fight her fears.

  Her gaze sharpened on him, then slid to where he’d pointed. She gave a little nod and started to slide through the open windshield like he had.

  “That’s it.” He held out a hand to her. “Take my hand, Hayden.”

  She reached for him, eyes wide yet full of complete trust. In this moment, the most dangerous thing she’d ever faced in her life, she was offering the trust he craved. The trust they both needed to survive this. The fact that they might die wasn’t lost on him, but he was relieved to have her with him. Being alone and facing death…once upon a time, he might have done it before. But he couldn’t let himself think of those long ago nightmares right now.

  Her fingers brushed his as she reached for him. The truck above them suddenly jerked forward and Hayden tried to grab hold of him. Fenn reacted, pushing his body those last few inches forward, catching her by the f
orearm. She fell past him and jerked to a halt, her arm nearly pulled out of its socket. The little yelp that escaped her made his eyes close for a brief instant. He swung her twice, as hard as he could, then bellowed for her to let go just as her body swung out far enough to land on the ledge below them, out of harm’s way if the truck fell.

  She released his hold and landed on her side. For a second he feared she was dead, but then she rolled over onto her back and stared up at him.

  “Fenn! The truck!” She pointed at something above him.

  He turned just in time to see the vehicle barreling down the cliff toward him. He leapt from the branch, his weak ankle tearing painfully as he caught the edge of the ledge. Hayden leapt and caught his shoulders. He kicked and scrambled until he dragged himself up onto the ledge. The truck crashed through the trees and flew past them, a metal box of death. It hit the rocky ground far beneath them in a horrendous crash. Fenn curled his body around Hayden’s, protecting her from anything that might fly back up from the explosion.

  “Oh my God…” She broke down. Her body was wracked with choked sobs, and she buried herself against him. He wanted to break down, too, but they were alive, and so he let her cry and gave her any comfort his touch would bring. Holding her, safe and unharmed, was all he needed to keep it together.

  He was still shaking himself and was barely able to believe they hadn’t died. The storm raged around them. Rain soaked through their clothes and thunder rumbled around the very stones they clung to, but they held on to each other. He stroked Hayden’s hair and murmured soft sweet things that were meant to soothe and reassure her. After a while she calmed and just rested in his arms.

  “Can you distract me?” she asked in a tiny voice. “Please?”

  Fenn’s throat constricted, but he tried to keep it light. “I can think of a lot of ways to distract you from the cold and the cliff.” He kissed the shell of her ear.

  “I don’t think even you can distract me with your sexiness.” She nudged him with her elbow, but he could see she was smiling.