by Cynthia Eden
“Just why was the dresser in front of the closet? Who locked you in there?” the woman asked.
As the wave of nausea passed, Vivian took some deep, slow breaths. “I don’t…remember.” The throbbing in her temples got worse.
“Lace, she needs a doctor.” Eric’s voice was flat.
“The EMT is in the hallway. I’ll get him.” The dark-haired woman turned and hurried out.
Eric peered into Vivian’s eyes. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
I was locked in the closet. In the dark. She grabbed his hand. Held tight. “Where’s Chase?”
His lips thinned. “I was hoping you knew.”
Her heart squeezed. “We were…having breakfast.” What had she been eating? “We were in the—the room out there.” She motioned vaguely with her free hand.
Eric put his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the outer room. “Show me,” he ordered, “exactly where you were.”
A man in an EMT uniformed rushed toward her.
But she shook her head. “The cart is gone.” A cart had been there. She was sure of it. “It was right here.” She pointed. “Breakfast.” The memory was coming back. Stronger. “He ordered the breakfast platter.”
The EMT was reaching for her.
“Chase was worried, though…because…” What was it? “Something he didn’t order.” The nausea rolled through her again. “Oh, God, I think I’m going to be sick.” She whirled and staggered for the bathroom.
***
“Drugged.” Eric watched as Vivian Wayne was loaded into the back of an ambulance. “I’d bet on it.”
The fact that the breakfast cart had vanished from the room? Not just the room but the whole freaking hotel. Someone had been getting rid of evidence.
“No security footage from that floor,” Lacey Amari said as she strode toward him. “You won’t believe this, but the footage cut out right before the food was delivered this morning.”
Oh, he believed it all right. Eric glanced up at the building. The top floor was his. No one else ever used it. The suite wasn’t really part of the hotel. It had been reserved just for him and for his top clients. Only he’d never actually let any clients use the space before. This was the first time he’d needed this particular safe house.
Except it wasn’t so safe.
“Who all knew the location?” Lacey asked.
“I knew it. Chase knew it.” That was all. Chase hadn’t even known where they were going until the chopper landed.
“Then how were they compromised?”
The ambulance driver was shutting the back door of the vehicle. “We’re going with her,” Eric said as he shot forward. No way was he going to let Vivian out of his sight. Lacey hustled with him. He’d brought Lacey onto this case because she was someone that he trusted one hundred percent. She was also family, though only a few people in the world knew about that tie. It was a tie Lacey didn’t talk about, and because she didn’t, neither did he. Not until she’s ready.
They climbed into the back of the ambulance.
The EMT glanced up. “Only one can ride back here.”
They were both going with Vivian. Eric lifted a brow at the guy. A little try-to-make-me-move dare.
“I’ll ride up front,” Lacey announced quickly. “Better for me to see what is around us.”
He knew she didn’t mean what, she meant who. Lacey would be looking for tails.
While she made her way up to the front, Eric turned his attention to Vivian. She didn’t look quite so paper white, but her eyes were huge, and dark shadows lined them. “Feeling better?” Eric asked her carefully.
Her head turned toward him. “Who put me in the closet?”
He suspected the answer on that one, but this might not be the best time to tell her. “You were safe in there. I think if you hadn’t been in that closet, then you would have been taken when the intruders burst open the hotel room door.”
They’d destroyed the door.
And my security system didn’t go off again. One of the bonuses he’d put in place in that suite—it had come equipped with an alarm that should have activated the minute anyone tried to tamper with the locks.
First, the alarm hadn’t sounded at the cabin. And now—at his safe house?
“Taken…” Vivian wet her lips as the ambulance drove away from the scene. Her body twisted on the gurney. “Like Chase?” Fear flashed on her face.
He wasn’t going to lie to her. There was no point in that. “Yes.”
“He doesn’t know how to unscramble the code. He was just saying that because he didn’t want me to be a target.” Her breath heaved out as her words came faster and faster. “They’ll realize the truth. If they took him thinking he knew the secret…” Tears gleamed in her eyes. “They’ll kill him when he can’t unscramble the code.”
If they took Chase because they thought he knew the code…then they would have needed to hear our phone conversation.
But maybe that wasn’t why they’d taken Chase. He considered scenarios. Possibilities. Maybe they’d just taken him because they couldn’t find Vivian. Because Chase had managed to hide Vivian before the perps got inside the suite.
“I will do anything to help him,” Vivian said. “Anything.”
The EMT was trying to check her vitals, but her hand shoved past him and she grabbed Eric. She clutched him tightly. Stared into Eric’s eyes. “You can’t let them hurt Chase. If they want to trade him for me, we’ll do it. They can’t kill him.”
And that was why the perps had taken Chase. Because they’d found a way to get to Vivian. Through Chase. “You offer yourself, you give them what they need, and good agents will die. The men and women you were trying to protect will die.”
The EMT was dead silent.
“I can think of something,” Vivian whispered. “I can figure something out. A way to save them all.” Her gaze darted to the EMT.
Eric knew she didn’t want to talk with him there, but he could feel Vivian’s mind spinning. He could practically feel it—
“I always loved the story of the Trojan Horse,” she said, seemingly to no one in particular. “The people in Troy thought they were getting a gift. They let that present come right in because they didn’t see the danger. The peace offering was a lie. A lie in plain sight that led to their downfall.”
Eric blinked at her, and he understood her message.
Then he turned his head toward the EMT. “When she’s nervous, she likes to share facts.”
The young man looked uncertain. “Okay.” He drew out the word until it seemed to be a full sentence.
Eric’s stare darted back to her. “Chase mentioned to me that you do that.”
“Chase knows me well.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “I think he does.” Chase had been on Vivian’s side from the very beginning.
Now Eric could see why.
Because he’s in love with her, and I think she’s in love with him. “We’ll get him back,” Eric promised.
***
“How long is he gonna be out?”
“I don’t fucking know, man! How much of that shit did he eat?”
“Looked like two of them croissants to me. Dammit, we expected him to share the stuff with the woman! How the hell were we supposed to know she wasn’t there?”
Chase didn’t move as the men who’d taken him had their conversation. He slumped, head hanging forward, shoulders sagging, in the chair. A rope was wrapped around his chest, securing him to the chair’s back, but his feet were free.
Bad mistake.
He’d woken a while ago, but had made sure not to let that detail be noticed. He wanted to hear these assholes.
They were the flunkies. The guys doing the dirty work for their boss.
He wanted the boss.
“You think she’s going to trade herself for him? Or that Eric Wilde will offer her up for this guy?” One flunkie bastard grabbed Chase’s head and shoved it back. The movement was rough and
hard, and Chase wanted to kick out with his right foot. Break a knee cap. Maybe some ribs.
He didn’t.
He knew the move from his captor was deliberate. A deliberately rough move to see if Chase was awake or faking. He was faking, but those dumbasses wouldn’t know it.
Something sharp pressed to Chase’s throat. He felt the press of a blade even as wet warmth dripped down his neck. That fucker just put a knife to my throat.
“I think it would be easier to kill him now,” the gruff voice continued. “Big bastard is gonna be trouble when he wakes up. Besides, Eric Wilde won’t know if he’s dead or alive. Not until after the exchange.” The blade pressed deeper.
Chase got ready to attack. Change of plans. I’m not going to let this asshole slice me—
A door opened. “Get the hell away from him!” A familiar voice shouted.
Too familiar.
The blade lifted. “I was just…testing. Making sure he was out.”
“Looked to me like you were about to kill him.”
He was.
“Might be easier if he’s dead,” the knife-happy SOB muttered. “Big, bad Eric Wilde won’t know until—”
“This isn’t just about Eric Wilde. It’s about Dexter Ryan. If you think that guy won’t have his nose in every bit of this, you’re dead wrong. He’ll demand proof of life. We have to give it to him. We can’t very well do that if our bargaining chip was sliced ear to ear and died in a pool of his own blood.”
Footsteps shuffled.
“Get your asses out of here,” the familiar voice barked. “Patrol the building. Things are going to get busy very, very soon.”
More shuffling. The door closed.
Chase waited. His head had sagged forward again.
Are you the leader? Because you were sure as shit on my suspect list but…
“I knew you would be trouble the moment I saw you,” the man said, and there was no accent to his voice. None at all. But he was still familiar. “I could tell by your eyes. By the way you looked at her. You were already getting personally involved from the very beginning.”
Chase didn’t move.
“Good thing we got you out of the way.” A laugh. “With you tied up, not like you can rush to the rescue and play hero. No one else will have the personal connection to her. No one else will be ready to die for her.” The floor creaked as he turned away.
Chase waited a beat, waited until the traitorous SOB was almost at the door. “Non, mon ami…” Chase let the French roll from him as his head tilted back and he eyed his prey. “Tu vas mourir.”
Luc Coderre whirled toward him.
Chase gave him a slow smile. “Sorry. Is my French rusty? Then let me repeat that shit in English.”
Luc lunged toward him.
“No, my friend,” Chase told him. “Though, really, you’re not my friend. More like an asshole enemy, but I couldn’t remember the translation for that part. Anyway, you’re going to die—”
Luc attacked.
Chapter Nineteen
“You were poisoned,” Lacey Amari told her. “You should stay in the hospital. That’s the normal thing to do.”
Vivian yanked the IV out of her arm. “Turn around or you’re going to get flashed.”
Lacey spun around. “You’re being difficult. The doctors are still running your tox screen. You were vomiting all over the suite. You could collapse at any moment.” Her voice rose with worry as she demanded to know, “Have you collapsed? Because I don’t hear anything—”
“I’m changing, not collapsing.” And there. Done. She’d just gotten her clothes back on, and she toed into her shoes. “Now I’m getting the hell out of here.”
Lacey turned toward her. “I don’t think so.”
“Look, you’re nice and all—”
Lacey beamed at her. “That’s sweet of you to say. Is it because I held back your hair while you vomited in the bathroom? Does it mean we’re friends now?”
“I’m leaving. I’m going after Chase.” She moved for the door.
Lacey blocked her path. “Major problem with that plan. You don’t know where Chase is.”
That was a problem. Luckily, Vivian had it covered. “If I go back to my place—just me, no guards—something tells me the bad guys will swarm instantly. They’ll take me. Since they took Chase, too, I figure I’ll be transported to the same location where they are holding him.”
Lacey blinked at her. “That’s your big plan? To sacrifice yourself? To give yourself up so that you can save a man you met a few days ago?”
“Yes, that’s my initial plan.” Again, she moved around Lacey.
Again, Lacey stepped into her path.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Vivian told her honestly. “You did hold back my hair, and you seem like a nice person, but I’m going after Chase.” No one would stop her.
“What about the agents in jeopardy?” Lacey’s delicate jaw hardened. Everything about Lacey seemed delicate. Bone structure, height, build. “You know the CIA men and women you were originally trying to protect? What about them? Are you willing to sell them out now so you can save your new boyfriend? Is that how this works?”
The door opened behind Lacey.
Lacey immediately swung around. Her body tensed. “Who the hell are you?”
Dex frowned at her.
“He’s the boogeyman,” Vivian whispered. “Super bad guy. You should take him out right now.”
Lacey nodded and sprang at Dex—
He caught her hands. “I am not the boogeyman.” His gaze snapped to Vivian. “Was that shit supposed to be funny? Because I am not laughing.”
“No, but you’re about to be crying,” Lacey promised and she swept her leg under his.
“What the—” Dex didn’t get to finish because he slammed toward the floor.
Lacey flew down on top of him. She yanked a knife out of her boot and brought it to his throat.
“Freeze.” Dex’s voice. Low and lethal. Not at all worried even though he had a knife pressed to his Adam’s apple.
Lacey laughed. “Yeah, right. Like I’m going to take orders from some mystery jerk that I just took down without even barely trying.”
“I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to Vivian.”
Lacey’s head whipped up.
Crap. Vivian’s hand tightened around the door handle. Just when she’d almost made her escape.
“She was using you as a distraction,” Dex explained as he still used that low and lethal tone. “A very good one, I might add. But it’s not going to work. I’m not letting her leave.”
“Neither am I.” Lacey glowered at Vivian. “I thought we were on our way to being besties. I held back your hair.”
“I have no idea what that means,” Dex muttered. “But, as much as I do enjoy this position, I’m afraid you need to get off me now. Before I have to get physical with you.”
Vivian pulled open the door.
“Don’t, Vivian,” Dex blasted. “The last thing I want to do is explain to Chase why you are dead.”
Her shoulders stiffened as she glanced over at him. “Do you know where he is?”
“Nope. But I also know that I can’t let you run after him. Can’t let you trade yourself and jeopardize the data that was taken.” Even though he was still on the floor, his head had turned so that he could stare into her eyes. “Chase wouldn’t want you doing this.”
“It’s not his choice.”
Lacey’s knife was still at Dex’s throat. She’d nicked him. “So are you one of the good guys? Is that what I’m getting from this talk?”
His head turned back toward her. He smiled. “I am the best you will ever have.” A sensual note slid into his voice.
“Doubt it.” She pressed the knife down harder—
And the next few movements happened really fast. So fast that Vivian couldn’t keep track of them all. Dex grabbed Lacey’s hand. Wrenched the knife away. Twisted and rolled their bodies, lunged up to his feet, dragged Lac
ey with him and—
He ended up standing, with Lacey in front of him. One arm was wrapped around her waist while his other hand held a knife to her throat.
“Don’t!” Vivian rushed toward them. “Don’t hurt her! She’s a Wilde agent!”
His nose moved a little closer to her hair. “I figured as much.”
“Did you just sniff me?” Lacey gasped. “That is weird!” She drove her elbow back into him, yanked on his wrist, and the knife clattered to the floor.
Before Lacey could go in for a bigger attack, Vivian rushed between them. “Stop.”
Dex and Lacey were both breathing hard.
“I don’t have time for this craziness. Lacey, Dex works for the CIA. Or maybe he’s in charge of it. He won’t exactly say.” Vivian didn’t really care right then. Have to find Chase. “I do know that your boss will vouch for him, so you don’t need to attack or dismember him.”
“Pity,” Lacey mumbled.
“Yes, I absolutely agree.” Vivian lifted her chin. “Chase needs me.”
“You were drugged,” Lacey reminded her.
“Yes. Doesn’t change the point. Chase needs me, and I’m going to him. I will not let him be hurt or killed in my place.” With determination, she met Dex’s intense stare. “And I don’t care who you are, you aren’t going to stop me.” She wasn’t going to be intimidated or controlled.
His eyes narrowed.
Good. Message received. She turned on her heel, a crisp, almost military-like move…
“You’re going to sacrifice innocent agents?” Dex asked.
Why did no one have faith in her?
“You’re going to do that in order to save the agent who tricked you into falling in love with him?”
Dex’s last taunt seemed particularly cruel. Vivian looked back and let her gaze meet Lacey’s. “Maybe I should have let you dismember him.”
Lacey’s brows rose. “The offer is still on the table.”
Dex cursed. “This isn’t a fucking game.” His hand reached out and curled around Vivian’s shoulder.
She caught his hand and twisted, just like she’d been taught during her CIA training. He yelped in surprise. “Do I look like I’m playing?” Vivian wanted to know.