Dark Deeds

by Anne Marie Becker

  His gaze moved over the trio of women. The smug satisfaction in his smile sent shivers skittering across Becca’s skin. “It looks like our private audience has chosen for you. And I approve their selection. It fits the end goal. You’ll get what you’ve wanted all along. You’ll come out the hero, Becca. You’ll save one of these women, the viewers see the other one die, and you walk free. Everyone wins...even the one who dies. In the documentary, I’ll glorify her as an example of evil redeemed.”

  Which would leave Becca with nightmares for the rest of her life. “No, thank you. I don’t want to be a hero, especially to viewers like yours.”

  “You have no choice.”

  Like hell. She’d been considering her options, restrained as she was. While Diego and Nico might be moving into position upstairs, there was no way she could count on that. The chair was heavy, and her only weapon. She’d make it work. “You have to have a choice to be a hero, otherwise there’s nothing heroic about it.”

  But Patrick was no longer listening. “The loser, is, unfortunately—or fortunately, given she volunteered herself earlier—Catherine Montague.”

  Catherine’s expression was stoic as he approached. But as Patrick reached over her head to tighten the noose, Becca shouted the code word at the top of her lungs, hoping Diego could hear it. “Natalee!”

  She barely had time to register the door high above her, at the top of the stairs, crashing inward as she burst into motion. Throwing her weight forward so she could gain her footing, she balanced the chair on her back and spun on Patrick, using the furniture as a weapon by running the chair legs into his back. With a grunt of pain, he stumbled into Catherine, which—oh, God!—tightened Catherine’s noose so that she was gasping. But he soon regained his footing and came at her again.

  “Stop!” Diego shouted. “We’ll shoot you if we have to.”

  But Patrick wasn’t listening, and the sudden movements had stirred up the fog that was still pouring forth from the machine. That, combined with the crazy lighting, made it hard to see what was happening. If Diego took a shot, he could hurt Catherine or Eve. Or her. Likely, he knew that, or he would have taken the shot by now.

  “Get to Catherine first!” she shouted to Diego when the pounding of footsteps reached the base of the stairs. It had to be him and Nico, and probably a CPD officer or two, judging by the noise. She had to deal with Patrick charging toward her. Again, she bent over to support the weight of the chair with her back, swung around in a circle, and struck him in the gut with the chair legs as hard as she could.

  Unfortunately, Patrick’s adrenaline was also kicking in, and this time he kept his footing, lunging for her. “You’re ruining everything! I did all of this for you, so you could unburden your conscience and live out your life’s purpose.”

  In the background, Catherine was sputtering for air, unable to free herself because her hands were still tied. Eve was trying to support Catherine the best she could by using her legs to reach for Catherine’s chair, but the noose that was still around Eve’s neck prevented her from moving enough. But other people, men she couldn’t identify with the bright spotlights in her face, were at the base of the stairs, so Becca focused again on Patrick.

  “A hero? Just like you did for your mother? No, thanks. Besides, you two are a match made in hell. I want no part of that.” Becca tried to hit him again, but Patrick grabbed the chair legs and shoved hard, knocking her to the ground. The wooden legs cracked and split as she landed. Pieces of wood jabbed into her flesh, and she desperately tried to free her hands, but the back of the chair had remained stubbornly intact and Patrick was on her in an instant, refusing to give her a moment to reset her defenses. He grabbed her hair and yanked her face to focus on his. His breathing was rapid, his beady eyes had become more pronounced as his pupils dilated, and his cheeks were blotchy with anger.

  “Guess it’ll be your day to die, after all.” He wrapped his hands around her throat and began squeezing. Ironic that a man who’d been smothered by his mother all his life had learned to kill by throttling his victims.

  In her peripheral vision, Nico was freeing Catherine. Where was Diego? She had the sudden, alarming thought that he’d been hurt somehow. Or hadn’t come for her after all, once he’d heard and seen who she really was, and what she’d kept from him. But then two large hands ripped Patrick off of her. Or tried to. Patrick wouldn’t let go of her neck. She began to see stars in the fog swirling around her. Pinpricks of light. Her world shrank down to the only thing she wanted—her next gulp of air.

  Diego swore and there was a crunching sound as he punched Patrick repeatedly, until the man fell to his side, unconscious. Sweet air filled Becca’s lungs as she gasped, ignoring the pain of her neck muscles. Diego pulled a knife from his ankle holster and sliced through her bonds, releasing her from what was left of the chair and freeing her hands. She took another breath, draping her arms around Diego’s neck as he carefully scooped her against his chest. This breath was filled with his unique spice, tinged with sweat. He was shaking with fear and relief.

  She lifted a hand to soothe his cheek. But, uncertain of his feelings, she let it drop. “I’ll be okay.”

  “Damn right you will,” he said gruffly. “I’ll never forgive you if you don’t come out of this alive.”

  She tried to laugh, wanted to explain everything, but her throat hurt and her good intentions came out as a moan.

  Thursday, 11:45 p.m.

  Mercy Hospital

  It was nearly an hour later, in her hospital room at Mercy, when Diego returned to her. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “Better. The doctor said I can go any time.”

  “That’s good.” He seemed hesitant to come fully into the room. Now that the dust had settled, was he having second thoughts, realizing what kind of person she’d been?

  “How are Catherine and Eve?”

  “Eve is staying overnight. She was dehydrated, but the injuries to her neck will heal. Same with Catherine.”

  “We were all so lucky.” Becca looked down at her hands, unwilling to see the doubt or judgment in Diego’s gaze. The bed shifted as he sat down next to her.

  “I understand why you were hiding the rest of your past from me,” he said. “It wasn’t your fault. You were doing what you thought you should do at the time. To help other women.”

  Her throat tightened. Could he really forgive her that easily? She looked up, seeing him through a haze of tears. She swiped at the moisture that clung to her eyelids. “He put it up on the internet for a while. Used it to support his case that I was a jealous lover. Made me out to be a fool and a murderer.”

  “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

  “But he can.”

  Diego scowled. “How?”

  “His video. If there are copies out there...it could still hurt the people I love.”

  “They’ll forgive you. They know you, and that you aren’t the woman in the video. You were acting a part. Your heart is pure, as are your motives. Just like mine are in the Circle investigation.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t see that right away.” She took his hand and squeezed. Her eyes widened. “You’re shaking. Are you mad?”

  “Mad?” He looked surprised. “I was scared. Scared you wouldn’t let me forgive you.”

  Her laugh was raspy. “Let you forgive me?”

  “You can be a stubborn woman.”

  “Well, just this once, I’ll let you have your way.”

  He leaned close and kissed her lips with aching tenderness. He gathered her to him, deepening the kiss for a long moment that chased all of her fears away.

  “I was scared too,” she whispered into his neck. He held her tighter. “And I love you, too.”

  He pulled back to look down into her eyes. “You do?”

  “I do.”

  “I’m going to make you say that again,” he said, bending to place a quick, hard kiss on her lips.

  “Say what, I love you?” She’d say it as many tim
es as he wanted her to.

  “No, I do. I’m going to make you say that in front of a hundred witnesses.”

  She laughed. “With your family and my family, there will be at least two hundred.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Saturday, 8:25 a.m.

  Becca’s apartment

  Becca pretended she wasn’t trying to overhear Diego’s phone conversation as she sprinkled brown sugar on her oatmeal. Her throat was still sore and not ready for tougher foods like bagels, but she needed to refuel. Especially after the day and night she’d spent in Diego’s arms. Damian had given everyone Friday off, and, it being Valentine’s Day, Diego and Becca had spent the day celebrating their love, and reaffirming their good health...in bed.

  But now, the world threatened to burst their happy bubble. Diego’s flight was due to leave this evening, and they hadn’t discussed where they would go from here. Their declarations of love had been made in the heat of battle, and several times since, and she knew their love was true. What she didn’t know was where that left them. Either they were facing a long-distance relationship or someone would have to relocate, leaving their family and career behind.

  They’d make it work, somehow.

  Diego had moved into the living room to take the call from Garrison. “Yes, sir. I should be back on the job Monday morning. I’ll check in with you then.”

  Frowning, he rejoined her at the table. “Sorry about that.”

  “No problem...or is there?”

  As if she’d broken through a haze of deep thought, he looked up in bewilderment. “No, there’s no problem.”

  “Because if there was, we could talk about it. I’m a good listener, you know.”

  He took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. “I know.”

  “When you mentioned marriage...”

  “I meant it,” he insisted, squeezing her hand.

  Becca’s next breath was a little easier, and she smiled. “I suppose we’ll have to talk more after the SSAM meeting, before your flight.”

  Saturday, 9:30 a.m.

  SSAM Offices

  With a sense of pride and exhilaration, Damian watched his team assemble. “Great job this past week,” he told Becca, Diego, Einstein and Lorena. Nico had bowed out of the meeting, insisting he had to return to his real life. That real life included bringing down the remnants of the Circle, at least in Chicago and New York. He wondered how Eve Reynolds, who had been released from the hospital yesterday morning, fit into the picture.

  “Where’s Catherine?” Becca asked.

  He’d received a visit at his home from Catherine yesterday. The woman was troubled, and not just by recent events. He’d known for a while that she had some things to sort out in her life, but she hadn’t shared what those things were, and, for once, he didn’t have the intel ahead of time. “She’s taking a personal leave of absence from SSAM.”

  “What?” Becca was startled.

  “She said to tell you she’ll be in touch soon.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Health-wise, yes. Her injuries will heal, though I’m sure the experience will fuel some nightmares.”

  Catherine had never been a field agent. She’d been content behind the scenes, with the day-to-day business of running the company and managing the agents. And she’d been damn good at it. She would be hard to replace during her absence.

  “Then she should be here with us, to process.”

  “She had other matters...personal matters, to take care of.”

  “More important than this?” Becca was incredulous. “When will she be back?”

  “She didn’t give an exact date. She said she wants to reclaim her life, on her terms. I take that as a positive sign. Patrick is behind bars,” Damian continued, changing topics. “He’ll be facing multiple counts of murder, and the CPD is still investigating every one of Joyce’s patients, looking for deaths that seem suspicious. The current count is seven, so it’s unlikely Patrick will ever be on this side of the prison bars again. Joyce will likely be facing charges, too.”

  “What about Samantha’s case?” Diego asked. “Did anything from Patrick’s videos help? Any leads on the Circle?”

  Damian held up the necklace they’d found among Patrick’s possessions. Its opal body flashed red, blue and green fire at him, and the wings reflected pink light as it dangled from his fingers. “Patrick took this from Tony’s storage room. The police will be searching there for other items that might have been taken from victims of the Circle, and I’ll personally be interviewing Tony further about his criminal activities.” He frowned, recalling the conversation he’d had with Priscilla yesterday. The sound of her crying still tore at his heart. “I also received confirmation from the exhumation and DNA tests that it was Samantha’s body that had been buried all these years. At least I know now, for certain, that she’s at peace.”

  If only he could say the same thing about himself. But he was getting closer. He could feel it.

  “But Tony said the Circle was responsible for her abduction,” Becca said. “That he took her, but it was under orders. So either he’s lying or the person who paid for her killed her?”

  “That’s something Lorena and I hope to learn from Tony. As long as he sticks to his side of the bargain and talks to us, SSAM will provide added security for him and I’ll petition to have him moved to a prison in Texas.” No matter how long it took him, he’d find the man who did this to Samantha. He’d been patient this long. He would wait twenty more years if it meant having satisfaction in the end.

  In the meantime, he was going to seize life, at least a little bit. At least today. He’d ask Lorena out for that cup of coffee he’d been thinking about. But first...

  “Diego, can you stay behind a moment? I’d like to talk to you alone.”

  * * *

  Diego could sense the power in the man before him. Damian Manchester was equally confident and intimidating in a boardroom as when taking down a murderer. He was a man to look up to.

  “Thank you for staying,” Damian said as he closed the door to the conference room after excusing the others. “I won’t take too much more of your Saturday. I believe it’s your last day here, correct?”

  “I have a ticket home tonight,” Diego said. And he’d buy more tickets to come for a longer visit soon. He and Becca would have to figure out the technicalities. For now, it was enough to spend time with her.

  Hands in his pockets, Damian rocked back on his heels, looking thoughtful. “I wonder what it would take for you to start calling this your home.” His penetrating silver gaze met Diego’s.

  “Chicago?” Diego’s heart thumped a little harder as he saw a light at the end of the tunnel.

  “Chicago. SSAM. We’re a family here. I’d like you to come work with us. I’ll especially need your help as we negotiate the tricky terrain in this Circle investigation.”

  Diego thought about the family and job waiting for him in New York. His family would visit. They would simply be thrilled he’d found someone to share the kind of deep, abiding love the Sandovals respected. And the job? He’d worked damn hard to resurrect his reputation. To prove himself. But wouldn’t he have more opportunity for that here? And with a man who respected him enough to offer him a job?

  Diego met the other man’s gaze. “I’m honored. The answer is yes.”

  Damian grinned as they shook hands. “We’ll work out all the details soon. I assume you’ll need some time to settle things in New York?”

  “I’ll have to figure things out with the task force.”

  “I think you’ll find Garrison accommodating. SSAM may be coordinating with them from the Chicago side of things.”

  * * *

  Becca looked up from behind her desk, surprised when Diego made a beeline for her, pulling her to her feet and sweeping her against him for a kiss that shot sparks from her lips all the way through her body to her toes.

  Laughing, she pulled back to look up at him. “What’s this about?�
�� It had better not be a goodbye kiss. Not yet. She still had a few precious hours with him. She didn’t even want to say the G-word out loud.

  “I’m happy. A guy’s allowed to be happy, right?”

  “I suppose.”

  “We’re going to have the perfect life together, starting now.”

  “Maybe for a few hours, yes, but—”

  He put a finger to her lips. “You’re not avoiding me any longer.”

  “But—”

  “No excuses. I let you walk out of my door once. Never again. I’m moving here, and you’ll be stuck with me.”

  “What about your job?”

  “My job is right here. I’ll be working at SSAM.” Diego’s eyes glittered with the excitement of new challenges, and a new start.

  Damian had offered him a job? She thought her chest might explode with happiness. Butterflies, birds—hell, full-size eagles—swooped and dipped in her chest. Was it legal to be this excited?

  “We’re really going to do this?” she asked.

  “I just need a couple weeks to wrap some things up in New York.”

  “How will your family feel about you moving away?” Guilt shadowed her happy moment.

  “Mama will be fine, as long as I’m moving for a good reason. She wants me to be happy. You make me happy. You always have. I just didn’t believe I deserved you.”

  She wrapped her arms around Diego again, pulling him close. “You asked me before if I wanted a big family.”

  “Yeah.” His eyes darkened with heat. “But first, do you want a husband? You never officially said yes to my proposal.”

  “I don’t believe I heard an official proposal.”

  He dropped to one knee in front of her. Suddenly, her breath was stuck in her chest.

  “Becca Haney, will you accept me, faults and all, as your husband?”

  “Only if you’ll take me, faults and all.” She tugged him to his feet. His hands were strong and warm in hers. Capable. They would keep her steady and hold her up as she and Diego moved through life together, just as she would support him. “Yes, I’ll marry you. We’ll be perfect in our imperfections. And that big family? It’ll be part Haney, part Sandoval, part SSAM, and completely perfect.”