by Kym Grosso
“No, I’ve got it.” Braelynn held tight to the seat and lunged forward. With a grunt, she clutched the handle and yanked inward, slamming it shut. Lars and Braelynn slid to the right as he swerved to avoid the security guard, rolling the SUV up over the concrete barrier and onto the grass.
“You okay?” Lars wrestled the car under control and drove it onto the main highway.
“They won’t come for us out here.” Braelynn stared out the windshield, stunned by their escape.
“No, they’ll do it far away from their nice little corporate center.”
“He’s going to kill me.” She shook her head.
“He’s going to jail.”
“We have to get this data to…” Don’t say it. Leave him be, her conscience warned.
“To who? Jesus Christ, I wish you’d fucking trust me.” He banged the heel of his hand on the steering wheel.
Braelynn shook as he yelled at her. She deserved it, she knew. Maybe it’s better he’s angry. I’m leaving. As soon as they returned to his house, she’d collect her things, and drive to Emerson Industries. Lars had told her he’d help her leave San Diego but they hadn’t discussed the specifics. She couldn’t bear the thought of long goodbyes at the airport. In her mind, the plan was set; turn over the data to Garrett, and drive straight to the airport.
“Brae,” she heard him say, breaking her contemplation.
“You know I can’t talk about it.” She reached up into her shirt, revealing the papers. Tugging them from her clothes, she shuffled them into a neat pile and laid them on her lap. She stabbed her hand into her pocket and fished out the tiny chip. “I have all the files. The program worked. Everything’s deleted. And they can’t claim to have had something stolen that never belonged to them to begin with.”
“But the question remains…who gave it to them? If they stole it once, they could take it again.”
“True, but they don’t have me.” Braelynn wasn’t sure what Garrett Emerson would do with the information. Although she’d theorized the practical implications of her research, she couldn’t be certain others would draw the same conclusions. At least at Emerson Industries, she could be assured that if it got stolen again, she would not be there. I can’t save the world. In truth, she would have given her life for it, almost had, but losing Lars would be penance for her mistakes. She’d never be the same.
“You need to tell me where it’s going.”
“You know I can’t. I’m sorry, Lars.” She buried her face in her palms. If she made eye contact, she’d burst into tears. He and Garrett were good friends. She didn’t need him to fight her battles. And she had no intention of causing a rift between them. “You don’t need this trouble. You don’t need me. You’ve got yourself a nice life. Great dog. Beautiful home. And you’ve worked hard and deserve it. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but you have an amazing future in front of you and don’t need to worry about me.”
“Really. That is your answer?” He blew out a breath and shook his head.
“Lars, you know I can’t…”
“No,” he interrupted, anger in his voice. “It’s not that you can’t. No, Dr. Rollins, you won’t tell me. Can’t and won’t are two entirely different things. Now you can pull this clearance shit with me all you want but somewhere along the line, despite everything between us, I earned a little trust. I was on that beach getting shot at that day. But I still respected this bullshit clearance excuse. I get it. I work for the government. But guess what? Today I got shot at again. So fuck clearances. No, I deserve to know what the hell is going on. But I guess if you won’t tell me, if you really plan on getting in your car when we get back…on leaving…hey, I wish you the best of luck. I’m getting off this fucked up carnival ride. I thought maybe you and I…”
“You thought what?” she asked, trembling.
“Nothing. You and I nothing. It was a memorable weekend. Nothing more. Nothing less.” He let out a loud exhale, and tapped at his cell screen.
His words speared through her heart. Nothing. She was nothing to him. Even if he’d said it out of anger, perhaps there was truth in his words. His disdain was welcome, making it all the more easy for her to get in her car and roll away.
“Fuck, Seth. Pick up, man. Where the fuck are you?” Garrett slammed his phone onto the seat and turned into his driveway.
As they approached the house, Braelynn caught sight of a man running across the side yard. By the time they pulled into the carport, he’d disappeared down to the beach. The front door, wide open, swung in the wind. Bright red streaks were smeared across its white surface.
“Stay here,” Lars ordered.
Without another word, he tore out of the car and into the house. Braelynn opened her door and called out to Sasha, who romped toward her. She fell to her knees, wrapping her arms into the dog’s warm fur. She craned her head, stretching to see a black sedan parked along the left side of the house. Her heart sped as Sasha growled. The crackling of footsteps along the dry stone landscaping alerted her to his presence. As she turned, she flinched as the blow landed across her jaw. A sharp pain to her skull registered seconds after he’d hit her, and as she lay up looking at him, her world blurred.
“Lars,” she breathed. As her world went dark, she pictured herself in his loving arms, and swore if she survived, she’d never leave him.
Chapter Eighteen
“What the hell happened? His home had been torn apart, and shattered glass scattered across the floor. Lars found Seth inside the kitchen, blood sprayed onto the wall. “Are you okay?”
“No worries, dude.” Seth gave him a broad smile and held out his arms. He held a cast iron pan in one hand and a knife in the other. “I’m the kitchen ninja.”
“Yeah, okay.” Lars shook his head, relieved Seth wasn’t hurt. He was one of the few people who had the code to his house. Lars knew that although his friend joked, he could have been killed. “Is there anyone else in here?”
“I don’t think so. I was just stopping by to see if you wanted to go to the beach. Sasha girl…she was barking up a storm. Thought I’d let her out before I went, so I took her out back. You know how I do. While she was doin’ her business, I got caught up checkin’ my email. Next thing I know she’s growlin’, and I knew there was no way in hell she’d be actin’ up like that for you. Then I hear someone in the house, and this guy, dressed all ‘men-in-black’, comes out of your office. He came right at me with his gun. I was going to use the knife but you’ve got those nice expensive pans hanging right there. I’m fast, bro. Smacked him hard.” He plowed his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, pretty sure I broke his nose. I heard that sweet li’l pop. Anyway, he ran out the back door. I heard you pull up and I was just coming out.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“Yeah, sorry about the mess. Hey, uh, where’s Braelynn?”
“Fuck!” Lars cursed, realizing she was alone in the car. He didn’t have time to get his Glock but he’d send Seth. “Go grab my gun. Second desk drawer. It’s unlocked.”
As he tore through the living room and thrust through the front door, Braelynn released a piercing scream. Rage surged through Lars at the sight of the intruder hovering over her. He gripped her attacker by the collar, and shoved him onto the ground. The stranger stumbled upward and lunged for Lars, but he’d already swung his fist, landing it square across the man’s jaw. Blood sprayed into the air, and Lars hit him again and again, pummeling his face.
“Lars,” Seth yelled. “Yo! Stop! Lars! You’re gonna kill him.”
“Fucking right I am,” he huffed, throwing him onto the driveway. The crumpled body went still, and Lars rushed to Braelynn.
“Jesus Christ, man. You beat the shit out of this guy.” Seth poked him with his foot and bent to check his pulse. “Still alive.”
“Brae. Sweetheart. Come on now.” He scooped her body into his arms and his stomach dropped as soon as he felt the lump on her head. Gently turning her head to face him, he observed the handprint a
cross her cheek. A trickle of blood spilled onto her chin. “Goddammit.”
“Is she okay?” Seth asked, rummaging through the intruder’s pockets.
“Brae, come on, baby. Say something,” Lars urged.
Braelynn stirred. She gave a moan and brought a hand to the back of her head. “What the fuck?”
“You’re going to be okay,” he told her with a kiss to her forehead. His attention quickly shifted to Seth, who stood over the body. “You find anything?”
“Not a damn thing. No wallet. No ID. Nothing. Who the hell are these guys?”
“We’ve got to get her outta here.” He needed to get them to a secure location as soon as possible. “I have no right to ask you…”
“Dude, you don’t have to ask. I’ll help you.” Seth stood, brushing his palms on his thighs.
“Come with us. I’ll tell you everything in the car.”
“Where are we goin?” Seth gave him a smile, knowing that when Lars asked to go on a trip it could be anywhere on the damned planet.
“The cabin,” Lars responded.
“Big Sur?”
“Yeah, we can hold up there for a few days.” Lars stood, cradling Braelynn to his chest. He was a fucking idiot for leaving her alone. He should have known better.
“Let me just grab my backpack.” Seth ran over to his ragtop Jeep and snatched his satchel off the front seat. “You need anything else out of the house?”
“I just need to grab some ice.” He glanced to Braelynn’s reddened face, then focused on the car, surveying the damage from the gunshots. Only a few nicks on its exterior were visible, and he reasoned it wouldn’t draw the attention of others. “We’ve gotta go now. Whoever sent these guys is going to come looking for them. You have the gun?”
“Got it.” Seth lifted his shirt, displaying it tucked into his waistband, and looked to the beaten man on the ground. “Hey, maybe we should call Dean. Let him deal with this.”
“I’m going to call him all right, but first we’re getting the hell out of here. I want to see exactly what’s in this shit Braelynn lifted from her former employer. I’ll drive.” Lars approached Seth and shook his head. He wanted the truth and he wanted it now. Guilt for leaving Braelynn ran deep but her secrets brought danger to their feet at every turn. He looked down to her tearstained face, her tiny hand clutching his t-shirt. Letting go of her in any sense was going to rip his heart out, but she was trouble. The kind of trouble that would get him killed. “Can you take her for a minute?”
“Of course.” Seth rushed over, reaching his arms underneath Lars’.
“No, I don’t want to,” she protested. “Please, I think I can stand…maybe…”
“I’m sure you can, sweetheart, but you know what? That’s not happening right now. We’ve got to get going, and I want Seth to keep an eye on you.”
“Lars, I’m sorry.” Her voice trembled.
Braelynn’s eyes fluttered open, gazing up at him, and his heart melted at the sight of her tears. Anger. Sympathy. Desire. He hated the rush of emotions streaming through his chest. Not the time. Get your shit together. She’s going to be all right. Lars broke eye contact with Braelynn and continued to gently place her into Seth’s arms.
“Hey there, darlin’,” Seth said, his voice warm. “I promise I’m going to take care of you. Lars is going to be right back. We’ve gotta get out of here and then you guys can talk.”
As Lars walked back into his house, he glanced back to Seth. His friend carefully lifted Braelynn into the car, keeping her against his chest, stroking her hair. The comforting act gave Lars confidence that in the middle of this shit storm, everything would be all right. He hated that someone had violated his home. But a sliver of hope flickered in his mind, knowing that he was about to discover the dangerous secrets that had resulted in her being shot.
Lars stood over Braelynn, who slept in his bed. It had been a seven hour ride up the coast, and he’d been relieved when they finally reached his cabin. He’d built his sanctuary on several acres of oceanfront property off Pacific Coast Highway. An intricately designed ten foot bronze gate guarded the entrance, a stone wall blocking further access to the heavily wooded plot of land. With breathtaking views of the rugged coast and enormous cliffs, it was secluded and quiet. Few friends knew about the cabin; only Garrett and Seth had been invited. With a state-of-the-art security and camera system, intruders were easily detectible. It was nearly impossible to infiltrate the barriers. Given the instability of the three-hundred-foot cliffs, it would be foolish for anyone to attempt to climb them.
Lars glanced out the floor-to-ceiling windows in the master bedroom. Although the sun had already set, the gorgeous sky exploded in pink puffy clouds resembling cotton candy. He scrubbed his hands over his scruffy beard, considering he should have called Garrett right away. While Braelynn and Seth had slept during the long ride, he’d vacillated, finally settling on texting him in the morning. While Lars needed help, he wanted time to find out exactly what was in the files without interference.
He’d briefly flipped through the stolen documents. With nearly a hundred papers, it would take several hours to pore through them. He planned to let Braelynn sleep through the night before questioning her. While undressing her earlier, he’d found the chip in her pocket.
He fingered it, and shook his head. The one thing Braelynn hadn’t lied about was the level of her clearances. Whoever had given her the data chip was either in national intelligence or had worked directly with them. The technology hadn’t been published nor was it generally known it existed. But what he held in his hand was real, and he knew very few people who had access to that kind of classified information.
Garrett Emerson. Lars had overheard him discussing it with Evan over a year ago, when he’d accidentally interrupted an after-hours office conversation. When pressed, Garrett had denied possession of such technology. The connection, if any, between Garrett and Braelynn, however, wasn’t apparent.
Lars’ mind spun as he paced the floor. The party at Altura. Garrett didn’t just know her from the shooting. He knew she’d worked at Bart-Aqua, knew of her research. When Lars had gone to the bar, he’d observed Garrett deep in conversation with Braelynn. Given his friend’s abhorrence for Giordano, Lars had assumed he was drilling her for any kind of tidbit that would help him reopen the congressional hearings.
No, no, no. Lars shook his head, the betrayal hitting him in the gut. Garrett hadn’t been asking her about Armand Giordano. He’d been interrogating his corporate spy, enraged that she’d infiltrated his precious Altura. Lars pinched the bridge of his nose, sucking in a deep breath. Braelynn’s involvement didn’t reconcile with espionage. It hadn’t appeared she’d been doing this willingly. She may have held top level clearance but the woman was no spy. Hell, she’d practically killed herself the night she’d attempted to break into his home. Had she been coerced by Garrett?
Lars laughed to himself, stretching his neck, as all the pieces started coming together. He’d done the background checks on Dr. Braelynn Rollins. Significant chunks of her history information appeared scrubbed from existence. He’d wrongly assumed she’d been unemployed during certain periods. .
Garrett’s constant warnings about staying away from her made perfect sense. She’d worked for Emerson Industries, and he’d covered it up. His friend didn’t want him discovering whatever bullshit the two of them were involved in, stealing data from Giordano. But why would Garrett enlist an amateur like Braelynn to steal it when she knew little of technology and clearly wasn’t a trained spy? What could he possibly have on Braelynn to force her to steal it? With the stringent hiring practice Giordano implemented, how had Braelynn got a job so easily? Sure she was qualified but so were several other scientists. She wasn’t in a position that necessarily utilized her skills as a marine biologist. Did she have an inside connection? And why did Giordano go to her house and threaten her, an average employee? Maybe he knew her? But what was the connection?
Lars blew out
a breath, lifted the papers off his dresser and entered his walk-in closet, flicking on the light. He crossed the large space to a keypad on the wall and typed in a code. As he did so, a wall mirror flickered with a yellow neon glow. It clicked open, revealing a hidden safe. Placing the documents and chip inside, he pecked at the keys, entering the lock sequence. As easily as it had opened, the mirror dimmed, returning to its prior state.
When he reentered the bedroom, Seth had joined them. Lars noted how his friend held Braelynn’s hand and observed the intimacy as he spoke softly to her. Her eyes blinked open, and her gaze went to Lars. Although his mind churned with questions, her sad smile caused his heart to crush.
Jesus Christ almighty, he yearned to keep this woman in his life. He wished he had a reasonable explanation for his out of control emotions. Never in his life had he lamented over a woman. Dating had been easy. He’d fuck women, and either they’d end up friends or not, but only a few remained in his life.
“Lars,” she whispered.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
“I’m sorry. Your house. I should have…” she stammered. Confused, she looked to her surroundings. “Where are we?”
“My cabin.”
“This doesn’t look like a cabin. It’s a house.”
“You like how he does that, right? I’ve told him a million times this ain’t no cabin but he likes to think he’s camping,” Seth joked.
“It’s a cabin.” Lars shrugged.
“Where’s the papers?” she asked, panic in her voice. She shoved up onto her elbows. “Wait…my pants. Where’s my…”
“I’ve got the chip, Brae.” Lars rounded the bed and sat down, giving a long sigh. “I found it when I took off your jeans…they were dirty. You’d fallen.”
“I’ve got to go. Lars…” As she went to push up from the bed, she grabbed the back of her head and fell back onto the pillow. “Fuck. What did that dick hit me with, a rock?”
“I think you may have hit your head when you fell on the driveway. It’s just a little bump.”