by Kym Grosso
I love you, she whispered, falling into a deep slumber and dreaming of a lifetime with Lars.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I love you. Lars’ chest ached. He’d gone most of his adult life without ever uttering the words, but as she revealed her greatest secret, Lars couldn’t have been any more certain of his own feelings.
“I love you, too.” A surge of melancholy seized him, as his lips brushed her hair.
Telling her while she slept was the best he could manage, given it’d be likely she’d leave in the morning. With little evidence to convict her uncle, she’d most certainly have to go into hiding. Lars struggled to work through a scenario where they could stay together. Giving up his life and company in San Diego to follow her out of the country simply wasn’t an option. People counted on his leadership, their careers, livelihoods and families depending on his innovative direction to ensure the company’s solvency. While he often worked out of the office, he’d been a committed presence at DLar-Tech.
A weekend. It’d been all he promised. But as he’d discovered her playful, trusting nature, he’d grown attached. The thought of letting Braelynn walk out of his life ravaged his soul. The devastating loss would come swift and hard.
Lars closed his eyes, attempting to memorize every contour of her body, the touch of her skin, her laugh. He sighed, allowing the scent of his woman to infiltrate his senses. With her in his arms, he was home. He pressed his lips to the nape of her neck, praying that a solution would come to him in a dream. As sleep captured Lars, drawing him into her thick web, he drifted into a fantasy where she was his forever.
“Hmm.” Lars stirred. He blinked his eyes open to find Brae, curled onto her side, smiling at him.
“Hi.” Her palm brushed over his rough beard and he grinned.
“Hi.” Lars reached over her waist and jerked her toward him. “How do you feel?”
“I feel so good when I’m with you.” She pressed her lips to his, peppering his face with kisses.
“God, I love…” Lars hedged, retracting the confession that had almost passed through his lips. “I love being with you.”
“I don’t want this to end.” Although he couldn’t read her expression, the tremble in her voice gave her away.
“No matter what happens, Brae, it’s only temporary.”
“But I won’t see you,” she began, her words trailing into silence. Warm tears brushed his shoulder and guilt pierced his chest.
“Please don’t cry.” Lars silently admonished his lack of empathy. Is that all you have? God, I’m an asshole. He was a problem solver, and couldn’t accept that he hadn’t yet figured out how to keep her safe and in his life.
“I’m sorry. It’s just…Lars…” She paused, and lifted her gaze to meet his. “I want you to know. This weekend, I loved being with you. I know it’s crazy for me to say that. I broke into your house…tried to break in.” She gave a small laugh. “We stole research. Got shot at. I don’t mean that stuff. But everything else? I’d do it all again if it meant getting to be with you.”
“Aw, sweetheart, I don’t know how things are going to play out but this is not the end. I just need some time.” Lars knew Garrett would arrive within hours, take the data and Braelynn would have to go with him. He expected after it was all said and done, they’d come up with a plan to see each other. But at the moment, getting her to safety was paramount.
“You really think so? Because I’m not sure. Garrett, I know he’s your friend, and part of me knows why he did what he did, but when I’ve talked to him and Dean, they’ve always been pretty sure I couldn’t return. My uncle, he’s not going to take this lying down. I wish I had something on him, but aside from killing my cat and roughing me up…it’s not enough.”
“It’s going to be okay,” he told her.
“I know I can’t stay. This is the way it has to be.”
“You won’t be alone.”
“It’s okay. Really. I know what’s coming. I can do this.” Braelynn nodded. With the back of her hand, she swiped at the tear that streaked down her cheek.
Lars tensed as she pulled out of his embrace, noting the change in her demeanor. A switch had gone off inside her. The light in her eyes dimmed, and she averted her gaze. She pushed out of the bed onto her feet and set off toward the bathroom without saying another word.
Lars leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes. Fuck. Anger exploded through him, and he shoved out of bed. Swiping a pair of shorts out of his drawer, he made quick work of dressing. He took a deep breath, glancing at the stream of light that spilled through the crack onto the bedroom floor.
The sound of running water tempted him. He wanted to go to her, to comfort her, but he resisted. Reality had set in and giving in to emotions was a futile use of energy. The only solution was to stop her uncle, to find enough evidence to put him away. He’d found an adventurous woman to match his fire, and there was no way in hell he’d give her up without a fight.
Lars took off down the hallway and made a beeline for his office. Flipping on the light, he slammed the door and a painting fell off the wall, the glass shattering onto the floor. Disgusted with the situation, he tore open the file and began to pore through it one more time. Inspecting each page, he searched for answers.
Lars pounded his fist onto his desk, frustrated he hadn’t found one shred of evidence to tie Giordano to the stolen research or the shooting. A loud rumble echoed through the windows, the familiar whirl of helicopter blades tearing through the wind. Garrett. What is he doing in a heli? Garrett had told him he was driving up with Dean, feds in tow. As much as he loathed the thought of Braelynn’s departure, they’d assured him that he’d bring his people to shepherd them to a secure location.
Lars shoved to his feet, closing the file and sealing it. His eyes went to the safe, where he’d kept the chip. But as he strode across the room, the roar of the blades continued, sending a chill up his spine. Garrett had planned on staying for at least the morning, and would have immediately cut the engines. His mind rapidly processed the inconsistency, registering alarm. Without hesitation, he slid open a hidden compartment underneath his desk drawer. Retrieving the loaded Glock, he slid out the magazine, examining the seventeen rounds. Satisfied it was fully loaded, he clicked it back into place, and jammed three extra cartridges into his pocket.
He glanced to his bare feet and cursed, wishing he’d worn shoes. Not a floorboard creaked as Lars skirted across the hardwood floor with stealth movement. He wrapped his fingers around the door handle, slowly twisting it open, and stole a glimpse down the hallway, checking for intruders. Quietly, he descended and prayed like hell that Braelynn was locked in the bedroom. But as he heard her and male voices echo up the stairway, his stomach dropped. Their loud argument resonated through the house. An ear-piercing scream ensued, spearing terror through his chest.
As he tore down the steps, Lars’ heart caught as he spied Armand Giordano dragging Braelynn by her hair, holding a gun to her head.
“Get the fuck off me,” Braelynn yelled at him. She struggled, her hands around his wrists.
“Shut the hell up, you little bitch. I should have never let you into my company.” Giordano kicked open the door and called out to a tall man in a black suit who followed. “Stay and look for it. Five minutes and she’s done.”
Lars recognized the second male. He’d seen him exiting Braelynn’s condo. Shane.
“Let her go.” Lars drew his weapon and pointed the barrel at Giordano.
“Don’t press him,” Shane called to him, his voice firm but not threatening. “He’ll shoot her.”
The statement struck Lars as odd but he ignored it, and took off after Braelynn. By the time he’d passed through the atrium's back door, Giordano stood precariously close to the edge of the cliff.
“Get back, asshole or the cunt goes bye-bye.” Giordano gripped her chin, still holding the gun in his hand.
“Easy now.” Lars raised his hands into the air, holding them in a d
efensive posture. Well-trained and confident that he could hit Giordano, he chose a calm approach. The cliffs were notoriously unstable and one couldn’t predict the shifting earth. If he got any closer to the edge and slipped, they wouldn’t survive the two-hundred-foot drop into the churning Pacific.
“Fuck you, asshole. You’re the reason she’s going to die today. You really think this little whore is worth it? Her mother…”
“Shut up! Don’t you talk about her!” Braelynn screamed.
Giordano kneed her in her back and she cried out, falling to her knees. Holding her up by her hair, he dangled her like a puppet. Braelynn heaved a breath, and Lars fought the urge to go to her.
“If she dies, you’re going to die. This,” Lars waved his pistol, reminding Giordano of his weapon, “I’m going to take you the fuck out. The research you want? Your friend isn’t going to find what he needs. That chip you used to steal the research, there’s an improved version. Erases everything. You won’t get it back.” Lars glanced back to the house as a chair smashed through a pane of glass. Ignoring it, he refocused his attention on Braelynn, who looked as if she was gathering her strength. She stared at him with an intensity he’d never seen. He couldn’t be sure how or when but his girl was going to make a move.
“If you haven’t noticed, the helicopter’s running.” Giordano glanced to his watch.
“You won’t make it.”
“I’m going to fucking make it. You know, Braelynn here, she’s as stupid as her mother.”
“You killed them,” she accused. Her toes dug into the ground, seeking a firm purchase. “Where’s my father?”
“Ah, he’s been of use. Your mother, though, she never got the meaning of family. I always wanted to have a daughter.” He tugged her hard, wrapping his arm around her waist. The T-shirt she was wearing rode up, revealing her bare skin.
“With that little dick of yours, you probably couldn’t get it up,” she spat. “Jeannette fucked every guy in the office, you know that, don’t you?”
“I should fuck you right here in front of him. You were mine to have. Mine.”
“Get the fuck away from her!” Lars screamed as Giordano pressed the barrel of his gun to her mound.
“Get off me.” Braelynn elbowed her uncle, breaking free of his grip. She stumbled over a rock, losing her balance, and toppled over the edge of the cliff.
Bullets whizzed by Lars’ head as he barreled into Giordano. They wrestled into a bush of golden flowers, and Lars swiftly landed a left hook to his jaw. He caught the sound of Braelynn’s deafening cry as he threw another punch at Giordano, knocking him unconscious. Lars shoved to his feet, carefully searching the bluff. Braelynn’s scream carried to him in the wind, and Lars craned his neck over the precipice, searching for her. Terror set in as his worst nightmare was realized. Nearly thirty feet down from the edge, Braelynn clutched onto a small jut in the rock.
“Help me!” she cried.
“I’m coming,” Lars told her. An avid rock climber, he was well aware that this was not the kind of cliff that was safe for recreation.
His eyes darted to Seth, who fought Shane inside the solarium. Shots rained down, and he caught sight of his assailant aiming the rifle from the inside of the helicopter. Lars took aim with his pistol and clipped the shooter’s leg, momentarily gaining a reprieve.
With Giordano still down on the ground, he needed to work fast. Carefully descending, Lars gripped the precipice, his feet dangling hundreds of feet above the ocean. With no equipment, he searched blindly with his fingers, navigating the bluff. His hands like vises, he lowered himself, deliberately selecting his next hold. With each move, he tested the unsteady rock, aware it could break away at any second.
He glanced to Braelynn. She’d managed to support herself along an edge. Lars prayed that Seth had seen him climb down, and would bring rope. Getting her up the embankment with no gear would be nearly impossible. The best he could do was to keep her safe against the face.
“Easy, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” Lars sidled up next to her.
“Lars,” she wept, her cheek pressed flat to the rocks. Her bloodied fingers gripped the gray boulder.
“You’ve gotta just hold on here. Let me see what we’re working with.” Lars inspected the crag, securing a firm bucket hold on a ledge.
“I can’t do this.” Her eyes darted down to the rough surf. The early morning fog had begun to burn off but a brisk wind blew through and she shuddered.
“Don’t let go, Brae. No matter how cold you get. Do not fucking let go,” he ordered. If she released her grip for any reason, she could easily plummet to her death.
“Hey! I’ll be right back,” Seth called and quickly disappeared.
“We’re going to get you up.” Lars tilted his head upward, relieved they’d been discovered. He could easily climb the short distance back up but even with gear, he’d have to assist Braelynn.
“I’ve got it.” Seth’s voice was like a guardian angel from the heavens. “You ready? Here it comes. Heads up.”
“Don’t let go.” Lars snatched the rope out of the air as Seth flung it down into the abyss. Using his mouth and one hand, he opened the harness. “Now listen carefully, Brae. You’re going to have to lift your leg. One at a time, okay.”
“No…I can’t move. I can’t move,” she repeated.
“You can do this and you will do this.” With no time for coddling, he stood firm and pressed her. “I’m going to keep you safe but you have to do what I say or else you will die. Exposed to the elements out here, it’s only a matter of time before you go into shock. Even if a helicopter manages to get down to us, you still need to put on a harness. Now listen to me. We’re going to put this on. Easy peasy. Once it’s on, Seth is going to haul your pretty little ass up the cliff. You’ll be up in less than a minute.”
“Lars, please,” she begged, tears streaming down her face.
“Trust me?” He nodded.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Yes. I’ll take care of you.”
“Promise.” She blinked, exhaling a deep breath.
“Promise. Now don’t move until I tell you to.” Lars adjusted his grip downward, reaching toward her right foot. “Hold on tight and just lift your toes up an inch or so. No big balance act here. I’ll have it on the second you lift up.”
“I…I…Oh God, Lars…please don’t let me fall.” She did as he asked, the leg loop slipped on easily, and he held it until she set her foot back onto the edge.
“Good girl. Now the other one, go ahead,” he instructed. As it slipped on, Lars dragged the harness upward, the waist belt sliding over her hips. “Look at you. You’re going to be rock climbing with me soon.”
“I highly doubt it.” She gave a nervous laugh. “You are crazy, you know that right? I can’t believe you seriously do this for fun. This is not fun.”
“Skydiving then?” he joked, tugging the straps.
“Maybe.”
“It’s a date.” He winked.
“A date?”
“One of many, sweetheart. We haven’t had a proper one yet, but we will.”
“I’d like that.” She smiled.
He tugged on the belay rope, giving a firm pull. Unable to properly load test it, they’d have to hope it held. Although the harness was for a man, he reasoned it would work for the short distance.
“Lars.” Braelynn’s voice softened. Her eyes darted up to Seth and back to Lars.
“Wrap your hands around this rope here and lean back for me now. On your way up, push away with your feet if you feel you’re getting too close. No matter what happens, just hold on. Seth will haul you up.”
“Lars,” she repeated.
“Trust me.” He nodded, breathing a sigh as she gripped it. Lars locked his eyes on hers. “You’ve got this.”
“I love you.” Braelynn shook her head, glancing over her shoulder to the ocean and back to him. “I, uh…I know I shouldn’t tell you like this. But I want you to know. Okay?
I love you. And I know it seems soon but I…I need you to know, okay? No regrets?”
“I love you too, sweetheart.” Lars smiled, and as he confessed his own feelings, the rush of the moment threatened to overwhelm him. Forcing himself to concentrate, he took a deep breath. “No regrets. Now don’t let go. See you on the flip side.”
Lars pressed his lips to hers. A gentle kiss, it felt like their last as he gently guided her away from the cliff. As she fell back into the harness, he looked up to Seth and whistled, giving him a thumbs up. Lars had climbed hundreds of times, yet as he watched her ascend, apprehension set in.
Shaking off fear, he set out up the cliff. Testing each jutting rock, he easily scaled it. Ten feet. Five feet. Two feet. A shot rang out, and Braelynn’s distinctive voice reverberated in the crisp morning air. Clasping onto the ledge, Lars watched, in shock, as Seth toppled over the precipice.
“No!” Lars roared, helpless to save him. Blood sprayed into the air as his friend tumbled down the cliffs. With one hand, Lars hung, struggling to locate him. As the possibility of Seth’s death slammed into him, tears sprang from his eyes. Even in the rare chance he’d survived the fall, Lars knew that he’d never be able to reach him. The unstable cliffs could slip anytime during his descent, killing them both.
Gunfire sprayed, and Braelynn went silent. Anger and grief surged through Lars. He swung his arm over the ledge, digging into the dirt and hauling himself over the edge. In the distance, he caught sight of Garrett dragging Braelynn by her arm into the house. Although relieved she was alive, he hated seeing her distressed and swore he’d kick Garrett’s ass. Both Dean and Shane took cover behind redwoods, firing off shots at Giordano, who stumbled across the lawn toward the helicopter. Giordano spotted Lars from twelve yards away, and turned his gun toward him.
It wasn’t as if danger didn’t register, but Lars simply didn’t care. Giordano had killed Seth. Eye for an eye, the man would die by his hand today. A gunshot exploded from behind Lars. He dove to the ground, never taking his eyes off Giordano, whose body jolted, wavering like a flag as he took a clean hit to the arm. Still holding his gun, Giordano staggered back, but kept his eyes trained on Lars. Springing to his feet, Lars lunged at him like a striking cobra. The gun flew across the lawn, and Lars smashed his fist into Giordano’s face. The sound of crunching bone sounded in his ears as he lost control, pummeling him.