Sacrifice

by Denise Grover Swank

  She tilted her head with narrowed eyes. “What?”

  “One week from tomorrow, I’ll be in Albuquerque giving a speech at the Fairmont Hotel for a political luncheon. Your name will be on the guest list. You must promise to meet me there at noon as my guest. It’s a public place. You’ll be safe.” He shrugged with a smirk. “And I’ll be safe. It’s a neutral location. Agree?”

  “How am I supposed to get to Albuquerque?”

  “You’re a bright girl. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  “And what if I don’t like your present?”

  His eyebrow twitched. “Then leave it behind. But you’ll already know how to hide from Raphael and that’s what you really wanted. My gift is a bonus.”

  Alex was right. Hiding from Raphael really was her primary objective here. “Okay.”

  He grinned, then hurried up the staircase. “Come on. We don’t have much time.”

  She raced after him, breathless when he stopped at the door on the third floor.

  His hand on the doorknob, he looked down at her. “Find your energy and imagine covering it with a blanket.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Just do it. I’m not letting you out of the stairwell until you prove to me that you can do it.”

  “Fine.” Her anger was easy to access, given her irritation. Finding her energy, she imagined shrouding it and instantly felt a change.

  Alex twisted his mouth into mock respect. “Congratulations.” A scowl of disapproval replaced it. “But you should have figured this out on your own.”

  “What?”

  “It’s an easy enough task and it’s logical. No one’s giving you information this week, so you’re going to have to use your brain. Let your imagination figure out what you’re capable of. If you wonder if something is possible, try it. Also, start working on using external sources of energy. You don’t have a shot in hell of winning if you don’t, and you only have five weeks to figure it out.”

  “Anything else?” Sarcasm dripped from her words.

  “Yeah.” He pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket and handed it to her. “It’s not as much as it looks, but if it runs out, you’re capable of getting more on your own. Figure it out.”

  She stuffed the money into her pocket, grateful she didn’t have to ask for it, but still pissed at his attitude.

  Alex looked through the small window and set her bag down in the corner. “You’ve got to go. Now.”

  What in the hell was outside the stairwell?

  He swung the door open and shoved her out. “See you in a week.”

  The door slammed behind her and her heart raced. She nearly tripped, trying to regain her balance. Leaning a hand against the wall, she looked around to get her bearings and figure out Alex’s gift. She stood in a nearly empty hall. A man talking on his cell phone walked past a man kneeling to tie his shoe, but the ruse was obvious. His head was bent over but tilted slightly to watch the older man pass.

  Her blood pounded through her head. Was he with the Vinco Potentia? Had Alex lied and set her up? It wasn’t a hard concept to swallow.

  The man stood, still watching the older gentleman. Emma prepared to bolt down the opposite end of the hall when his face turned her direction. His eyes widened.

  Breath caught in her throat and she forced herself to inhale as her vision blurred. No, this isn’t real.

  He took a hesitant step toward her. “Emma?”

  She shook her head, biting her lower lip. “You’re dead.”

  He walked several paces and stopped.

  “Will?” She choked on a sob and threw herself toward him.

  One of his arms wrapped around her back while his other hand held her head to his chest. “You’re real.”

  She laughed through her tears. “And you’re not dead.”

  ***

  He pulled her into the nearby stairwell then leaned her head back to look at her, overwhelmed by the emotions coursing through him. She was real and she was in his arms. “How are you here?”

  “Alex. He said he was giving me a gift. I guess you’re it.”

  “Alex Warren?” Fear trickled down his back. “Is he here now?”

  “No, I got the impression this was a dump-and-run mission for him.”

  Alex. His back stiffened, suddenly unsure. Was she working with Alex and showed up to capture him? That didn’t make any sense given the fact that Alex had freed him. “But how… I thought you were with Raphael?”

  Her eyes widened. “How did you know that?”

  “Jake.”

  Her face lit up with excitement. “Jake? You’ve seen Jake? Is he with you?”

  “No.” The disappointment that spread over her face strangled his heart. “I saw him in a dream, as weird as it seems. He told me that you were dying and wanted me to check on you.”

  “It was real? You really came to me in my dreams?”

  “I’ve dreamed of you almost every night.”

  “I dreamed of you too.” She pulled his arm loose and looked at his forearm. “But your mark’s still gone. How is that possible?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know how to explain a lot of things.”

  “But how do you still know me? You lost all your memories of me.”

  “They’re still gone.”

  Confusion filled her eyes. “Then how do you know me? Why would you dream of me?”

  “Because all my memories of you are gone, but none of my feelings. I thought I was crazy at first. I loved an imaginary woman. I knew you were in danger, but I didn’t even know who you were. But when Kramer interrogated me, I quickly realized you were real. The only remembrance I have of you was in the woods, after I lost my memory.”

  Tears filled her eyes as her fingertips touched his cheek. “I thought you were dead. Raphael convinced me you were dead.” Her hand dropped and anger spread across her face. “He convinced me you were dead. He made me say you were dead while he looked into my eyes, and once I said it, I believed it, like nothing on earth could dispute the truth of it.” Her hands clenched into fists. “He used mind control on me. I’m going to kill him. How did you escape?”

  “James. And Alex.”

  Her eyes flew wide. “James? Is he here now?”

  Her reaction told him to be careful how he answered. “Yes.”

  A murderous gleam crossed her face as a golden glow enveloped her. “Where is he?

  His love for her was overwhelming, growing even more now that she was here with him, but he had to proceed carefully. She admitted that Alex had brought her here, which was a red flag. Just because he loved her didn’t mean she was trustworthy, just as his lifelong friendship with James hadn’t ensured his loyalty and trust. What he really needed was answers, and one of two sources was in front of him. He just needed to get her with James and maybe the real truth would come out. “Emma, wait. Before you stomp off and do whatever it is you’re about to do, let me look at you for a minute.”

  “James betrayed us.”

  His throat tightened and he fought to take a breath. “I suspected.” He cupped the side of her head, staring into her deep brown eyes. “You’ve been with Raphael?”

  Fear and anger filled her eyes. “Yes.”

  He noticed the fading bruise on her cheek. “He hurt you.” His stomach tightened with a fierce need to protect her, overriding his mistrust. Maybe James was right. Maybe she’d used some kind of manipulative spell on him.

  She gave him a tight smile. “It’s over now. I’m here with you.”

  He couldn’t get over the fact that her appearance was too convenient. He needed answers fast. He stared into her eyes, looking for signs of duplicity, finding only love. His heart warred with his head. Will lowered his mouth to hers, giving in to the urge he’d felt since the moment he saw her in the hall. Her lips were soft and eager and her arms reached around his neck, pulling him closer.

  “Emma,” he murmured. The rightness of being with her flooded him. A sense of home and belonging. Was this what it wa
s like before he’d lost his memory?

  He pulled her against his chest, needing to feel closer to her, to reassure himself she was really here. This wasn’t a dream. But then again, maybe it was. What if it was an illusion she had manufactured?

  Will stepped back to clear his head. “Let’s go find James.”

  “Yes.” Her face hardened. “We need to find James.”

  The confrontation was bound to be ugly. “Wait here. I’m going to go get him, then we’ll figure out what to do.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  He opened the stairwell door, surprised by his reluctance to leave her. He turned back. “Promise me that you’ll wait for me?”

  She bit her lip and her eyes glistened. “I’d wait forever for you, Will.”

  He walked into the hall, even more confused.

  Will entered the waiting room and spotted James in the corner. He looked up, his eyes widening as his hand lowered his cell from his ear. Trying to hide his growing anger, Will gave him a tight smile. “Who are you talking to?”

  “A client. He was scheduled for a fishing tour the next couple of days, but I called to cancel.” James stood. “How’d it go?”

  Will shrugged. “As well as could be expected. Let’s get out of here.”

  “Why don’t we go downstairs and get something to eat and talk about it?”

  “In a hospital cafeteria? I’ll pass.”

  “We’ve been traveling for days. Let’s just catch our breath and you can tell me what your mom said.”

  Why was he stalling? If he’d been in contact with Alex and knew Emma was here, he might have told the Vinco Potentia. He felt a new sense of urgency. “I hate hospitals.”

  “Since when?”

  Goddamn him. “Since I passed that prick posing as my father talking to his latest girlfriend on the phone. I’m out of here.” He spun around. “If you want to stay here, suit yourself.” Will knew he’d follow. James couldn’t afford to lose him, although it wasn’t for the reasons Will had hoped.

  “Wait up,” James grumbled as he fell in step. “What’s your hurry?”

  “I told you. I saw my dad in the hall and I don’t want to risk running into him.” Will strode down the hall and stopped in front of the stairwell door, preparing himself for the confrontation about to occur. He pushed James in and shut the door behind them.

  Emma stood in the corner, glaring at James.

  “Emma?” James squeaked, backing into Will. He jerked his head around. “You knew she was here?”

  “I just found her.”

  James seemed to gather courage from Will’s brisk tone. “So what do you plan to do with her?”

  “Excuse me?” She took a step forward, hands clenched at her sides. “Do with me?”

  “I plan to get answers from the both of you. And I’ll do whatever I have to do to get them.” Will pulled out his gun, then picked Emma’s bag up and slung it over his shoulder. “Start moving downstairs. We need a private place to talk.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  James’s mouth dropped. “What the fuck, Will?”

  “Funny, I was getting ready to ask you the same thing. Start moving.”

  Emma took the lead, fear mingling with her betrayal and disappointment, but could she expect any other reaction? He claimed he still loved her, yet the soldier in him would be wary of the missing memories.

  “Emma,” James called behind her. “I have to say you’re the last person I expected to see lurking in the shadows.”

  “Given more time to prepare, James, I would have been doing more than lurking.”

  “Shut up the both of you. You’ll have plenty of time to talk.”

  James grumbled until they reached the basement level.

  “Emma, why don’t you open the door and lead the way,” Will said in a gruff tone.

  Her stomach knotted as she moved down the hall, James and Will following. Would Will believe her over James? What would she do if he didn’t?

  Will stopped in front of a door marked Storage. “Let’s try this room.” The door opened and he gestured inside. “Ladies first.”

  She entered the darkness, slowing her steps to let her eyes adjust. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered on, their glow dim but enough for Emma to see the room was littered with hospital equipment.

  “Head over to those chairs in the back.”

  What would she do if Will didn’t like her answers and decided to kill her? Would he do that?

  Emma stopped in front of a row of aged waiting-room chairs.

  “Both of you sit down and we’ll begin.”

  Sitting in the chair, she looked into the steely eyed glare of a stranger. She suddenly remembered the day in the woods in Colorado when Will had told her that he’d been trained to extract information from people. How far was he willing to go?

  “Over twenty years of friendship and it comes to this,” James hissed, his hands gripping the arms of the chair.

  Will leaned his hip into a desk, his gun resting on his leg. “You’ll get your chance, but we’ll start with Emma first.” He turned to her, his gaze so sharp it could pin her to the wall. “When did we first meet?”

  Her stomach knotted. “In Texas. You were sent to take me to South Dakota. You climbed into my car when Jake and I were escaping from the Vinco Potentia.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “Then we tried to stay a step ahead of them while you took me to South Dakota.”

  “And you willingly went?”

  “Of course not. Do you really think you told me what your purpose was? You told me you had a computer consulting job in South Dakota and you encouraged me to go with you, to put more distance between us and the men after us.”

  “When did I get my mark?”

  “Jake gave it to you in Colorado, although you weren’t thrilled about it.”

  “Is that when I fell in love with you?”

  The way he asked the question, so cold and callous, caught her breath in her chest. She forced herself to exhale. “No.” Her voice softened. “You always said you fell in love with me the night before, the night we slept in the back of your truck in the cornfield.”

  He paused, clenching his jaw, then shifted his weight. “So I took you to South Dakota anyway? Even though I loved you? I just handed you over?”

  “Yes.” She shook her head. “No. You took me there only because I was shot in Colorado and the wound got infected. You said the Cavallo would find me if you took me to the hospital. You figured if the Vinco Potentia was willing to pay you so much to get me there alive, they’d be able to protect me.”

  “I can’t imagine they patched you up and let you go.”

  “They didn’t. You helped me escape.”

  “So then what did we do?”

  “You took care of me the first week and half while trying to track down Jake.”

  “In Arizona?”

  “Yes, the Cavallo had him. Then Alex.”

  He leaned his head back, stretching out his legs. “Ah, your good friend Alex Warren.”

  She stuffed her irritation. “Alex Warren is no friend of mine. Alex Warren raped me six years ago and impregnated me with Jake. Then when you took me to the Vinco Potentia, his father decided to take you to Washington, DC and leave me in Alex Warren’s care. I’m more than a bit terrified to know what that would have entailed.”

  The certainty in Will’s eyes wavered. “But Alex brought you here. What were you doing with him?”

  “He was protecting his asset. He was worried Raphael would kill me before he got to benefit from my power.”

  Will raised an eyebrow.

  “Have no doubt that Raphael and Alex put their own self-interests over anyone else’s. Mine included. There’s more to this than the Vinco Potentia and the Cavallo. This goes back years and years. Millenniums.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Alex is no mere human.”

  He swallowed then fingered his gun. “I deduced that from what
he did at the compound. What is he?”

  “He’s the element air.”

  James laughed. “He’s air? Let me guess, you make explosions so you’re fire?”

  She scowled. “No, I’m not fire. I’m the daughter of fire. Aiden Walker is my father.”

  “So you’re not human?” Will asked.

  “I guess I’m technically half human.”

  “And you never told me this before?”

  “I didn’t know. Not until that night in the woods when you lost your memory. I was supposed to choose Alex or Raphael.”

  “And Raphael is…?”

  “Earth.”

  “So which one did you choose?”

  “Neither. I chose you.”

  “Because I was your protector?”

  “No. Because I loved you.”

  James leaned forward. “Are you really going to believe this bullshit, Will?”

  Will cocked an eyebrow. “Which part?”

  “Any of it!”

  “Can you contradict any of it?”

  “They’re elements?”

  “Have you got a better explanation?”

  “No.” James rubbed his chin. “So why am I being interrogated?”

  “Because I’m not an idiot. I could see your stories weren’t adding up.”

  His faced paled. “What are you talking about?”

  “Let’s start with Montana when you were supposedly captured. You said Kramer showed up while you were working on your laptop, but it was in your bag under the cabin. How did it get there?”

  “Will…”

  “He set it all up.” Emma glared. “He sent you to White Horse to look for Jake so he could hand me over to Kramer.”

  James shifted his weight. “It wasn’t personal, Emma.”

  She shook her head with a snide laugh. “Gee, it felt a little personal when you drugged me. And when Kramer’s men carried me out and dumped me in a van. It sure felt personal when I got the shit beat out of me in the woods.” She clenched her fists. “Don’t you dare tell me it wasn’t personal.”

  Guilt filled his eyes before defiance replaced it. “I meant it wasn’t because I hated you, although I admit I never cared for you. I did it to save Will.”