“Are you sure he’s not talking about me? Maybe they’ve found out who I am.” Panic hit her face. “Or Nick? Could it be Nick?”
“No. If your identity had been discovered, there would be no need to plan or even inform Mathias. You would be dead within minutes.”
Her laugh held no humor. “Small comfort.”
Grey shrugged. He wasn’t much into sugarcoating the truth. “Someone has been targeted, that’s all we know. Who and why are unknown.”
Irelyn seated herself across the room from Grey and Kennedy, the separation a normal thing for her. “My contact will share only so much. I feed him useless information from time to time. In return, he gives me tidbits.”
“How do you know they’re not useless, too?”
“Because they’ve proven to be true. He’s the one who told me—”
“That’s enough, Irelyn.”
Though she shot him a small glare at his hard tone, she closed her mouth.
“What do you mean by a deviation?”
Eli entered just as Kennedy was asking the question and answered for Grey. “He means that you’re going to have to become irresistible to Adam a lot sooner than we’d planned.”
Grey took in Kennedy’s reaction and was damn impressed that he couldn’t read her. He saw no panic or fear. In fact, if she revealed any emotion at all, it was a glimmer of excitement.
“How are we going to do that?”
“We can discuss the how in a minute. What I want to know from you is, are you ready to go as deep as you need and do what’s necessary to bring down the bastards responsible for your husband’s death?”
Without hesitation, she answered, “I believe I’ve proven that by being here. You don’t need to question my commitment. I’m ready to do what it takes.”
“That’s all I needed to know.” Grey glanced over his shoulder at the door to his private bathroom. “Why don’t you go freshen up?”
“Why?”
He liked that she wasn’t intimidated. He had way too many people in his life who did what he told them to do without question. Most times, that was a convenience he enjoyed. But when he was asking someone to put her life on the line, then that person had every right to question him. And every right to expect an honest answer.
“I’d like to gauge Gallagher’s reaction without your influence.”
Body stiff with indignation, her reaction was as easy to read as a first-grade primer. “You don’t trust him? I assure you, Mr. Justice, Nick Gallagher is the most honorable man I know.”
“Don’t get your tail feathers ruffled, Kennedy. I do trust Mr. Gallagher. If I didn’t, believe me, he wouldn’t be involved in this case. However, I need to know how he will react to our change of plan without having you influence him.”
She stood, her look of stubbornness telling him she would do what he asked, but she still didn’t like his request. He didn’t have any issues with that. Few people liked what he asked them to do.
He waited until she’d left the room before he said to Irelyn, “Can she do this?”
“Yes. But only with Gallagher’s full approval. They’re true partners…she won’t do it if he asks her not to.”
Ignoring the obvious reference to their own strange partnership, Grey nodded. “That’s my opinion as well.”
The room went silent as they waited for Gallagher to join them. He had told Kennedy the truth—he did trust Gallagher. Problem was, the man had a tendency to soften his reaction when Kennedy was in the room. He was protective of her…a good thing. However, there was a fine line between protective and overprotective. Grey wanted to see Gallagher’s reaction before bringing Kennedy back.
As soon as the man entered the room, a new tension developed. Gallagher’s instincts were good. He knew this wasn’t a typical meeting.
Grey made a low-key start. “How do you think she’s doing?”
As Grey asked the question, he took note of both Eli’s and Gallagher’s expressions. Depending upon their responses, he would know how they would take to his new plan.
“Based on what I saw the other night with Adam, I think she’s doing damn well.”
Gallagher’s response was no surprise. The man was so head-over-ass in love, he couldn’t see straight. And that might be Grey’s biggest problem of all. His plan was going to put Kennedy right in the middle of the lion’s den. The way things were escalating, though, he didn’t think they had a choice. Time was running out. If they didn’t act soon, someone else was going to die.
“I agree,” Eli concurred. “Adam didn’t know which end was up.”
“How about we up the ante?”
“Up the ante how?” Gallagher said.
“Make her even more irresistible.”
“That might pose a problem unless we make some changes,” Eli said. “I don’t see Adam moving faster than we anticipated. He’s not naïve. If he suspects she’s being pushed on him, he’ll back off completely.”
As was often his way, Grey approached his explanation with a question. “When you first brought your family to the U.S., besides Shelley’s illness, what was your biggest problem?”
Comprehension came almost immediately to Eli’s face. “Adam.”
“How so?” Gallagher asked.
“He wouldn’t leave Shelley alone. It was like he couldn’t bear that I had a wife and a family. I finally had to tell him to either back off or I’d kick his ass. That worked. Adam isn’t one to risk getting a bruise if he can prevent it.”
“So you think if Kennedy, I mean Rachel, is in a relationship with Eli, that will make Adam want her more?” Gallagher asked.
“More and faster,” Grey said.
Gallagher shook his head, his resistance obvious. “How would a romantic relationship with Eli make Adam want her more? You both said he’s not into women that way.”
Eli nodded. “You’re right, he’s not. But me having something…anything better than what he has is going to eat at him. He won’t rest until he’s stolen her away from me.”
“I want this asshole taken down as much as anyone, but why are we rushing things? What’s changed?”
Grey shot a glance at the woman who’d been sitting quietly, absorbing the nuances of their discussion. Irelyn only spoke when she had something to say. Since they’d begun their partnership so many years ago, he had learned that and many more things, such as her ability to pull a splinter out of a bear’s paw without him knowing it.
Responding to Grey’s look, Irelyn said, “I have it on good authority that something big is about to go down.”
“What exactly does that mean?” Gallagher asked.
“Someone is going to die.” Elegant shoulders lifted in a slight shrug. “That’s all my contact knows so far. He’s not always told his target until the last minute. I’ll try to get more later tonight, but he’s proven himself sound on several occasions.”
“Who is your source?”
“Mr. Gallagher, I trust you as much as I trust any man.”
Correctly interpreting Irelyn’s statement, a crack appeared in Gallagher’s stern expression, showing an amused appreciation. Grey fought his own smile. Irelyn always spoke her mind in such a way that few people had doubts about her opinions.
Quick as lightning, Gallagher’s amusement disappeared. “Putting Kennedy at more risk than she’s already at based upon an unidentified source who has a feeling something’s about to go down isn’t something I’m willing to risk.”
“Maybe you should let her make that decision for herself.” Irelyn said.
Shit. Nick went to his feet. The minute he’d walked into the room, he had known something was going down. There had been an electrical energy in the air, supercharged and tense. These people might have the same goals as he did, but Kennedy’s safety was his first priority. About to tell them exactly where they could put their asinine ideas, he swallowed his words when the person he most wanted to protect entered the room.
Justice waved a hand at Kennedy. “Come
on in. We were just discussing our new strategy.”
She gave Nick a fleeting, encouraging smile, and he knew the truth. She had already agreed. “What the hell did you call me here for if you’ve already coerced her into doing this?”
“They didn’t coerce me, Nick. When Grey told me we needed to make some changes, I agreed. If we can get this done faster, then that’s what we need to do.”
“Not at your expense we don’t.” Nick gave everyone in the room with the exception of Kennedy a hard look. They’d damn well known how he would react. “Getting blindsided doesn’t exactly make me a team player.”
Justice nodded. “I understand your concerns. Why don’t you sit down again and let us tell you how this can work? If you don’t agree after you hear us out, we’ll consider going in another direction.”
Nick watched Kennedy come toward him. Moving with her natural grace, she also had the confident air of a woman comfortable with herself and the direction she was headed. Even though she’d never seemed to lack confidence before, she had a new assurance about her. She really believed she could do this. He could feel his resistance crumbling in the face of her assurance. Still, he wanted details. This bullshit of vagueness was unacceptable.
She settled beside him and gave him another quick smile. She probably meant the smile to reassure him, but all it did was remind him how damn vulnerable she was. His gut was beginning to get that feeling when things were about to turn to shit.
“Here’s where we are.”
As Nick listened to the plan, he carefully watched everyone’s expressions. Each one of them had their own agenda and reason for wanting to see Mathias and Adam Slater go down. He had one, too. However, his agenda was twofold, and at the top of that list was making sure that Kennedy stayed safe. If that delayed justice for Thomas, then so be it.
After Justice laid out their plan and each person’s role, the room went silent. If they thought he’d jump on board immediately, they were going to be disappointed. Even though he saw some merit to making changes, there were parts of the plan that clawed at his gut.
“What do you think?” Kennedy asked.
He took in her hopeful expression and the trust in her eyes. If he said no, would she go along with his decision?
“I’d like to discuss this with you in private.” His gaze roamed around the room. “Anybody got a problem with that?” His tone indicated he didn’t give a shit if they did or not.
Justice glanced down at his watch. “No problem. It’s getting late, and I have an appointment across town. Why don’t we pick this back up tomorrow after you and Kennedy have had a chance to talk?”
No one objected and within seconds, Nick and Kennedy were alone in Justice’s office.
“Nick, I really think—”
He held up his hand. “Let’s discuss it when we get home.”
Nick followed her into the elevator, struggling with how he was going to talk her out of doing something so damned dangerous when he knew without a doubt she had already decided to take the risk.
Chapter Twenty-five
Kennedy went into the house, Nick right behind her. As was his usual habit, he went through each room, searching. Even though she was tired and hungry, even though she still wore the damn stilettos that were killing her feet, she stood in the middle of the living room, unsure how to handle the situation. Nick was furious with her. He didn’t have to shout for her to know that. His grim silence all the way back from Grey’s office had been more than enough proof.
Okay, she should have waited for him before she agreed. They were in this together. Partners didn’t make a decision of this magnitude without getting input from the other. But the palpable sense of urgency after Grey had explained his reasons for altering their plans had made agreeing seem so necessary.
The instant he returned to the living room, she apologized. “I’m sorry, Nick. I should have waited to discuss it with you first.”
He stopped so abruptly she could tell she had startled him with her apology. Hopefully, they could now discuss it without anger. And hopefully she could convince him that this was the right thing to do.
He released a ragged sigh. “I should’ve expected Justice would try something like this. He’s ruthless.”
“I’m sure he can be, but his reasoning—at least on this—is sound.”
“How so?”
His tone said he disagreed, but at least he gave her an opportunity to explain further. Before she could answer, a giant rumble came from her stomach. She grabbed her belly, embarrassed by the noise.
Nick grinned. “How about we talk while we eat?” Then his eyes dropped to her feet. “And why don’t you take those off and get into something comfortable?”
Even though she knew he meant nothing by it, she felt a blush start from her feet, spreading all the way up to her face. Silly didn’t even begin to describe her thoughts. Nick would probably blush, too, if he knew what she had been thinking.
“Sounds good. Why don’t you order in?”
“Chinese okay again?”
“Perfect. You know what I like.”
“In food, yeah. But not in everything.”
She really must be tired because every time he said something, she imagined there was a hidden meaning. Before she could completely embarrass herself and reply with what would be a blatant come-on, she said, “Okay…well, I think I’ll take a quick shower and then—”
“It’ll be at least a half hour before the food arrives. Why don’t you take a long, hot bath? Relieve those aching muscles.”
She gulped. “Good idea.” Spinning around, she strode as fast her shoes would allow her to move.
Wanting her so badly he could taste her, Nick watched Kennedy leave the room. His subtle innuendoes hadn’t gone unnoticed, and her blushes made him want to cover her pink skin in kisses. No matter how much he wanted her, that wasn’t going to happen tonight, if ever. They had some major decisions to make.
He grabbed his cellphone from his pocket and placed the order for their food. Then, because thinking about Kennedy all slick and wet lying in the bathtub had him hurting in places he didn’t like to hurt, he headed to his room for a quick, intense workout.
Changing into sweats and a T-shirt, he grabbed the weights and got to work. With each lift of his barbells, he renewed his determination to talk her out of this scheme. He had been reluctant to get her involved with Justice in the first place but had consented because he knew he could protect her. This new game put them on a different playing field, and it was far from even. How the hell was he going to keep an eye on her if she was sleeping in the lion’s den, with the beast only a few yards away? What was going to happen if the bastard tried something and she couldn’t get away from him?
The doorbell rang. Sweating with exertion, his mind swirling with all the dire ways this new plan could implode, Nick dropped the weights onto the mat. He grabbed a towel and swiped at his face as he headed to the door. After paying the deliveryman with cash, he knocked on Kennedy’s bedroom door. “Dinner’s here.”
“Be right out.”
Nick busied himself by setting the table. He poured Kennedy a glass of her favorite wine and grabbed a beer for himself.
“Smells delicious.”
He caught his breath at the beautiful and glowing woman at the door. Her hair curled around her face in damp tendrils, and Nick clenched his fists to keep from reaching out and smoothing them away. Dressed in a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, with thick socks and an old pair of house shoes she had confessed to having since college covering her bare feet, she shouldn’t have looked sexy. But, dammit to hell, she did.
Turning away before he could embarrass himself, he nodded toward the table. “Have a seat. Everything’s ready.”
They dug into their meal, each of them quiet as they satisfied their hunger. A few minutes later, Kennedy collapsed back into her chair. “That was wonderful, and I’m feeling tons better.”
He knew this was her cue to talk about the
new plan. Determined to hold his temper since he was sure they were both on different planes right now, he eased into the discussion. “Adam might not be a genius, but he’s been around the block enough to know when he’s being snowed. You change your attitude toward him too quick, chances are he’ll catch on.”
“You’re right. But pretending to date Eli shouldn’t put him on alert. The man is obviously intrigued by me. If he sees me dating his brother, that’ll just make him move faster.”
“Yeah. Intrigued is a good start. Mess with that…move too fast...” Nick shrugged. “Who knows what he’ll do? The plan is to get into his office, not his bed.”
“Getting into his bed will never happen. But we have to do something.”
“Why? Because of that bullshit Justice was throwing at you?”
“Why would he tell us that if it’s not true?”
“Because the man’s got a helluva lot of other reasons to want Mathias and Adam to go down. We’ve got just one—Thomas.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know what they are, but they exist.”
“Okay, maybe you’re right. But…what if it’s not bullshit? What if we don’t do something soon and someone else dies?”
“A lot of someones have already died, Kennedy. I don’t want you to be the next one.”
“But if—”
Nick got to his feet. He wasn’t convincing her of anything.
“Where are you going?”
“Need to show you something I found the other day.”
While he was gone, Kennedy went about clearing the table. The discussion wasn’t going well. She had no clue how to persuade him to change his mind but already knew she wasn’t going to change hers. Maybe altering their plan would make no difference. But if she didn’t do it and another person died? Could she live with that?
Nick returned with several sheets of paper and handed them to her. “I was doing some research the other day and stumbled on this.”
“What is it?”
“Newspaper articles.”
Puzzled, Kennedy glanced down at the headline: Body Found Floating in Thames
Nothing To Lose: A Grey Justice Novel Page 20