by A. V. Asher
“Oh, that looks amazing.”
Alec grinned at her and unfurled it over her. He could feel her eyes on him.
Declan got in behind the wheel and maneuvered the car out of its space. Alec moved to the other side and made to buckle in, but her voice stopped him.
“Do you think . . . maybe I can lean on you? Leaning against the window won’t be as comfortable.”
Another thrill of energy shot through him, making his heart jump. Did she realize what she was doing to him?
Alec shifted back to the middle seat and put his arm around her, drawing her in. Mercedes nestled her head against his chest, still vibrating with tremors.
She sighed. “Better be keeping a tally.”
“A tally?”
“Mm-hmm.” She yawned. “A tally of all the favors I owe you. I can’t keep up.”
He chuckled. Even in her exhaustion, she kept her sense of humor. Mercedes burrowed under the blanket, closed her eyes, and was asleep before they reached the motorway.
Alec kept turning his head to check the cars behind them, doing his best not to jostle Mercedes as she slept.
“I could keep a better lookout for tails if your fat head weren’t in the way,” Declan said, amused.
“That’s probably true. Can’t blame me though, aye?”
“Oh, aye. I noticed you didn’t tell her there’s a pillow in the back.”
Alec caught his cousin’s eye in the mirror and smiled sheepishly at him, saying nothing more.
“You doing all right? With, you know, everything?”
Alec shrugged. “I want to kill the son of a bitch. But my priority is getting her whatever she needs.”
“What about when this is over? It’s clear you still have a thing for her.”
Alec looked at Mercedes, breathing softly against him, her face upturned in a way that allowed him to study her features in the fading evening light. She was as close to perfection as he’d ever met. Smart and kind, funny and talented. And so damn beautiful. She could leave him breathless with a look.
Yeah, he still had a thing for her. It didn’t seem to be something he could control. No one but Declan knew how much it had hurt to let her go all those years ago. Long-distance relationships were always challenging, and theirs had been no exception. Add that he hadn’t asked her to make it exclusive, and it all fell apart.
Months later, when Luke let it slip, Mercedes had introduced them to a new man. It had stung. He’d hoped she had found happiness in the person she had chosen. It was hard to swallow that Jason Marsh had been her choice.
Seeing her so shattered now ripped his heart into shreds. How could anyone do so much damage to someone they claimed to love? It wasn’t just the physical abuse, but the way he’d torn her down, stripping away everything she loved, everything she was . . .
Mercedes shifted. Her hand slid up his chest, coming to rest over his heart. She sighed and settled back to sleep.
Alec was getting hard again, and guilt washed over him. She was in crisis, for Christ’s sake. He had to stop thinking of her that way. His cock disagreed.
He needed to get his shit together.
If they were to cross that line, it would mean cutting open his soul and leaving it bare for her to ravage. Alec didn’t think he could go through losing her again.
He swallowed hard. “I don’t know, Dec. I think the chance for anything between us is over.”
Chapter Fifteen
This can’t be happening. This can not be fucking happening. Jason’s breath was haggard as he stood at the nurse’s station, his heart racing in his ears.
“I want to know where the fuck my fiancée is. Now.” His voice was working up to a roar.
Adam put a hand on his shoulder. Jason wrenched it away.
“Sir, don’t shout at me. You aren’t her next of kin, so the only thing I can share with you is that Ms. Elliott is no longer in our care.”
“But when did she leave? Who did you release her to?”
“Again. I’m not allowed to share that informa—”
Jason slammed his hands on the table with a growl. The nurse jumped.
“For fuck’s sake, you’ll get us arrested. There are other ways,” Adam hissed.
Jason stared at the nurse, wanting to choke the life out of that smug face.
Instead, he strode away from the desk, his entire body geared up for a fight. He couldn’t unload it on Adam, so he glared around, looking for a target.
His phone vibrated. He snatched it out of his pocket and put it to his ear. “You better have something for me.”
“Cameras caught nothing,” Patrick said.
Jason closed his eyes, cursing the utter incompetence. “Are you kidding me? Somehow she walked past two men and a dozen cameras without a trace?”
“Someone altered the footage. We know she was on the elevator with Adam, and they took her to the radiology department. But after that, she never reappears. And several cameras glitched out.”
“So, what does this mean? She had help?”
“Professional help. They knew how to manipulate the system and recorded over various frames.”
Jason’s heart stopped. “Where is he?”
“Who? McKinley?”
“Fuck. Yes, McKinley!” Jason shouted.
“He’s in Manchester.”
“Are you sure?”
“Fairly sure, we expected him to stay several days. He hasn’t been in his office. It’s doubtful he’s back already.”
“Get eyes on him. I’ve read his file too many times to underestimate him. And Patrick,” he growled, “you and Adam are on the hook for this. If we lose her, I’m gonna feed you to the wolves.”
“Seriously? You first, asshole. We’re here trying to clean up the mess you made.”
Fucker.
He and Adam walked to the car park in silence. God damn her for this. It wasn’t the first time she had run from him. She’d come back. He always won her back. Things would get better.
Jason hated himself for losing his temper on her, but the meeting with McKinley was crossing the line.
His fist curled as he thought of her making that call. Lying to him. Betraying all they had.
Mercedes was everything to him. Everything. Jason had to find her and bring her home. Without her, he was sure he would die.
Chapter Sixteen
Mercedes awoke to the sound of rain pattering against the windshield, the headlights of the oncoming cars illuminating the SUV’s interior. Disoriented, she jerked in alarm, hissing in pain.
“Hey, hey. It’s alright, you’re safe,” Alec soothed, his arm tightening around her. Her cheek was laying against him, her hand on his chest.
Mercedes hesitated before pulling away. God, she hoped she hadn’t drooled on him. Thankfully, she saw no sign of any embarrassing pools as she sat up and stretched. Alec sat a little straighter, bringing his arm to his side to massage it.
“It’s night already? How long have I been asleep?”
“Oh, about two hours,” Declan answered from the driver’s seat. “Snoring so loud we couldn’t even hear ourselves think.”
Mercedes’s eyes darted to Alec. She was thankful he couldn’t see her flush in the dark. “Really?”
“No, Declan’s being an arse.” Alec shot his cousin a look. “We hardly heard a peep from you the whole time.”
“Aye, we started thinking you were dead. Alec had to poke you a few times to make sure you were still with us.”
Alec’s teasing grin shone in the dim light. “That’s true.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Where are we?”
“We’ve been driving around for two hours, but we’re only about forty-five minutes from the hospital,” Declan said.
She looked to Alec, who only shrugged. “You were sleeping well. We’re almost to the house.”
The scene outside the car had transformed. When she’d fallen asleep, they were in a bustling part of the metro area. Now, they were driving through t
he suburbs, where small eateries and shopping centers sprawled along the avenue.
She laid her head on Alec’s shoulder. The nap gave her a little recharge of energy, but not nearly enough. She strummed her fingers against the soft fur of the blanket, the feel of it calming her wrecked nerves.
Relief washed over her as they turned into a quaint residential area. Declan pulled into the single garage of one of the brick homes and closed the door behind them. Alec jumped out of the car and came around to her side. He held his arms out to help her, which made her smile. But once she put weight on her feet, she was grateful he was there. Her legs were spongy, like she’d run a marathon.
She braced herself against him and they climbed the narrow steps into the house.
The moment the door opened, a savory aroma assailed her. Her nerves had kept her appetite away at the hospital, but now her stomach gave a turn to remind her she hadn’t eaten all day. She was ravenous.
Alec took in a deep breath. “Ah, Mason has been at it, I see.”
Mason waved from the small kitchen, a spoon in his hand. Shake was at work setting up a computer.
Cressida skipped down the narrow staircase. “Ah, there’s my girl. Been hoping you’d be here soon.” Cressida disentangled Mercedes’s arm from Alec and held her own arm out for support. “I got this, Alec. I’ll help her get cleaned up and human again.”
She let Cressida lead her down the hall to a bedroom. Like much of the place, it was covered in busy floral wallpaper, reminding her of every movie she had ever seen involving a British grandmother’s house.
A double bed sat in the center of the room, covered in neatly folded laundry. Everything she needed was there: day clothes, pajamas, socks, and even underwear and bras. Cressida set to work putting the clothes in the empty chest of drawers. “I hope I got your size right. I’m usually good at guessing, but you never know.”
A heaviness formed in Mercedes’s chest. This was everything she owned now. Her once tailored life had been reduced to a handful of outfits given to her by a stranger.
When Cressida finished with the clothes, she crossed to the bathroom and turned on the light. “You should have everything you need, and probably a few things you don’t. There’s a great makeup remover to scrub that cement off. And I should have a secure line for you after you eat, if you don’t think it’s too late. You can always do it tomorrow.”
Nervous energy ran down her spine. “No, it has to be tonight. I want to get it over with.”
Cressida smiled in understanding and left Mercedes to it.
The shower was sublime. Something about rinsing the grime of the hospital from her skin and the smell from her hair renewed her. While she dried herself, she caught a glimpse in the fogged mirror. Wiping away the water with her towel, she took stock of the damage uncovered by scrubbing away the concealing makeup. Thankfully, all the swelling had diminished, but fingers of purple and blue spread in blotches across her cheek and jaw and ran down to encircle her throat.
It would take work, but she’d get herself back. She’d allowed Jason to take over who she was for long enough. The call she dreaded making tonight was only the first step. She’d take them all.
She dressed in the tank top and pajama bottoms laid out on the bed. When she emerged from the bedroom, a blast of cool air hit her. Crossing her arms to fight off the chill, she followed the intoxicating smell of food.
Mason was the first to notice her. “Ah, just the person I was looking for. I figured you could use some good American comfort food right about now. I got just the thing.” He scooped ladles full of soup into a large bowl and handed it to her.
“Is this homemade chicken noodle soup?” The closest she got to homemade was the clam chowder at Boudin’s Bakery in San Francisco.
“My gran’s recipe. She always made it for us when we were sick. The trick is to make your own stock. I add a little cream to step it up a notch.”
“Mason is the best cook in the lot. He insisted on cooking first,” Alec said, coming up behind her and taking a bowl. “He never spoils us like this.”
“Gotta make my countrywoman feel at home.”
The meal was pure heaven. The company was just as lovely, with the group of friends laughing and teasing one another. The return to normal was exactly what she needed.
After they finished, Alec got up from the table and returned with a zippered hoodie with “Scotland Rugby” emblazoned on the chest. “Would you like this? Bit of a chill in the air.”
Mercedes must not have been covering her shivers as well as she thought. His hands lingered on her shoulders before he returned to his seat. She inhaled the scent of him on the fabric.
“All right, lady,” Cressida said. “You ready to do this?”
“Do what?” Alec looked between them.
“Kicking that piece of shit to the curb,” Cressida said.
He frowned. “What’s this now?”
“Sadie asked for a secured line to call Jason so she can tell him to bugger off.” Cressida shrugged. “I have one for her.”
Alec’s eyes were dark as he looked at Mercedes. “Are you sure? You don’t owe him anything.”
Mercedes nodded. “I need to. I have to make it clear to him I’m done.”
The corner of Alec’s mouth lifted. “Of course. Is there anything I can help with?”
“I don’t want to say the wrong thing. Where should I tell him I am?”
They moved into the living room and plotted out things to say and things to avoid. Her hand shook as she took the phone from Cressida.
“It’ll look as if it’s coming from your phone. If he manages to trace it, it’ll say you’re standing in the middle of Hyde Park.”
Mercedes laughed.
Cressida had already primed the number. All she had to do was press call.
When Alec turned to leave, she stopped him. “Will you stay with me?”
Alec smiled and leaned against the wall.
Mercedes sat on the couch, trying to catch her breath. With a deliberate exhale, she made the call on speaker. She drummed her fingers on her knee anxiously while it rang.
“Sadie?” Jason answered.
She winced at the misery in his tone. “Hey, Jace.”
“Christ, Sadie. I’ve been going crazy. You just disappeared. Where are you? I’ll come get you and bring you home.” His tone was wild with desperation.
“I’m . . . I’m in a safe place. I thought it would give me some closure to talk to you, to make things clear.”
“What things? I’ll give you anything. Just . . . just . . . fuck, please come home. We’ll work it out,” he begged. “I love you.”
A tear rolled down her cheek. Earlier, she had been angry, but hearing his voice was harder than she thought it would be.
“Sadie, please? Babe, I need you.”
How was she already losing ground? She caught Alec’s stormy eyes. His jaw was tight with unspoken emotions, but he didn’t move. He couldn’t help her with this part.
It was Cressida who plopped onto the coffee table in front of her, knocking their knees together. She grasped Mercedes’s tightened fists in her own. Cress’s steady brown eyes bore into hers, hardening her resolve.
“No.” Mercedes steeled herself. “I’ve got a lot of things to figure out, but I know you and I are done.”
The silence on the line screamed at her.
Then he spoke. His voice trembled. “What? What do you mean?”
Was he going to pretend it hadn’t happened? “You nearly killed me, Jace,” she choked out.
“And I’m so sorry. But . . . you lied to me. I . . . I got so fucking mad.”
“You think you can blame me for what you did? Is that the best you can do?”
“No, no. Shit.” He paused. “I need you to come home, Sadie. I’ll do the work. We can go to therapy, and you can . . .”
Mercedes cut him off. “No, I’m done. It’s over, Jace.” She gave him a second to take it in. “You can keep everything i
n the apartment. I’ll call Cap and Vin and arrange for my last paycheck to be sent—“
“Where are you?” Jason demanded, his plaintiveness changing to anger.
“I told you . . .”
“I know you’re not in fucking Hyde Park. So, where the fuck are you?”
Alec and Cressida exchanged a look. Did they not think the extra layer of security had been necessary?
“You don’t need to know.”
“Is this about McKinley?”
Even though she had been expecting it, it stunned her to hear him speak Alec’s name. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Alec tense. “Oh my god, you need to stop. He has nothing to do with this.”
“Are you with him right now?” Jason challenged.
This time she was ready. “No. For fuck’s sake, Jason, I’m not with him!” she cried. “But honestly, it’s not your business who I’m with. Not anymore.”
“It is my business, you fucking whore,” he growled. “You think you can fuck whoever you want? That’s not how this works, bitch. You’re mine. You let him touch you again, and I swear, when I find you, I’ll finish gutting you. And when I drag my knife through you, you’ll wish you’d never heard his fucking name.”
There wasn’t enough air to fill her lungs. His words. The tone. The memories of the knife slicing through her skin, her warm blood pooling around her. Panic and revulsion welled in her, and the room swam.
Alec was by her side, her clammy hand in his. “Darling, breathe. You’re safe,” he whispered softly in her ear. “He can’t touch you here. And he knows it.”
The words grounded her. If Jason knew where she was, he’d already be here. She took in shaky breaths, hoping she could keep it together.
Mercedes waited for a pause in his tirade. “Are you done?” She allowed a tone of defiance to push to the surface.
“Don’t fuck with me, Sadie.”
“Mm, noted,” she said dismissively. “The only reason I called was to let you know I’m moving on. I want nothing to do with you. Don’t contact me again.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Jason hissed. “You’re mine. I decide what you do . . .”
Mercedes pressed the end button, cutting off the rest of his rant. Relief washed over her.