Dangerous Illusions (Steel Hawk Book 3)

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Dangerous Illusions (Steel Hawk Book 3) Page 16

by Sarah Ballance


  “Sophie?”

  Her head popped up from behind the desk. He dove for her and pressed the extra towel to her mouth. She grabbed for it and nodded—he hoped that meant she was okay—so he took her hand and together they ran for the door. Once outside the office, he grabbed the bottled water and they took off for the exit into Adam’s lab.

  Where the hell were the fire alarms?

  When they turned the corner, he stopped so quickly Sophie ran into his back.

  The exit was on fire.

  They weren’t alone—someone had to have set the second fire while Edward was dealing with the first.

  Dammit. He spun and pulled her toward the alley exit. The smoke was so thick now, he couldn’t see the top of the stairs. Climbing them would be a risk—if the exit was somehow blocked, they’d be trapped—but the stairs offered a better option than the heavy flames at the other exit. At the base of the stairs, he stopped to pour more water over the cloth at her mouth, then repeated with his own. He tipped his head toward the stairs.

  She nodded her understanding.

  He went first, if only for the fact he was more familiar with the lock. He’d be able to open it more quickly than she…although maybe not. She had to have picked the lock on his safe. He hoped she’d managed to get it closed again, although he’d trade everything in that safe to get them both out of there alive. Hell, he’d trade everything, period.

  The smoke was so thick at the top of the stairs, he literally couldn’t see her at the other end of his arm. He squeezed her hand, relieved when she returned the gesture. The door was locked, which would have made sense except for the fact that whoever started the fire must be down there with them. Why would someone intentionally lock themselves into a burning building?

  He opened the door easily, all but shoving Sophie out into the alley. They both sucked in lungfuls of clear air…to silence.

  “The alarms aren’t going off.” He started coughing, then remembered the other water bottle he’d stuffed in his pocket. He took a small sip, then handed her the rest. He eyed the door. “Someone’s in there.”

  She shook her head. “Not you. Let them find the body.”

  Her voice was raspy, and it inspired a whole new feeling of rage for whoever had done this. “I don’t want a body. I want answers, and dead men don’t talk.”

  “Edward—”

  He silenced her with a kiss, which worked better than he expected. “I’m not stupid,” he said. “I’m not going back in.” He handed her his cell phone. “Put some distance between yourself and this door. Call nine-one-one.”

  She nodded.

  He opened the door a couple of inches—just enough to offer a beacon of light to whoever was down there. If the bastard who set the fire was halfway smart, he’d be on his way out by now. Edward listened for the sound of footfalls on the stairs but heard nothing.

  A second later, he was hit with the full force of a grown man.

  Edward landed flat on his back on the rough pavement, the wind knocked out of him. But that didn’t keep him from swinging, and hard. He connected, gaining leverage. He managed to roll the man off him, but he didn’t relinquish his grip. Whoever he was, he wasn’t getting away this time.

  The man twisted and rolled. Edward’s grasp had been a little too good. Pain shot through his arm, his grip fading. Not this time. He managed to get to his knees and got in one solid punch before he lost his fight to hold on to the guy. The impact of the hit momentarily stunned them both, but Edward shook it off first. Neither hand wanted to cooperate fully, so he resorted to using his weight. He threw himself, landing full-bodied on the other man, whose head smacked the pavement with force. Willie Bishop. Edward had only a split second to process the information before Willie swung, hitting Edward in the side of the head with something a lot harder than his fist. Edward’s vision swam, but he had the upper hand. He was on top, and he had six inches and forty pounds on Willie. The fucker was wiry and quick, but no match for Edward’s bulk. He hoped it would work long enough to catch his breath. He wanted answers.

  Willie looked pleased with himself. “Getting a little friendly, aren’t you, big guy?”

  “I know you’re not smart enough to do this on your own,” Edward growled. “Tell me who else is involved, or I’ll kill you right now.”

  Willie sneered. “No, you won’t.”

  Edward grabbed Willie’s throat and pushed it into the pavement while the smaller man tore at Edward’s forearms. “I don’t hear any sirens, do you? Seems we only have one witness, and I think she’s on my side.”

  At that moment, the first sirens sounded, but they were distant.

  “I’ve got time, Bishop. Tell me, now.” In that moment, Edward could have broken the man’s neck for putting Sophie in danger.

  “It’s the pretty little lady in the café,” he said. His eyes were bulging, his face red.

  Edward didn’t relent. “Who is she?”

  “I don’t know her name.”

  Edward pushed harder, easing only slightly when Willie looked near panic. Edward gave him enough space to talk.

  “Monique something. Fuck, man. I can’t breathe.”

  Monique Vass, the royal biographer. “That’s not my problem. Who else?”

  “There’s a man. Rufus. They’re both foreigners. That’s all I know, I swear.”

  “Who planted the camera?”

  “What camera?”

  Edward increased the pressure on Willie’s neck until he choked, then eased a notch.

  “Me,” he gasped. “I did it. Fuck.”

  Edward glanced up as a patrol car turned into the alley, sirens blaring.

  “You almost killed Sophie,” Edward growled. “If I ever see you on the street again, I’ll return the favor. Only there won’t be any almost about it.”

  Two cops ran up, one yelling into a radio, just as the fire trucks arrived. Edward got up and backed away, putting distance between him and Willie before he lost his resolve and made good on his promise. He backed a few steps until he was sure the cuffs were on tight, then turned and saw Sophie.

  Her face was full of hesitation. Fear. Until he opened one arm and she fell against him like there was no other place she ever wanted to be.

  And he realized that was all he ever wanted.

  * * * * *

  Sophie wanted desperately to join Edward in the ambulance, where he sat, mad as a wet hen for her insistence that he get checked out, but she felt a responsibility to Steel Hawk to stick around and try to answer questions in such a way as not to expose the company for the rash of security breaches. She probably wouldn’t hold up against a reporter’s interrogation, but she’d dealt with enough detectives and investigators in her life to know how to frame her answers.

  Not surprisingly, a crowd of onlookers had followed the sirens to the alley. At either end, police officers set up barricades. She imagined the buildings had been evacuated, and no doubt Adam had gotten a phone call by then. Sophie looked to Edward’s phone in her hand.

  It remained silent.

  From the barricade nearest Steel Hawk’s main entrance, a commotion erupted. A woman screamed, and in the din, Sophie heard her name.

  Not Sophie Garza.

  Sophie Hawk.

  She looked to the nearest officer. “Let her in,” she said.

  “Ma’am?”

  “She knows something about what happened here. Let her past the barricade.”

  The man didn’t seem amused. Or bothered by her insistence. “This isn’t a club, Ms. Garza, and those officers aren’t bouncers. The barricade is there for protection.”

  “Fine. I’m going to her.” She shrugged out of the blanket the paramedic had given her and handed it to the officer, who stared after her as if he hadn’t any idea what to do.

  Sophie walked right up to the woman who’d yelled her name—the woman from the café. Monique Vass. She was sure of it, but she didn’t want the woman to bolt, so she kept the information to herself.

&nb
sp; The woman spoke one word. “Rufus.”

  “Who is that?”

  “Rufus de Burgh. He knows everything. Find him.”

  De Burgh? Oh, hell no. “Does he know Edward?”

  “He wants Edward to suffer. He wants him to lose everything. He wants him to know what it’s like to be denied what’s deserved.”

  Monique’s voice had risen, and she was quickly drawing attention.

  “What does he deserve?” Sophie asked.

  Monique reached into her bag and withdrew an envelope. “This will tell you what you need to know. Keep it safe. Give it to Edward.”

  Down the alley, shouts erupted. “That’s her! She’s the one who planned the whole thing! I’m innocent. I’m a victim here.”

  Monique shrank back, her head swinging from side to side. “See that Edward gets it.”

  “Who is Rufus?” Sophie wanted to shout, but the woman was already in retreat.

  “The answers are there. Keep them safe.”

  “Her name is Monique Vass,” Willie shouted from the other end of the alley. “She’s a fugitive!”

  Monique turned to run, but she ran into a wall of uniforms. “Monique Vass?”

  Monique shook her head and backed up a step. “Get away from me,” she said, reaching for her bag.

  In an instant, three guns were drawn. Three officers stared her down. “Put your hands up. Now.”

  When she withdrew her hand from the bag, something glinted from her grip. Before it registered that the object was a gun, one of the officers fired.

  Monique Vass hit the ground the same time her gun did.

  Chapter Fifteen

  It felt like hours passed before Sophie was finally allowed to go to the hospital to see Edward. Fortunately, Adam managed to join the interrogation from Zarrenburg, which bought Sophie some leeway. Much to her relief, she hadn’t been arrested. Everything on her person had remained there, including the papers Monique had given her. Fortunately, their existence had somehow escaped police attention. Sophie hadn’t looked at them yet. She figured that was Edward’s place, and despite the fact he’d kissed her, she wasn’t sure he wanted her involved in his personal business. He’d made it clear twice already that day she needed to butt out, and though she was stubborn, she understood English just fine.

  Where she stood with Edward was another story.

  His hospital room door was open. She knocked anyway, then poked in her head when he didn’t answer.

  He sat propped in the bed, his eyes closed. His arm was in a cast and soot still lined his face, but her heart raced at the sight of him. Had only a few hours passed since they woke in the same bed, their naked limbs tangled. Then he’d seen the necklace, and—-

  “Sophie?” He looked at her through half-lidded eyes.

  “What happened to Ms. Garza? Or better yet, what happened to you?”

  “Hairline fracture in my arm and a concussion. You should see the other guy.”

  Relief slid through, and she smiled. “Good to know you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

  “What about you?” Concern darkened his eyes, making her feel weak in the very best way.

  “I probably haven’t lost mine either, but you’ll have to check back later. It’s been a long day.”

  “Not what I meant. I meant you. Have I lost you?”

  The question warmed her to her toes. “I’m right here.”

  “Not what I meant,” he repeated.

  “It’s enough. I have something for you from Monique, who has now been confirmed as the woman from the café.” She pulled out the papers. “She gave this to me right before she pulled a gun on SFPD.”

  His eyes widened. “That wasn’t wise.”

  She nodded her agreement. “It might have been the last thing she’ll ever do. There was a huge crowd around. One of the cops put a bullet in her. It was messy.”

  “What did she give you?” he asked.

  “I haven’t looked. She said it was for you.”

  “I seem to be missing a hand. Can you open it?”

  She walked over to the bed, intending to let him see what she did. But he immediately scooted over, wincing only once as he made room for her.

  “Are you sure you want me up there?” she asked.

  “I need you up here.”

  She grinned and eased onto the bed. “You still have soot on your face.”

  “They haven’t exactly been clamoring to give me a sponge bath.”

  “You? Mister Personality? I can’t believe it.” She tried to keep her voice light, but inside, she felt anything but. Edward might be joking with her now, but when the adrenaline wore off, he’d remember she was a Hawk and he’d be sorely out of warm fuzzies. It wasn’t like the man had a stockpile of them to begin with.

  She felt the weight of his eyes on her.

  “She mentioned a name,” Sophie said. She opened the envelope and eased out the contents. “Rufus de Burgh. Does that mean anything to you?”

  “De Burgh?”

  “He knows you. Monique said he wanted you to suffer, to know what it’s like to be denied what’s deserved.” She unfolded the pages. Written across the top page was Zara Royal Lineage.

  “Who’s Zara?” he asked.

  “I don’t know, but look.” The family tree was identical to the one Edward had, only the blanks were filled in. “Clara de Burgh had two children—Edward and Rufus.”

  Edward had gone so pale, he nearly matched the sheets. “Does that say Royal Lineage?”

  Sophie flipped to the next page. It was a letter—an old one, by the looks of it. The paper was frail, the script fragile. But it was legible.

  To my son,

  When you read this, you will know that I am gone. It is my wish you take your rightful place as Zarrenburg’s ruler, but it was not to be. It is imperative you prove your place, and for that, you will need help. You have it in your sister. Yes, you have a sister. Her name is Zara, and together I believe you will a formidable force.

  Look for her. Plan your revenge.

  Love, R.

  “Who’s R?” Edward asked.

  “Apparently, Zara’s father,” she said wryly.

  “Rightful place as Zarrenburg’s ruler… What does that mean?” Edward was stammering, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him do that before. Ever.

  She peered at him. “Do you need some water or something? Other than that dirt on your face, you are now officially whiter than those sheets.”

  He rubbed his face with his good arm. “Forgive me. As you said, it’s been a long day.”

  Sophie sat up straight. “The basement safe.”

  “What about it?”

  “It has a false bottom. Did you know that?”

  His eyes narrowed. “No, I didn’t.”

  “I don’t think anyone has known that for a long time—I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been opened in years. There were some papers in there—letters, maybe, from a Prince Randolph.”

  “What did they say?”

  “Something about the 1851 Exhibition and a plot. I didn’t have a chance to read them. I smelled smoke and put everything back in the safe.” She jumped up. “I have to get back to that safe.”

  “Sophie—”

  “You’re not going to talk me out of it, so save your breath.”

  “That’s not what I was going to say.” He pointed with his good arm toward a bag hanging nearby. “I was going to suggest this time you take my key.”

  “Ah, okay. That might be easier. Thank you.”

  “I doubt they’ve released the scene,” he said mildly. “The smoke will still be heavy, and they’ll probably be on scene looking for hot spots.”

  Ignoring him, she dug through the bag and came up with his keys. He pointed to the right one. She stuffed them in her pocket and looked at him.

  “Sophie?”

  “Yeah?” She fully expected the whole be careful speech. Was already annoyed by it.

  “Bring me a donut?”

  *
* * * *

  To Sophie’s surprise, Steel Hawk’s main building hadn’t been cordoned off, though due to the late hour, it was locked up tight. She had the key but not the alarm code to the whole building, so she used Edward’s phone to call Adam.

  “I need to get into the building,” she said when he answered.

  “You’re not Edward.” He sounded bewildered. “Sophie?”

  “Yeah, I misplaced my phone.” Probably in the fire, though she didn’t say as much. “I need to get into the building, and it’s locked.”

  “Haven’t we had this conversation once today? After which the fire and police departments became involved? Your sister is losing her mind, by the way.”

  “Tell her everyone is fine.” She knew her sister. No way that would fly.

  Apparently, Adam agreed. “That might be a bit of an ambitious thought.”

  “Adam.” The small talk was killing her. “I need to get into the building.”

  “We’re on the next plane home,” he said.

  “Good. Have a safe flight, but I’m not waiting for you to get here.”

  He didn’t say a word.

  “It’s important. Seriously, Adam. Now.”

  He sighed and gave her the code. “Lock up when you leave. And this is a one-time-use code, so don’t get any ideas.”

  “Your secrets are safe with me.”

  “Be careful.”

  She sighed. There it was…the admonishment from which Edward had spared her. “I will.”

  She hung up and let herself into the building. It wasn’t dark—not by a long shot with all that glass—but it was the first time she’d been in there completely alone. She bypassed the elevator with its Do Not Use in Case of Fire warning, opting instead for the stairs. The stairwell, she was relieved to find, was bright and not the least bit creepy. It opened to a hallway that led to the same vestibule to which the elevator opened. She wondered briefly if the power had been cut, though the scanner was still lit and the door unlocked in response to her fingerprint.

  If the main floor had been creepy, the basement was horrifying. She wasn’t particularly comfortable underground to begin with, and despite the bright cleanliness, the space had evil scientist written all over it.

  But unlike the annex basement, there were no rats, and only the faintest traces of smoke. It seemed they were fortunate in that the fire had been contained to the annex…or almost.

 

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