The Complete Retrieval Duet

by Martinez, Aly

  Walt held me, making my skin crawl as I protectively wrapped myself around Tessa. Both of us sobbing.

  She was scared, and I couldn’t blame her.

  I was terrified, too.

  Walt led us both inside and got us settled on the couch. Then he immediately retreated to his office. Over the next hour, a steady stream of his men came through the front gates, flooding in the back door, and going straight up to join him.

  A man had come to help me. And I’d thrown him to the wolves.

  And, as I sat on my couch the next day, Walt walking around in nothing more than a pair of slacks, not a trace of anger on his hideous face, I knew that that man was now dead.

  I’d seen that picture Roman had thrust in my face. He had a wife, probably a child, and if his assumptions were correct and our embryos had been switched, it was my child. And I’d all but pulled the trigger myself.

  The father of my daughter was dead.

  But it was the wrong man. It was the kind and decent one who’d put his life on the line to save me—and Tessa.

  And I’d killed him.

  A tear escaped my eye, and I quickly swiped it away for fear of Walt noticing. I had a million reasons to blame it on after the last few days of drama, but I was all out of lies.

  I couldn’t help Roman anymore, but there was one man I could still save. I’d selfishly told Luke everything, putting his life at risk to make myself feel a moment of relief. I needed to stop him from repeating any of it before he was gone, too.

  “I’m going to the gym this afternoon. I’ll figure out dinner when I get home,” I said as Walt started up the stairs to his office.

  He stilled, one foot on the bottom stair. “I don’t want you going back to that gym.”

  My heart leapt into my throat. “What… Why?”

  “Why?” he asked incredulously, changing direction and heading back to me.

  I steeled myself for an explosion and glanced to the kitchen, where Tessa was sitting at the table, playing with a giant ball of Play-Doh.

  I stayed silent as Walt approached.

  His knee landed beside me on the couch. The smell of his cologne made vomit rise in my throat. His hand went to my throat, sliding up and tilting my head back so I was forced to look at him.

  My gaze flashed back to Tessa as panic ricocheted inside me.

  Then, much to my surprise, he bent, kissing me chastely before saying, “Because, after the last few days, I don’t want you out of my sight. There are men out there who think they can put their hands on my wife and still wake up breathing. You gotta know, sweetheart, that that shit does not fly. You’re a Noir.”

  And I hated it more than anything else in the world. Carrying his last name was a punishment worse than any he’d ever doled out with his fists.

  He gave my throat a gentle squeeze and trailed his other fingers down my chest, between my breasts, and down my stomach before stopping just short of between my legs.

  I fought off the dry heave and did my best to control my breathing.

  Walt was like a bear in the woods. He wanted dominance, and he demanded that you gave it to him. But, if you showed him fear, it only fueled him. He fed off the power.

  I knew this game well. He wasn’t going to hurt me—at least, not right then. But he wanted me to remember that he could.

  However, victims often became the smartest players in the game of survival.

  Puckering my lips, I silently asked for another kiss. He gave it to me then smiled menacingly.

  I lifted my hand and teased the bare flesh at his stomach. “I’m yours, Walt. They touch me, they touch you.”

  “They touch you, Clare, they die.”

  “I’m yours,” I murmured.

  His eyes heated, so I kept talking.

  “No one would be stupid enough to challenge you again.”

  He licked his lips.

  Raking my nails up his sides, I pushed further. “You’re Walter Noir. And I’m your wife. I’m untouchable, and I dare them to try.”

  “Fuck,” he breathed, dropping his forehead to mine.

  “It’s just the gym, honey. A couple of hours on a treadmill to get my mind off the last few days.” I slid my hand over his shoulder and into the hairs at the nape of his neck and whispered, “Don’t let them win.”

  He stared at me, his eyes becoming soft at the corners. His stiff body uncoiling under my affection.

  “Please,” I added for good measure.

  He gave in on a huff. “One hour. And Brock drives you.”

  It wasn’t ideal. But it was something. And I needed to get to Luke and make sure he kept his mouth shut about everything I’d unloaded on him. Both of our lives depended on it.

  I faked a grin. “Okay.”

  His hand tightened at my throat. “You run into any trouble whatsoever, I’ll be there in a blink.”

  “I know.”

  He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, breathing an, “I love you,” on his exhale.

  I fucking hate you. “I love you, too.”

  The ride to the gym that afternoon was a silent one.

  Brock pulled up in front. Then he got out and opened the back door so I could get Tessa out of her seat. When I had her on my hip, he slammed the door and grunted, “One hour.” He then pulled around to a parking spot with clear visibility of the front door.

  At least he isn’t coming in.

  “Hey, Clare!” the front desk girl, whose name I could never remember, chirped.

  “Hey,” I said, glancing around her toward the row of offices. “Luke in the back?”

  “Uh,” she stalled. “Actually, Luke didn’t show this morning, but don’t worry. I called in—”

  The world stopped spinning.

  I interrupted her on a nearly desperate cry. “What do you mean he didn’t show?”

  Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I mean…he didn’t show up this morning.”

  My hands began to shake, and I shifted Tessa onto my other hip in order to lean my elbow on the counter for balance. “Did you try calling him?” I snapped.

  “I did,” she replied cautiously, “but he didn’t answer.”

  My mouth dried. “Has…” I cleared my throat when the emotion prevented me from finishing. “Has he ever done this before? The not showing up thing?”

  She shook her head. “No. He’s usually here early. Let’s just say Maxine was not excited to be called into work this morning to cover for him. She closed up last night after a full day of back-to-back clients…”

  She continued to talk, but my ears were ringing, which left me unable to focus.

  Please, God, don’t let this be happening.

  “Can you try to call him again? It’s an emergency. I need to talk to him,” I choked out. To make sure he isn’t dead.

  She frowned, eyeing me warily, but picked the receiver up and started to dial. “Sure,” she drawled.

  Please pick up. Please, just let him pick up.

  I never tore my eyes off her as she did her best to avoid my gaze.

  After a few seconds, she shook her head and hung up. She offered me a tight smile.

  Oh my God.

  It was not a coincidence that, only days ago, he’d met Walter Noir and, now, he was missing.

  Fear and guilt mingled in the acid that replaced the blood in my veins.

  Walt’s words from that morning flashed into my mind. “There are men out there who think they can put their hands on my wife and still wake up breathing.”

  Men.

  Not man.

  Not just Roman.

  And not just because I’d felt threatened.

  Luke.

  Because he’d cared. Walt must have sensed it when he’d stormed into the office.

  Oh my God. He’s gone.

  “Clare!” I heard yelled.

  Then, all at once, the Earth dropped out of orbit, taking me with it.

  My knees gave out. The darkness closed in. My life flashed on the backs of my lids. My l
ast thoughts were of Tessa. My only instinct still in tact was to protect her. As I hit the floor with a crash, she landed squarely on top of me, secured in my arms—the only place she was ever safe.

  I was vaguely aware of voices clamoring around me and then Brock storming in.

  But all I could see was the blood of innocent men pooling around me.

  After the cops had come and gone, Elisabeth and I had packed a few bags and the dog and headed for a hotel. The sun was starting to rise by the time we arrived. And, though we were both exhausted, adrenaline having burned through whatever rest we’d gotten, sleep wasn’t going to be found.

  Before our bags were even on the floor, I was on the phone with Heath’s contact, Leo James. Elisabeth was listening with her mouth hanging wide open as I filled him in on all things Walter and Clare Noir. I wasn’t far into the story when she began to tremble. I wrapped her in my arms, her heart thundering so hard that I could feel it in my chest.

  Leo did not delay in telling me that he and a group of his men were catching the first flight down to Atlanta. It made me feel marginally better, but judging by the terror on Elisabeth’s face, she did not share the sentiment.

  When I hung up, she was plastered to my front and staring up at me expectantly.

  “It’s okay. Just breathe,” I told her.

  “She looks like me?” she squeaked.

  I smiled and brushed the hair off her neck. “She’s yours, baby. No question about it.” I took her face between my palms. “We have a daughter, Lis.”

  “Oh God,” she whispered.

  “It’s okay,” I repeated, kissing her forehead. “Now that we know who they are, things should be easier. We’ll have our attorneys petition the courts. See about getting the DNA then ultimately custody—”

  She jerked in my arms. “Excuse me?”

  “It’s going to be time consuming, but I’ll stop at nothing, Lis.”

  “We aren’t taking that baby from her,” she announced, stepping out of my grasp.

  This time, I jerked. “Come again?”

  “Roman, we aren’t snatching that child away from the only mother she’s ever known. Especially if what Heath told you was true and Clare’s a victim in all of this too.”

  “Yeah, baby. She’s a victim, but I saw her. You cannot help someone who doesn’t want to be saved.”

  “You probably just scared the shit out of her, Roman! Some man shows up at my house. Grabs me in front of my child. I wouldn’t be real keen to jump in his car, either.”

  “Maybe. But I tried. And she screamed for the man who beats the shit out of her. That does not say scared to me. That says fucking lost.”

  She flinched. “We can’t just storm in there and strip the child from her arms. As a mother, I would never be able to live with that.”

  I released her and made my way over to the pile of shit we’d brought with us. I dug through it until I found what I was looking for then headed back to her.

  Lifting Heath’s picture of a battered Clare Noir in her direction, I said, “He does that to her.” I dropped it to the floor then lifted another. “And that.”

  Her body turned to stone as she slapped a hand over her mouth.

  “And our daughter lives under the same roof with that man, Lis. This whole fucking situation sucks. Hell, the fact that a man like that is sharing the same oxygen we breathe is fucked. But there is nothing I can do about that, either. I know this is hard for you to understand. You’re a good person with a good heart. Your gut instinct is to save the world. And, usually, I’m right there with you. But you need to hear me on this. I have no control over Clare. The only thing I can do in this situation is keep my family safe.” I lifted one final picture in her direction and finished, “That family now consists of you, me, and this little girl.”

  Her eyes flashed wide, and just as quickly, the picture of Tessa was snatched from my hand. She stumbled back until she hit the bed. Then she slowly sank down, her eyes glued to the photograph.

  I sat beside her and slid an arm around her back. “Let me worry about her. I don’t like the idea of snatching her away from the life she knows, either. But, Lis, that life is dangerous. I gotta tell you I’d be just as hell-bent on getting her out even if I wasn’t sure she was ours. No kid deserves to grow up like that. But the fact is no one can deny that that little girl is yours. So I will fight like hell to get her someplace safe—that place being with us. And when, and only when, we make that happen, we’ll see what we can do about Clare.”

  Her tear-filled eyes lifted to mine. She was looking at me, but I knew she was still seeing Tessa’s face.

  “Okay?” I prompted.

  She nodded and looked back at the picture. Her fingers glided over the curves of the child’s face. “Okay, Roman.”

  I breathed a relieved sigh and squeezed her shoulder. “Now, baby, I know you’ve had a lot dumped on you, but we gotta figure out where we’re gonna live for a little while. I’m not taking you back to our house, and my place is shit.”

  “My Victorian,” she whispered at the picture.

  “Say again?”

  “I own an old Victorian house. I flipped it. I’ve been trying to sell it, but it’s currently empty. All the utilities are hooked up. And I’d feel safe there.”

  “It furnished?”

  She shook her head.

  “Right. Okay. I want a bed, couch, TV, some kind of table we can eat at, and whatever the hell else you need to feel comfortable.” I dug my wallet from my back pocket and pulled my credit card out before offering it her way.

  She glanced down at the card then up at me. “All of that’s going to be expensive, Roman.”

  I grinned. “I think I’m good for it.”

  “We really don’t need that much stuff. I’ve got an air mattress and a couple of chairs there already.”

  “An air mattress and a couple of chairs?” I repeated incredulously.

  She bobbed her head eagerly. “We can make do.”

  No fucking way was Elisabeth ever making do again. I’d worked my ass off and even lost her for over two years to ensure that.

  “Seven point four million dollars,” I announced.

  Her mouth fell open, and her eyebrows pinched together. “Holy shit. Is that how much you’re worth?”

  I chuckled and waved my credit card at her. “That’s what I made last month. Buy some furniture, Lis.”

  She clamped her mouth shut and blinked, but a few seconds later, she took the card.

  After a shower, which had been just as mentally cleansing as it had been physically, I got to work calling our attorneys. Kaplin was still unsure of our next move. However, Whit was hitting the ground running. He had Detective Rorke on the phone before he’d even hung up with me.

  During this time, Lis alternated between staring at the picture of Tessa, petting Loretta, and scrolling through furniture on the Internet. She was lost in her thoughts—and her pain.

  I never strayed far from her. Not for fear, but rather for comfort. If she needed me, I was mere feet away. I kissed her every chance I got. And, as I paced the room, trying to figure out the best solution for…well, anything, I’d paused to drag my fingertips over her shoulders, reminding her that she wasn’t alone.

  She’d glance up at me with a forced smile that broke me every time.

  But I was there.

  And she was with me.

  We’d figure out the rest together.

  Around two p.m., Leo James, along with three of his men—Aidan Johnson, Alex Pearson, and Devon Grant—arrived at the hotel. I was a big guy. But fuck, Alex and Devon were giants. And Johnson was just flat-out scary—tattoos running up and down both arms, black gauges in his ears, brute terror in his eyes.

  “Leo, nice to meet you,” I greeted, ushering them to the sitting area of the suite. “Gentlemen, this is my wife, Elisabeth Leblanc.”

  Her gaze jumped to mine, but she didn’t argue with my use of my last name. I shot her a wink then continued with the intr
oductions. When I finished, she smiled blankly and offered a soft, “Hi.”

  I settled beside her on the couch, hooking her legs at the knees and dragging them into my lap so they draped over my thigh.

  She inched closer and dropped her head to my shoulder.

  “Mrs. Leblanc,” Leo said, settling in a chair across from us. “I hear you guys have been having some trouble recently?”

  “I’m not sure trouble is the right word,” she replied.

  “Well, I’m here to help you two take care of that.” He grinned warmly, leaning toward her, propping an elbow on his knee, and leveling his dark-brown eyes on hers. He lowered his voice and soothed, “I promise, Elisabeth, I’ve gone toe-to-toe with far bigger men than Walter Noir. I know what I’m doing here, so I need you to trust that me and my men are gonna keep you two safe. That way, you can focus your energy on getting your little girl out. Leave the rest to us. Can you do that?”

  Her body relaxed for the first time all day, sinking deeper into my side.

  Even if he did absolutely nothing else, this guy was officially worth every fucking penny of the six figures I’d already paid him.

  “Yeah, Leo,” she whispered.

  He gave her a chin jerk then turned his attention back to me. “I don’t have a ton of time here, Roman. Johnson and I have to head back to Chicago tomorrow. I’m leaving Alex and Devon for you to use at your disposal. Get them a schedule of places you need to go ahead of time, and they’ll handle the logistics of the whens and hows to get you there safely. In the meantime, we need to discuss this house I understand you two will be staying at.”

  “The Victorian,” Elisabeth added.

  Leo looked back at her, grinned, then all but motherfucking purred, “Yeah, that one, babe.”

  Babe?

  “James,” I warned. My lips thinned, and I cocked my head to the side while shooting him a dangerous glare.

  The corners of his twitched as he leaned back in his chair, holding my gaze while pointedly rotating a gold wedding band around his ring finger with his thumb. “Anyway, the Victorian,” he said. “I’ll need the keys. Johnson and I will be working with a security company to get it wired up before we leave. I want you guys to stay here tonight. You’re gonna need to call down to the front desk. I want my guys in the room next door. If it’s not available, you’re gonna need to change rooms, hotels, or, fuck, cities if need be. But I want my boys in earshot in case anything goes down.”