Page 44 of Wicked Rush

Chapter Thirteen

“What the hell are you doing here?” Garrett asked, tugging her by the wrist.

“I…Lars, he brought me.” She stumbled behind the large glass fixture, her attention momentarily drawn to the gleaming strands of neon lights that floated inside it.

“Yeah I can see that. You were supposed to get the key from him not fuck him. In and out. We gave you everything you needed. Jesus,” he swore.

“Don’t yell at me.” Braelynn yanked her hand away, and crossed her arms over her chest. “I texted you that I have the damn key. And he knows that I need something…I didn’t tell him what, but….”

“What the hell?” he began, but Braelynn continued, not giving him a chance to launch into a dissertation about how she’d fucked up her mission.

“Look Garrett. I’ve told you and Dean before. I had nothing to do with the missing research. You dragged me into this situation. I didn’t ask for this.”

“We’ve been over this a thousand times. There was no one else who had access to the files except you. You didn’t disclose your background when you came to work for my company. Your uncle. At this point it doesn’t even matter, because you are so close to getting the data back. Then you’ll be free to do whatever you want.”

“Oh my God! Are you high?” Braelynn had spent months feigning respectful responses but she could no longer contain the indignant wave that crested inside her.

“What did you just say?”

“All this smoke must be messing up your brain,” she spat.

“It’s fog, not smoke. And you have exactly ten seconds before I drag your smart ass out of here. Talk now. Do not leave out details.”

“I will never be free, Garrett.” Braelynn didn’t bother to use his title. Given that she was about to lose everything, formalities hardly seemed necessary. “I will never be able to live here in California again. Whoever shot me, they could come for me again. My uncle’s not going to take this lying down. He’s going to know exactly who took it. He’s going to know it was me.”

“What you are taking…it never belonged to him.” He blew out a breath and scrubbed his hand over his chin. “They could have already sold the information.”

“I’m telling you that there is no way they’ve made enough progress to have it worth anything. It won’t make any sense.” What they need is in my head. Given how they’d treated her like a criminal, she refused to divulge all her cards.

“Maybe you’re right. But we still needed that key. I want the partial files too…just in case. You need to get in the office and get it all this weekend.”

“Garrett, I get this situation is serious but I’m telling you that I did not fucking steal from you. This was my baby. My discovery. I would never have done that. I don’t care if I don’t have an alibi. Or about the stupid video you won’t show me that supposedly shows I was there.” Braelynn plowed her fingers through her hair. “The only reason I’m even helping you is because there is a small part of me that knows you’re right. My uncle is an asshole of epic proportions. He’d sell his own flesh to get what he wanted. It’s all about the money.”

“All true, but why are you here? Lars wasn’t supposed to see you.”

“Well he did. And before you say anything, I told you from the very beginning that I didn’t think I could do this. You and Dean…insisting that I could play super spy. Well, guess what? I suck. I almost died the other night.”

“What?” Garrett’s eyes widened at her statement.

Braelynn noted the empathy in his tone, and hope blossomed. Garrett had always been nice, a leader everyone admired. The ugliness of the situation had clouded her view of him, but she wondered if he would ever see the truth. She took a cleansing breath, and continued.

“Last night. I thought I could get it…it was stupid of me…”

“What did you do?”

“I parked my car and took the beach to his house. I was afraid.”

“You walked on the beach alone in the dark? Along the rocks?” He shook his head, but quickly established pointed eye contact.

“I had to get to the back door. The front of the house was lit up. He could have seen me if I went up his driveway. You said go in the back.”

“Goddammit, Braelynn, you could have died. Do you have a death wish?”

“No, I don’t have a death wish. A sleeper wave rolled up…I didn’t see it.” Tears sprang through her lashes, but she resisted crying, recalling her mistake. “I’m tired. The stress. I told you I didn’t do this. And working for my uncle? He’s impossible. I’m worried that he follows me. They already were upset with me for leaving the party. If they saw me going to Lars’ house….I couldn’t put Lars in danger. I just thought if I parked up the road…” Her words fell into the din of the night as she attempted to compose her thoughts. “Garrett, please. I know when the data was first stolen, all the evidence pointed toward me. I mean, seriously, even I would have thought I’d done it, but I swear to God I had nothing to do with it. Someone else…I don’t know who, but there has to be someone else who did it. And you know what? It doesn’t even matter. If you’d just come to me, and asked for help, I would have helped you. I’d do anything to help my country, including going through all of this hell again.”

“Tell me why you are here.” His eyes narrowed in on her, but she didn’t let his examination shake her.

“Lars found me at his house. He knew I was breaking in although, hell…I couldn’t do the lock. My fingers were frozen. I’d fallen in the ocean. I collapsed right there outside his house. Minor hypothermia. I’m fine.” She held up both hands and glanced over to the bar. Through the sea of bodies, she caught a glimpse of him lifting a silver shaker into the air. “I know you can’t possibly understand this. But Lars…I…” I’ve wanted him forever. She reconsidered her words. Garrett would never understand. “I like him…and, it’s more than that, but I know,” she averted her gaze, unable to look at him directly as she confessed her feelings, “I won’t be able to ever see him again once I hand over the data. I’ll never be free until I leave.”