AllFreeNovel
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Kyle and I wore new jeans and shirts and were in the middle of a Wii bowling tournament when Amano arrived. Sauntering in behind him was Dane, his gait evened out now that his leg had fully healed and he no longer needed the walking cane.
My heart swelled. Kyle scowled beside me.
Dane did not look pleased—and I was sure I knew why. Amano had told him everything, the details no doubt relayed by Mr. Conaway after he’d left us.
I wrapped my arms around Dane’s neck, despite his tense, broody appearance. “I’ve missed you.”
He was dressed all in black, and my fingers instantly itched to unbutton his shirt so I could touch him.
Holding me tight, he said, “This isn’t getting any better, Ari. Not any safer, not any saner.”
“Kyle and I are okay. And we are safer. This place is more secure than Fort Knox. Now that you’re here, it’s perfect.”
He kissed my temple. “You find the silver lining in everything, don’t you?”
“I love you.”
With a low groan, he said, “I love you, too. Which is why I’m so damn pissed off.”
“Wait’ll you see your car.” Kyle just couldn’t resist.
I unraveled from Dane and said, “We had a little trouble and had to take the McLaren off-road.” To Amano, I explained, “I can tell you where to find it, if the Forest Service hasn’t towed it away already.”
“Seriously, a sweet ride.” Kyle poked a bit harder. “But you’ll likely need a new undercarriage. Definitely a new paint job. Tires are pretty much shot to shit now, too.”
I could feel Dane’s temper flare. I placed a palm on his chest and said, “We’re really very sorry. It was necessary.”
“I don’t give a damn about the car, Ari. I’m pissed off that you were in danger again.” His gaze shifted to Kyle. “I’m sorry you were involved. But … thank you for taking care of her.”
“I’m getting good at this James Bond stuff,” Kyle said with a cocky grin. I suspected the split lip and bruised jaw made him feel tougher, more rugged. To Amano, he added, “Maybe you should teach me some bodyguard moves. Since I’m the one here with Ari.”
“That won’t be necessary,” the stoic Amano said. “I’m here now. And will be until this is over.”
Latching on to that segue, I asked Dane, “Any progress?”
“We’ll talk later.” He took my hand and led me out of the room. “Which suite is ours?”
I directed him down the long corridor. “I only get you for the night, don’t I?”
He didn’t say anything, just closed the door behind us. I turned to him. Wound my arms around him again.
“It’s hell not being with you,” he whispered in my ear. I heard his torment, his quiet fury. “I steal a few hours, then Kyle gets you the rest of the time. I turn my back and you’re in danger. I’m livid, Ari. So worried about you. And so ready to just say fuck it all and—”
“No.” I pulled away and stared up at him. “You can’t quit now. Not after everything we’ve all been through. Not when you’re so very close to finishing this, Dane.”
He stepped around me. Raked a hand through his hair. “This isn’t getting any easier. In fact, it’s much more convoluted. These last two members … They’re in deep, Ari. This goes beyond tax evasion and blowing up the Lux. They’ve manipulated the global network the society uses and they’ll be the catalyst for another massive recession—while they prosper. Creating all of that influence, wielding all of that power … To achieve that level of supremacy has required them to leave plenty of casualties in their wake.”
I sank onto the mattress. “Are you saying they … murder people to get their way?”
“Whatever it takes,” he said with a sharp edge to his low voice. “That’s how these people operate. You saw what they did to the Lux. Every one of my employees—my wife—could have been inside that building when it exploded. Did they care? No. Because to them, they’re above reproach. Untraceable, untouchable.”
“But you’re tracing them, touching them. Helping to send them to prison.”
He paced along the bench that ran the width of the bed. “At what cost?” he mumbled, agitated. “You could have been killed, Ari. Again.”
I wrung my hands a moment, understanding how this tore at him. But there was so much at stake. He couldn’t walk away from this now.
“Look,” I told him. “I won’t sit here and lie to you, say I haven’t been terrified—terrorized. But what you’re doing is too significant to turn your back on. Especially at this point. After all you’ve invested in bringing these guys down, after all we’ve suffered. You have to see this through. No matter what. These people must be stopped, Dane.”
