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I pause, letting that sink in. Burian isn’t the deal-making type, at least not beyond a sort of superficial gesture. He hired me, gave me tasks, but all the while he planned on killing me in the end. Sure, he said he’d pay me, even negotiated a price, but it was always an act, always meant to distract from his real intentions.
I know what he looks like. That means I have to die.
And slowly, a horrible realization hits me.
Lanzo knows what he looks like too.
Which means this isn’t a discussion. It’s an ambush, plain and simple.
“What sort of deal?” I ask, delaying the inevitable as I try to come up with a plan.
I could rush him. Maybe he’d kill Grandpop. Maybe he’d kill me. But at least he wouldn’t have hostages when Lanzo came to find him. With me in the way, Lanzo has no chance. He won’t risk killing me in the chaos. But if I’m already gone, then maybe he can take Burian down.
“An exchange. Your life for mine.” Burian smiles serenely. “It seems that our mutual friend has grown attached to you.”
I watch Grandpop. I don’t bother looking at Burian. This is all bullshit, all just another distraction. I wish I could tell Grandpop a thousand things, tell him how much I love him, how much he’s meant to me over these long years. Somehow, Grandpop’s expression seems calm, like he accepted what’s about to happen. Like he already accepted that he’s going to die of cancer, and it’s really only a question of when.
“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” I step forward. Burian’s head cocks. “Lanzo cares about me. But he’s never cared about anyone else before, has he?”
“Not that I know of. Did he tell you that he and I used to work together? Lanzo was my best agent for several years, and he remains one of the best in the world. If anyone could catch me, it’s him.”
“But you’re not going to let that happen.” I stare at him, heart racing. I can do this. I can rush Burian, get myself killed. Maybe Grandpop will survive—Burian won’t have any reason to kill the old man. Though I suspect maybe not. I close my eyes, hating myself so much. “You were never going to let me live. Just like you’ll never let Lanzo live. Not while he’s a threat to you.”
I open my eyes again. Burian’s not smiling anymore. He’s watching me, the expression of a cold lizard locked on his face. Emotionless and calm. Maybe the real Burian, the one he’s always hiding with jovial grins and laughter.
“You always were too clever.”
“How’d you know?” I press, not waiting for him to start putting my plan together. “How’d you figure out Lanzo was onto you?”
“The fed,” he says. “Craig paid me a visit last night. He and two of his FBI buddies tried to ambush me, but it didn’t go well.”
My jaw tightens. That stupid bastard. “He told you?”
“Some of it. I assumed the rest on my own.”
“Then Lanzo’s already on his way back here.”
“Good. That’s the idea.” Burian moves the gun from Grandpop and aims it at my chest. “I know you’re planning something. I can see the gears moving in your pretty little head. But I’m warning you, Renata. It will be a mistake. You will die, your Grandpop will die, and Lanzo will still die. There is nothing you can do now, but if you want to save this old man’s life, you should be a good girl and play nice.”
“I was never good at that,” I say, taking another step forward. I feel sick, I feel sad. I won’t ever get to experience what it’s like to live with Lanzo, to have a life with him. All our dreams, all our plans, they’re going to disappear. I’m mourning, not only for myself, but for the girl I’ll never get to be.
“Renny,” Grandpop says. Tone hard. “Stop what you’re doing.”
“Listen to the old man,” Burian intones.
“I can’t let you win,” I say, choking out the words.
“Renny.” Grandpop gives me a level look. A hard stare. A complicit stare. “I love you, kiddo.”
Before I can respond, Grandpop jerks up, grabbing onto Burian’s wrists, and heaves the gun down toward him.
Burian gets yanked off balance. He grunts in rage as Grandpop leans all his weight into tearing the weapon from the assassin’s hands. Burian must not have thought Grandpop would have the strength or the courage to make a move like that, but Grandpop has always been stronger than he looks.
I throw myself at them, screaming. I can’t let Grandpop sacrifice himself for me, not like this. He’s not going to lose even more for me. Grandpop’s given me so much, all his time, his retirement, his later years. I love the man fiercely, love him like a father, like a daughter loves her daddy. I can’t let him get hurt, not when I’m the one that got him into this situation.
I slam into Burian like hitting a brick wall. He barely responds as I jam my fists into his side, punching and kicking as hard as I can, before I dig my fingernails into his face. I’m screaming like an animal, trying to murder him, as Burian struggles against Grandpop. I manage to draw blood until he grunts and throws an elbow, catching me in the face, knocking me sprawling to the floor.
Two gunshots thunder in the tiny room.
