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“I told you I should’ve been the one to go in with you,” the driver, Tristan, says, glancing at Theo as he pulls out of the garage. “Did I not?”
“Like hell I’m playing chauffeur again,” Liam fires back. “You know I can’t park to save my ass. Last thing we need right now is another ticket.”
Tristan exhales slowly, his blue eyes narrowing. “Amateurs,” he mutters. For anyone else, a crack like that toward a man like Theo Emmerico would lead to major trouble, but instead, Theo just smirks in that same familial way that makes me think this dynamic goes back a while. “Are you going to introduce me, then?”
“Right.” Theo turns to look back at me. “Vivian, this is Tristan Archer.”
“Another ‘business associate?’ ” I ask, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow.
Liam snorts. “I like her.”
Theo nods without missing a beat, his hand finding mine as he returns his attention to the road. “Best save the details for when we get there, I think. You’ve had a long night, kid.”
“I can’t argue with that,” I reply. I’m so caught up in it all that it takes me a moment to even notice that Tristan is watching me in the rear view mirror, so intensely that I can almost feel his blue eyes on my skin.
Shit, I think as the car speeds away into the London night. I’m in way over my head.
ChapterNineteen
We drive through the night, veering left onto the M4 and heading steadily away from the tall buildings and bright lights of London. The guys talk in low voices, mostly about avoiding suspicion on the highway and getting clear of the metropolitan area before the hospital realizes I’ve gone missing. I sit there and listen, my head against the back window as I watch the world go by and wonder what lies in store. Lucas, the chattiest of the three, fills the air with speculation and sarcastic remarks. Theo counters easily, clearly in his element as he fields questions and discusses his family in a low, dangerous voice. Tristan stays mostly silent, his eyes on the road—although I do catch him glancing at me again from time to time in the rear view, his expression cool and impenetrable. Every time he does, I can’t fight the feeling that there’s a well of hidden knowledge behind those blue eyes, and that, given the chance, he’ll look right through me. The idea provokes a feeling in my gut that I can’t put my finger on.
After an eternity of waiting, I finally straighten up and ask, “Are you going to tell me where we’re going, or…?”
“Why?” Liam grins. “You getting bored of us already, Vivi?”
I snort and roll my eyes. “Just trying to figure out what the angle is to all this. That’s all.”
“I told you to trust me, didn’t I?” Theo asks, turning to look at me.
“I can trust you and still want to know what’s going on,” I point out. “You show up at the hospital, bust me out and stick me in an unmarked car, and now you’re taking me god knows where for god knows what reason.” I bite my lip. “Look, if I’m in danger…”
“You were always in danger, Mrs. Emmerico,” Tristan says unyieldingly. “The sooner you realize that, the better.”
“What my colleague is trying to say,” Liam interjects, “is that your husband is getting ready to do some serious social climbing. With Theo out of the picture, he’s about to be put in charge of the syndicate when Victor retires. When that happens, you can bet he’s not going to let you out of his slimy little hands—and with him running the scene, there won’t be much any of us can do about it.”
“So you did this for my protection?” I ask, glancing from him to Theo.
“You could say that,” Theo replies, and then sighs. “London’s crawling with enemies, and my father’s men are just the tip of the iceberg. Your family thinks I’m insane, and they’ve got people scrambling to keep things from getting out of hand. Lucas does, too, I’d bet—and he’s willing to kill for the privilege of stealing you back.” His voice burns with intensity, the same way it did when he first told me he loved me.
“So we’re playing the waiting game, is that it?” I ask.
“Not exactly.”
“This is a liability, Theo,” Tristan interjects, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. “If they find her, they find us.”
“They won’t.” Theo turns away, but not before giving me a reassuring nod. “It will make more sense once we’re there, but you won’t have to wait much longer, kid. I promise.”
I can tell that’s all I’m going to get out of him, so I settle back in my seat and try to relax. An hour or so later, we turn off the highway and head toward a metropolitan center intersected by a low-running river.
“Bath?” I ask. “You’re taking me to Bath?”
“My family has a safe house here, not far from the city center,” Tristan says, not taking his eyes off the road.
I cross my arms. “And they don’t mind us just dropping in for a visit?”
Tristan’s expression is cool and steady, but there’s something steely in his voice. “It would be hard for them to mind,” he says, “considering they’re dead.”
I blanch, embarrassed. “I, uh… I’m sorry.”
