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“He…I…no…”
“No point in lying. Doesn’t fucking matter because whatever he gave wasn’t enough. She’s mine, which means she’s priceless. You fucked up.”
Lynx’s lids drooped then he was no longer breathing. Carter felt Mckenna gasp behind him but he didn’t turn in her direction right away. First he checked Lynx’s pulse to make sure he was dead. He couldn’t afford a fuck up. Then he lifted the laptop, slammed it shut, and shoved it at McKenna. She barely got her hands on the device before he moved to the end of the desk, yanked the small, compact hard drive from the wall, and was on his way to the door, barking out a command.
“Let’s go.”
Her lids fluttered and she glanced at Lynx until she heard Carter’s voice once more. “Now, Kenni, let’s go.”
They moved through the house and left the same way they entered. Carter took the laptop out of her hands and tossed it in his trunk along with the hard drive before they got in. McKenna sat quietly, staring blankly out the windshield until he reached the highway. Carter spoke again, this time softly, with more care.
“You can ask questions now.” When she turned, his eyes were waiting, intense but firm in their stance. He wasn’t apologizing for what she’d witnessed.
“You said he knew me?”
“The way he looked at you. It was brief, most people would have missed it, but he recognized you. There’s no way he should have and after that, he refused to look at you. That was guilt or possibly fear. Jessup must have had him research you after he followed me to your house.”
“Did you know that before we arrived?”
“No, but I assumed. He confirmed when he recognized you.”
She frowned, trying to make sense of what she just experienced. Her nerves were frazzled, heart was pounding, stomach was tight while her ears throbbed from the increased rush of blood pushing through her body. Carter was…
Relaxed. Unbothered. Completely at ease.
“Is he a friend of yours?”
Carter shook his head slowly and focused on the road, only glancing her way when she spoke.
“But he helps you?”
“He doesn’t help me. I pay for information, just like a lot of others do.”
“That Jessup guy?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he help someone who wanted to hurt me and help you too?”
“Lynx offered a service. Anyone that paid gained access to his service. He doesn’t get involved in anything else. If you have the money, regardless of how you intend to use it, you get the information you ask for.”
“Oh…” She nodded and turned toward the window.
“He gave someone information that was meant to be used as a way to harm you, Kenni. He won’t get a second chance to do so. I’ll always choose you. No matter what…”
I killed him for you.
She glanced at Carter and his eyes were waiting. She nodded softly then turned to the window once more, watching the blur of trees lining the highway. She wouldn’t discuss what happened further. She’d watched him kill a man, possibly the first of many, and she felt deep in her soul that Carter wouldn’t apologize for the things he did, ever.
“I gave you a choice, Kenni. You demanded to come.”
Her head swung in his direction, eyes hard and slightly narrowed. “I’m fine.”
He chuckled lightly. “You’re not, but you will be.”
Seconds passed with their eyes locked in war before he switched lanes then lifted his phone to answer a call. McKenna listened, wondering if the call was connected to the house or the dead body they left behind.
“Yeah. When?” She felt his eyes on her but kept hers locked on the window. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Fine, we’ll be there.”
