The Private Serials Box Set(60)

I framed her face with my hands, saying, "In a little while, love. I'm  going to get some ice and settle in for a minute. But then I'll join  you."

She leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to my lips, and I fought  every urge I had to pull her in closer, to take her mind off her sadness  by making her feel good again. But I managed to watch her pull away and  slowly dip her perfect body into the steaming water, then I turned  around and walked out.

I found my brother exactly where he'd said he would be, and to say he  looked worried would have been a massive understatement. He looked  nervous and uncomfortable.

"I will never, not ever, do this for you again. So you better make sure  you get this right the first time, Preston. I know you'd go to the ends  of the earth for Lena, and I'll do anything I can to help you, but  this," he said, slamming a sealed manila envelope into my chest, "is  outside my comfort zone."

I grabbed the envelope and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"You don't know how much I appreciate this. It's all there?"

"Everything you asked for is in that envelope. This cannot come back to me, brother. You have to find a way to end this."

"Trust me," I said, looking my older brother directly in the eye. "I've  thought this through and this is the only way we all get what we want,  and everyone gets what they deserve."

"You better be right," he said firmly, his face a mixture of concern and  apprehension. Then he clasped my shoulder and brought me into a hug,  forceful and startling. "Keep her safe. And keep yourself safe too,  Pres. I need you both to be okay when this is all done." After a few  hearty claps on the back I pulled away, trying not to let my surprise at  his worry show on my face. I was trying to be stoic, to show him I had  everything under control.         

     



 

"We'll be fine."

In response, Parker reached out his hand, and I shook it.

"Call me if you need anything." He paused, my hand still clasped in his. "I mean it."

"I know, Parker. I will."

With that, he turned and walked toward the exit of the hotel, head bowed.

I let out a harsh sigh. It was official. We were on our own. We were on  our own and about to attempt something insanely dangerous and very  illegal. But as I'd told Parker when I asked for his help, I didn't see  any other way out.

The only thing I could see, the only thing my mind would let me focus  on, was Lena. I needed to keep her safe. Needed to ensure that, come  what may, she was through the storm and safely on the other side of the  destruction. Out of harm's way. In my arms. So, the very next day we  would depart on, without a doubt, the most important trip of our lives.



The next morning, after a short flight to Toronto, we found ourselves on a much longer flight taking us to Athens, Greece.

"You know what sucks?" Lena asked, her head leaning against my shoulder as her hand lay in my lap, fingers laced through mine.

"What's that?"

"The entire time we were married I begged Derrek to take me to Europe.  Greece was one of the top places I wanted to see. But we never went. And  now that I get to go, now that I get to see the beautiful country I've  always wanted to visit, I won't even be able to enjoy it." She pressed  her cheek closer to me and I gripped her hand a little more tightly.  "And more than likely, after we leave, I won't ever want to go back."

My heart pounded, jaw clenched, thinking about Derrek still taking  things from her. Still managing to impact her and her happiness. Even  after setting her up, leaving her with nothing, demanding everything  from her, he was still able to reach her, still able to affect her. I  tried to regulate my breaths, tried to calm down, but she must have felt  me tense because her free hand came up to gently cup my cheek.

"It's okay, Preston. I don't need Greece." She pulled back, her hand  still on my face and her eyes looking into mine. "I don't want anything  from him anymore. You give more to me than he ever did." She leaned in  and pressed her mouth against mine, then pulled away and rested her head  against my shoulder again.

She hadn't asked many questions about Derrek and Jessica; never inquired  as to what they'd been up to in the last three months. I wouldn't tell  her the truth. Wouldn't tell her that it looked like they'd been on a  dream vacation, traveling the world. I couldn't figure out whether he  was stupid and actually taking his little family on a trip around the  world, or if he was running, trying to stay one step ahead of anyone who  might have been looking for him. Once I'd found his trail it hadn't  been hard to track him.

I knew he wasn't a criminal mastermind, but he wasn't completely dense.  He had to know people were out to get him, had to know if he stayed in  one place long enough he'd have company.

Three days ago, when I'd found him in Athens, I knew, based on his  record, he'd be there for at least a week, perhaps two at the most, so  we had a good chance of finding him. So that's where we'd headed.

The flight was long, but it was also nice to have seventeen hours of  uninterrupted time with Lena. Time where, even if she was asleep against  my arm, there wasn't any outside influence. We watched a movie, did a  crossword puzzle together, read books. It was almost as if we weren't on  our way to find her ex-husband who'd ruined her life. Almost.

When we touched down in Athens it was just dusk, although my body had no  idea what time it was or which way was up. Everything about my system  was disrupted. Lena, on the other hand, was exhausted. She resembled a  zombie going through customs, and could hardly keep her eyes open to  take in whatever sights of Athens we could see in the darkness.

When we arrived at our hotel, I checked us in and helped Lena to our  room, steering her directly to the bed where she promptly climbed in and  fell asleep almost immediately. I hadn't mentioned to her our hotel was  the same hotel in which I thought Derrek was staying. I didn't think  she needed that information. I thought, instead, she needed a night of  uninterrupted sleep during which she wasn't worried about the other  people staying there.

When I was sure she was fast asleep, I quietly made my way out of the  room and headed downstairs to the bar. When I spotted him sitting on a  stool, tumbler in hand, alone, I couldn't decide if I was surprised I'd  been right, or worried for the exact same reason. He was here, in front  of me, and now I had a real decision to make. Did I approach, and  possibly alter the course of all of our lives, or try to find some  alternate solution I hadn't come up with yet? I'd spent every waking  moment since Edgar called me trying to find another way for Lena and me  to get past this problem, but I could see no other way.

I took in a deep breath and pushed forward, never having taken steps  which felt heavier or more weighted than those few steps to the bar. My  hands rested on the cold wood and I caught the eye of the bartender just  a few feet away.

"Scotch. Neat."

The bartender nodded just as I saw Derrek's head turn toward me. Then I  watched with anticipation as his eyes widened in shock, mouth gaping  open, then closing, quite like a fish. I watched as the bartender placed  a tumbler in front of me and poured the amber liquid two fingers deep.  He slid it toward me and walked away as I brought the glass to my lips,  my eyes never leaving Derrek's.

"How did you find me?"

"Derrek, I'm a private investigator. It's my job to find information  people are purposefully trying to bury." He blinked but didn't respond,  although I could practically see the wheels spinning in his head. "You  did a decent job covering your tracks, but not good enough." I put the  glass down and sat on the stool next to him.

"I'm not going to lie-I'm pretty impressed you found me."

"I've known where you were for weeks now. I wasn't going to do much with  the information unless Lena wanted me to, but other people forced my  hand in this case."

"You're here with Lena?" His eyes darted around the room, looking for her.

"Don't be a fucking idiot. You won't be seeing her until I say so and  only if she wants to see you." I turned toward him, my eyes narrowing,  my pulse pounding in my neck. "Let's get one thing straight. The moment  you hired me to seduce her was the moment you lost her. Forever. She's  mine now and you don't get to look at her. You don't get to speak to  her. You don't even get to breathe the same air as her."

"Why are you here, then?" he rasped at me.

"Edgar sent me."

I watched as the blood drained from his face and little beads of sweat  appeared on his forehead and right above his lips. He looked ill and a  not-so-small part of me enjoyed watching the fear physically affect him.

"Edgar not only wants his money, he also wants you dead."

Derrek's eyes widened and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.  He turned back to the bar and drained his drink, then lifted his glass  at the bartender, signaling he wanted another.