Perfect Chaos(82)

The ashes of that part of me were swirling around us and then were lost to the breeze. I looked up at Deck and stroked the side of his face. “I’m only a rainbow because you make me that way.” His eyes were still dark and haunted by what just happened, but there was a hint of the sweet I’d found in Deck and I smiled. “Love you, baby.”





DECK KEPT ME locked bedside him in the backseat, while Tyler drove and Josh sat in the front. Vic went with Kai.


I winced when the cut on my back rubbed on Deck’s arm and he immediately loosened his grip and looked down at me, brows low over his eyes as concern etched his face. I reached up and touched his chin like it was the most delicate, expensive diamond. “Did I ever say thank you for saving my ass, sweetpea?”

I think he was too worried about me to take to my sass because he just looked at me. I sighed and rested my cheek against his shoulder.

“Boss?” Josh looked over his shoulder at us. I noticed him give me a once-over as if he was checking to make certain I wasn’t bleeding to death. Like Deck would let that happen; I gave a half-smile when his eyes reached my face. He grunted. Josh was a weird guy. Quiet and no sense of humor and yet I saw something lingering in him as if he was fighting the need to laugh or smile. “You want our guy to look at her?”

That got my attention. I was the only her.

Deck nodded.

“Hey, wait a sec. Who is our guy, Deck? And why is he looking at me?” Josh turned back around.

“Rick,” Deck said. “A doctor. And you’re being looked at because I said so.”

“You know, sometimes it would be nice if you weren’t so damn … direct. Couldn’t you ask me how I feel about it? Maybe threw in a ‘babe, I love you but … ’”

Deck huffed, obviously not in the mood for even a slight grin. “Josh, get him over to my place ASAP.”

“I’m fine, Deck. It’s a couple scratches and bruises.”

“You see your face?”

“Well, no. It’s not like I’ve been too concerned about what I look like at the moment.”

“You need a doctor.”

I leaned forward and looked in the rear view mirror. I met Tyler’s eyes who pursed his lips together and shook his head. I knew what it meant—I wasn’t winning this one. I had a minor scratch on my neck and a pretty bad bruise on my forehead.

Deck watched me, eyes narrowed. I knew he was waiting patiently for my argument.

I crossed my arms and stared out the window. “Fine, but you owe me copious amounts of orgasms.”

Tyler burst out laughing. Josh grunted. Deck was silent.

He put his arm around me then pushed my head down on his shoulder. I reached over and linked my fingers in his. He squeezed and it was all I needed to feel his comfort seeping into me.

Within a half hour, Kai’s car pulled over on the side of the road and he and Vic got out looking really unhappy. And Vic looking unhappy was pretty damn scary.

Of course, everyone got out. Deck told me to stay put, which I didn’t. He scowled at me but didn’t interrupt Kai who was giving the bad news that he was unable to intercept Tanner’s message through the internet.

“Shit,” Tyler said and kicked the tire at the same time as he hit the roof of the car. Seeing Tyler react like that somehow didn’t suit him.

“Alternatives?” Vic asked.

“Manually go in and delete it from the main computer before it’s reviewed then sent to France.”

“France?” Deck asked.

“Where Vault is based.”

I knew Kai giving us the location was huge.

“What is it that Vault does, Kai?” Deck asked. “Besides, kidnap and torture people.”

“Everything,” Kai sighed. “Vault is like a religion. It runs off beliefs that were set up by a group of nine people many years ago. Power. Money. Drugs. Corruption. We go after some of the worst criminals. We also protect some of the worst. It’s all about control and information.”

“Fuck,” Tyler said.

Kai nodded. “And they will send someone after all of us if I don’t intercept that message.”

“And I’m betting none of us can get close to the main computer. At least not fast enough,” Josh said.

Kai didn’t need to say anything because we all knew the answer. The question was did any of them really trust Kai? Was it even possible to trust a guy like that? He’d been involved with a secret organization which kidnapped men, women and children to use for their own purpose.

Kai spoke directly to Deck, eyes unwavering. “They get that message—I’m eliminated or worse, taken ‘in’ and so is Georgie. It’s in both our best interests to make certain that doesn’t happen.” Kai nodded to me. I met Kai’s eyes and they held steady on me. I knew exactly what he was going to say. “I just received a message from Vault; they want her to go out on an assignment tonight.”