“Did you know that Sienna was going to have her memory wiped?” Warrick pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Sienna’s number.
“No.” Quinton’s tone turned flat. “Is that where she is now?”
“Yes. Dammit, why isn’t she answering? I gave Sienna her cell back.” He disconnected the call and let out a snarl of frustration.
“Maybe it’s better this way, Warrick.”
“You have no idea what’s better,” he shouted. He stopped at the edge of the street and glanced around. He debated shifting and racing across town, but the chances of being seen were too risky and he’d probably make it quicker in the van.
“I have more of an idea than you might think. Do you love her?”
Warrick stilled, his chest tightening. “What the hell does that have to do with anything?”
“It has everything to do with it.”
Something about the older man’s tone made Warrick glance over at him. The pain in Quinton’s eyes shocked the denial right off Warrick’s tongue. He gave a small nod, his throat tight with emotion.
“Yes. I love her. I think I’ve always loved her.”
Quinton’s mouth tightened and he nodded. “Then we need to stop her. Get in the van and drive us there. I’ll make some calls.”
“You’re a brave, selfless woman, Sienna,” Agent Rafferty murmured, glancing at her over his shoulder with a somber expression. “You have my respect for doing this.”
Sienna couldn’t respond or give even a small nod as she continued down the hallway of the sterile, bright building. Each footstep that echoed on the linoleum floor made her realize how close they were to the machine. To her forgetting everything. And how close she was to throwing up.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Sienna?”
Her father’s soft question came from her left. She’d approached him with the idea of memory wiping just an hour ago in the car ride back from the waterfront. At first he’d refused to contact the elders, refused to consider the idea. Until she’d pleaded her case and he must’ve seen her absolute resolve.
“I’m sure,” she whispered. “You don’t need to be here, Dad. You should be working on an antidote.”
“And I will. This will hardly take long, Sienna,” he said with a grim sigh. “I want to be here with you when you do it.”
Her stomach pitched violently and she barely suppressed gagging. The idea of going through with it was literally making her emotionally and physically sick. The pounding in her head had doubled since Rafferty had picked her up to drive her to the P.I.A. headquarters.
He sighed and shook his head. “I wish you’d reconsider.”
“It’s not even a week out of my life. And just like everyone told me—I won’t even realize I’m missing it.” And it’ll be so much better that way.
Because living beside the man she loved, knowing he regretted a choice he’d made in a moment’s passion, would destroy her. Warrick was too proud and honorable to leave her now, or ask her to have her memory wiped. But though his emotions were admirable, they weren’t love. And more than anything, that’s what she needed from him.
So she’d made it easy and taken the decision from his hands.
“How long does it take?” she asked, a bit numbly.
“About ten minutes,” her dad answered with obvious reluctance.
“And when I wake?”
“You’ll probably be confused, but I’ll be prepared for that. Any questions you have I’ll have set answers to that will help ease your turmoil.”
Of course he would. They’d done this before. Maybe he’d even participated in wiping a person’s memory. The idea only increased her nausea.
Rafferty gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “The room’s just up ahead.”
A wave of hot pain swept through her body and she stumbled, crying out as she grabbed the wall for support
Her dad caught her elbow. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t feel so good,” she finally admitted. Her vision blurred in and out of focus. “But I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“Sienna!”
Warrick’s voice resonated in her head. Where had that come from? A memory?
“I won’t let you go through with it, Sienna.”
Not a memory, because it was echoing in the hallway.
He arrived at her side and she stared up at him, trying to bring him into focus.
“Jesus, baby, what’s going on?” He lifted her into his arms right before her knees buckled.
“I begged her not to go through with it, Warrick. I must say I’m relieved you got here in time.” Her dad reached over and placed a hand on her forehead. “Oh my, she’s burning up.”