Crushed (37 page)

"It's you, darling. Probably because it's you."

"That makes absolutely no sense. I'm not that special at all. Trust me."

He hugged her even tighter. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're a thousand times more important to me than I'd ever let you know."

She laughed through her tears, even though her heart was still heavy. "I doubt it."

"You probably don't know this, but you're sort of my white knight." His voice was serious.

Sophie smiled, shaking her head in disbelief. "You might not realize this, but you're the one holding me right now."

His arms tightened around her again, and he sighed. "I wonder if that's really the case."

He let her continue to cry in his arms for what seemed like an eternity.

Only after she felt like she would never be able to cry more, did she speak again.

"Hey, Robert?" She whispered to him, her eyes closed. "Thank you for being here."

"No problem." He whispered back, and she felt like he was smiling. "No problem at all."

They remained together until the sun had risen. The moment the light outside the window signaled a new day, they both knew it was time to pull themselves together again.

The night was over, but the rest of the battle had just begun.

*  *  *

Leaving was hard. If she'd had a choice, Sophie would've been unable to leave Rylan.

However, she knew what her task was, and what she was expected to do. Now that she felt like she had a purpose, she was confident that her mission would wrap up smoothly.

Her family needed her, so she had no choice but to do the best she could to retrieve the letter.

Unlike before, she didn't leave without goodbyes. She left a short note explaining to Gwyn and Teddy that she'd be back soon, and squeezed Rylan's hand tightly in farewell.

Rylan hadn't looked alive when she'd first been allowed to see him. The doctor would be monitoring him for as long as it took for him to wake up, but it was a weak reassurance given how sickly the boy looked. It was like all life and color had drained out of his face.

It'd felt like she'd literally had to drag herself away from him. It took all she had not to break down by his side.

Her last farewell wasn't as hard as the others. Robert understood what she was doing, even if he thought she was insane.

He'd walked her out to the front porch, and listened to her explain her new plan. Throughout her explanation he hadn't said a word, and when she finished he'd pulled her into his arms.

"This is me trusting you right now, with everything I have. You have two days to find the letter. If you're not back after that, I'm coming to find you."

"Two days is not enough time." She'd argued. "You're going to have to trust me more than that."

"It's not that I don't trust you, darling. I just have more faith in Max's cruelty." His eyes had been hard. "Two days." He'd reminded her.

"Fine." She'd smiled softly. "Considering I'm an amazing thief, it shouldn't be that hard to pull off."

"You really need to stop hanging out with me." He'd smiled back at her. "My arrogance is rubbing off on you."

"Bye, Rob." She'd whispered, leaning up to kiss his cheek. It was a strange reaction to have, and the feeling of kissing him was still unnatural. However, she didn't regret it.

Now, as she headed towards Max's home in the car Cleo had provided for her, Sophie replayed the mornings events in her mind.

She felt like she was grasping at the last straws of happiness she would feel for a long time. Once under Max's reign, she would be isolated from everything. If Rylan got worse, or better, or if something else happened, she would not know.

Sophie had only been humoring Robert when she'd agreed to his two day plan. There was no way she would have enough time to find the letter in 48 hours, but he needed to think she could.

All of her doubt and guilt that had been flowing through her had to be smothered by the time she reached Max's residence. She hadn't been in contact with Luke since last night, so she had no idea what to be expecting upon her return. Max could not see her weakness.

The drive took less time than she remembered, partly because she was flying down the highway, but also because she was distracted by her thoughts.

Once on Max's property, Sophie noticed something was off. The security gates which were supposed to be locked and guarded were empty. All the gates were open, and Sophie didn't see another soul for the duration of the ride to his house.

The situation only grew more eerie when she entered his mansion, which was also unlocked and empty. The house was normally silent, but there was no sign of another human being around. Even Max's fleet of cars had disappeared from outside.

Sophie tried to tell herself this wasn't that strange. Luke had said that Max occasionally changed his residences, sometimes going to the beach or mountains for a change of scenery. He was never gone for long, but since his staff was carefully selected from the best of the best, he took them with him as he traveled.

If this was the reason behind the empty house, there was only one problem. Why was everything unlocked? This was Max's main residence, so most of his precious pieces of art would be located here.

It simply didn't make sense that he would abandon this place.

She reached for her cell phone and dialed Luke's number.

As she suspected, he didn't answer. She searched the East Wing, but he wasn't there either. His room looked like he hadn't returned since last night.

After pausing for a long moment in the hallway, Sophie found herself glancing at the security camera facing her. An idea popped into her head, and she grinned suddenly.

For whatever reason, Max was gone, this was her chance to find the letter. Robert had provided her with a case of flash drives which he'd sworn would take down any system. He reserved them for the most difficult missions, and generously lent them to her.

She raced towards the security room, where she assumed all of his cameras were connected. The room was twice the size of Slavsky's, and it took her three times longer than usual to figure out how to hack the system. He had a tricky operation set up, but it wasn't impenetrable.

The moment she assured herself that all the cameras were down, she hurriedly made her way to Max's study.

Searching his office was also difficult. Every cabinet and drawer was locked, and picking each took at least fifteen minutes. Robert had barely taught her the basics of picking locks, and she struggled to hurry through the task.

The results of her search were only disappointing. Nothing she found resembled the letter, or anything else that could be incriminating. Her last hope was the personal drawer attached to his desk, which she'd had to pick three locks to break into. It too had been empty.

The moment she realized she'd failed, Sophie collapsed into Max's office chair. It was a bitter realization that made her come to terms with the thought that the letter might not still exist. It had been a possibility since day one, but hope had led her to believe she might find it here.

She still had the rest of the home to search, but she doubted he would keep the letter anywhere but here. Despite knowing that, she knew she still had to try.

Before continuing the search, she closed her eyes momentarily.

She hadn't slept all night long, and had barely eaten anything for breakfast. Her body was fatigued and her mind was dizzy.

The sound of something clicking beside of her caused her eyes to shoot open.

Her breath caught as she noticed a figure moving at her side She froze in place, her eyes widening in fear.

She turned her head slightly, to better see the person standing beside of her.

Instead of a person, she found herself staring down the barrel of a gun.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

We'd thought we knew all the players in the game. However, a new complication was just around the corner.

"FBI, Agent Marshall. Hands in the air, where I can see them."

The man who had just announced himself spoke with stern confidence.

Sophie felt her body turn cold as she realized what kind of situation she was in.

On the bright side, the gun being pointed at her wasn't being held by one of Max's men. On the other hand, it belonged to someone just as dangerous.

What are the police doing here? She thought as she carefully lifted her hands as he'd demanded.

"Trespassing?" The agent asked as he moved to the other side of the desk where she could see him. He looked like he was in his mid-thirties, with a serious frown and black eyes that were emotionless. His buzzed head made him look like he was just out of the army.

"I could be asking you the same question." Sophie leaned forward in the chair, making sure she didn't move too quickly. This agent wouldn't kill her, but if she didn't play her cards right, he could have her arrested. "I work for Max, this house's owner."

"It doesn't seem that way." The agent motioned to the opened drawers which he'd probably watched her pick open one by one.

Sophie knew she was walking on dangerous ground, and she attempted to backtrack. "Don't you need a warrant to search someone's house?"

"Fortunately, not in this case. Max gave my team permission to search the place. We have cause to believe he's involved in some very dangerous criminal activity."

Sophie smirked in response. So that's why Max wasn't here. He'd opened his home so that the police could search it as they pleased. His message couldn't have been clearer. There was nothing to find here, and anything he had to hide would be impossible to uncover.

"Let me guess, you're not having much luck finding evidence?" She replied sarcastically.

"I was beginning to think so." The agent lowered his gun, his lips curling into a menacing grin. "Then, I came upon you."

Now it was Sophie's turn to frown. He was right to think he'd caught her. Max had made it clear that he wouldn't come to her rescue. She doubted finding out that she'd been searching his house would help her case.

"I'm here on business for him. Max told me he had a letter he needed delivered by today. You wouldn't have confiscated anything like that would you?"

"No, in fact, we haven't confiscated anything." The agent's eyes narrowed. "It turns out every piece of art Max owns here also has legitimate confirmation of purchase."

"I can't imagine why they wouldn't." She answered.

Agent Marshall sat down on Max's desk, still facing her. His eyes were deadly serious, though he was still casually smiling.

"I know what Max does, and I'm pretty sure I know what you are. You probably feel like nothing can touch you, right? You think that Max's influence will protect you. I'm here to remind you that you're wrong."

"Brave words coming from a cop. I don't have any idea what you're talking about." Sophie didn't have to be told how she should handle this situation.

If the agent was on Max's trail, he would never find anything large enough for an arrest. However, it would be easy for him to dig up something on her. Max was a wealthy, influential man who could get away with murder, but she was a dispensable pawn.

"My team has been working to bring him down for over a decade. We're getting closer to that goal. You wouldn't have any information to help us now would you?"

An emotion Sophie couldn't place crept into her heart. She didn't know why the agent irritated her so much, but she hated the sight of him.

"You've been working on this case for ten years and you still have nothing?"

If you really knew how to do your job, my parent's wouldn't be dead. You would've arrested Max a long time ago, instead of letting him continue to play his sick game.

"Sorry if I'm not willing to trust someone whose that useless." Her voice was edged with hatred.

The agent grew silent for a long moment. He seemed to be considering Sophie's reaction.

"You don't seem to have the best relationship with your boss."

Sophie stood from her chair, feeling a burst of confidence.

"I don't have to answer your questions. Either arrest me, or let me go."

"I can keep you for trespassing." He reminded her. "I have enough evidence."

"If it's answers you're looking for, you should know that arresting me is the last thing you want." Her mind was quickly considering her options. She couldn't afford to let him to lock her up, and Max couldn't find out what she was up to. She simply had to keep playing her role the best she could. "Assuming Max is the kind of criminal you think he is, using me against him will only result in my death."

The agent's smile faded as he examined her face.

"I was kidding." Sophie grinned, reaching out to pat the agent on the shoulder. "Learn to take a joke. You watch too many action moves, my friend."

She walked around the desk, heading for the study door. Agent Marshall didn't try to stop her.

"I might only have fourteen special agents working for me, but we're the best in our field. Max hasn't been easy to catch, but we're working as hard as we can to bring him down. If you have any information...anything that could help, contact us. We're known as the Art Crime Team, a branch of the FBI." The agent's voice had a sad edge to it. As if he thought he was helping her.

"Instead of asking for my help, why don't you start doing your job." Sophie turned and gave him a frosty smile. "If Max is the person you think he is, he shouldn't be allowed to roam free."

"I'll keep that in mind. I have a feeling this won't be the last time we meet." The officer stood from the desk. "Do you have a name?"

She smirked at him from the doorway. "Sure, I do. You can call me Jane Smith."

Agent Marshall flashed her an irritated glare, but she turned around before he could say anything else.

She headed for the East Wing, the only area of the house she felt comfortable. Her thoughts were racing as she hurried away from Max's study.

She'd thought having one crazy man keeping tabs on her was too much. Now, adding to the problem of keeping herself safe from Max, she had to keep herself away from the police as well.

Robert had always made it clear that the police were hanging behind each crime. He'd been able to play it off like he could fool them every time, but he knew that they'd been watching his every move, waiting for him to slip up.

It wasn't hard to accept that the FBI would have a branch dealing with art theft, but Sophie had been naive in not considering their existence before now. Max and Cleo made it look so simple to get away with their crimes. It hadn't crossed her mind that another force could interfere with her work. A force that was larger than just museum guards, or the local cops.

Rylan had also reminded her that she wasn't untouchable. He'd told her about his father, who had gotten caught for stealing various paintings. He'd been given a ten year sentence...which was enough to make Sophie shiver in fear. She couldn't imagine being locked up for that long.

Sophie didn't know whether Agent Marshall would try to follow her. She'd assumed their conversation was over, but if he really wanted answers, nothing would stop him. She'd also made some sharp jabs at him regarding the lack of results from his case. In his shoes, Sophie wouldn't have let those comments slide. Hiding out in the East Wing was only a temporary safeguard.

Every door she walked through was unlocked. Max had made a strong point with his gesture by allowing Agent Marshall to search every corner of his home. It was almost arrogant the way he left everything exposed.

The moment she reached the East Wing, she felt her heart begin to calm down. Unexpectedly, she'd made herself a haven in her room. Even if it was just momentary, she needed to feel safe.

She opened the door to her bedroom, and stepped inside. Almost instantly she realized something was off.

Before she could react to the strange feeling in her stomach, she felt small hands wrap around her body.

She fought against her captor, struggling against them with everything she had. Her efforts were useless, as the captor had already gotten their hands around her face. They pressed a cloth-like substance over her nose and mouth, and she held her breath as long as she could, knowing what was coming.

Soon it was impossible to resist breathing and she reflexively inhaled the chemical soaked into the cloth.

Sophie knew what was happening the moment the cloth was pressed to her face. As her mind grew dizzy, she tried to fight off her drowsiness. The moment the chemical knocked her out, she would be done for.

Agent Marshall couldn't have made it to her room before she did, and only one kind of person would've laid in wait for her return.

There was no escaping the fact that Max was behind this.

Her last thought before she lost consciousness was of a clear blue sky. She hadn't realized how much the symbol of freedom meant to her, until she knew she was going to die.

*  *  *

"Between cops and assassins, I can't catch a break." Sophie said groggily as she shifted her body against the ropes that tied her down. "You would't have a glass of water would you?"

Her captor didn't look up as she spoke. The woman was trained enough to know not to play along with Sophie's attempts at a conversation.

Sophie had been asleep for what felt like hours. When she'd woken, she found that she'd been dragged back to Max's office, and roped down to a chair. The culprit behind the attack was a maid which Sophie had seen on more than one occasion. She'd never said anything to the girl, but her face was familiar.

For the last half hour, Sophie had tried and failed to communicate with her captor. If there was even a one percent chance she could escape without meeting Max, she had to try.

Waiting for him meant waiting for certain death. His messy office was all the proof he needed that she was a spy. From the way her captor was treating her, Max must've given the maid strict orders not to move a muscle.

Now that Sophie had time to think, she knew she'd been reckless. Jumping into her search without considering the situation was stupid. She'd been burning with so much eagerness to get back to Rylan, she hadn't thought her plan through.

Of course it wouldn't be that easy to break into Max's office. Of course there would be consequences.

Unfortunately, the consequences Sophie was looking at were the kind that could end her life.

She wanted to stop time to take in everything that had happened. Time was moving too quickly, and she was having trouble keeping up.

Rylan, the search for the letter, Agent Marshall, and now this. Robert had been right when he'd said this life was unpredictable. She could go weeks without seeing anything happen, then have hell forced over her in the span of a few hours.

Her body grew weak as she came to terms with her situation. Until this point she'd be running on adrenaline, but it was wearing off. She was tired, hungry, and thirsty, along with being terrified for the threat that was heading her way. It was a miracle she didn't have a headache.

"How long until he arrives?" She asked, her voice now defeated. "The least you could give me is that."

The maid looked up, judging whether she should tell Sophie or not.

"He should be here within the hour." She answered in a whisper, sounding just as terrified as Sophie.

Shit. Sophie bent her head forward, clenching her eyes closed.

Everyone had told her this would happen. They'd called her insane, and listed out the risks of working for Max.

She'd become spoiled in having lived through risky situations in the past without feeling the repercussions. The fate she'd been lucky in avoiding for so long had finally caught up.