Dangerous Lovers (104 page)

She really didn’t know what to say to that, and didn’t have the chance to when the door to Ludwig’s office swung open and a young guy came walking out. His head was bent as he counted a stack of bills in his hand. When he looked up at them, meeting her eyes, she sucked in a low breath. He gave them both a smile and continued walking down the hall. Dinah turned to watch him leave, her eyes never leaving him, until he got into the elevator and the doors closed, blocking her vision. What. The. Hell.

She turned back to Roman who was watching her carefully.

“Who was that?” she asked.

“That,” Roman said, “is Ludwig’s informant.”

Holy shit. Her breath whooshed out of her like she’d just been punched in the stomach. Tommy Boy was Ludwig’s informant. Pete needed to know. She had to go tell him.

“He just gave us the location of the rebel headquarters,” Roman continued speaking. Her head snapped back to look at him. “St. Anne’s Cathedral,” he said. “We’re heading over there now to destroy it and anyone who’s in there.”

The way he was looking at her and telling her the information was putting her on edge. Like he knew she wanted to know, not because she was Weapon X, but for another reason she thought he was unaware of. She should have known better than to think she could hide her feelings from Roman. She took an unconscious step back toward the elevators. She needed to warn Pete before the army got there.

“I wouldn’t,” he said, halting her steps. “If I were you. I don’t think you’ll find him as receptive.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked, her voice cold. Worry slithered up her spine.

Roman looked away and when he looked back it was with sad eyes now, pleading. “I made a mistake,” he said. “I can see that now.”

“What did you do?” she said as calmly as she could muster, when every fiber in her body wanted to yell and scream at him.

“I told him who you really are.”

She let out a breath. He didn’t know Pete was already aware of the fact that she was Weapon X. It was okay. Relief swam over her.

“Not Weapon X,” he said. And just like that, her relief was gone. “I told him who you really are, Charlotte Hatcher. I also told him why you were sent to befriend him.”

“Why?” she asked, her voice coming out rough, almost a whisper.

He shook his head again, sucking in a deep breath. “I told you, it was a mistake. I thought…it doesn’t matter what I thought. I was angry at him, and I thought I could hurt him by telling him the truth. I saw the two of you together, and the way you looked at him, and I thought he didn’t feel the same way, so I wanted to hurt him.” No words. She had nothing to describe the feeling she felt right then. Her stomach felt sick. Would Pete believe him and think everything between them was a lie? She closed her eyes, blocking out Roman, and prayed that Pete knew her better than that. Please, she begged.

“I let him believe that it was you who told us about the church,” he continued. Her eyes snapped open again.

“You did what?” she said sharply.

He flinched. “I’m sorry, Lottey. When I saw his face, I knew…whatever you feel for him, he felt it too, and…I don’t know how much damage I’ve done, Lottey. I’m so sorry. Truly.”

It felt like a part of her inside broke. She rushed forward with all her bodyweight, shoving him up against the wall. He just stood there as she continued to push at him, tears falling from her eyes. “You just ruined the first good thing that’s happened to me in years,” she accused, still attacking him. Finally she stepped back, breathing hard. “How could you? I’ve given you everything I had since the day we met. This was the only thing I had for myself. It made me happy –
he
made me happy. And now you’ve ruined it. Haven’t you taken enough from me?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but she had no interest in hearing what he had to say anymore. Dinah whipped out her pistol, pointing it at him. “Stop,” she ordered. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“Lottey,” he warned. “Don’t do this.”

“Then don’t make me,” she countered. “I’m leaving here, and you’re not going to stop me, or I swear to God I will kill as many people as I need to on my way out.”

“He believed it, Lottey,” he said. “I could tell. If you go there he might just shoot you before you can even explain it. I can’t let you do that.”

“You are no longer in charge of what I do or don’t do,” she bit out slowly. “Don’t try to stop me, Roman. Please. If our friendship meant anything to you over the years, you’ll let me go and do this.”

“And just stand back, knowing you could be killed?” he argued, eyes bright with fury.

“I
need
to warn him. Don’t you get it? I don’t care if I might be killed. I’ve been in countless situations where I could have been killed and it never stopped me before. I care about him, Roman. If he’s there, I need to warn him. I can’t let him be killed.”

“You would put his life before your own?”

“Absolutely.” She turned and walked away, her gun held ready at her side. But Roman didn’t follow or try to stop her. When she turned around in the elevator and looked down the hall at him, he was still in the exact same position. Their eyes met and held until the doors closed. The sense of loss and betrayal broke her heart. If there had been anyone she counted on over the past five years, it had been him. And now he proved to her she couldn’t trust him. That realization killed.

Dinah had never ridden her bike as fast or recklessly as she did on her way to Pete’s. The whole time, all she could do was pray he’d be there. If he was at the church, she wasn’t sure how she was going to get in and get him out in time. She parked the bike beside his building and bolted for the doors. By the time she raced up the stairs and stood in front of his door, she was out of breath and sweating. She hadn’t even bothered to change before she left, except to pull her mask and hood down. When he saw her, all he’d see is his enemy. It hurt to think that way, but it was the truth. If all she could do here was warn him, at least she’d know she did that much. It was better than nothing.

The door was locked, which was abnormal. He locked it when they were in there, but otherwise he usually had it open. Unease ripped through her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door and waited. When it opened and Pete filled the doorway, she just stood there like a deer caught in headlights. She was completely frozen to the point where it took her a couple of seconds to even realize it when the door was slammed shut again, and he was outside in the hall with her, her back pressed to the wall, her front pressed against his, and a knife at her throat. All she could do was blink up at him.

He. Was. Furious. But what hurt even more than the fact that his anger was directed toward her, was the pain she saw mixed with it.

“What are you doing here?” he gritted through clenched teeth.

“I’ve come to warn you,” she said weakly.

He laughed humourlessly. “Warn me? That what, you’ve given away my secrets?” The knife pressed a little closer breaking the skin. Dinah could feel a drop of blood slide down her neck.

She shook her head slightly, too afraid to move. “It wasn’t me, Pete. Please believe me. I would never betray you.”

“Bullshit,” he spat. “Roman told me everything. I know why you suddenly came around.”

“Okay,” she said. “I admit that they were the ones who sent me, but I never got any information from you. I can’t break your walls, I never have. And even if that was why I was there initially, it’s not why I stayed.”

“I don’t believe one fucking word that comes out of that pretty little mouth of yours.”

Sweat trickled down her temples. She tried to arch away from the blade, but it was useless, he had her pinned too tightly. “I’m not lying, I swear. It’s Tommy Boy. I saw him leaving Ludwig’s office today with a stack of money. I knew he had an informant, but I had no idea who it was until today. It was Tommy who told him about the church. Not me. I swear it, Pete. I didn’t even know about the church until Roman told me only a short while ago. Please. You have to believe me.”

His eyes searched hers, still full of anger. He didn’t believe her. The truth of that was just as sharp as if he had slid the knife he held right through her heart. “Tommy?” he asked. She nodded carefully. “He doesn’t know about the church. Tommy’s not in the inner circle. You’re lying.”

“I don’t know how he knows, but I’m telling you it was Tommy. I didn’t know, Pete. How could I have told them? I haven’t been able to read any of your minds.”

He pressed his lips together. Then he leaned in, his breath hot on her ear. “You know what pisses me off the most,” he whispered. Dinah held her breath. “That even though I know you’re a liar and a traitor, I still want you more than I’ve wanted anyone else in my life.” He pressed his body closer and Dinah could feel his hard length against her stomach. “See what just being near you does to me? You’ve ruined me. But perhaps that was your goal all along.” He pulled back, staring coldly into her eyes.

Dinah shook her head, no longer worried about the blade against her skin. Tears fell from the corners or her eye. “I wouldn’t betray you, Pete. He was lying to you.”

He scoffed. “And why should I believe you over him?”

“Because it’s
me,
” she urged. “You know me.”

“Do I?
Charlotte
.”

Dinah flinched. She swallowed awkwardly around the lump in her throat. “I would have told you about that eventually. It’s a difficult thing for me to talk about. That doesn’t mean that you don’t still know me. You can’t take Roman’s word over mine.”

“And why not?”

“Because I
love
you!” She sucked in a quick breath, her body stiffening again in shock. She hadn’t meant to say that, and she could tell from Pete’s stunned expression he wasn’t expecting it either.

The door beside them opened and she heard a girl’s voice call out Pete’s name. Dinah snapped out of her shock and turned toward the voice, jealously instantly filling her. When her eyes collided with the other woman she thought she might actually pass out. Standing inside Pete’s doorway was one of two people Dinah never thought she’d see again. Bridgette looked exactly the same. Lighter brown hair falling just beneath her shoulders, bright blue eyes looking back in a mirrored shock, same features like their mother. Pete had moved off her at some point. She could sense him watching them, his eyes darting from one to another.

Dinah stayed pressed against the wall, too afraid to move. Until her sister spoke, “Charlotte?” Just the sound of her voice saying her name, her
real
name, was all it took to snap her out of it. Then she was moving, and a second later she had her arms wrapped around her sister’s waist, her face buried in her shoulder. One of Bridgette’s arms was holding her tightly while the other stroked her hair like she always used to do. “Charlotte,” she said again, tears filling her voice even as she smiled. Then her tears came, and Dinah just stood there, letting her sister hold her.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Bridgette held on tightly. Her
sister
. She couldn’t believe it. She leaned back, taking a closer look at her. Tears streamed down Charlotte’s face. Bridgette noticed the small cut bleeding on her sister’s neck. McKay stood in the hallway, a knife held in his hand.

“What the hell is going on?” she asked. “You cut her!” Bridgette wiped at the blood as Charlotte tried to wave her off.

“I’m fine,” she assured her.

Bridgette cupped her face gently, drinking her in. “Look at you,” she said, smiling. “You’re even more beautiful now that you’re all grown up.” She pulled her into another tight hug, glaring at McKay over her shoulder. “Why were you attacking her?” she asked. Charlotte tried to break free, but she just tightened her hold. She thought her sister was dead, only to have her here in her arms. No one was going to take her again. And she certainly wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her.

“Bridge,” McKay said roughly, “there’s a lot you don’t understand.”

“I know that if you come near her with that knife again, we’re going to have some serious problems,” she shot back. Bridgette turned with her arm still wrapped protectively around her little sister and brought her inside the apartment. She heard McKay follow but didn’t take her attention off Charlotte. She grabbed a towel off the island and held it to her neck.

“I’m fine, Bridgette,” Charlotte insisted. “Pete’s right, there’s a lot going on you don’t know about.”

“I don’t give a damn,” she replied firmly. She cleaned up the cut with a wet towel then stepped back to look at her again, as if she would suddenly change to someone else. She just couldn’t believe it was really Charlotte. Her little Charlotte. Bridgette took in her outfit: black boots, cargo pants, black, hooded shirt – realization slowly dawning. When she met her sister’s eyes, she could see the apology and remorse there. “You’re Weapon X, aren’t you?” she breathed.

Charlotte hesitated before nodding slowly. Bridgette knew the common outfit for New World army soldiers. She also knew what Weapon X wore so it wasn’t too difficult to put two and two together. “I should have known,” she said. “I just figured someone else had your talents.”