Destined for Power (11 page)

“I want to. But what if I can’t protect you?”

“I can protect myself, Mallory. And you. Let me do this. Let me prove to you I can give you the life we’ve always dreamed of—one filled with love and happiness. I’ll give all of this up, every single penny I’ve made, to protect us and to protect our dreams.”

A tear rolled down her cheek. It was first time he’d really seen her cry. “I want to so badly. I want to believe in happily ever after.”

“Let me prove it exists. We can take our time. I won’t rush you.”

Mallory’s lip quirked. “I remember you saying something like that before. And you didn’t rush me. I believe you, Reid; I’m just so scared to hope again.”

“You scared?” Reid teased. “You’re not scared of anything.”

“I’m scared this is a dream. So many times I tried to talk to you, and you shut me down.”

“I thought you truly didn’t care for me.”

“I’m scared you won’t love me for me, Reid. I don’t doubt you love me for who I was, but what about who I am now?”

“I can’t wait to hear all about who you are now.” Reid took a step back and pulled out the chair. “Why don’t you start by telling me about saving those princes?”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Mallory covered her mouth with her napkin as she laughed. Reid had responded to her stories of danger and intrigue with stories of his own. Dumb criminal stories and casino escapades, causing her to laugh so hard her sides hurt. When she had confessed the darkest things she’d seen or done, he had listened while holding her hand across the table. She could tell he looked at her differently, but not in disgust, which was what she had feared the most. It was contemplative. It was as if he were seeing her for the woman she had become instead of the girl she had been.

Mallory’s phone buzzed. “I’m sorry,” she said as she tried to stop laughing. “I have to see what this is.”

Nabi just heard from his contacts. The King of Stromia will be dead by Monday.

“What is it?” Reid asked with concern.

“Our time frame just got shortened.”

Mallory typed back,
Assassin will be here on Friday. It’s the only time that fits.

“What time frame? Here?”

Mallory shook her head. “The King of Stromia is dying. Rahmi fears Liam will want his first act as king to be against his rival. It means there’s now added pressure on the assassin to get the job done. It means he might not wait until the charity ball on Friday.”

“But you said that was his best bet to kill the candidate.”

“Yes, that’s true. But not you. We have four days to catch him before the charity event, and I have a feeling those four days will be spent trying to keep you safe.”

Reid grabbed her hand in his and held it until she looked him in the eyes. “Okay, we’ll do this together. What do we need to do?”

“Let’s start with moving my bags into your living room. I’m not leaving your side until this is over.”

Reid shot her a grin. “I can’t complain about that.”

Mallory rolled her eyes, and Reid just chuckled.

“Before we go downstairs, I think I also need to tell my sisters,” Reid said seriously.

“What? You can’t do that. They can’t know who I am,” Mallory said desperately.

“Mallory, they’ll love you just the same, maybe more.”

“No, they won’t. They’ll be terrified of me. They’ll be disgusted by the things I am capable of.”

“I wasn’t. Mallory, trust in us.”

“I can’t risk it. Tell them not to come to the charity ball. Tell them whatever to get them away from Atlanta. But please, Reid, I’m begging you, don’t tell them what I am.”

“Fine. Get your bags while I call them. Then we’ll head into the ballroom. It’s late enough that no one will be around.”

Mallory stood up. “Thank you. I’ll be right back.”

Reid watched her hurry from the room before pulling out his cell phone. He dialed his oldest sister first and waited for Elle to pick up the phone.

“Hey, Reid. Any word on Troy?” Elle asked as soon as she answered.

“He’s still critical. However, his chances improve every hour.”

“Any idea what caused the crash?”

“Elle, I don’t know how to say this, so I am going to just put it out there. The plane was shot down on purpose.”

“What?” Elle yelled into the phone with surprise.

“I saw something I wasn’t supposed to, and now they’re trying to kill me. I need you to take the whole family to the Connecticut compound for a week. Call it whatever you want. Just don’t tell them what’s going on, okay?”

“Not okay. What are you going to be doing? And who is trying to kill you and what did you see?”

“I’m going to be staying here. I’m working with people to catch the person responsible, but I don’t want you in danger. And you’ll be in danger if I tell you anymore. Please, just take the family and leave.”

“Mallory is helping you, isn’t she? That’s why she was with you in the truck. You would put Mallory in danger but not tell your own sister?”

Reid heard the hurt in her voice. “I didn’t tell Mallory, she told me.”

“How did she know?”

“Elle, I know you run the family company and feel compelled to run everything else, but this time you don’t get to. Just do what I say.”

“Reid, I . . .”

“Don’t argue, Elle,” Reid said sharply. “I’m begging you to trust me and do what I say.”

His sister let out a long sigh. “Do I really manage everything?”

“Yes.” She did. She wasn’t pushy about it, but she’d tried to manage him her whole life.

“I’m sorry. I’ll trust you, and I trust Mallory. Is it wrong I’m happy you’re actually talking to each other again?”

“As long as it makes you happy enough to leave.”

“I’ll call everyone now. It’ll be hard to get Mom to leave Troy, though. She hasn’t left his side. We’ll be gone by morning. Let me know when we can come back.”

“I will. Thank you, Elle.”

“I love you, Reid.”

“I love you too, sis.”

Reid hung up the phone and closed his eyes. He heard Mallory step into the room, but he didn’t move yet. “They’ll leave by morning.”

“Good. Thank you for not telling them.”

“Right. Eventually we need to stop being scared about what others will think and just live our lives.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, if we hadn’t been so scared of what our families would have thought of us dating all those years ago, the situation could have turned out completely different.”

Reid turned around and found Mallory looking pensive. She shook her head, the end of her blond ponytail flipping back and forth. “No, it wouldn’t have. It would have lessened our time together. We would never have been able to be together, to make love, or even kiss. As soon as my father found out about it, he would have stopped it. I’m just happy we had the time we did.”

“I am too, but I’m not a helpless twenty-year-old anymore. I’m not going to hide from my family or yours. When this is over, it’s all or nothing, sweetheart.”

Mallory nodded. “If we survive this, then it’s a deal. Now, show me your ballroom.”

Mallory tried not to laugh as Reid drove the scissor lift through the doorway. He cursed as it hit the wall and put it in reverse.

“Why did they build the ceilings so freaking high?”

“It’s pretty. You did a great job with this hotel, Reid. Tall ceilings and all.”

As soon as Reid cleared the doorway, she let go of the doors and locked them. She followed Reid into the room and to the one air return with a direct line of sight to the stage that had been erected that afternoon. She slung a canvas bag over her shoulder and stepped into the little lift.

“Can you go stand where the podium will be once I get up there?” Mallory asked as she used the controls to raise herself.

“Sure. Aren’t you worried that will collapse, though?”

“Not if I’m lying down. It’s up there pretty good.” Mallory reached the top and took out a screwdriver. She slowly took out each screw and put them in her pocket.

Finally she popped off the vent and placed it onto the floor of the lift. She put her hands through the opening and pulled herself up. The metal was cool and thin. She immediately lay down on her stomach to prevent the ductwork from buckling. She put the canvas back in front of her and pulled out headgear with a flashlight on it. She turned it on and slipped it onto her head.

“Get up on the stage,” she yelled through the opening. With the bag safely to her side, she turned around on her stomach and found a clear view of the stage. Reaching to the bag on her left, she pulled out her rifle. It was too big for the width of the ductwork. The angle wouldn’t work.

Mallory put the rifle back in the bag and pulled out a laser distance measurer. She aimed it at Reid and measured.

“Hey! That better not be a laser from a gun.”

“Nope. I’m measuring the distance.”

“Why?”

“A rifle won’t work. It would be too cramped and hinder mobility. But, a Corner Shot would. It’s a gun specifically made to shoot around corners. He could lie right here, headed in the escape direction, and do it all by looking on a screen. It’s only accurate up to a certain distance, and we are well within that range. All he would have to do is make his way to the restrooms. I’m going to try it. Meet me in the lobby.”

Mallory lined up the shot as if she had the type of gun where the trigger and barrel were at a ninety-degree angle. She heard the people clapping, saw the balloons and banners, and saw the people on the dance floor. She pretended to take the shot. Next she would put the gun in the bag to conceal it and make it easier to push around. She counted the time it would take her and started moving as fast as she could through the maze of ductwork. She had to look at the map she’d attached to her wrist to verify where she was going. First intersection from vent, turn left. Go past three intersecting ducts and then turn right.

She knew when she exited the ballroom and turned left into another section of the ductwork. It suddenly dipped, and she slid down the incline. Using her hands, she slowed herself to a stop over another return vent. She looked through it and saw the ladies’ room. She unscrewed the vent from the inside and dropped onto a toilet before reaching up to replace the vent cover. She counted the time it would take to unzip a painter’s bib to cover his clothes and then walk out of the restroom. She pressed her watch to stop the timer.

“One minute and ten seconds from the time of the shot to the time our man could walk out into the lobby in clean clothes,” she told Reid as she approached him.

“But he has to get up there in the first place. Couldn’t he be discovered before he even gets up there?”

“Could, but doubtful. A good sniper can sit for hours and hours and never move.”

“So, what do we do?”

“I’m going to meet him in the ballroom—rather, over the ballroom,” Mallory smiled.

“You’re going to stake out the ballroom air ducts from the inside?”

“That’s right. I’m going to spend the whole day up there. It should be fun. But I’ll be in perfect position to grab him in case he gets by the people we’ll have covering the main entryways into the air ducts.”

“You’re going to fight a trained killer in a closed space with no exit. Are you crazy?” Reid practically yelled.

“Shh. Don’t forget I’m also a trained killer. A very good one. Plus, from that vantage point, I can keep watch on the setup of the party and the whole event itself. In case I’m wrong, I’ll be able to see everything going on below me.”

“But how would you get down?”

“Jump?”

Reid shook his head. “You’re kidding, right? Please tell me you’re kidding.”

Mallory smiled. “Maybe I lied. Maybe this does make me happy.” She gave Reid’s shoulder a playful hit. “Don’t worry. I got this.”

“So what do we do between now and Friday? We have a couple days to just sit around?”

“Nope. I need you to have people you trust in here at all times. We need to renovate the restrooms and make sure no one can get in there until the afternoon of the event, then they will be guarded constantly. I don’t want this guy getting any practice in or have a chance to slip up there before I do,” Mallory told him as they headed back upstairs. “I’m going to have my crew in here helping with the setup to make sure no bombs get planted.”

“Bombs? Suddenly I feel as if I am living in an alternate universe.” Reid shook his head and let out a long breath. “Okay, so, what about me? They still need to try to kill me, right? Wouldn’t it look strange if I were to die right before the party? There would be a chance they would cancel it.”

“You’re right. I’ve been thinking about it. Have you made it public that you will be at the party?”

“Yes. Very. I’m contributing a rather large check to the charitable organization.”

“There are two possibilities. One, he kills you beforehand and disposes of your body so it just looks like you’re missing. Or, two, he’ll shoot you at the same time as the candidate and make it look like a bystander just got caught up in the fire.”

“So it looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time together. After all, you must protect my body,” Reid said mischievously.