Sacrifice (22 page)

“Of course not. Do you really think you told me what your purpose was? You told me you had a computer consulting job in South Dakota and you encouraged me to go with you, to put more distance between us and the men after us.”

“When did I get my mark?”

“Jake gave it to you in Colorado, although you weren’t thrilled about it.”

“Is that when I fell in love with you?”

The way he asked the question, so cold and callous, caught her breath in her chest. She forced herself to exhale. “No.” Her voice softened. “You always said you fell in love with me the night before, the night we slept in the back of your truck in the cornfield.”

He paused, clenching his jaw, then shifted his weight. “So I took you to South Dakota anyway? Even though I loved you? I just handed you over?”

“Yes.” She shook her head. “No. You took me there only because I was shot in Colorado and the wound got infected. You said the Cavallo would find me if you took me to the hospital. You figured if the Vinco Potentia was willing to pay you so much to get me there alive, they’d be able to protect me.”

“I can’t imagine they patched you up and let you go.”

“They didn’t. You helped me escape.”

“So then what did we do?”

“You took care of me the first week and half while trying to track down Jake.”

“In Arizona?”

“Yes, the Cavallo had him. Then Alex.”

He leaned his head back, stretching out his legs. “Ah, your good friend Alex Warren.”

She stuffed her irritation. “Alex Warren is no friend of mine. Alex Warren raped me six years ago and impregnated me with Jake. Then when you took me to the Vinco Potentia, his father decided to take you to Washington, DC and leave me in Alex Warren’s
care
. I’m more than a bit terrified to know what that would have entailed.”

The certainty in Will’s eyes wavered. “But Alex brought you here. What were you doing with him?”

“He was protecting his asset. He was worried Raphael would kill me before he got to benefit from my power.”

Will raised an eyebrow.

“Have no doubt that Raphael and Alex put their own self-interests over anyone else’s. Mine included. There’s more to this than the Vinco Potentia and the Cavallo. This goes back years and years. Millenniums.”

“What does that mean?”

“Alex is no mere human.”

He swallowed then fingered his gun. “I deduced that from what he did at the compound. What is he?”

“He’s the element air.”

James laughed. “He’s
air
? Let me guess, you make explosions so you’re fire?”

She scowled. “No, I’m not fire. I’m the daughter of fire. Aiden Walker is my father.”

“So you’re not human?” Will asked.

“I guess I’m technically half human.”

“And you never told me this before?”

“I didn’t know. Not until that night in the woods when you lost your memory. I was supposed to choose Alex or Raphael.”

“And Raphael is…?”

“Earth.”

“So which one did you choose?”

“Neither. I chose you.”

“Because I was your protector?”

“No. Because I loved you.”

James leaned forward. “Are you really going to believe this bullshit, Will?”

Will cocked an eyebrow. “Which part?”

“Any of it!”

“Can you contradict any of it?”

“They’re elements?”

“Have you got a better explanation?”

“No.” James rubbed his chin. “So why am I being interrogated?”

“Because I’m not an idiot. I could see your stories weren’t adding up.”

His faced paled. “What are you talking about?”

“Let’s start with Montana when you were supposedly captured. You said Kramer showed up while you were working on your laptop, but it was in your bag under the cabin. How did it get there?”

“Will…”

“He set it all up.” Emma glared. “He sent you to White Horse to look for Jake so he could hand me over to Kramer.”

James shifted his weight. “It wasn’t personal, Emma.”

She shook her head with a snide laugh. “Gee, it felt a little personal when you drugged me. And when Kramer’s men carried me out and dumped me in a van. It sure felt personal when I got the shit beat out of me in the woods.” She clenched her fists. “Don’t you dare tell me it wasn’t personal.”

Guilt filled his eyes before defiance replaced it. “I meant it wasn’t because I hated you, although I admit I never cared for you. I did it to save Will.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yeah, well, look where that got him.”

James rubbed his forehead, then returned his gaze to Will. “Look, Kramer swore he’d leave you alone. His men came to me a full week before you two showed up. They convinced me that Emma was using you and that your life was in danger if I didn’t help them capture her.”

“You knew the minute I showed up at your door.” Emma’s eyes widened as she put the pieces together. “The lodge. You found out where I was staying after I ran off from your place, and Kramer’s men came to get me.”

“Yeah, only somehow you got away.”

Her stomach dropped to her feet. “You agreed to come with us after that so you could keep an eye on me and figure out when to try to turn me over again.” Her instinct had been right all along.

“Will.” James’s eyes pleaded with him to understand. “You were in seriously deep shit. Kramer was pissed that Emma got away and planned to escalate his plan. He told me that his deal to not hurt you was null and void unless I handed Emma over. I knew if I was with you two, I could try to manipulate things to keep you from getting hurt. I planned to turn her over at the compound when we broke in to steal the book, but I realized I’d never get her away from you. You were so goddamned sure you loved her that I knew you’d do something stupid to save her. The only way to make sure you were safe was to separate the two of you.”

Emma clutched her stomach, nauseated. “Which is why you sent Will into White Horse?”

“Kramer warned me about your mind-control trick, and after the forest fire incident neither one of us knew what else you could do, so I drugged you. It seemed easier that way. I also knew from Will that you got your power from your pendant, so I took it off after you fell asleep.”

“I hope Kramer paid you enough money to make it worth your time and trouble.”

Rubbing his forehead again, James sighed. “That wasn’t the point.”

The hair on her arms prickled. He presented it all so matter-of-factly, as though he wasn’t talking about her. Like he was discussing the weather. “And Kramer told you I was pregnant? That’s how you knew?”

“Yeah.” He swung his gaze to Will. “Although I didn’t understand why you never told me, Will.”

She shook her head. Will never told him because he knew James wouldn’t understand.

James started to get up, but Will raised his gun higher. “Will, listen to me. We were looking for a way to get Kramer off our backs, and this is it.” He pointed to Emma. “If we turn her over, we can buy our freedom.”

“You know, James,” Will’s voice softened.“Everything you’ve said makes sense.”

The hair on Emma’s neck stood on end. After everything they’d been through, would Will really give her to the Vinco Potentia? The old Will wouldn’t, but the new Will didn’t know her at all, and turning her over had been his original purpose.

James’s shoulders relaxed. “See, I knew if you heard me out—”

“But there’s one more thing.” He paused. “Why, James?” Will’s voice twisted in pain. “If you knew I loved her, why did you do it?”

James looked up, his eyes pleading. “Because you didn’t really love her. She branded you with a mark that compelled you to protect her—and then add your savior complex, and you
thought
you loved her. I could have let it run its course, because we both know you would have figured it out sooner or later, but you didn’t have the luxury of time. Powerful people would stop at nothing to get her, Will. And you would have sooner died than let them take her. As your best friend, it was my job to protect you.”

“Wasn’t that for me to decide?”

“No.” James shook his head, his mouth pressed into a thin line. “You were blind to her and the threat she presented. Don’t you see? There’s no way out of this, Will. There’s no way to save her. They will hunt her down until one or both of you is dead.”

“After they took her…” Will’s voice hardened. “You just let them take me?”

“No! I swear to you, Will. I had no idea that Kramer was going to take you.” James leaned back. “I spent two days trying to track you down. Kramer told me they’d leave you alone if I turned Emma over. But you didn’t answer your cell phone and I retraced our steps. I decided that Kramer must have taken you after all and went to the compound.”

“What? You just showed up and they let you in?”

“Not exactly. I showed up and Kramer said if I could get information about Emma from you that he’d let us both go.”

“And you believed that?”

“No,” James growled. “I told you, I had insurance.”

“Like the book?”

James pursed his lips and bobbed his head. “That was one.”

“You have the book?” Emma asked. “With you?”

Lifting an eyebrow, James grinned, refusing to answer.

“The book is in the car.” Will’s words were clipped. “We’ll discuss it later. What else did you have, James?”

James glanced from Will to Emma and back. “I dug up info on all the key members of the group.”

“Info. You mean blackmail material?”

“Blackmail’s such an ugly word.”

Will snorted. “Whatever. So how did we get out of the compound?”

“When you were passed out—”

“Drugged.”

“I didn’t know they were going to do that. I swear.” James wiped a thin sheen of sweat off of his forehead. “Alex showed up and told me to be ready, that he’d help get us out, but he said I’d owe him. He said I had to keep him updated where you were. Getting you out seemed more important at the time. But that’s why I wanted to find Jake. I figured if I gave him something he wanted, he’d back off of you. Still, when I agreed, I had no idea what he was capable of.”

“You told him we were coming here. To the hospital.”

“I had to.”

“And what did you think my reaction would be when I found out what you’d done?”

James lifted his chin in defiance. “I never thought you would. I guess Alex had other ideas. The question is, what do you plan to do now that you know?”

Will released a short laugh. “That’s an easy choice, James.”

Hate hardened James’s face. “Really? You’re still choosing her over me? You don’t even remember her, Will.”

“I know she’s not shoving her own agenda down my throat.”

“Are you sure about that? She’s lying to you about what happened before you brought her to me. She made you want to protect her and tricked you into thinking you loved her. I know I’ve screwed up, but I always had your best interest in mind. How can you be sure she does?” James narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. “How do you know she and Alex didn’t set this up together?”

Will ran his shaking hand over his mouth, looking like he wanted to throw up. “I’ve heard enough. We need to get going.”

“
We
?” James asked.

“Yes. All three of us. I have a feeling you haven’t told me everything, James. And I definitely want more information from Emma.”

“You’re bringing
her
?”

Will stood. “She has answers to what the hell happened to me the last month and a half.”

James shook his head. “No. No way. How can you trust what she has to say? You choose right here and right now. Emma or me.”

“Save your breath, Buckner. Just hand over the keys.”

James pulled the key ring from his jeans pocket and tossed it toward Will. “So you’re just going to leave me here?”

“Oh hell, no. You’re not getting off that easy. You both are a package deal.”

“The fuck I am.”

Will leaned forward. “Think of it this way. If I find out she’s lying, I’ll let you have first shot at getting even.”

Emma’s eyes widened as Will turned his gaze to her.

“You don’t have anything to be worried about, do you, Emma?”

This was a set-up for disaster, yet she had little choice in the matter. “No.”

“Then let’s go.”

Chapter Eighteen

They walked through the hallway in the rehab building. Will no longer needed his gun as a threat. James seemed more sure of himself and Emma hadn’t said much.

Grilling her had been harder than he expected. His love for her overshadowed his caution and that scared him. Feelings only made people do stupid things. Will couldn’t afford stupid.

Will stopped to the side of the entrance to the parking garage.

Two suspicious men stood on the curb outside the door. They loitered without talking, one smoking a cigarette despite the No Smoking sign behind him. The other guy cast a sideways glance at an elderly woman entering the building, then looked away with a sneer. It was obvious they were looking for someone.

“That’s what I was worried about.” Will groaned, moving away from the door. “They’ve been alerted somehow and are now patrolling the entrance.”