Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22
T he abandoned warehouse the killer had suggested as their meeting place looked like you shouldn’t enter it without at least one of the Winchester brothers from Supernatural at your back. Preferably Dean. Not because Sam was ugly or bad at his job or anything. Just because Dean was, well, Dean.
But I digress …
Lark didn’t have a Winchester brother, but she did have a beautiful con artist, a giant, multi-lingual guard dog, and a scary hacker/stalker with a very questionable set of skills at her side. So, while she couldn’t necessarily say she was calm , she was still liking her odds in this particular endeavor.
“Can you tell if Nico brought any of his mafia friends?” Tenley asked, narrowing her eyes at the warehouse.
Ren looked a little insulted that she’d ask such a question while he was sitting in a van with enough electronics to keep the CIA going for years. “He didn’t. I’m getting two heat signatures in the building—Neal and Fortunato, I’m assuming. And there’s no one hiding out in any of the surrounding areas. I don’t like that all the entrances are boarded up except that one, though. Makes it hard to tell what he’s done to secure the inside.”
“I could go in,” Tenley said. “Distract him long enough for you to take him out.”
His answering growl suggested he didn’t love the idea of Tenley walking into danger any more than he liked the idea of Lark walking into danger. But she merely shrugged and said, “I don’t think this is a trap. He’s a killer, sure, but I don’t get the feeling he’s a liar. We know he’s alone, which gives us the edge.”
“You know I trust your feelings,” he said, shaking his head, “but the stakes are too high. I’ll go in.”
“If he gets once glimpse of your giant ass, he’ll kill Neal and bail,” Tenley warned.
“Then I won’t show him my ass.”
Tenley rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean, smart ass. Why don’t you just?—”
He slammed his hand down on the center console. “I’m not sending you in there blind!”
“I wouldn’t be going in blind! We know he’s alone!”
“And armed! And a trained, professional mafia hitman!”
Lark rubbed her suddenly aching temples, eyes bouncing between them as they argued as if she wasn’t even there. It was…annoying. Insulting. Infantilizing.
And it was really starting to piss her off.
“I’m going in,” Lark said.
But they didn’t hear her. They were too busy arguing about which one of them would get the opportunity to put themselves in danger for her.
Tenley narrowed her eyes on him. “You act like I haven’t talked my way out of situations way more dangerous than this one.”
He narrowed his eyes right back. “Not when I was with you.”
“You’re always with me! That’s what stalkers do.”
“This is different. I’m not?—”
The angry growl that tore its way out of Lark’s throat was primal. “Stop. Arguing. About. Me. Like. I’m. Not. Even. Here!”
Tenley just blinked at her, owl-eyed. But Ren didn’t look shocked by her outburst at all. He was as pissed off as she was. “There’s no argument. You can’t possibly think I’d ever let you walk in there.”
The word let in that sentence was doing a lot of heavy lifting, and frankly, it made Lark feel stabby. “The whole time we’ve been together you’ve made a point of letting me know how not powerless I am. You’ve given me control at every turn. So, were you full of shit when you empowered me all those other times? Is this how it really is? Your way or the highway?”
He reared back as if she’d slapped him. “This has nothing to do with control,” he said through gritted teeth. “It’s about your safety. And if keeping you safe makes me a controlling asshole, then so be it. I’m a controlling asshole. This is different than going into the law firm. This is a one-on-one with a trained killer. It’s too dangerous, and that’s that.”
Some of the starch melted out of her spine at how desperate he sounded. He truly did just want to keep her safe. That much was clear. “I have to stand up for myself at some point,” she reminded him gently. “I’m not saying I have to do everything alone. But you can’t let me be a passive spectator in my own life anymore. Don’t turn me into a spineless loser who lets her big, strong boyfriend handle everything.”
His eyes went wide. “I’m your boyfriend?”
Tenley threw her hands up. “ That’s what you take out of everything she just said?”
Lark bit her lip. “Only if you stop treating me like I’m fragile.”
He reached out and brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. “Not fragile. Priceless.”
That was all it took. She launched herself at him across the center console. Thank God he was strong enough to catch her when she leapt into his arms and locked her legs around his waist so that she could kiss the crap out of him.
Tenley groaned and drummed her fingernails on her thigh. “Should I get back in the van and wait while you two bang it out, or is someone going to go in there and talk to the absurdly handsome hit man so that I can go home to my absurdly handsome husband?”
And splat went the romance. Again.
Ren ignored her as he rested his forehead against Lark’s. “I can’t lose you.”
“I’ve trusted you all this time. Now I need you to trust me. Trust me to do this my way and trust that you aren’t going to lose me.”
“Trust has never really been my strong suit,” he grumbled, kissing the tip of her nose so gently it made her heart ache.
“I know. But let’s see if we can start to change that up a little. This seems like as good a place as any to start. Besides, I have a plan.”
He leaned back. “You do?”
“Don’t sound so surprised. I’ve been around you and Tenley for days now. Is it so hard to believe I have a plan for how to rescue myself?”
Ren let out one of his big, deep, world-weary sighs. “OK. Let’s hear your plan.”
“That’s a huge victory,” Tenley stage-whispered to her. “He didn’t listen to one of my plans for years.”
“And how did that plan work out?” she asked.
“Once I busted her out of the Italian prison, it worked beautifully,” Ren said dryly.
Tenley shrugged sheepishly. “They can’t all be gems. But, hey, I’m sure your plan is great and won’t lead to prison time. Or, you know, violent death or anything.”
And with that rousing vote of confidence, Lark told them how she thought they should proceed. When she was done, Ren said, “You know that if that guy even breathes on you funny, I’m going to rip his arm off and beat him to death with it, right?
She swallowed hard. “Yeah. I figured.”
He nodded. “Alright then. Let’s do this.”
Tenley gave her a thumbs up and a wide grin.
That’s when Lark realized she was officially back in control of her own life. And if she played her cards right, she might just be able to keep it that way.
Or she’d be dead. And, either way…problem solved.
Note to self: Don’t give yourself inspirational speeches. You suck at it .