Chapter 20 #2
Andrei isn’t wrong. I need to know what they have over her so we can move forward.
The fact that no one has moved in with handcuffs is telling.
The agents either don’t have enough to arrest him, or they don’t have the phone numbers they need to move forward.
And who the hell am I kidding? Reed Shaw showing up threw a wrench into an operational plan that rested solely on getting Andrei to talk.
Which has not happened.
I look down and press play on the screen. There’s no audio, but the time and date are displayed at the bottom of the screen.
It’s dark, and the lights are low in the posh yacht.
My stomach turns knowing this is where she was held captive for years.
She might be barely dressed, but she’s covered in blood.
Her own face is cut and battered, but when I see the body on the floor, unconscious in a pool of his own crimson liquid, I don’t need the backstory to know what happened.
Lennon pulls herself to her bare feet on the screen and drops the knife she used as a weapon. They’re on the stern of the boat in open air. The man in a heap on the deck is lifeless. Lennon looks around before she stumbles to the back and opens a low door that leads to steps toward the water.
I’m not sure how she does it. The lifeless man doesn’t look big, but he’s damn well bigger than her. She drags him across the floor, struggling. I’m in awe. And not of her physical strength, but of her sheer determination to survive.
It takes everything she’s got, but she does it. His body slides off the back of the boat where the camera doesn’t pan, but I know what happened. There’s a splash when the body hits the ocean.
The video switches to a different surveillance camera. Lennon doesn’t waste any time and runs through an office. Behind a hinged piece of art is a safe. Her hands tremble, and it takes two tries, but she does it.
The door pops open.
Even she can’t believe it. She digs through the safe and pulls out handfuls of money. Cash stacked and banded, she throws it into a small bag and keeps digging until she finds what she’s looking for.
The objects that have created more drama than the murder.
She pulls it out and holds the bag in her hands like she can’t believe it.
She stuffs them into a small duffle, slams the safe shut, and returns the picture to where it was.
When she makes her final escape, she does it with a limp.
And right before the video of Lennon saving herself ends—the one that shows the exact events that she described in detail to me—the video pans in close up right before she escapes from the surveillance cameras.
That’s where the video ends, on a close up of her face that shows desperation and fear. I drop the cell down in front of me and turn to Lennon. Silent tears stream down her face after just watching the horror she lived through.
I put my fingers to her chin and angle her face to mine, but she speaks first.
“I’m sorry,” she says on a whisper. “I’m sorry you had to see that. See me like that.”
I shake my head and lower my mouth to hers. I thought the need to wrap her up and protect her before was strong. After seeing that video, I want to lay waste to the world for her.
I drag my thumb over her bottom lip. Her red lipstick smudges but I don’t care. “I’m proud of you, baby. So fucking proud of you.”
Andrei clears his throat. “Not to interrupt your little love fest, but now you know. I’m willing to forget all of this if you hand over the jewels. I’m even throwing you a bone with information about Audrey. This is your only chance to take me up on the offer, or else.”
Lennon doesn’t let go of me but turns to him. “Or else what? You’ll kidnap me? Hold me for years? Try to kill me by running us off the road like you did last night?”
Andrei hikes a brow. “That’s almost humorous. Did you not pay attention during our time together? Running someone off the road is amateur. You know I prefer a slower and more methodical approach.”
Reed huffs one laugh. “A vehicle ... what a ridiculous expense when there are more fun ways to do business.”
I don’t have time to process that. Lennon juts to her feet. Before I know what she’s doing, she grabs her crystal stem of wine and hurls its contents across the table.
Our private room erupts when Reed bellows, “What the fuck?!”
I’m up and out of my chair just in time.
Reed swipes everything off the table between them and comes after Lennon.
I push in front of her before he can touch her. I have him by the collar of his wine-stained dress shirt and shove him against the glass wall. “Touch her, I dare you. You’ll die. I’ve got no problem making sure you never breathe again.”
Lennon isn’t crying anymore. She’s outraged. “If you did something to my mother, I’ll come after you and make sure you suffer tenfold. And I’ll find out, Dad. I’ll never stop searching until I find her.”
Reed proves he’s better at running his mouth than staying in shape.
He grasps at my forearms and tries to push me away.
Despite the fact I haven’t been cleared to lift a weight after surgery, my grip on him tightens, and I press him into the glass harder.
His face turns the shade of Lennon’s wine she just threw at him as he sputters and spits. “Fucker ... let go.”
Andrei does nothing and proves he’s not used to getting his hands dirty. He stands and tosses his napkin to the table. “I’m disappointed in you, Lennon. This is your last chance to make things right.”
That’s when a familiar British accent sounds from behind me. “What’s going on in here?”
“I’m sorry,” Lennon bites. “You can show these two out. They’re no longer welcome at the manor.”
“Stay the fuck away from Lennon.” I deliver one last warning and slam him into the glass before letting go.
Reed barely rights himself as he gasps and swipes the wine from his face violently.
I shift Lennon behind me as Andrei moves around the table and motions for Reed to follow.
“There are consequences for not cooperating, Lennon. And since you worked for me for so long, I know you understand what that means for your future. We will meet again. Until then.”
And with that, he stalks out of the private dining room with Reed on his heels. Devon spears us with a what the fuck look. Which who can blame him? Tonight didn’t go at all as it was supposed to.
Andrei walked out of the manor a free man.
And Lennon’s father is alive.
Talk about a failed operation ... other than one thing.
I walk back to the table, pick up Reed’s cell, and toss it to Devon. “I’m sure this will be a rave for your buddies who like to toe the line of legalities.”