Chapter 29 #3
He kissed me, gentle and unhurried. “I do.” The corners of his mouth tipped up. “You’ve given me hope, Harper. Thank you.”
“You’ve done the same for me,” I said. “We’ll figure out a way to get you out of this. If you’ll tell me more about the agreement—what they promised and what they’re holding over you—I can help you pick it apart.”
He kissed me again, then loosened his hold.
My arms stayed locked around him, like I could keep him with me by force of will.
“I have to go,” he said quietly.
“Let me come as backup,” I said. “Even if I’m not in the meeting.”
He shook his head, slow and firm. “Wait here. I’ll text you when I’m on my way back. Then we’ll figure out what to do next.”
“I know what our next move needs to be.” I lifted my chin. “We have to find Knox. Before the Feds pick him up and he’s safe behind bars.”
He tilted his head. “I don’t have to turn this in now. I can sit on it until we find him.”
“No.” I didn’t let myself hesitate, even though part of me wanted to. “You turn it over now, and we hope they move fast enough to get those girls in the houses.” My voice tightened. “I can’t let them spend one more night being used like that.”
“Okay.” He tried to step back and released a low laugh, more resigned than amused. “You’re gonna have to let me go.” He glanced at the laptop. “Are the files done transferring?”
“Yeah.” Reluctantly, I released him and leaned over to unplug one of the hard drives.
As I handed it to him, a new thought hit me. “Do you think Knox will be there for the shipment in the morning?”
He looked surprised. “I doubt he shows up to those things.”
“Usually, sure.” My pulse picked up. “But Bobby said the king of Little Rock hired extra guns. Wouldn’t that mean he’s worried?”
James scoffed. “I doubt he thinks I’d bring in law enforcement. He probably thinks I’m out for revenge after his mother nabbed me, or I’m trying to take over his empire.” His eyes darkened. “Maybe both.”
“But he’s scared you’ll show up,” I pressed. “He thinks you’ll try to stop him.”
“And you,” he said flatly. “You’re the one who took out all his men.” His mouth tightened. “If he’s building an army, it’s for both of us.”
I felt a strange flicker of pride, but I shoved it down. “That’s beside the point. What if we find out where it’s happening and go?”
“And take on his army?” he asked, like I’d suggested the two of us invade a country.
“No. We sneak close enough to confirm Knox is there.”
“That’s insane, Harper.”
“It’s a good idea.”
His jaw flexed. “And if he is there, what then?”
“If we get the opportunity, we take him out. If we don’t, we follow him when he leaves.”
His lips pressed tight. “So many things could go wrong.”
“Then we call the state police and let them stop it.”
He hesitated, releasing a sigh as he lifted the hard drive. “I’m not sayin’ no. Just… I’ve got to deal with this first before I can think about the rest.”
What was I thinking? He was right. The exchange was already contentious, and he hadn’t even met with his handler yet. “You’re right. Go. I’ll start going through the files. We’ll talk when you get back.”
“Instead of jumpin’ right on the files”—he tugged a strand of the wig I was still wearing— “why don’t you go take this off and take a long, hot shower? It’ll help clear your head.”
“I’m fine.”
“We’ve been pushin’ hard all day. Take a break, then come back fresh.
” He tipped his head toward the sticky notes.
“After that, you can start tacklin’ what’s in the files.
I presume you’re gonna stick those on a wall?
” He glanced toward a large painting hung over a credenza next to the bathroom.
“Want me to take that down so you can start postin’ ’em up there? It seems like your best option.”
I frowned. “Yeah, it has the most surface area.” I shook my head. “But I can take it down.”
“So, about that shower…” he said suggestively.
I didn’t particularly feel the need to shower, but he had a point about taking a momentary break to clear my head. Then again, I often worked things through in the shower. Maybe I could figure out how to find Knox. “Yeah. Good idea.”
He took my hand and led me to the bathroom before he pulled me flush against him and kissed me like he was leaving for war. “When I get back, I want to fuck the real you. No wig.”
My stomach fluttered. “Fine. Maybe I’ll be waiting naked in bed.”
“Jesus, woman,” he growled, grabbing my ass with his free hand and hauling me closer until I felt exactly how serious he was. “You keep talkin’ like that, and I’m gonna tell my handler to go to hell so I can screw you in the shower.”
I stepped back, forcing myself to be stern. “No. You need to go. You’re already going to be late.”
For a second, he looked like he wanted to argue. Then he gave me a gentle push into the bathroom. “Shut the door before I change my mind.”
“Be safe, James,” I said, worry stealing my breath.
“I will.” His gaze held mine. “Don’t leave the hotel room. I have enough to worry about.”
“I won’t.”
He shut the door.
I pressed the small of my back against the counter and tried to rein in my mess of emotions. James would be fine. And if his handler wouldn’t release him … we’d figure out a way. I’d make sure of it.
I stripped off the wig and cap, yanked out the pins, and stepped into the shower. The warm water washed over my skin, and I shut my eyes, letting it soak in. James was right. I’d needed this.
My mind fixated on how to pin down Knox. If we could discover the location of the shipment, confirm he was there, and follow him back to where he disappeared to—
Wait, the question was how to find the location without tipping our hand.
Who would even know ahead of time?
Then it hit me…
Razor.
If Bobby’s cousins had been hired to help with the shipment, then maybe Razor was part of it too.
James had said he was a lush, and most lushes talked.
If he was pre-gaming at his usual bar before the exchange, maybe I could get something useful out of him.
And if the exchange was happening early tomorrow morning, we could find him tonight.
There were a lot of moving parts to my plan. A lot of ways it could fail. But once the Feds started issuing warrants, Knox and his people would scatter like cockroaches. This might be our only chance to get access to him.
I got out, dried off, and went into the room for a fresh pair of clothes—then my gaze snagged on the coffee table and I froze.
Only one hard drive sat plugged into my laptop.
The other two we’d bought less than two hours ago were both gone.
Had someone been in our room while I’d been in the shower? But why take one of the drives and leave the laptop and the original drive behind?
The answer hit me like a nail-studded two-by-four.
James had taken the two hard drives. He’d pushed me to take a shower so I wouldn’t notice.
My pulse hammered as I stared at the empty space on the table.
Why did he need two … and what the hell was he doing with them?