28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Eight
T he next morning when I wake up, my body aches. It’s the good kind of ache, the one you only get from achieving maximum pleasure in a short period. Once we came back to his room, we spent more time exploring each other, releasing the pent-up desire that’s been building for weeks. With one hand, I reach out for Lorcan, but the bed is cold beside me.
Then it dawns on me I’m alone in his room for the first time. Sitting up, I press the heel of my hand to my pounding forehead. On the nightstand are two aspirin and a glass of water. With my headache, I’m not in the mood to search his room. I don’t allow my thoughts to drift to the other reason why I don’t want to snoop right now. Tomorrow, I’ll get my head back in the game. Today, I’ll let it pound away. A note beside the aspirin says basement in Lorcan’s familiar scrawl.
With a sigh, I pick up the pills and toss them back, chasing them with lukewarm water. He must have been gone a while. Throwing back the covers, I search the room for my robe and find it hanging on the back of his door. I certainly can’t go to the basement wearing that. I have no idea what I’m going to find there.
At the entrance, I scan his room as I tighten the belt around my waist. As soon as I leave, I’m locked out. Should I take a look around? My temple throbs in response, and that’s enough of an answer for me. Exiting his room, I wander down the hall to my wing. As I round the corner, someone is scrubbing the floor outside my door.
It’s Sunday. The cleaners are here again. Until Dai Qing showed up, I never paid much attention to anyone from the cleaning company. Now I know she has an in to the property through them, I give them all a second glance. When I get closer to the woman kneeling on the floor, she looks up. It’s not her.
“Sorry.” I point to the door next to where she’s kneeling. “I need to get in there.”
“Sure, sure.” She shuffles sideways, hauling the pail with her. “I’ll be here, scrubbing the floor.”
Frowning, I punch in the code. “Okay. Thanks.”
When the door opens, the smell of disinfectant is overwhelming. My head pounds again, and my heart rate accelerates. On the bed, my suitcase sits zipped closed, but there aren’t clothes everywhere. Someone has been here. The hairs on my neck rise in response. I’m not alone.
In two strides, I’m at the bed, unsnapping the gun as someone comes out of the en suite bathroom. Whirling, I point my gun, willing my skull to stop its deep throbs of complaint.
“It’s me.” Her hands are raised. “I put Yichun on the door in case anyone walked in while I was searching.”
“Searching?”
“I came in and saw your suitcase on the bed, clothes strewn everywhere, your phone left charging in the bathroom. No sign of you. I know they’re in the basement. I was getting ready to call it in.”
“Call it in?” My gun is still raised. Something is off with Dai Qing, but my headache pounds so hard I’m having trouble putting the pieces together.
“I was starting to think you were in the basement. That maybe you’d be the one screaming next.”
“You thought they found out who I was.” I lower my gun and ease myself onto the edge of the mattress.
Her focus flicks over me. “Lorcan’s room or Finn’s?”
Placing the gun beside me, I massage my temples. “Lorcan.”
“You trust him?”
I shrug. “Can anyone be trusted?”
“No. Not right now. I’m not sure you’re being very smart.”
“When was the last time you were in the field?” I narrow my eyes at her.
A few years ago, one of Dai Qing’s agents died a public and violent death at the hands of the people she was investigating. That agent was the person who trained me. I liked her, respected her. The bureau cleared Dai Qing of any wrongdoing. I never did.
She flushes but holds my gaze. “I can tell a dangerous situation when I see one.”
I let out a bark of laughter. “They’re all dangerous. I haven’t been on an assignment yet that didn’t put my life on the line every single day.”
“You love it.”
“I don’t hate it, or I wouldn’t do it.” Dropping my hands into my lap, I’m thankful my aspirin seems to be dulling my aching brain. “Why are you here?”
“Malik,” she whispers.
My heart kicks against my rib cage, reverberating to my skull. “What about him?”
“He’s missing. We were supposed to meet last night.”
“You tried the protocol? The checks?”
“Yes.” She straightens her maid’s uniform. “He said he had info for me, that the Donaghey brothers were rounding up Zhang’s men.”
“He wasn’t on the list.” My head sinks into my hands. “I checked the list. He wasn’t on it.”
“Would they have given you a complete list?”
The way they switched to Irish the other day when I was in the room, the way Finn says one thing and then does another, the glances the two of them exchange sometimes are loaded with messages I don’t understand tell me I could be in trouble.
“The list came from Finn. It’s possible it wasn’t complete or he added names later.”
“Malik could be in the basement.”
Closing my eyes, I nod. “I can find out.” I run my palms down my face and sigh. “If he is and he’s still alive?” The ache in my chest spreads. Finn was in the basement when Lorcan came to my room. If we were… and Finn was… and Malik is…
Dai Qing frowns and runs her hand along the top of the dresser. “I’d suggest an extraction if he’s still alive. It could blow up in our faces.” She hesitates. “In your face.”
“I can handle myself.”
She worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “We’re here until later this afternoon cleaning. You have to get the information before then.”
“You don’t think he’s hiding out? Waiting for the roundup to clear?”
“No. You know Malik.”
He doesn’t hide. The thought of him in the basement, being tortured or dead is enough to make my stomach roll. He’s like family to me, one of the few people who manages to keep me grounded when the insanity of a job threatens to drag me under.
“He might be fine. If they pulled him in last night, he might be one of the last.”
“Finn was already suspicious of him. He saw him at the bar, then at Zhang’s. I tried to play it off as a coincidence, but he doesn’t believe in those.”
“Get dressed. Find me later. We’ll figure out what to do.”
I ease my hands along my thighs.
Dai Qing passes me on the way to the door. “Oh.” She half turns back to me. “I almost forgot. I looked at your file.”
I straighten to my full height. “You did?”
“When you find me later, I’ll tell you what I can.”
“So there are things to tell?”
“Your file is weird. I’m still trying to figure out some of it. I can dig around once you and I have chatted, okay? If Malik is in danger, that comes first.”
“Agreed. Of course. Yes.” Before she opens the door, I say, “Thank you.”
Dai Qing smiles. “Just doing my job.” With that, she slithers out.
As fast as I can, I get dressed. At the last minute, I throw on my leather jacket. It’s cool in the basement. Taking a couple of deep breaths, I steel myself before opening my door. Even if he’s there, I can’t give anything away. Whatever happens, I have to play my part.
Each step to the basement knocks at the door to my emotions. He’s the only person left in the world who knows me, the successes, the failures, what keeps me up at night. I’ve taken our connection for granted. It doesn’t matter what I have to do. If he’s in the basement, I’m getting him out.
At the bottom on the stairs, Antonio is in the hall on a chair, playing with his phone. I wander toward him, grateful he can’t see my heart beating against my breastbone.
“Where’s Lorcan?” It’s Finn I’m worried about, not Lorcan.
He doesn’t look up, just points his thumb over his shoulder. “In there. Came to see what his bro’s been doing and discovered someone he recognized.” When he looks up, he squints at me. “Some guy’s been following you?”
Bile rises in my throat. “What?”
“They got some black guy in there. Finn said he was suspicious, and then when Lorcan saw him, he said the guy’d been following you. Wouldn’t give any other details.” Antonio shrugs. “You wanna go in? It’s probably a mess in there. Lorcan was fired up. He doesn’t play around when he’s mad.”
I swallow the acid bubbling up into my throat. My first instinct is to rip open the door, fly in there, and drag Malik out. Lorcan might not kill me for it, but Finn would in an instant. I lick my lips and push my hands so deep into my coat pockets my fingers could burst through.
“Let me in.” I tip my chin at the door. I want to press the heel of my hand into my torso to calm my insides, but I don’t dare. No tells. No indication this is anything but routine curiosity.
He rattles his key ring. Then, he seems to think better of it and knocks on the door. “Kim’s out here.”
I wish he opened it. What if they don’t let me in?
The entrance pops open faster than I expect. Finn is in the doorway, covered in blood splatter that makes my stomach heave again.
“You sure you got the stomach for this, Kimmy?” He eyes me then smirks.
“I think you know the answer by now.”
“I thought I did, then you went soft on me yesterday about the women and children.” His voice drips with mockery.
My gaze rakes over him. “I see you’ve been having fun.”
“Indeed, I have. Watching those fights got me fired up.”
So you decided you’d come beat and torture defenseless people? The words are close to tumbling out. I press my lips together.
He eases the door open to reveal Lorcan, blood coating his hands. My jaw tightens. I can’t look at Malik. There’s so much blood, and Lorcan’s face is thunderous.
“Lorcan.” I run my hand along his tense back. His cheeks and forehead are covered with red splotches.
Nodding his head in Malik’s direction, he says, “He works for Zhang. It was no coincidence he was there that night, Kim.” His bloodied hands are clenched at his sides.
I search his face. “Maybe not.”
“There is no such thing as coincidence,” Finn chimes in from the table where they keep the various tools for torture.
“Has he told you anything?” Already I know Malik hasn’t given me away. Neither of these men is good at acting. Finn’s enjoying this, and Lorcan’s doing it out of a misguided attempt to protect me. If Malik wasn’t a complete mess a few feet from me, it would be almost sweet.
“He hasn’t been conscious often enough.” Finn riffles through the tools on the table, searching for something before producing a pair of tweezers. “Ah-ha.”
Whirling on him, I keep my hand on Lorcan’s back, hoping it’ll ground him. “Have you slept?”
“Nope.” His icy eyes are bloodshot.
“Maybe it’s a good idea to take a break. If you’re not getting any information out of him, what’s the point? Don’t we want to know why he was following me? Who put him up to it?”
“Zhang.” He shrugs. “Done.”
I push back. “Or maybe I’m too close to your father’s killer and someone hired him to follow me.”
His eyes narrow, and he grows still.
“Seems like a reach.” Lorcan guides his hand around my waist. It’s the first hint of softening since I entered. Malik’s blood is probably smeared across my waistband.
“You don’t know if you can’t ask.” Pursing my lips, I glance at Malik and then wish I hadn’t.
He’s almost unrecognizable. One eye is swollen shut. Amongst the blood on the floor are fragments of teeth. The sea of red makes it hard to decipher what else is wrong with him. Unconscious, his chin rests on his chest. My throat is in a vise, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to speak again. I’ll never forgive Lorcan if he kills him, but that argument is impossible to make.
He turns to his brother, and there must be something on his face because Finn drops the instrument he found with a clang.
“I knew you didn’t have the stomach for it, Kimmy.” He takes two quick strides toward me and Lorcan comes between us. Finn points his finger at me. “You know that tarnish I was talking about? It’s all over you right now. What the fuck do you care what we do to this guy?”
“It’s not good business,” I fire back. “If anyone looks suspicious here, it’s you. Why not question him? Why not find out why he was following me? Huh? Or maybe you already know, Finn. Maybe he’s been following me because you organized it.”
He chuckles, but tension is leaking out of him. “Why would I do that?”
“You knew this guy was driven by money. It’s why he went to work for Zhang. You were supposedly investigating him. Then, suddenly he shows up somewhere only Lorcan and I know about? I mean, come on.” I throw up my arms. “Maybe he wasn’t even following me. Maybe he was following you, Lorcan.” I stare at Lorcan, letting my anger flow out of me.
His hazel eyes seek the truth in my face. I’ve played this game before, and it’s never mattered more than now. I can navigate this.
“You think I hired this guy to follow my brother?” His voice is full of contempt.
Clenching my jaw, I refuse to back down. “It’s possible. Why would you be so keen to off this guy without even questioning him?”
He takes another step forward, and Lorcan tenses in front of me. “I got every man in this organization in my back pocket. Everyone is a spy. I have no use for people with questionable loyalty.”
Lorcan’s fist clenches, and he leans into his brother. “I better be reading this wrong, deartháir mor . You don’t threaten her. You got me, guy?”
With a chuckle, Finn rocks back on his heels. “That’s all it took? One drunken fuck and you’re choosing her over me?”
Lorcan’s fist slams into his face with enough force for Finn to stumble back a couple of steps. He laughs as he wipes his nose, a trickle of blood running to his lips. “You get one, deartháir beag . One. You hit me again, and brother or not, I’ll fuck you up.”
“From now on”—Lorcan secures my hand with his—“you stay away from Kim.”
Finn puts his arms out, palms to the ceiling. “But you brought her here for me. I think it’s only fair I get a turn.”
He releases my hand, and his other latches onto Finn’s neck, backing him up against the wall.
“One, brother,” Finn says, the words squeezing out around Lorcan’s hand. He holds up a finger. “You hit me again, and the gloves are off.”
“You don’t talk to her like that. You don’t think about her like that. Even if you didn’t kill our father, I’ll never forgive you if you touch her.”
Finn’s gaze finds mine across the room. “What if she touches me?”
Lorcan gives Finn a violent shove, and his body thuds against the wall.
“Lorcan, let’s go.” I run my hand down his arm until I can link our fingers together again. “This isn’t worth it.”
“You’re right.” Finn yanks his shirt back into place. “It’s not worth it.” His gaze connects with mine, and Lorcan tries to escape my death grip on his arm again.
“Come on,” I murmur. “Let’s get you clean. Grab something to eat.” Everything about this conversation is unnatural with Malik unconscious in the room. I have to find Dai Qing, but I can’t trust Lorcan to keep a lid on his temper.
Never taking his focus off his brother, Lorcan opens the door.
“You’re staying here?” I ask Finn.
“Oh, no. I’m moving on. I wouldn’t want my deartháir beag to think anything you said had a point to it.” Finn sniffs. “You smell that, Kimmy?”
I narrow my eyes.
“Rot. Eating away at the foundations of this place. I’d best root it out.”
I roll my eyes even as that muscle I’m starting to loathe begins to pound once more. A heart attack is imminent. “Sure, Finn. You root out that rot.” With that, I close the door behind us.