27. Ari
27
ARI
I shoved my tools into a bag.
Taryn was working on the information I needed. Michael Lane had killed my father, and everyone was acting like I was from another planet for wanting to go after him. I wasn’t. For once, I refused sit on the sidelines, hiding. I could do something. And the fact Galen didn’t trust me to do it? Well, that one really stung.
And if you fail?
Well, then at least I wasn’t sitting on the bench. At least I was doing something about it.
Okay, if you say so.
My phone rang, and I dove for it. “Taryn, do you have anything for me?”
“Just so we’re clear, I am doing this under duress because I love you, and I want you to have what you want. However, and that’s a big however , I think this is dangerous. I think you need to deal with Galen. I’m worried you’re going to walk into an ambush and get yourself hurt.”
“Taryn, do you have his location or not?”
“Well, yeah, thanks to the photos off your pendant camera, which I accessed, I have partial facial recognition, and I have a location of your nemesis.”
My heart pounded against my ribs. “Okay, let’s rock and roll.”
“If you don’t report back here tomorrow morning, I’ll kill you myself.”
“It’s going to be fine.”
“You need to check in with me hourly. Text me, okay? If you don’t, I’m sending Galen.”
“Taryn . . .”
“No, Ari. This isn’t like you. And this is very dangerous. Do I have full faith that you can do this? Yes. Do I think you should? No. So be careful, okay?”
“Always.”
“I know that this is important to you, Ari, so do what you need to do, but come back in one piece, yeah?”
“Taryn, I’ve got this. Have faith.”
She snorted. “Right. Because as the analyst, you’re so good at having faith.”
“You know, that’s a solid point.”
“What about Damon? Is he going to help you?”
I scowled at that. “No, he’s not. He agrees with Galen. Some bullshit about it being too dangerous. I don’t know. I thought on the mission, we’d...” I tried again. “I thought we had some kind of understanding. But I guess not. Which is fine. I spent the past eight years without him. I don’t need him now.”
Taryn sighed. “Oh, shit. If we had more time, I would want every damned detail of the mission. Because, oh my God, from the redacted version of the report, all I know is that you were stuck in an antechamber. What happens in the vault, stays in the vault, except between us, right? Because I neeeeeed to know,” she whined.
I laughed. “Yeah, sure. I’ll fill you in.”
“Ari, you seem sad. Are you okay?”
I dragged in a deep breath, roughly blinking to stay the tears. It had been one thing for Galen to tell me no. One thing for my boss to look at his liabilities for this case and choose the safe option. It was a whole other thing to have Damon look me in the face after everything that we’d shared this past week and tell me no. Like he didn’t believe in me. Like he didn’t trust that I could do this. It hurt. The pain settled into the grooves of my soul, making a permanent camp.
“It never would have worked out with Damon. I need to forget him. I’m just going to even the score and move on.”
Taryn sighed. “God, I was really hopeful that you were finally getting something that you wanted.”
“I’m fine. I’m perfectly happy. My life is good. Maybe it’s not that exciting, but it’s been great.” My brain tried to force itself to remember how I’d felt about my life before Damon came walking back into it. I had been content. Happy.
Had you?
I tried not to think about that kernel of dissatisfaction I’d had. The one that had made me restless, itchy. The one that had made me want to break out.
Taryn sighed. “I know you’ve made up your mind. Just be careful, okay?”
“Thanks, Taryn.”
I hung up with her and double checked all my tools again before I zipped up my fitted jacket and turned to go, only to find a shadow in the corner.
“Where are you going, Ari?”
Damon
I crossed my arms and watched her warily. She really thought she was going to go after Lane herself. Anger and fury coursed through my veins. She was going to get herself killed, and she didn’t even seem to care.
If she had just fucking waited a few hours, I could have fucking told her that Lucas had a lead on Michael Lane. But she was ready to run off half-cocked and likely get herself killed.
Which would piss me off even more.
“I asked where the hell you think you’re going.”
Ari headed for the door, and I stepped out of the shadows, grabbed one of her wrists, and pulled her toward me. I backed her up against the wall, and she tried to hit me with her other arm, which I caught easily and joined to the one above her head.
“Answer me,” I demanded.
“I’m not answering you. After everything that happened?” She lifted her chin. “I don’t need you.”
That was a direct hit. Center mass. It felt like she’d left me bleeding out on the floor. “You’re mad. I understand, Ari.”
“ Mad doesn’t even begin to cut it. You abandoned me.”
“I didn’t abandon you, Ari. Can’t you see? If you’d have given me four damn hours, we could have come up with a plan together. Can’t you fucking see? I care about you. I’ve loved you forever, and now I have a second chance, and you expect me to let you walk into danger alone? Stop it? You expect me to let you stop danger alone? There is no part of me that is comfortable with you doing something that’s going to get you killed. I’m sorry.”
She struggled in my grip, trying to wrestle me. She lifted a knee swiftly, but I deflected by shifting my hips aside.
“Ari, behave yourself, right now.”
She scowled at me, her eyes narrowed. “I hate you.”
“I love you.”
She struggled in my grip, a tear rolling down her cheek. “Let me go, Damon.”
“Not until I’m certain you’re not going to hurt yourself.”
“If you don’t let me go, I’ll?—”
I slanted my lips over hers. She went perfectly still for a moment, and I pulled back just a bit, giving her space to decide what she wanted.
I knew it took mere seconds, but it felt like a lifetime as our gazes locked. It was subtle, but the answer was there when her gaze dipped to my lips and her tongue peeked out to moisten hers.
“If you’re really going through with this wild plan,” I said, “you do it with me .”
I slammed my lips on hers again, and this time, she kissed me back, our tongues sliding over each other’s. I released her hands and slipped mine down to her hips to pick her up and hoist her to a better position.
She wrapped her legs around me, and all bets were off.