30. Chapter 30
thirty
Soothsayer - Deathpact
Jackie pressed her back to the door of Talia’s office. Its new owner sat behind the small desk, scrolling her phone.
Olivia looked up when she heard Jackie enter. She stood, about to speak, when she noticed Jackie trying to breathe through something with her eyes closed. When she finally opened them, they were distant.
“Um… Jackie?” Liv asked gently. Jackie turned to her, looking overwhelmed and exhausted.
Olivia started talking anyway. “We haven’t really had a chance to talk since my first day.
I just wanted to thank you so much for helping me.
I never would have gotten sober without your help and you offering me this job.
I was spiralling too bad after the divorce, and I just…
” She trailed off when she realized Jackie wasn’t really hearing a word she was saying, despite staring right at her.
“Is everything okay? I—You got Talia back. But you look…”
“How did Patterson make contact with you?” Jackie asked, her eyes going vacant as she retreated inward, trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle that now lay before her.
“Um… well, Drew got me into contact with his commanding officer, then Patterson took over my case from him not long after.”
“And what exactly did he ask for?”
“I was living with No at that point. He wanted anything I could give him about her and anything she gave me about you.”
“Was he paying you?”
Olivia cringed at the question, shame flooding her face. “Yes.”
“Did he say he had anyone else working for him here?”
She shrugged. “Just that the person who was supposed to be sending back information about you was gone, and I had an opportunity to get in. I don’t think he realized how coked out I was, though. I was not the person for that job.”
“Has he made contact with you again recently?”
“No. I haven’t spoken to him since that night in your penthouse. I’ve blocked him everywhere.” She paused, taking a deep breath and wringing her hands. “He still sends the money, though. I think he’s hoping I’ll start sending information again, especially since I started working here.”
“You know what will happen if you do that.”
Olivia straightened and nodded vigorously. Jackie took one last deep breath before walking to her office, knocking gently on the door before entering.
Talia’s face fell, her chest heaving with sobs when she saw Jackie. The medic looked up from where she was taking Talia’s blood pressure and stepped away when Jackie arrived. She wrapped Talia in her arms, holding her tight to her chest as they both sobbed.
Finally, they pulled away, and Jackie cupped Talia’s face, examining every inch of it for any signs she’d been hurt.
“Are you okay?” she asked before turning to the medic. “Is she okay?”
The medic returned, pressed two fingers to Talia’s wrist and stared at her watch for a minute. “I’ll give you two some time to talk, then I’ll take her blood pressure again. She’s a little dehydrated and malnourished, but she’s otherwise in good physical condition.”
Jackie sighed heavily with relief as the medic left the room. She stroked Talia’s hair, hoping she wouldn’t evaporate in front of her.
Talia opened her mouth, but only a squeak came out. She took a shaky breath and tried again. “How? How did you get out?” She reached out to touch Jackie’s battered face.
Jackie smiled gently. “I’m pretty scrappy.”
“I’m not,” she said, tears falling again as she shook her head in shame.
Jackie cupped Talia’s face again, forcing her eyes to hers. “You are. You survived a month and a half in Bratva captivity. You might be hurting, but you’re not broken. You’re home, Talia.”
The sobs returned, and Jackie pulled Talia back into her arms. They held each other as they shook with the sobs.
Talia eventually pulled away, hiccuping. She wiped her eyes and held her face in her hands a moment before looking back up at Jackie, shaking her head. “Nikita knew they had the wrong woman as soon as he saw me,” she said, finally looking up at Jackie.
“Did he have any questions for you?”
Talia nodded. “Nothing very important. He wanted to know what I knew about you. What I knew about Theo and Dimitri. If I had any idea who had been paying Theo to pay for your safety.” She shot Jackie a sideways glance at that.
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing. I was a wreck, so he believed me even when I lied and told him I didn’t know anything.”
“He asked me about Patterson,” Jackie said absently.
Talia’s eyes went wide. “How? I didn’t say anything about Patterson.”
“It’s possible he knew all along,” Jackie considered aloud.
Her brow furrowed as she thought back to everything that had been said that day.
Every question, half-truth and allusion shared.
Nikita had told her. He’d told her exactly who told him about Neil Patterson.
The realization struck her like a punch to the gut, and she struggled to get a breath down. “It was Dimitri.”
“You finally told him?” Talia asked, looking relieved.
Jackie shook her head. “No, I haven’t told him anything yet. There was too much other shit happening.”
“How would he know then?” Talia asked. Jackie tilted her head rather than speak it. If she even tried, she would throw up before the words could get out. Talia’s eyes went wide. “No. No, he wouldn’t do that to you. He wouldn’t hurt you like that.”
“He said he told Nikita what would happen if he took me. The twins showed up, and not a single bratva walked out of that club. It has to be Patterson. Dimitri has to know.”
“Knowing something doesn’t mean he’s involved,” Talia tried to placate. “Maybe he’s known all along and was waiting to see if you would tell him anything.”
“Maybe,” Jackie agreed, though she didn’t believe it. Tears burned her eyes again.
She should be happy and grateful that Talia was home, but instead, here she was, mind racing, at all the ways the love of her life might be plotting against her.
A light knock sounded at the door, and the medic returned with an electrolyte drink and protein bar.
Jackie stood silently holding Talia’s hand while the medic took her blood pressure and checked her pulse.
She did another sweep of Talia’s body, checking for injuries and asked how Talia’s head felt.
“You’re free to go.” The medic smiled. “But if you start feeling dizzy, nauseous or develop any kind of pain, I recommend visiting the ER just in case.”
The medic patted her shoulder gently before leaving. Talia turned to Jackie with expectant eyes, shaking Jackie from her internal spiralling.
“Your sister is waiting for you at your place,” she said quietly.
Talia opened her mouth slightly, in shock. “What did you tell her?”
Jackie sighed. “She called about a week after you were taken, since she hadn’t heard from you. I’d tried to prepare myself and come up with a story for your family when they inevitably called, but I just froze when she called. Froze and started crying.”
“You told her the truth?” Talia breathed, eyes wide with shock.
Jackie nodded. “She swore she wouldn’t share with the rest of your family, but she does know.
Not everything. I did come up with a few plausible lies on the spot.
Basically told her we’re a contracting company for the military and that you were taken due to a deal gone bad, but that we were working to get you back. ”
“What did she say?”
“Well, I learned some new French swear words.” She shrugged. She sighed through her nose, shaking her head. “I’m just so sorry you had to go through all this. I’m so happy you’re home.”
She leaned down to wrap Talia in another tight hug. Another gentle knock sounded on the door, and they turned, finding Dimitri leaning against the frame, looking sorry for himself.
“Heard you were cleared,” he said softly. Jackie watched him for a moment. He met her eyes, watching back a minute before pushing off and making his way toward them. He grabbed a bag off Jackie’s desk and set it down next to Talia.
“Oh my god, that’s right,” Jackie exclaimed before digging in the bag. She finally pulled out a ring. The fine silver band shone, and a simple marquise-cut ruby sat in the centre.
Talia gasped. “Where did you find it?”
“In here. I was showing him where all the housekeeping docs are, and it was wedged in the carpet against the desk.”
“You were prepared for him to take over,” Talia breathed.
Jackie glanced at Dimitri from the corner of her eye.
His brow was furrowed as if he was realizing it at the same time as Talia.
Jackie hadn’t lied to him on Valentine’s Day.
She had no plan at that point. But she had known that at the end of the day, she would be willing to lay down her life to make sure either Dimitri or Talia lived.
She knew Talia would come home, even if it meant she didn’t, and Dimitri ended up needing to take over the agency.
“It was just a precaution,” she lied. “They wanted me. As second in command, Dimitri needs to know these things.”
Talia turned the ring over in her hands.
“God, I was so sure I’d lost it at your place.
I can’t believe it was here the whole time.
” Her eyes went wide as she turned back to Jackie.
“How bad was the damage to your place?” she asked.
She returned the ring that had started the whole mess to her finger.
She peered down at it sadly, as if it had lost all of its lustre thanks to the pain it had caused her.
“Not as bad as the last time. They were looking for someone to steal, not to wreak havoc, I guess.”
“There are clothes in here, too,” Dimitri said. “You can change, and then we’ll take you home.”
Jackie didn’t want to, but she reached for Dimitri’s wrist and turned toward the door. “We’ll leave you to it.”
Dimitri closed the door behind them and leaned against it, sighing heavily. Jackie walked to the far side of the small room and turned, her arms crossed over her chest and a deep furrow in her brow. Liv looked between them before ducking her head and walking quickly out toward the stairs.
Dimitri kept his eyes on the ground for a long moment before finally raising them to look at Jackie, his chin held high in defiance of whatever she seemed to believe about him.
Jackie stared at him hard, refusing to believe he might betray her to Neil Patterson—hating the evidence she had against him that he had.
Her jaw tightened. Too many words rushed through her head, but none could find their way to her mouth.
She hated how muzzled she felt lately. She’d never been short on words before, but lately she didn’t seem to be able to speak. She felt choked by it.
Finally, Dimitri sighed again, shaking his head in defeat. “I don’t know what you think is going on,” he began.
“Don’t gaslight me,” Jackie spat, cutting him off.
His mouth opened, but he was too taken aback to speak.
He closed it again, taking another breath.
“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to. But I’m telling you, Jackie, I am not going to hurt you.
I’m not trying to hide anything from you.
I just—I’m trying to protect you as best as I can.
I couldn’t protect Talia, but I’m trying to protect you. ”
“How? From wh—”
Dimitri opened his mouth to answer before Jackie was finished asking, but the door behind him opened, distracting them both from the argument at hand.
Talia looked between them as she stepped out, immediately sensing the tension in the room.
She stepped in between them—even after all she’d been through, playing the role of mediator.
“I’m ready to go home,” she said quietly.
Jackie reached out and took Talia’s hand before walking with her out toward the street where the SUV was waiting. She helped Talia back into the front seat and climbed into the back, letting Dimitri drive.
The drive was quiet; no one seemed to know what to say to the other.
Jackie’s stomach churned as they approached Talia’s apartment.
They’d just gotten her back, and now they were handing her off.
She didn’t want to let Talia out of her sight ever again.
But she didn’t have a choice. Talia’s family was also anxious to see her.
She had to let her girlfriend go, even if the very thought made her sick.
They pulled up at the apartment thirty minutes later. Jackie hopped out before Talia could get her door open, holding it for her with a hand out to help her out of the tall car. Dimitri came around from the driver’s side and walked with them up the front stairs.
The door opened before they reached it, and a woman emerged with tears streaming down her face.
She was shorter and more plump than Talia, but their faces matched.
She let out a cry as she surged down the stairs and wrapped Talia in her arms. Jackie bit her lip against the tears that stung her eyes.
Talia had almost been taken from them all, not just from her and Dimitri, but from her family and everyone else who loved her.
Talia’s sister released her and pulled Jackie into a tight hug, kissing her cheek as she thanked her before turning to Dimitri and doing the same.
He smiled sheepishly, but Jackie could still see the guilt eating him alive that Talia had been taken in the first place.
Her throat tightened, thinking about all the tears he’d shed over the last two months.
He wanted to keep them safe, and he’d failed.
He’d told Jackie he was going to take care of her…
“I’ll call you,” Talia said over her shoulder as her sister dragged her into the apartment, shaking Jackie from her thoughts.
“Yeah,” she replied weakly as Talia disappeared behind the door.
She stared at the ground a moment, feeling Dimitri’s eyes on her.
Her stomach rolled again, and she wondered if she might throw up.
She tried to take a deep breath, but her chest felt too tight.
The world seemed to tilt for a moment. When she looked at her hand, it seemed to spread out across the sidewalk in front of her.
She looked up at Dimitri, whose curiosity seemed to be replaced by concern. He, too, seemed to multiply across the sidewalk as the world continued to tilt on its axis.
“Jacks?” he asked, stepping forward with an arm cautiously reaching toward her.
She gripped it, her stomach flipping again. “I think you need to take me to the hospital,” she said weakly. She looked up at him again, noting the panic in his eyes before the world went dark.