Chapter 17 #2
Dannie smiled. “I know.” He reached over and kissed her forehead. “I shouldn't have let you come here without me.”
“I would do anything for you.”
Something hot twisted inside my chest. Jealousy. Sharp and immediate. I looked away before anyone could see it. I didn't have the right. Not anymore.
“What’s with all the foreign criminals?” The question came out more bitterly than I intended.
Dannie laughed. “Funny.”
“I wasn't joking.”
“I invited Beng. He's a friend from Malaysia.” He gestured toward the other side of the room. “And Lincoln invited Matteo, who I believe was a friend of yours as well.”
I nodded.
“I wasn't sure we'd have enough assistance,” Dannie continued. “With Squirrel dead and no one we could contact at such short notice, I wanted to make sure we had extra help.”
I looked around the room. Men I'd never met. Teams I didn't know. Weapons. Plans. People who seemed to understand this world far better than I did.
“What have you guys been doing all this time?” My voice sharpened. “While June and I were trapped in that windowless, suffocating apartment?”
June glanced at me, then around the room. She didn't need to say anything. I knew exactly what she was thinking.
We had spent three days waiting.
Waiting for someone to find us. Waiting for someone to make a move. Waiting.
Just like I'd accused her of doing when we'd first arrived.
Lincoln answered. “We cleaned up the safe house.” He gave me a tired smile. “Trust me. It wasn't easy.”
Andy slowly rose from her chair. “May I?”
I nodded.
She cleared her throat, almost as though she were about to give a presentation. “I was lucky the triad left me alone after you and June escaped. Mr. Young, Mr. Wu and the others arrived the following day.”
She glanced at Dannie. “Mr. Wu was certain you were at his apartment.”
“I was,” I said.
“But it wasn't possible to reach you immediately. There were too many people trying to break into the building.”
Dannie and Lincoln stood quietly behind her, occasionally nodding as she continued.
“So we decided to retreat temporarily. We secured the safe house, cleaned up the scene and waited for more men to arrive.”
“Waited.” The word came out sharper than I intended. “That's all you did?”
June shot me a look. A very specific look. I knew exactly what it meant.
That's exactly what you did.
Waiting for Squirrel. Waiting for someone to contact us. Waiting until she finally decided she couldn't take it anymore and went looking for him herself.
I rubbed a hand over my face. “Fine.”
Andy continued. “Not entirely. Mr. Mazza and Mr. Beng's men attacked several of Mr. Wu’s uncle’s bases.”
“Roger,” Dannie corrected gently. “Roger's bases.”
Andy nodded. “The attacks went very well. His men retreated from several locations, which gave us an opportunity to move toward you.”
“That was when we ran into you?”
“Yes.” Lincoln stepped in. “We had practically cleared the street before we got there. We were preparing to blast our way into the building.”
I frowned. “But you didn't.”
“No.” He smiled faintly. “We didn't expect you two to come down in the elevator.”
I shook my head. Of course we hadn't. Nothing about this trip had gone according to plan.
“What happens next?” I looked at Dannie.
For the first time since I'd arrived, I felt something close to clarity. The bunker was behind us. The dead were behind us.
June was here. Dannie was here.
And now we had an army.
Dannie looked toward the men gathered around the room.
“After the attacks…” Andy continued, “Roger and Laura haven't been sighted.”
“They've gone into hiding,” I said.
“That's what we believe.” Dannie nodded slowly. “That's typical of my uncle.” His expression hardened. “But I don't think they'll stay hidden for long.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“Laura isn't someone who sits around and waits,” Dannie explained. “She'll want to do something. Make a move. Find a way to regain control.”
“I still can't believe she betrayed you.”
“Perhaps her loyalty was never with me in the first place.” Dannie’s expression hardened slightly. “She was Roger’s daughter. The spy he planted beside me—and Grandma. We just never knew it.”
“Is that why you were never close to her?” June asked.
“No. Not really.” Dannie shook his head. “I just didn’t want a replacement sister after the one I lost. And Laura…” He paused, searching for the right words. “She was always too bubbly. Too happy. Always looking for an excuse to get close to us. It was exactly that which made me push her away.”
His gaze dropped. “Maybe if I had been kinder to her from the beginning, things would have turned out differently.”
“She never could have won,” I said. “Not really. Someone like her would have ended up betraying someone eventually. Either Roger, or you and…” I hesitated.
Grandma.
The word still felt strange. I couldn't bring myself to call her my grandmother. Not really.
“I suppose you're right,” June said quietly. “I still can't help feeling sorry for her.”
Dannie pulled her into his arms. The hug was supposed to be mine.
The thought came automatically, bitter and unwelcome. I looked away.
“If she's smart, she won't come back,” I muttered. “Traitors rarely get a second chance.”
June glanced around the room. “Was this one of their bases?”
“Yes.” Dannie’s face reddened. “I still can't believe what they did. When we finally took the house back, quite a few things were missing.”
“I'm sorry,” June said.
A few people around us murmured their own apologies.
Dannie shook his head. “They weren't just things. They were Grandma's. Some of her favourite pieces.”
“Do you want me to check the black market?” I offered. “They won't be able to sell most of those through legitimate channels.”
“Thanks. I already have people looking.” He looked at me for a moment. “But you know what? Maybe check your sources in China too.”
“I will.”
Before Dannie could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. We all turned.
The housekeeper stood at the edge of the kitchen doorway. “Excuse me, Mr. Li.”
I straightened. “Yes?”
“There’s someone here to see you.”
“Me?”
A familiar voice came from behind her. “Hey, you.”
My stomach dropped. Lucy stepped into view. And beside her, a small face appeared. Everything inside me went still.
For a second, I couldn't process what I was seeing. Lucy. Here. In Hong Kong. With our child.
I had specifically told her to stay in Shanghai.
My first reaction wasn't relief. It wasn't happiness. It was panic. What the hell was she doing here?
My eyes immediately went to June. She was standing only a few feet away. Then back to Lucy.
The cutest little girl in the world ran toward me. I forced my expression to change before she reached me, crouching and opening my arms.
“Hey, mini bear.” I said before she crashed into me, wrapping her little arms around my neck. I held her tightly. “I missed you so much. Give me a big cuddle.”
“I missed you too.”