Marked. Part I: The missing Link (37 page)

She waves her hand, indifferent. “Fine,” she sighs as if he ruins all her fun.

Jay approaches me and holds out his hand, “She's walking me to the door.”

They don't stop him and he has to take my hand to guide me up to him. He wraps his arm around my shoulder as he takes us to the door, him supporting all my weight as my legs have forgotten how to function. We reach the door, and he scoops me up by the waist and buries his face in my hair.

“
I'm so fucking sorry I brought you into this mess,” he mutters into my ear. I hold onto him tightly, my face in his neck, inhaling deeply, hoping his scent will calm even a fraction of me. “Hang tight. I'll get you out of this. Remember your promise: any order I give, no hesitation.”

I nod into his neck and I'm thankful he doesn't make me say it out loud. Words are impossible right now; I'm too overwhelmed.

“I love you, baby.”

I nod again.

He kisses my lips softly before gently placing me to the ground.

Jay opens the door and faces Lazra, his expression strangely placid, “Not a fucking finger.”

The door slams shut. I stare at it, mind numb, completely shutting out emotion because if I could feel right now, I'd have a breakdown.

“
Come, dear,” Lazra rings out behind me as though I'm here for a long overdue visit. “Sit. Enjoy a refreshment with me and we can share juicy gossip.”

I can't believe I let Jay walk out the door without telling him I love him too.

What if I never get the chance again?

No, I can't think like that. He has to come back with the dagger. He would never leave me here, not with someone like her.

A guard takes my arm and drags my immobile feet to the couch, where he plops me down.

I vacantly stare at the coffee table.

“Can I sit with her?” Arianna asks.

I don't hear a response, but she must have agreed because I feel the warmth of Arianna's arms around my upper body.

“It'll be okay. Jay's incredibly smart. I'm sure he already has a plan,” she whispers in my ear.

I wish I could nod in understanding, but all my brain can think about is that The Marker believes Jay has the dagger and he's coming for him. If he's anything like his sister, and it sounds like he is but enjoys giving pain more than receiving, well...yeah. Fuck.

I'm terrified. I start to tremble and Arianna rubs her hands along my arms.

“
You going to be okay?” She soothingly asks. “You look like you've checked out.”

That's because I have, but of course my mouth can't move to tell her that.

“I think I'm done with this life,” she keeps on talking, I think to distract the both of us. “I have enough money saved that I'm going to find a remote island, buy a hut, and lay on the sand every day without a care in the world...”

Mmm, that sounds nice. I want to do that too.

“The house will have big long windows all throughout, so no matter where I am I can see the ocean. I'll drink pina-coladas and eat cupcakes all day, not caring if I get fat...”

Mmm, that sounds nice too.

We relax back into the couch as she continues to tell me all about her dream island and the life she'll lead there.

Chapter 36

10:46am

Jay's only been gone for thirty minutes but it feels like a lifetime. Arianna stopped her story ten minutes ago and I can feel her tension and worry. We are both slouched deep into the couch, holding hands, hers giving mine a squeeze every now and then.

I need to put my trust and faith in Jay that this will all work out. I know he won't let anything bad happen to me, but I'm more worried (a lot more worried) about him than myself.

I'm also devastated. I was growing excited at the prospect of starting a life with him and seeing where it takes us. I was relieved to know that he was giving up his revenge and he loves me enough to do it. We were so close to finding happiness together, only to have this deranged psychopath who's casually sipping wine and doing a Sudoku puzzle next to me like it's a lazy Sunday afternoon interfere.

I hate her.

I hate her with every fiber of my being.

Jay was ready to give up his revenge and focus on learning to be happy and have a life of his own. She's taking that from him. She's taking that from us. When I thought I felt hate for Arianna I was wrong. That was merely jealousy. This, what I feel right now for Lazra (the crazy bitch) is hatred. Pure, venomous, loathing hatred.

I hear the keycard and door turning open. I sit up straight and hold my breath.

All the air in my lungs comes out in one long whoosh as Jay walks through the door. I try reading his face but it's expressionless, which is better than fear or worry.

I notice him peek my way to reassure himself I'm unharmed. I do the exact same thing. The day's not over, but I feel better knowing he's here and he's safe – for the time being.

“Do you have it?” Lazra asks, looking like a witch standing over her brewing potion, rubbing her hands together with greed, the tip of her tongue poking out the side of her mouth. Her crazy eyelids are twitching and her eyeballs are wiggling all over the place.

One of the guards who accompanied Jay reaches inside a pocket and pulls it out. Lazra leaps to her feet, flying over to snatch it.

She walks back to her seat, staring down at the dagger laying flat on both her palms. From what little I can see, it has a tarnished gold handle with symbols etched on top.

That's what she's ruining Jay's life for? I had visions of at least gems, rubies, anything that showed it was worth something.

“Lily, come on, let's go,” Jay commands.

Really, that's it?

I stand and reach my hand out to help Arianna up.

“
She stays here,” Lazra informs us, “I'll let Mister Henley decide what to do with her.”

Arianna's frightened features blanch.

“Lily, come on,” Jay orders, not even trying to persuade Lazra to let Arianna come with us.

“
Not without Arianna,” I proclaim, refusing to leave her here. I grab her hand and squeeze.

“
Lily,” he warns.

“
No.”

“
This isn't up for negotiations. Remember your promise?”

Seriously!? I didn't know that promise included leaving behind a good person in the hands of a psychopath!

“Baby, she's not our concern. Let's go,” he steps forward and tightly seizes my arm, dragging me behind him.

I look back over my shoulder to see tears brimming Arianna's lids. I don't blame her. This is seriously fucked up and all kinds of wrong.

Two guards follow us out, and once we reach the short hallway to the elevator I yank my arm free.

Jay's steel form towers over me, but his intimidation technique doesn't work on me anymore.

“You're not going back for her.”

“
I know, but at the moment you're not on my favorite persons list. In fact, I want to be as far away from you as I can get.” A tear falls down and I wipe it away, “How could you?”

“
You need to calm down and trust me,” Jay sneers, getting just as ticked as I am. “For once, just fucking trust me.”

Jay pushes the elevator door button and securely fastens me to his side, despite my struggle. Jay leans down to put his mouth to my ear, “No hesitations, and fucking
trust me
.”

The doors ping open and I find myself being shoved inside by Jay and two men pulling me forward and behind their backs. Men start stepping out of the elevator, and with silenced guns shoot Lazra's two guards in the head, dropping them to the ground.

I peek through the tiny gap between the two men who are guarding me. Six other men are in the hallway with Jay, handing him weapons. I immediately recognize them as Vault's guards.

“
Get her the fuck out of here,” Jay whisper-shouts to no one as he checks his gun for ammo.

The doors begin to close and I try pawing my way between the two guards, but they push me back.

“What's going on?” I plea.

No answer.

I frustratingly bang the wall behind me with my foot. We reach the lobby floor and the two men escort me out. I'm chewing on my bottom lip, cutting it to shreds, internally freaking out about not knowing what's going on.

Jay was never going to leave Arianna behind. I should have known he wasn't that cruel. What a shitty assumption to make. I feel like a class-A jerk. I do need to trust him more.

I don't realize we've reached the outside until a chauffeur is holding open the door to a black Escalade and the guards usher me inside. One gestures for me to scoot over so he can join me and the other sits up front with the driver. Looking out the open door, I see five men in identical suits and earpieces head into the hotel. The door closes and I immediately try to open mine with no luck.

“
You're not going anywhere.”

I screech at the sound of Vault's voice. Directly across from me, close enough I could kick him, but not close enough that we're touching, he's calmly drinking his amber liquor.

“What the hell is going on?” Any minute now I'm going to explode with frustration if I don't get some answers.

The SUV merges into the city traffic and I glance out the window, watching The Fairmont and Jay fade away.

“I can't leave him there!”

“
Lily, relax,” He motions for the guard to switch sides with him and places a warm hand over mine, rubbing it with his thumb. “Jay can handle this. He'll be fine.”

I turn my tear streaked face to him. “Please tell me what's going on,” I sound hoarse from the lump taking over my entire throat and chest. “Please,” I unabashedly implore.

“Sweetheart, it's okay,” he lovingly wipes my tears and strokes my cheeks, his piercing blue eyes sincere and compassionate. “He wouldn't go in there if he thought he couldn't make it out. Lazra's time is up.”

I wipe my snotty nose with the back of my hand and he whips a kerchief out of his suit pocket for me.

“He called me the minute you left him, telling me he had a bad feeling, and his old man always taught him to trust his gut. I know the Lincolns. Never met one who isn't spot on with their instincts. Should have listened to him,” now his eyes have turned apologetic and remorseful. “He informed me he was getting you and he's backing out of the deal no matter the consequences. Like the ass that I am, I refused to let that happen. The file is very important to me.”

A “why” pops out before I can stop it, knowing that what's on it is none of my business.

“That, sweetheart, is an entirely different story.”

I'm fine with that answer, since I want to know what Jay has planned. I could give a flying fuck about a damn file right now.

“I blackmailed him with threats I won't repeat to you, but know it was a dick move on my part. He had no choice but to hang up with me and let it play out. Never heard a man on the phone so desperate,” he cringes from the memory and I can tell he truly wishes he had listened. “Not long after, he called back and told me Lazra had you and I owed him my men. I called in my head of security to round up his boys and anyone else he could trust to help out. When Jay arrived, he called me a few choice words before purposely hitting me in the head with the USB.”

A small, silent giggle bunches up my shoulders. Jay can be such a child sometimes.

Vault keeps talking, not noticing my amusement, “I had the dagger ready and handed it over. I have never seen Jay that angry, and I've seen him at his worst. You could feel it, smell it, even taste it.”

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one aware of how he can change the atmosphere with his mood.

“Shortly after he left, my men and I came to the hotel. I paid off the hotel manager with more money than he'll make in a lifetime to leave us be and ignore any noises from Jaxon Henley's suite. I informed him I'd pay for any damages done, as long as he doesn't report us, as well as an extra bonus for him. Then I called my buddy at the police station to ignore any calls regarding The Fairmont. My men waited in the elevator the manager sectioned off so no one would use it, and well, you know the rest.”

“
What if he doesn't make it out?”

“
He will,” he assures me, not a tinge of doubt in his voice or demeanor. “I doubt her men are better trained than mine or Jay.”

“
Arianna's in there too.”

His face pales a touch, “Yeah?”

I nod.

He pats my leg, “She'll be fine too. She's a tough cookie.”

“Sir,” the driver cuts in, “we're being followed.”

“
How long?”

“
The minute we left. Wasn't positive at first so I made some extra turns, but it's affirmative.”

“
What's the plan of action?”

“
I'm heading to the usual exchange location. We can take care of whoever it is from there.”

“
Good.”

I begin chewing on my lip again. My legs start jiggling from nervousness and unease floods my nervous system.

“Lazra told The Marker you gave Jay the dagger,” I confide, fearful it's him who's following us.

Vault places a hand on my thigh telling it to stop bouncing, “When?”

“Yesterday when we entered your bank.”

The tension I didn't know he was carrying releases and his shoulders loosen back, “That won't be him. He never works that fast. He has to calculate and go over every scenario before he enters any situation. He'll need more than a day. Plus, he'll want to kill Jay and I. He'll need us together to keep to his “three in three minutes of each other” shit he does.”

“Jay told me nobody's stupid enough to try and kill you.”

“
Dragoni's different. He'd enjoy having a whole variety of people from all crosses of life coming after him,” he pauses to smirk and drink from his glass, “I'm surprised he hasn't killed me for the fun of it just to see what happens.” He seems entertained by the idea. What the hell is wrong with these people? They're all nuts, every single one of them. Jay included.

I try my best to ignore his intrigue over the idea of being murdered, “Won't your other clients be mad you gave away a possession?”

“They will understand when they hear who's possession it is.”

Our conversation comes to a halt when the Escalade turns into a parking garage in a ghetto part of the city. At least I assume it's a shady part because of how rundown the buildings and garage look, and the overabundance of graffiti.

“Gun,” I give Vault a come-hither movement with my hand, “give me one.”

Vault chuckles, “Sorry, not going to happen.”

“Now!” I shout, “I'm not dicking around. I swear to God I know how to use one and I'd feel a helluva lot safer with one in my hand.

He eyes me, speculating if it's smart or not.

I give him my best “don't mess with me” glare.

He motions for the guard to hand me one, “Jay's going to kill me.”

“Trust me,” I share with certainty, “he won't.” I inspect the Beretta M9 I'm given, “Nice pistol. I've been wanting to get my hands on an M9 for a long time. Mind if I keep this?” I figure he can get more, and this might be my only shot (pun intended) at acquiring one. “Don't worry, I'll pay you,” I quickly add, not wanting him to think I expect it for free.

Vault laughs like he finally understands the joke, but stops when he realizes I'm serious. His features scrunch up like I'm the most bizarre creature he's ever come across and he's not sure how to handle me, “Consider it yours in exchange for your forgiveness that I made Jay send you in for my file.”

I do a little happy dance in my seat, “Sweet! Thanks!” The guys at the shooting range are going to shit themselves when they see this, but first I have to make it out alive. No biggie. I'm only about to fill a crater with the sweat from my armpits and vomit up my bagel from this morning.

We park in the back on the third level. There are only two other cars and they are parked closer to the front.

My hands begin to shake.

Yup, I've totally got this under control.