Rhys (12 page)

Ally ignored him. She leaned forward in her chair. “People only have the power we give them, Dr. Rosenthal. I understand that you’re afraid, and, based on those bruises, I can guess why. But what my darling boyfriend and his friends sometimes forget is that there’s more than one way of fighting.”

“Ally’s right,” Charlie said from the corner of the room. “She could help you expose Boyd to the public.”

“Anders Boyd?” Ally asked. “That’s who’s after you?”

Tessa nodded. “But even if you could bring Boyd to justice, it wouldn’t fix the problem. Not completely.”

“Why?”

“That’s the million dollar question,” Carter said with a grumble. Ally shot him a glare.

Tessa ran a hand through her hair. It was one thing when she was contemplating telling Rhys her secrets, but a room full of people? That was a whole other ballgame.

Ally seemed to sense her trepidation.

“You’ve made it through one hell of a battle,” she said. “But no one can fight a whole war on their own.”

“Everyone here wants to help,” Charlie said, tilting her head toward Carter. “Even if some of us have a funny way of showing it.”

Rhys took her hand, and Tessa turned to meet his gaze. “It’s okay, Tessa. I promise.”

Tessa drew in a deep breath.

Maybe they were right. She’d carried this weight for so long on her own, and gotten nowhere. Maybe it was time to let someone else help her shoulder the burden.

“At first I thought that it was a godsend when Boyd recruited me straight out of MIT,” she said. “No one else was particularly interested in touching my work because it was too
out there
.”

“How so?” Carter asked.

“I’ve spent my whole career pushing the boundaries of nanotech. Most of my peers found my ideas too ambitious or unachievable. But not Boyd. He was the first person to see the possibility in my work. When everyone else was telling me to hold back, he pushed me to go further, to dream bigger. And the truth is, I adored him for it.”

“So, you followed him out to California,” Rhys said.

Tessa nodded. “He offered me my own lab and nearly unlimited resources to pursue my vision—medically invasive nanotech that could read and analyze the human genome in real time.”

Mason cocked his head to the side. “That
is
ambitious.”

Tessa gave a weak smile. “It was, but so am I.”

“Wait,” Charlie said, taking a step forward. “You actually did it? You created a successful prototype?”

“After years of dedicated research, yes.”

“Why is that amazing?” Ally asked.

Mason turned toward her. “What Dr. Rosenthal created was a tiny robot that could travel through a person’s bloodstream and assess deviations in their genetic code.”

“And that’s bad?” Jake asked.

“No, not necessarily. For one thing, it could revolutionize the way we diagnose cancer,” Charlie said, her voice full of awe. “Simply put, cancer cells are mutations from healthy ones. If Dr. Rosenthal’s tech could find a cluster of cells that don’t match the programmed genome and relay that information back to a doctor, then people could begin receiving treatment weeks, even months sooner than they do now.”

“Faster than that,” Tessa said. “Boyd pushed for the prototypes to have therapeutic capabilities.”

Charlie’s jaw fell open. “Oh, no.”

“Okay, so
that
must be the bad part,” Ally said.

Mason nodded, as he let out a long breath. “If the nanotech could be programmed to destroy cancer cells that means it could be programmed to attack any cells that don’t match a certain set of criteria.”

“So, it could be used as a weapon?” Ally asked.

“Not just any weapon,” Tessa said. “Possibly the most terrifying one the world has ever seen.”

“What could happen if it fell into the wrong hands?” Rhys asked.

“A whole range of nightmare scenarios, from targeted political assassinations to wiping out entire ethnic groups,” Tessa said.

A hush fell over the room as the magnitude of what she’d created sunk in. The weight of their silence hung heavy on her shoulders. Tessa’s gaze fell to her lap as a new wave of guilt and regret washed over her.

“Boyd called it Project Exodus. I was so wrapped up in leading humanity to the promised land by finding the solution to cancer that I didn’t realize that what I was creating were the plagues of Egypt,” Tessa said.

Rhys squeezed her palms, and she lifted her eyes to his. They were as steady and strong as ever. With a single look he was lending her a measure of his strength.

“But you did figure it out,” he said.

Tessa gave a shaky nod. “A few months ago, Boyd started acting strange, pushing me for a working prototype when we were still way ahead of schedule. Security was beefed up around the building—my lab in particular. I began to suspect that I was being tailed when I wasn’t at work.”

“Did you confront Boyd about any of this?” Carter asked.

“I knew better than that,” Tessa said. “I’d seen how he’d dealt with those he felt had crossed him. So, I started digging around as quietly as I could. I found out that he’d been meeting with various military and paramilitary groups for months about the project. I figured that with all this new pressure he’d finally settled on a buyer, and they were getting antsy for delivery.”

“And that’s when you destroyed everything?” Rhys asked. His gaze was so intense, so direct, that she couldn’t stand to stare into it any longer.

Tessa turned away, feeling like a coward.

“I destroyed everything I could get my hands on,” she admitted. “It only took a few minutes to gather everything pertinent at the lab and toss it into the incinerator. Then I went to my apartment. I had just finished burning the last of my notes when Dylan broke down my door. I was hoping that I’d have more time before they caught me, but they were just too quick.”

“Why did you need more time?” Ally asked.

“Because she didn’t get to everything,” Rhys said slowly. “There’s still more to destroy.”

“But you said you were the last link to your creation,” Carter said, his voice hard. He obviously didn’t take well to being lied to, no matter the reason.

“It was imperative that Boyd and everyone else believe that the trail ended with me,” Tessa said.

“So what else is out there?”

“I have a unit in a self storage facility in downtown San Jose. It’s mostly filled with household junk, but I used it to store some backups of work stuff there before Boyd put me under surveillance—notes, digital backups…and a few of my early prototypes.”

“That’s where you were trying to get to the night I found you, wasn’t it?” Rhys said, his eyes narrowing. “That’s where you were running to.”

Tessa drew in a shaky breath as she nodded.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Could you imagine what would happen if Boyd found those remaining prototypes before I did? Destroying the contents of that unit was the only thing that mattered. No matter the cost.”

Tessa could feel Rhys’ energy change behind her. He stiffened, going almost completely still. His gaze stayed steady on her, but the intensity in his eyes changed, as if he had just come to some great realization.

But he didn’t say a word. A knot twisted in the center of Tessa’s belly.

“What I don’t understand is why no one has found this place,” Charlie said. “Self storage units—or anything else with your name on it—should have popped up in all your background checks.”

“Because it’s not in my name,” Tessa said. “I had a roommate when I first moved out to California. The unit was in her name, but she let me share it. By the time she’d moved away, I’d practically taken the whole thing over. So, I kept it, but never got around to changing the name on the contract.”

“So, all we have to do is get to this storage unit and light up the contents, right?” Carter said. “That shouldn’t be a problem, now that we know what we’re dealing with. Two of you can take care of it first thing in the morning. Just tell us where it is.”

“I should do it myself,” she said.

“The hell you will,” Rhys said. The sharp edge was back in his voice, but this time it chilled her right down to the bone. “Boyd is hunting you. After today, Dylan will be out for your blood. You’re not leaving this apartment.”

“But—” she started.

“No buts. You don’t trust Carter. I get that,” he said. “So, I’ll go. And when I say that everything is destroyed you can trust my word.”

Unlike hers.

It felt like a knife slid inside Tessa’s heart.

“Okay,” she said, her voice shaky.

Another hush fell over the room. It seemed she wasn’t the only one taken aback by his sudden burst of temper.

“I’ll go with you,” Mason said, after a few long seconds had passed. “You’ll need back up. Something tells me you’re not Boyd’s favorite person right now either.”

Carter nodded. “Sounds good.”

“And I can start looking into these visits by foreign military to SciGen headquarters,” Ally said. “Something tells me that’s not going to go over very well with a whole bunch of government officials.”

Carter rolled his eyes up toward the ceiling, even as his hands gently squeezed Ally’s shoulders. “That, on the other hand, doesn’t sound so good.”

“Get over it,
Captain
,” Ally shot back, as she stood up.

Charlie stepped forward and tapped Jake on the shoulder. “I guess that just leaves you and I to clean up the operating room, so that these two can use it as a bedroom tonight.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea for me to spend the night?” Tessa asked. “I mean, I’m putting you in danger just being here now.”

Charlie gave her a wide smile. “Don’t worry. I’m just Carter’s IT girl. I doubt that Boyd even knows I exist. I fly way under the radar.”

“I’m not sure that’s exactly how I’d put it,” Carter answered. “But you two ought to be safe enough for one night.”

You two
.

Tessa’s heart clenched. She wasn’t sure there still was a
two of them
. Rhys had sounded so angry a moment ago. So angry
at her
.

She shouldn’t have been surprised. She knew that was the price of keeping secrets and telling lies, but deep down she’d been holding out hope that he would understand.

But when he stood, and, without a word, walked over to look out the window, leaving her completely alone on the couch, Tessa realized just how terribly wrong she’d been.

Chapter Eleven

Apparently, Tessa had seriously underestimated how much planning it took to torch one little storage unit.

For hours, people buzzed around her talking and coordinating, coming up with the perfect strategy to get in and out of the San Jose facility without leaving a shred of evidence behind.

And, here she’d been planning on picking up a gallon of gasoline and a disposable lighter.

Not that Tessa was complaining. In fact, she kind of liked the constant drone of conversation around her. It helped distract her from some of her darker thoughts.

Like whether or not she’d just made the biggest mistake of her life giving Macmillan Security the location of her storage unit. Or maybe that distinction went to spilling her guts to Ally Weaver. It was only a matter of time now before everything that she’d confessed ended up in the papers.

Or, how eventually everyone was going to leave Charlie’s apartment, and she’d finally have to face Rhys…alone.

He still hadn’t said a single word to her. Not one. He’d barely even looked her way, but she could tell from the hard set of his shoulders he was still upset. She could practically warm her hands off the heat emanating from his slow burn.

And, as one by one the group started to head off for the evening, Tessa realized that she was going to have to face the music sooner rather than later.

The trouble was, she had no idea how.

If the last couple of days had taught her anything it was that exit strategies really weren’t her strong point.

Carter and Ally said goodbye first, hoping to salvage their dinner reservations. Mason left a few minutes after. Jake stayed behind talking in hushed tones with Rhys for another fifteen minutes.

He stopped by the couch and cupped his hand over her shoulder before making his way to the door.

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning,” Jake promised, giving her a sympathetic look.

Tessa smiled up at him as she nodded. She never would have guessed the morning that she’d found the tattoo-covered tough guy sharpening a knife by her bed that he would end up being one of the few people that she counted as a friend.

“Well,” Charlie said, as soon as the door closed behind Jake. “I guess that just leaves the three of us for the rest of the night.”

Rhys didn’t say a word.

Tessa looked down at her hands.

“Anybody hungry?” she tried.

Tessa shook her head.

“Yeah…yeah. Me neither,” Charlie said.

The silence stretched on. Eventually, it became so tense that Tessa didn’t think that she could stand it any longer.

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one.

Charlie clapped her hands loudly, before standing up from her chair.

“Well, I guess I’ll just head off to bed then,” she said.

Tessa lifted her head, her eyes going wide. “Don’t let us run you off,” she said.

Charlie shook her head. “It’s cool. I usually go to bed at…” She looked over at the clock. Her brows pulled together as she frowned. “Eight o’clock.”

“Don’t be silly,” Tessa tried. Her chest constricted.

“No. I have a bunch of reading I’ve been meaning to catch up on,” she said, giving Tessa a wide smile. “And that’s best done in my bedroom…that’s all the way on the other side of the apartment.”

Tessa’s cheeks began to burn. Charlie seriously couldn’t think that all this tension was because Rhys couldn’t wait to jump her bones. It was obvious the man didn’t want anything to do with her. Wasn’t it?

“Behind a heavy wooden door,” Charlie kept going as she turned around and slowly strolled through the kitchen. “With excellent noise insulation.”

Tessa closed her eyes as soon as she heard Charlie’s door click closed, and immediately felt like a coward for not wanting to open them again. She’d never shied away from dealing with the consequences of her actions before.

Not until this moment.

But hiding from her problems wasn’t going to make them go away. She’d brought this all on herself. Rhys had every right to be angry with her. She’d lied to him, kept secrets. Big, important, world-shattering secrets.

The very least she’d owed him was a chance to speak his piece.

Still, it took her another full minute before she gathered up enough courage to draw in a deep breath and stand up from the couch.

When she turned around, she found his steely blue gaze was already fixed on her.

Crap
.

Tessa felt some of her resolve falter. Maybe a head-on approach wasn’t such a good idea after all. There was a lot to be said for small talk. Tessa’s eyes clapped on the bulky white bandage that was peeking out of the cuff of his tight T-shirt.

“How’s your arm?” she asked.

“Fine,” he said without hesitation.

“Mason left you some pain pills if it’s bothering you,” she said.

“I’m fine,” he repeated.

So much for small talk.

Tessa forced herself to take a step toward him. And then another.

Rhys didn’t move. His flat expression didn’t change, but his eyes never left hers. Not even for a second.

“Okay,” she said, as much to herself as to him.

She knew what he was waiting for. The same thing he was always waiting for.

The truth.

Maybe it was finally time to let him in.

Completely this time.

“I’m sorry,” she said, taking another step closer. His mouth was a tight line, showing no sign of moving, so she kept going. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m sorry that I never told you about Project Exodus or what I was planning. I only did it because I thought my silence would keep you safe.”

“I know,” he said.

“But in the end it didn’t matter. You almost died anyway, because of me,” Tessa said, moving all the way up to the window. She looked out on the illuminated city sprawling out below her.

“I didn’t die,” he said, just inches away from her side. “I’m fine.”

Tessa shook her head at his bravado, but didn’t look his way. It didn’t matter what he said, but she would never forget how pale he’d looked in the car, how slack his face had gone as he slipped in and out of consciousness.

She had no right to expect him to forgive her for that.

She fixed her gaze on a far off streetlight and swallowed past the lump in her throat.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I understand why you’re so angry at me. Hell, I’m pretty pissed off at myself too,” she said. “I’d apologize, but I know it wouldn’t even come close to making things right.”

Tessa’s lips began to tremble as she continued to focus on the flickering golden light. She drew in a shaky breath. And then another.

Rhys still didn’t say a word, but she could make out his profile in her peripheral vision. More than that, she could feel him. The intensity of his stare was almost more than she could take.

Eventually, her resolve cracked, and she turned toward him.

His eyes were the color of cold steel. His lips were tight. His breathing so deep that the wall of his chest nearly brushed against hers with every rise.

Hot tears began to prick Tessa’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, Rhys.” The words tumbled out of her. “I’m so sorry.”

In the blink of an eye, his hand slid around the back of her neck, cupping it tight. He pressed her close as his mouth found hers.

He kissed her hard. So hard that everything else disappeared. The guilt and the pain were all pushed out. There was just Rhys’ heat and passion.

Tessa’s head swam when he finally pulled his lips away. Her brows pulled together as she looked up at him.

“Never talk like that again,” he said in a low whisper.

“But—”

“I’m angry, Tessa,” he admitted. “But not at you. Never at you.”

“Then what?”

“I’m furious with myself for not putting a bullet in Dylan’s brain when I had the chance.” He gripped her even tighter. “I’m pissed that I’m not holstering my gun, driving out to Boyd’s house, and putting him in the ground right now.”

Tessa blinked. “You’re not a murderer, Rhys.”

“But they are.” He swept back the hair from her brow with a shaking hand. “And the thought of them getting their hands on you makes me…”

“I’m too valuable to them,” Tessa said, shaking her head. “You know they wouldn’t kill me.”

“No,” Rhys said. “But
you
would.”

Tessa sucked in a sharp breath. “I never said—”

“You didn’t have to,” he broke in before she could lie to him again. “I knew the moment you said that you didn’t care about the cost, that the only thing that mattered was destroying any evidence of what you’d created.”

“I was talking about the storage unit,” Tessa tried.

“But that wasn’t the only thing you meant, was it?” He lifted her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. “You can’t lie to me, Tessa.”

It was true. He’d know. Just like he always did. No matter her reasons for wanting to keep the ugly truth from him. It was better to just come clean.

“Honestly, I never thought much past burning the storage unit,” she admitted. “I figured if I got that far, I’d just run. I’d keep going until I was far away from you, from my family, from anyone that I cared about.”

“And if Boyd caught up with you?” Rhys’ voice was so tight Tessa thought it might crack.

She shook her head as a tear slipped down her cheek.

“I-I can’t ever let him take me alive,” she said, each word more frantic than the next. “You have to understand that. There are too many lives at stake. I barely made it out of there before Dylan broke me. They won’t make the same mistake again. They’ll find someone with your skills. They’ll—”

“Hush,” Rhys said, pressing her flush against him. “I’m not going to let that happen, Tessa. I swear it. I don’t care what I have to do. I’ll make it so you don’t have to live your life always looking over your shoulder.”

“You can’t kill them in cold blood.” Tessa forced her head up. “Even if you succeeded, the police would throw you in jail for the rest of your life.”

“It doesn’t matter what happens to me,” he said. “You’re the only thing that matters.”

Tessa tried to pull back, but Rhys held tight.

“I can’t let you sacrifice yourself,” she said.

“And you think I could ever let you go?”

“Then there has to be another way.” Tessa shook her head, trying to clear it. “Maybe Ally was right. Maybe she could dig up something on Boyd that will finally stick. It’s worth a shot, at any rate.”

For a moment a hopeful spark lit up his eyes. “If anyone could do it, it’s her.”

“So you won’t go speeding off to kill Boyd in his sleep just yet?” Tessa asked.

“Just so long as you promise not to run off in the middle of the night.”

“Deal,” Tessa said, putting out her hand.

He ignored it and instead pivoted her up against the wall. His hand slipped down to her leg, gripping her thigh and lifting it high.

“But Charlie—” she started.

“Is all the way on the other end of the apartment. Remember?” he said.

Tessa wanted to glare at him. She really did. But he buried his face against the column of her neck before she got the chance. His lips and tongue played at the sensitive skin, and despite Tessa’s best intentions, her head fell back against the wall with a moan.

A moment later, she heard a stereo turning on. Even through the walls she could tell that it was cranked up pretty loud.

The sound was enough to bring Tessa back to herself.

“It’s not that big of an apartment,” she said.

Rhys let out a groan before lifting Tessa all the way up.

She gasped as her feet came off the ground. Acting on instinct, she wrapped her legs around Rhys’ waist, her arms around his shoulders.

“Put me down,” she demanded. “Your arm.”

“Is fine,” he said. “For God’s sake, you act like that was the first time I’ve been shot.”

Tessa’s eyes went wide. “It wasn’t?”

He smiled. A real smile. One that showed teeth.

She should have figured that the only time he’d ever really smile was when he was talking about taking a bullet.

“Not hardly,” he said.

He carried her to the guest bedroom and kicked the door shut behind him. He walked her over to the bed and laid her down. He pulled off his shirt and let it fall to the floor.

“Better?” he asked.

“Y-yeah.”

Much better.

Tessa didn’t think that she would ever get used to the sight of his naked body. It would be like getting tired of looking at a Michelangelo sculpture.

Tessa ran her hands over his chest as he leaned over her, letting her fingers slide over the smooth skin, feeling the hard muscles beneath.

His fingers curled around the bottom of her shirt and lifted it above her head. Her bra came next. She didn’t wait for him to help her with her pants. Those she kicked off herself.