Secret Obsession (Carder Texas Connections #6)(51)

“They’ve taken him off the drugs. Hopefully he wakes up soon. It’s hard to tell.”

Noah grunted, and for the first time he met Lyssa’s gaze. She recognized the emotions flaring in his eyes. Frustration, anger, accusation. And betrayal. She’d have to accept she’d ruined any chance of a future with him.

She did trust Noah. She’d made herself more vulnerable to him than anyone since Jack. She just didn’t trust Archimedes.

Elijah turned the car onto a street. A mailbox and copy shop sat at the corner. They passed the store then turned onto a new street. “I scoped it out before I picked you up. The place has surveillance. We should assume he’s watching.”

“He’ll see Rafe walk in and retrieve whatever he has for us in the box.” Noah reached out to open the car door.

Lyssa clutched his arm. “I should do it.”

He glared at her. “You’re not going in there.”

“What if it’s a trap? A bomb?”

“I’ll be fine.” Noah pinned Elijah with his gaze. “Watch her. If it goes bad, I want you out of here. Get her to CTC.”

Elijah tugged out his 1911 and nodded.

Noah exited the vehicle. Elijah turned to her. “What the hell is going on between you two?”

Lyssa gripped the armrest as he disappeared inside. “Nothing.”

“I know you’ve had it rough, but Noah needs a clear head. His sister’s in danger, you’re in trouble. Don’t make it worse. One too many distractions and this thing ends bad. You get me?”

Lyssa nodded.

Noah didn’t take long. He carried an envelope and a prepaid cell phone. “It’s clean. Take us to a motel room. We need internet access. And we have less than one hour until he contacts us.”

*

ELIJAH CLOSED THEM into the motel room. Another Rafe special. Noah pulled out his laptop and set up the security. He glanced at his watch. “Thirty minutes.”

Lyssa approached him. He stiffened in response. “What do you want?”

“Can we talk for a minute?” she asked hesitantly.

He couldn’t imagine what they had to discuss. She’d made herself perfectly clear. When it came down to it, she couldn’t believe in him. So be it. He’d do this job and that would be the end of it.

“There’s nothing to discuss. Besides, Archimedes provided a web address, I need to set it up.”

He turned his back on her, and his phone buzzed. He glanced at the receiver and put the phone to his ear. “Did you find her, Rafe?”

“Zane narrowed the signal to an old warehouse south of downtown. Lots of old buildings. Noah, she’s awake.”

Noah turned on the computer, opened the browser and went to the URL. Sierra’s eyes were open. He could see the anger in her eyes—and the fear.

She looked up at the camera, turned over and arranged her hand as if she were holding a bottle.

“What’s she doing?” Noah asked.

Sierra’s hand moved again. She created a fist. Then she repeated the last movement.

“What is she trying to signal?” Noah asked.

A whisper sounded through the phone.

“Your brother thinks it’s sign language. CTC.”

“Get Ransom on the phone,” Noah barked. “See what he knows about this.”

“Does she know who you work for?” Rafe asked.

“I didn’t think so.”

Rafe cleared his throat. “Look, Noah, you need to be aware, the signal is coming from an area where there’s a whole block of buildings scheduled for demolition. Today at noon.”

Noah couldn’t move. “Can you stop it?”

“Your father’s calling in all kinds of favors. We’re working it.”

Elijah tapped his watch.

“Rafe—”

“I’ll get her out. I promise.” He hung up the phone.

“What’s up?” Elijah asked.

“They’re closing in on Sierra,” he said.

“Thank God,” Lyssa said.

“They don’t have her yet.”

Noah sat down and typed in the URL Archimedes had provided. The screen was blank. “I’m cutting the connection,” he said. “We don’t go in until the time. I don’t want Archimedes to have a chance to trace us here.”

Lyssa paced back and forth. She’d broken his heart. If the past few days had taught him anything it was that secrets weren’t worth it. His mistakes may have cost Sierra her life. And he refused to give his heart to a woman who couldn’t trust him.

She’d given him her body; she’d trusted him with her life, but she wouldn’t trust him with her soul. He’d witnessed his father and mother together. They’d been a team, each other’s best friends. The trust between them was never spoken. It was just there.

He wanted Lyssa, he couldn’t deny that, but he wanted to spend his life with a woman who had complete faith in him.

Lyssa didn’t.

A piece of his soul disintegrated with the realization. Somewhere inside of him he’d prayed someone like Lyssa would come along, someone he could share everything with, and here she was, a fantasy woman who drove his body wild, was everything he wanted—except the most important thing.