Thrill Ride (Black Knights Inc. #4)(95)
Or, maybe he could look at the bright side, in that her interrogation was very likely the last interrogation he’d ever have to do. Because for the last five years, he’d unknowingly been involved in illegal, non-government sanctioned activities, and he was going to have to pay for that. One way or another…
“You have everything you need?” Boss asked, his face lined with concern.
“Oui,” Rock nodded, looking over at Dunn who was sitting on the metal steps leading to the second floor. He and Rock were the only ones who’d changed out of their fancy duds. The reason being their plan was for Dunn to drive Donna Ward back to DC in his Explorer while Rock rode behind on Patriot, and tuxedos weren’t necessarily conducive to either task. “You sure you’re okay with these arrangements, man?” he asked Dunn. “‘Cause I could always ride with you instead—”
“No way.” Dunn shook his head. “I’ve got some phone calls to make, some arrangements to take care of. And this way you’ll get in one last ride.”
Rock nodded again, thanking the man with his eyes. He respected the shit out of the guy for doing this, for turning himself in. Because the consequences Dunn stood to face were far more severe than the consequences Rock stood to face. Dunn had been the one to do the actual killing after all…
“You sure that’s a wise move?” Boss interrupted. “The Feds are going to be scouring the entire country soon, looking for Dr. Ward. We could always have Fuller fly here.”
Rock shook his head. “Dunn’s windows are tinted, and everyone not only thinks I’m dead, but graveyard dead, so it’s not like there’s an APB out on me or anything. I’d really like to take this last ride, Boss. There’s no tellin’—”
“Wait a minute,” Vanessa interrupted, her dark eyes wide. “What are you talking about when you say one last ride? Surely you don’t think you’ll be held responsible for any of this. You were duped.” She swung around to Dunn. “You both were.”
“Doesn’t matter what we thought,” Dunn said, not looking at Vanessa, but staring straight at Rock. His eyes shone with bone-deep sadness, and Rock ached for the guy. For what Donna Ward had turned him into. Rock’s heart was an anchor in the center of his chest. “Ignorance isn’t an excuse,” Dunn finished. And wasn’t that the truth? They should have asked more questions. But shoulda, woulda, coulda, it was all a done deal now.
“Boss…” he turned, and the torment on his old friend’s face wrecked him. He wished like hell he didn’t have to put the man through this and, more than that, he wished he hadn’t put this black spot on the reputation of Black Knights Inc. But there was no going back to erase the past. So the most he could hope to accomplish was to do the right thing for BKI’s future. “I’d like you to give us about eleven hours to make the drive. And then I’d like you to call Fuller. Tell him to meet me at the old spot down by the Potomac.” The little, rural shack by the river where he and Boss had first run the idea for Black Knights Inc. by the general. “Can you do that?”
“You know I can,” Boss said, a hard muscle ticking in his jaw. “But I wish there was another way.”
“There’s not. You know there’s not, mon frere.”
Boss jerked his chin, once, the big guy’s eyes overly bright. And, mon dieu, Rock was having a hard enough time keeping his shit together as it was. Seeing Boss losing it, even a little, was a steel-fisted blow straight to the gut.
“Wait!” Vanessa yelled, panic in her voice, her eyes frantic. “Wait! What are you guys saying? Are you saying you’re going to prison for this? No!” She adamantly shook her head. “No! It’s not right! It’s not fair!”
Ah, chere, there’s my proud, dauntless lioness…
“Surely you know by now, mon ange,” he murmured holding her gaze, “there’s nothing fair in this ol’ life.” He was so goddamned sorry…about everything.
“Rock,” she ran to him, the anguish on her pretty face breaking his f*cking heart. “Richard,” she pleaded once she reached him, laying a beseeching hand on his arm, and that just made it all so much worse. “You don’t have to do this. They think you’re dead. You could just stay dead,” she was panting, her voice unusually high. And it was obvious she’d forgotten they had an audience. The Knights were looking on with various expressions of discomfort and heartache, but Rock didn’t care. His only thought was to soothe the woman standing in front of him. “You could get a new name. Move to a different country. I’ll come with you.” Oh, sweet Jesus, she was killing him. “I’ll change my name, too. There’s nothing to keep me here. No parents. My aunt died last year. We can—”
“Stop it, chere,” he grabbed her upper arms, giving her a gentle shake. And it only managed to cause the tears that’d been standing in her eyes to spill over and slide down her soft cheeks. “This has to be done.”
“No,” she shook her head, her shiny, black hair brushing her shoulders. “No it doesn’t. You could just run. Run away, Rock—”
“That’s not the honorable thing to do.”
“Screw honor!” she wailed, now crying in earnest. “What about life? We could have a life together. You and I. I love you, Rock!” She threw her arms around his neck and—oh, dieu—suddenly she wasn’t the only one crying. One mutinous tear slipped from his right eye, slid down his cheek and landed in her hair where her head was tucked up under his chin. She loved him. It was what he’d been afraid of and maybe secretly yearning for all along…