Forsaken Duty (Red Team #9)(58)

The guys went their separate ways when the elevator reached the main floor. Owen took his boxes into his room, but just stood there, still debating what to do with them. After a long while, he knocked on Addy’s door. Maybe he’d be spared further shame tonight if she just ignored him. But she didn’t.

Her door opened. He stared down at her. Her features looked pale, backed by the shadows in her room. “What is it?”

“May I come in? Just for a moment?”

She stepped back, opening the door wider for him. She turned on a lamp. He walked to the small table in her room and set the boxes down, along with their keys. “These are for you.”

“What’s in them?” she whispered.

He unlocked one and showed her. “The letters I promised to write you.”

Her eyes filled with tears that sparkled in the dim light.

“Make of them what you will. Burn them, if you want.”

She picked up a bundle and held it close to her. “Owen—”

“Night, Addy.” He was just out of arm’s reach—and glad for the distance, because once she came to him, he’d not be able to step away again.



Addy sat at the table and stared at the boxes, shocked that Owen had actually written to her. Inside each were several bundles of envelopes, grouped by year. There were more letters in the earlier years of their separation than the later ones. Some of the envelopes were sealed, some opened. She could see how aged some of them were.

She took out the earliest bundle. It was dated to the year she was taken. He’d started writing to her six months after her faked death. She opened the first envelope, then set it and the letter down, too overwhelmed with emotion to read it. She ran her hand over the neat, small script Owen used. His words were in all caps. So precise. So like him.

He hadn’t lied about writing to her. She’d wondered again what his life had been like without her. She’d know as soon as she could gather the courage to read them.

My Laidy,

I went out to get you flowers, but when I came back, you were gone. I never expected that. I’m not quite sure how to live without you. I don’t want to, but I just keep breathing, like even my own body won’t release me to come be with you.

A shrink I talked to said if I wrote you, then it would be a way for my soul to talk to yours, wherever yours is now. Heaven, I hope. In fields of flowers. There were lilies and daisies in the bouquet I brought you. I know how you loved them. Maybe they have those in heaven?

Ever your knight,

Owen





18





“Hey, Rocco,” Max said as he came into the bunker room the morning after. “Before you call Yusef, there’s something you should know. A request for bids for a lab being developed in Denver went out over the dark web. I think it might be the one Jafaar is working on. Kelan knows the address.” He called it out.

“That’s the warehouse where I first saw them holding Fiona, before we were transported to the fight club,” Kelan said.

“Who’s funding the lab?” Kit asked.

“A new company, one that isn’t as expertly stacked inside dummy corporations as the Omnis’ stuff,” Greer said. “It sifts out to one of al Jahni’s fake businesses here in the U.S.”

“Kelan, Angel, get down there and stake it out. Get some eyes up so we can see what’s happening,” Kit ordered. “We want Wynn’s parents alive, whether or not they’re actually her parents, feel me?”

“That’s nonnegotiable,” Owen said. “They may have information about what’s happening to Addy. No telling how many are left who could help her. They’re golden fucking unicorns and we need to get them before the Omnis track Jafaar down.”

Angel stood up. “I don’t have a beef with the researchers. I do have an issue with Jafaar. Do we have permission to use lethal force?” he asked Kit.

Kit said to Owen, “Thing is, boss, we don’t know how dirty the whole system is. I’m pretty sure Lobo’s solid, but how clean the levels above him are…who the fuck knows anymore. Letting him live may be as good as setting him free.”

Owen looked at Angel, Kelan, then Kit. “I want him alive. He’s our connection to al Jahni. We need to know what he knows, like what he intended to do with the human modifications he’s setting up a lab to produce. And where Grams’ body is.”

Angel didn’t look happy. “Roger that.” He and Kelan left to gear up.

Rocco called Yusef, but his call wasn’t picked up. “If I don’t hear back from him, I’ll head out there. Right now, I’m going to have breakfast with my family.” The room emptied out.

“I’m going with Angel and Kelan,” Owen said.

“You don’t trust them?” Kit asked.

“I do…I just need something to do.”

“Did you give Addy the letters?” Kit asked.

“Yeah.”

Kit grinned. “So what you’re really doing is running away?”

Owen gave him a cool glare. “Maybe.”

Kit laughed as Owen went into the weapons room to gear up.

“Keep digging into the real estate angle,” Owen told Max and Greer. “King’s hanging out somewhere, probably with Edwards. If there’s any word of Augie, I want to know right away.”