Anything He Wants: The Betrayal(19)
“Thank you for your help,” I replied, sighing. “I wish it didn’t have to end this way for you.”
“It was the risk I took in coming here.” Lucas hitched a shoulder, one side of his mouth lifting in a smirk. “I appreciate your concern however. It’s…sweet.”
I frowned, trying to determine whether the statement was a compliment or an insult, and my dilemma seemed to amuse him. “Good-bye, fair lady,” he said as the officials in suits tugged him out of the house. “Hopefully we will meet again soon.”
Jeremiah stepped sideways, blocking the path through the door. “Brother,” he started, but Lucas shook his head.
“Don’t. Whether you’re apologizing or condemning me, I don’t want to hear it. The truth is out and now we each live with our own consequences.”
The brothers stared at one another for a moment, two matching profiles against the fading light outside. Finally, Jeremiah stepped out of the way, and Lucas was led silently out to the waiting vehicle. I watched, disappointed, as the car containing him and the various officials rolled out toward the main gate.
Jeremiah looked around the lobby. “Where’s my mother?” he asked a nearby guard.
“The officials took a brief statement, then said she was free to go, sir.”
The CEO’s lips thinned very briefly, and he sighed. I frowned; I’d hoped for more from the odious woman, but I guessed the habits of a lifetime were difficult to give up. I put a comforting hand on Jeremiah’s arm, then tensed as I recognized another familiar figure walking toward us.
Ethan had a wary look on his face but, to my surprise, he wasn’t wearing any handcuffs. Celeste was nowhere to be seen, and while I very much wanted to know if she was all right, I kept silent. “I’m glad you’re okay,” the bald man said to me.
I moved closer to Jeremiah, suspicion and mistrust echoing through my brain. Despite knowing why he kidnapped me, the impossible situation into which he’d been placed, I couldn’t bring myself to forgive his actions. Seeing him now only brought back memories of a cloth over my mouth, the sickly aroma of the sedative seeping down my throat, and the terror of him abandoning me to my fate.
“Thank you,” Jeremiah said from beside me, his arm pulling me tighter against his body. His body remained stiff as he addressed the bodyguard. “This could have turned out much different without your help.”
Ethan nodded. “I managed to find a heavy freezer inside one of the buildings. It kept any signal from getting in long enough for me to disarm the bomb around Celeste.” His gaze turned to me. “I hear I have you to thank for the extra delay.”
Confused, I turned to look at Jeremiah. He helped? How?
“The Kosovo reference,” Jeremiah said, answering my silent question. “Our informant on that mission led us into a trap, giving us faulty intel that got several men killed. However, he dialed the new coordinates on his cell phone so we could complete the mission anyway.” His powerful gaze never left the bald bodyguard’s. “I’m glad the outcome was better this time around.”
Ethan shrugged, but his eyes crinkled in a wince. “Celeste isn’t happy with how I handled the situation.” He glanced at me. “Leaving you behind with that assassin might be the one thing that costs me my marriage.”
Part of me desperately wanted to comfort him—I’d seen firsthand how much he adored his wife—but I couldn’t get any platitudes through my lips. It was all too fresh, too many bad memories and sensory links to work through before I could ever feel comfortable around the man. I think he saw that because regret etched across his face. “I wish I’d seen another way,” he said, eyes on me.
Before I could react, Jeremiah stepped forward. His arm was already moving and his fist cracked along Ethan’s jaw with a sickening snap. The bald man staggered back, falling to the ground, as Jeremiah towered his prone figure. “You’re fired.”
A protest lodged in my throat as I stared between the two men. Something silent passed between them, then Ethan nodded. “I expected worse.”
Jeremiah stepped forward, extending his hand, and helped Ethan to his feet. “You still have my respect, but I can’t afford to trust you again.” He stepped away. “Get your things from the bunkhouse and be off the property in half an hour; we’ll deal with the business end of things later.”
Ethan nodded soberly then turned to me. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for how I acted.”