Erasing Faith(102)

That’s what I tried to convince myself as I walked outside, called Benson back, and told him I was in.

***

I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that I was missing something.

Displaying an outward composure I didn’t feel, I’d kissed Faith goodbye, made sure both our guns were fully loaded, and left the cabin behind as I skirted through the woods to the motorcycle I’d stashed a quarter mile away. But with each step, the feeling that something about this entire mission was f*cked from the start only grew stronger.

As I walked, I replayed the conversation over, Benson’s voice in my head like a whiney, limp-dicked mantra.

Decide fast, Abbott. The clock is ticking.

He was a prick, but it was more than that. What else had he said?

By our estimates, Bordas will be at the house in about three hours.

It didn’t hit me until I was a good distance from the cabin, practically to the bike.

It’ll take you almost that long to get here.

Fuck. I stopped in my tracks.

He knew exactly how long it would take me to reach Faith’s house. Which meant…

He knew exactly where the cabin was.

Where Faith was.

I’d half-turned to run back to her when the butt of an unseen gun landed against my temple, hard enough to send me spinning into unconsciousness.

My last thought, before the world darkened into nothing, was of Faith — alone and unprotected in the cabin, with no one there to save her.

Black spots swam before my eyes, closing in like a dark, overpowering fog.

I was going to lose her again.





Chapter Fifty-Seven: FAITH


TROJAN HORSE



When the cabin door squeaked open a few moments after Wes left, I figured he’d forgotten something. I turned, a smile already on my lips, words already forming.

“What did you for—”

The words died on my tongue, the smile melted off my face. It wasn’t Wes.

It was Agent Benson.

And there was a gun in his hand.

“Wha—what are you doing here?” I gasped out, taking an abrupt step back as he entered, the screen swinging shut behind him with a jarring noise that made me flinch. “Wes just left to meet you.”

His smile was smarmy — it instantly set me on edge. “Oh, I know.”

“Why—” I took a deep breath and tried to sound unruffled, though every alarm in my body was screaming that he shouldn’t be here, that something about this was very wrong. “Why are you here, then?”

“Well, for you, of course,” he said, as though I was an absolute idiot for asking.

He stepped closer; I shuffled back.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my hands dropping to my sides in what I hoped was a casual manner. My gun was sitting on the small table behind me, concealed in my purse.

His smile stretched wider as he cast his eyes around the room. His gaze was predatory, taking in every detail. It lingered for an uncomfortably long time on the bed, its rumpled sheets in plain view.

“Your own little love shack, isn’t it?” His words were friendly, but I knew their intent was malicious. “Have you enjoyed your time here?”

I didn’t respond.

“I can see that you have. No wonder Abbott didn’t want to tell me your location. He was having far too much fun f*cking the woman he was supposed to be protecting.” He laughed.

I reeled as though he’d physically accosted me. My spine snapped straight and I felt fury boil in my veins. He had no right to speak to me that way.

“Unfortunately for him, he’s not as much of a ghost as he believes he is,” Benson continued. “A little digging into old housing records, and I found this place quick enough. Oh, don’t look so upset, Miss Morrissey. I’m sure whatever he told you to get back into your pants was just another series of clever lies. You should be grateful I’m putting a stop to his deception — for the second time, I’ll remind you.”

“You don’t know anything about us,” I snapped.

“I know he’s a stubborn, deceitful bastard who doesn’t follow orders.” He stepped closer, his eyes narrowed on my face. “I know you’re a naive little fool if you think there’s a happy ending in the cards for the two of you.”

“What are you talking about?” I spat at him, edging closer to the table. My purse was almost in reach.

“Too many years and too much work have gone into this. I won’t let Abbott f*ck it up for me.” His fixed smile was utterly at odds with the rest of his features, which were pinched in a glare. “Especially now that I finally found you.”

I felt the blood drain from my face.

“Oh, yes,” he said, almost gleeful. “I’ve been looking for you for years. The one loose end I could never tie up — besides Abbott, the slippery bastard. Maybe, if you’d stayed gone, you would’ve lived through this.” He laughed, but his amusement was artificial. “If I’d known I could’ve lured you back with nothing but a fender bender, I would’ve done it years ago.”

Thoughts flew through my mind faster than a thumbed flip-book of images, realizations hitting me one after another with the turn of each page.

“You ran my father off the road,” I breathed. Not a question; an accusation.