Maya Banks - No Place to Run

“And you have the key to this. He just left this lying around for anyone to get,” Sam said.

Ignoring the sarcasm, she nodded once again. “I cut it from his neck with the knife you left in the hotel room. After I shot him. It was my insurance policy. It was my way of making sure I stayed alive. I knew they’d come after me for killing my father. They’d hunt me down and they’d dispatch me like they would any other enemy. But I wouldn’t die quickly. Because I’m blood and I betrayed my blood, they’d make my death long and painful. Because I turned on my father, I’d be made to suffer until I begged for death. That key prevents them from killing me. If they find me, they have to take me alive or risk never retrieving the only way into Alex’s vast underground network of wealth and business. Tomas can only temporarily take over as leader of the Mouton family ‘business.’ Soon he’ll run out of resources, money and support. Without a way into my father’s vault, Tomas will be nothing.”

“Christ,” Sam swore. “He keeps that shit in a vault? It’s insane.”

She raised an eyebrow. “How so? He deals in gold. Gems. Untraceable wealth. He doesn’t trust banks. He never leaves records of his transactions. Everyone else? He keeps meticulous accounts of everyone he’s ever had dealings with. In his books he has the names of countless world leaders, many from the West who would die were their crimes to come to light. Many would kill for this key. I never plan to give it up.”

Garrett blew out his breath and looked over at Sam. “Hoo boy, this just got a hell of a lot more complicated.”

“Can you drive for a while, Garrett? We can’t afford to get held up. We’ve got to get to Dad.”

In response Garrett got out and walked around to the driver’s door. He waited for Sam to slide out before he settled into the driver’s seat. Instead of going around to where Garrett had been sitting as Sophie had expected, Sam opened the door next to her and slid in beside her.

Garrett pulled back onto the road, and Sophie sat staring at Sam, dreading his scrutiny. Dreading the inevitable questions. And the change in the way he’d look at her from now on.

She slowly bowed her head and stared down at her fingers curled so tightly together in her lap.

“What did he do to you, Sophie?”

Her head came up in surprise. That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say or ask.

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you shoot him?”

“Because he needed killing.”

“I believe you killed him,” Sam said softly. “But I don’t believe for a moment that you killed him to rid humanity of a first-rate bastard.”

“Then you don’t know me very well,” she taunted. “I killed him for just that reason. He’s a bastard. He’s a cold, calculating sociopath. Life means nothing to him. Everyone’s but his. I took from him the one thing he valued. His own life. It was the only thing he was passionate about.”

She hadn’t realized that Sam’s hand had slid up her arm until he rested his palm against the curve of her neck, waiting until she hushed her tirade. Suddenly he was caressing her skin, soothing some of the horrible tension emanating from her.

“And I took the key because it meant no one could take over his legacy.”

“That was a pretty damn stupid . . . brave . . . thing to do,” Garrett said grudgingly. “More stupid, mind you, but still amazingly brave.”

“Where is the key now?” Sam asked.

He kept his voice as even as the light caresses he feathered over her skin. But she didn’t want to talk about the key. She wanted to know why he’d set her up with Resnick. If his father hadn’t had a heart attack and his mother hadn’t been abducted, would Sophie even now be on her way to some dark hole the U.S. government would put her in, where she’d never be seen or heard from again?

It was obvious Sam was going to need her now. Now that circumstances had changed so drastically and it was likely he was going to need to trade Sophie for the one thing that mattered the most to him.

She tried not to think about how much that hurt. It seemed everywhere she ended up, she was expendable.

“Why Resnick?” she asked hoarsely. “Why did you lie?”

“I didn’t lie.”

“You withheld information. Same thing.”

His mouth curled into a snarl. “Let’s not get into withholding information, Sophie. You’ve been holding out on me from the start.”

She bared her teeth and pushed forward into his space. “Exactly what was I supposed to do, Sam? Show up on your doorstep, say hey I’m pregnant, and oh by the way, you’re the father, and since I know how much you hate your potential father-in-law, I shot him down in cold blood and then ran like hell?

“I’m thinking you wouldn’t have been very receptive. I think you would have packed me off to Resnick even faster than you ended up doing. I think you would have backed off me so quick that you would have broken a leg doing so.”

She sighed and fought the exhaustion that beat at her so relentlessly.

“Just tell me why, Sam. Don’t answer my questions with accusations. I’m sure we have plenty to accuse each other of.”

“Goddamn,” Sam bit out. “Sophie, I had to agree to let Resnick question you. He wields a lot of power. I couldn’t say no. It was obvious you were holding something back. Something that scared the bejesus out of you, and Resnick was convinced you could give him information that would help him. Now I see why he thought that.”

He paused and slid both hands under her neck and delved into the thickness of her hair with his fingers.

“But honey, listen to me. Never. Never was there even a remote chance that I’d let him take you away from me. He was there to ask you a few questions. I was there to pacify him by cooperating. I didn’t lie to you when I said I’d protect you.”

His voice lowered until it was barely above a whisper and no one but the two of them could hear.

“I didn’t lie to you when I said I needed you.”

He leaned in until his forehead pressed to hers. Then he kissed the tip of her nose.

“You and I both know we have a lot to work out. But we can’t do it if we aren’t together, Sophie. We can’t do it if I can’t be with you to make sure you’re safe and that our child is protected from your bastard uncle. I need you to trust me and I know that’s asking a lot.”

She raised her gaze until she stared up at him. “I need you to trust me, Sam. You want and expect a lot from me, but you aren’t willing to give me anything in return.”

He brushed his hand over her cheek and smoothed away her hair. If he’d answered right away, she wouldn’t have believed him. She would have thought he was saying whatever it took in that moment to persuade her. But he stayed silent for a long moment, and then finally, he tilted her head so that their gazes were locked.

“I do trust you, Sophie. My gut tells me that I believe you, but my head is screaming I’m a fool. I’m sorry if that hurts you, but I’m being one hundred percent honest with you.”

“Just tell me you believe I never betrayed you,” she whispered. “That you know I didn’t whore myself for my father.”

His gaze softened and he kissed her, just a light smooch to the lips, and then he raised his mouth to press a kiss to her forehead.

“I believe you, Sophie.”

She wrapped her arm around him and burrowed into his chest. He held her tightly against him while she absorbed his warmth and strength.

“I’m scared, Sam.”

He rubbed her back and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I know, honey. I am too.”

“He’s going to demand the key. He’ll want me back. I have to go. If it had been my father, he would have already killed your mother, but Tomas will try to trade. He’s desperate. He just wants the key . . . and me.”

Sam tensed beneath her. His arms tightened painfully around her. “This is where I need you to trust me, Soph. I’m not handing you and my child back over to that bastard, but neither will I leave my mother. I’ll find a way. I swear it.”

She pulled away and braced herself against his chest so she could look into his eyes. All she saw was unwavering determination. She wasn’t as convinced as he was, but she knew he believed absolutely in what he was saying.

She put a hand on his face and smoothed her fingers over the lines carved deep into his brow. “I know you will.”

And she prayed with everything she had that he would.

THE convoy of SUVs rolled into the narrow alley at the side of the rural hospital. Rio strode from the building, his mouth set into a grim line. He came immediately to greet Garrett and Sam as they stepped from the truck.

“How is he?” Sam demanded.

“Stable. He was awake for a while. A little disoriented. Asked where your mom was. Donovan is with him. I don’t know if he’s told him about your mother yet.”

“Stable?” Garrett parroted. “He’s still in ICU, though, right?”

“He’ll remain in ICU until the cardiologist releases him. They want to monitor him closely, but they’ve listed his condition as stable. I’m sure the doctor can tell you more than me.”

Sam reached into the truck for Sophie’s hand and pulled her out beside him. Rio, Garrett and Sam formed a protective circle around her while Steele and the others brought up the rear. When they reached the inside of the hospital, Sam paused briefly to issue a directive to Rio.

“Give Steele and his team the report. Coordinate your efforts. I want my family safe. We can’t allow another breach in security.”

Rio nodded, and Sam could see the wash of guilt in his eyes.

He put his hand on his team leader’s shoulder. “I don’t blame you, Rio.”

Rio didn’t react or respond. Sam knew he wouldn’t. He dropped his hand away and curled his arm around Sophie once more.

“I want Sophie to see a doctor while we’re here,” he said to Garrett as they hurried toward the elevator. “After we see Dad.”

They shoved into an elevator, and Sam pulled Sophie even closer. She trembled against him, and her eyes looked so sorrowful. The same guilt he’d seen in Rio’s gaze he saw in Sophie’s.

He squeezed her hand. It was all he could offer right now. Words weren’t good enough, and until he could see his dad, his tongue would be so knotted he couldn’t speak anyway.

When the elevator doors opened and he saw the sign overheard pointing the way to the intensive care unit, fear squeezed his chest so tight he felt light-headed.

Rio had said he was stable. That was good, right? But he’d had a heart attack. A serious one. Did it mean he could have another? Was his heart damaged?

He didn’t want to imagine a world without his dad in it. Growing up, his dad had been his rock. He’d been the rock of six rambunctious, rowdy boys, and he’d infused his core values into all of them.

Be a good man, have honor and integrity, protect those weaker than you, and never suffer injustice.

Those values had formed the cornerstone of KGI.

He hadn’t realized he’d stopped outside the entrance to the family room until Sophie’s small hand circled his and squeezed.

The ache in his chest intensified until he felt bogged down with emotion. Sorrow. Fear. Anger.

Oh God, he couldn’t lose his father. Not Dad. And his mom. Oh God. It took everything in him to stand there, steady, and not break as he stared at the closed door to the room.

Garrett turned to him, and he saw that his brother fared no better than he did. They were both supposedly so tough. The older brothers. Leaders. Sam felt like a fraud.

Then Sophie reached out and touched Garrett lightly on the arm. It was a simple gesture that softened some of the raw grief in Garrett’s eyes. Garrett reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

“Thanks,” he murmured.

Sam nodded toward the door. “Let’s go in. I want to see him as soon as I know how Rusty and Sean are doing.”

When they entered, Sam saw Rusty seated in the far corner, her face splotchy and her arms hugged around her drawn-up knees. Sean was standing across the room, hands shoved into his pockets, and two of Rio’s men stood guard just inside the door.

When Rusty saw them, she shot to her feet. Fists clenched at her sides, she stormed over to where Sam stood.

“You promised you’d keep them safe! You left them!” she accused, her voice ravaged by tears.

She turned her furious stare to Sophie and then back again at Sam. “This is all her fault, isn’t it? She’s the reason you took off and why you left them unprotected. They could die. They could all die.”