Chapter Eleven
I nda’s suspicious nature gnawed at her. Lucas said he wanted to help them, even if it meant putting himself in a dangerous position and potentially in the line of fire. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but only time would tell. Meanwhile, she sat back and allowed her team and their significant others to put him through an interrogation of epic proportion. Poor guy. She almost felt bad a couple of times. Almost.
As the questions continued, Inda’s confidence in him increased, as did her respect.
Lucas Sheridan could speak up for himself, and he was doing a damn fine job of holding his own when it came to her team. They could be a ruthless bunch, especially when it involved an opponent who’d outmaneuvered them on more than one occasion. Zane, especially, was pissed and had a chip on his shoulder. He hated being one-upped.
In a weird sort of way, she was proud of Lucas. Now that he was on their side, anyway. He was willing to go out on a limb because of her.
But why? He didn’t owe her anything.
“Do you know anything about Novichok?” Braxton asked, taking copious notes throughout their lengthy discussion in his neat, slanted handwriting. His attention to detail was what made him such a great leader. Through everything, Inda had never seen him lose his cool. The others yes, but Braxton never. Not once. Sometimes she wondered what it would take to get under his skin. Clearly more than Lucas Sheridan.
“Yes,” Lucas answered, snagging everyone’s complete attention. “Well, I know it’s a nerve agent developed for chemical warfare by the Russians.”
“Did Carlisle ever mention Dr. Boris Orlov?” Zane asked.
“Orlov was on the list of victims he claimed your team killed.”
“That fucker,” Saint growled, slamming a fist into his opposite hand. “I say we take him out next.”
“He’s got enough money to be bankrolling The Agency,” Inda said. “If we cut them off at their financial source, it’ll do serious damage.”
“Yeah, but he’s not alone anymore in the venture. Don’t forget, Carlisle, alias Mr. Smith, was recruiting other rich men like Tillman and Salinger,” Gray stated.
“Tillman was an idiot,” Ryland said. “The only reason they brought him onboard was for the money.”
Beside her, Lucas sat up straighter. “Go back. If you guys didn’t kill Orlov, that means The Agency did, right?”
Zane shook his head. “River and I overheard a conversation between Selma Santiago and Orlov. She wanted him to give her the formula, but he wasn’t exactly cooperating. He would’ve caved, though. The guy had no backbone. Selma had to know that, so it doesn’t make sense that they’d take him out. At least not until they got what they wanted.”
“Unless…” Lucas’ voice trailed off.
“Unless what?” Inda asked, studying him closely.
“Unless they found someone else who knew the formula. Someone willing to cooperate.” Lucas leaned forward, clasping his hands between his knees. “One of the jobs Carlisle had me do was a background report on a former Russian chemist named Dr. Ivan Zaitsev.”
Several low curses filled the air as the pieces began to click.
“Why would they need Orlov if they have a willing chemist in Zaitsev?” Inda asked, catching on fast.
“They wouldn’t,” Lucas answered.
Braxton’s shrewd gray eyes narrowed. “Sheridan, I want a list of every job you’ve done for Carlisle. Names, details, special instructions. Everything.”
“Yeah, sure,” he agreed.
Inda liked that he didn’t hesitate. Lucas seemed like he was all in, but actions spoke louder than words. They’d expect him to deliver and if he didn’t…
She shivered. Well, it wouldn’t end well for Cipher.
They ended up grilling Lucas for almost three hours straight, and around midnight, Inda stifled a yawn. It had been a damn long day, and though she was glad to have Lucas on their side and helping, she was still confused as hell when it came to her own personal feelings.
When Lucas reached for his buzzing phone and excused himself to take a call, Inda tensed. Who would be calling him so late? Maybe she wasn’t the only one he enjoyed sexting with. She may have been in a bit of a dry spell pre-Lucas, but she knew the only calls that came in at midnight were emergencies or booty calls.
Braxton took the interruption as a sign and called it a night. As everyone began to shuffle off to bed, Inda stood up and stretched, and Zane moved up beside her. He leaned in and, in a low voice only she could hear, said, “Be careful. We can’t trust him yet.”
Her attention moved to Lucas on the other side of the room and she nodded. “I know.”
“Night, Bruja.” He planted a quick kiss on her cheek then turned and reached for River.
Suddenly, everyone was gone and it was quiet. Inda slowly made her way over to where Lucas stood. He’d just hung up the phone, and when he met her gaze, his expression looked utterly forlorn. Heartbroken.
“What is it?” she asked.
“My mom…” His voice cracked and Inda reached for him without thinking twice.
◆◆◆
“I have to go. I—” He looked around, feeling a little dazed, not sure how he was going to get to St. Peregrine’s. He didn’t have his car and a sense of shock worked through him, dulling his ability to focus and function. The doctor said his mom was fading fast and she might only have an hour or two left. Even though he’d been expecting this, it still hit him in the gut like a thousand bolts of lightning.
“I’ll take you,” Inda offered, voice laced in concern.
“Are you sure? It’s late and—”
“C’mon.” Her hand, already resting on his arm, lowered and she threaded her fingers through his. Squeezing tightly, her touch felt like a lifeline in a storm-swept sea, and he managed to whisper a thanks.
Inda drove him straight to the hospice center as he did his best to keep his shit together. His mom wasn’t gone yet and he needed to put on a brave face. He hoped she was awake and lucid so he could look into her pretty blue eyes one last time and thank her for being the best mother he could’ve ever asked for.
Sitting in the car just outside the building, he quietly asked, “Will you come in with me?” He couldn’t make eye contact with her, fully expecting her to say no and make a quick getaway the moment he was out of the vehicle.
“Of course.” She turned the car off, met him at the front of the SUV, and they walked in together, holding hands again.
More than anything, he wanted his mom to meet Inda before she passed. The closer they got to her room, the more intense the urge to make sure it happened filled him. One of the doctors appeared and informed him that she was in and out of consciousness, on some hefty painkillers, and he should be prepared to say goodbye.
Lucas’ heart clenched in his chest. They’d done everything to treat the cancer, but it hadn’t been enough. Vicious, fucking cruel disease. Doing his best to hold it together, he paused outside the door, unable to let go of Inda’s hand.
“I want you to meet her.” His voice was barely a whisper. For whatever reason, the idea of Inda never meeting the most important person in his world didn’t sit right.
Her eyes widened in surprise then seemed to melt like warm caramels. “I’d like that,” she said softly. “But…are you sure? I don’t want to intrude—”
“I’m sure.”
“Okay.”
Lucas squeezed her hand, opened the door and led her inside.
◆◆◆
The entire day had left Inda feeling off-kilter and unsure. From the moment she discovered Lucas was really Cipher, it was like the ground beneath her feet had tilted precariously then opened up and swallowed her whole.
And now, she was sitting at Lucas’ dying mother’s bedside. She’d been uncomfortable at first, not sure if she should stay. But when his mom opened her eyes—ice-blue eyes Lucas clearly had inherited from her—Inda knew she wasn’t going anywhere. The need to stay by his side and give him the support he needed was as strong of an emotion as she’d ever felt.
When Lucas introduced them, Inda smiled at the other woman. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
Even though Theresa Sheridan’s body was rapidly failing her, Inda quickly realized her mind was still sharp as a tack. She looked curiously from Inda then back to Lucas and a slow grin spread over her face. “You two look good together,” she murmured in a wheezy voice. Her attention focused on her son. “Don’t screw it up.”
Inda released a nervous laugh and he squeezed her hand. Even at the end of her life, Theresa possessed a positive light that shone brightly and radiated warmly.
“May have already done that, Ma,” he admitted sheepishly. “I don’t know. Jury’s still out.”
“Forgive him,” she told Inda. “Life’s too short. Especially if you love each other.”
Love? Inda’s head spun at the idea. She’d never been in love before, and after what had happened with her own mother, wasn’t sure it was even possible. Men could be so cruel and she didn’t want any part of that. She’d seen too much abuse and heartache at their hands.
But then she thought about the men on her team. Men she loved like the brothers she never had. Romantic love, though, was on a completely different level. And it terrified her. Her mom had thought she’d been in love with all those assholes she’d brought home, and look how that had ended.
After a half an hour, Inda felt her heart breaking for Lucas and his mother. She was fading away right in front of their eyes. It was so hard to watch. Standing up, Inda squeezed his arm and whispered, “I’m going to step out.”
And give you a private moment to say goodbye.
Although she didn’t say it, they both knew what she meant. Lucas forced a nod and, as she walked out, she saw him drop his head against his mother’s side, his big, strong shoulders shaking with silent sobs. It tore her up inside, but she forced her feet to keep walking. They needed alone time. A moment to let go, to find peace.
Outside of the private room, she slouched against the wall. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks and it took her a moment to realize she was crying. Swiping a hand across her face, she pulled in a shaky breath and sent up a silent prayer for mother and son.
Death always sucked, but losing someone important to you was the hardest thing in the world. Squeezing her eyes shut, Inda remembered the night her mom died. A shiver ran through her body and she immediately shut the memory down. It was just too painful.
Less than ten minutes later, the door to Theresa’s room opened and Lucas stood there looking a little dazed. She was accustomed to seeing him flaunting his dimples and wearing a killer suit, all strength and confidence. But the man standing there right now in worn jeans and a faded T-shirt looked like a lost little boy.
“She’s gone,” he said in a ragged whisper.
When his red-rimmed eyes met hers, Inda’s heart clenched painfully. She met him in two strides and they wrapped their arms around each other. “I’m so sorry, Lucas,” she whispered. There was nothing she could say to truly console him, but she could hold him and offer her strength at a time when he needed it most.
Together, arms looped around each other, they walked back outside and got into the SUV. Inda turned the car on and knew exactly what she needed to do. She was going to drive Lucas home. And she was going to stay the night with him.