35. Chapter 35

"The doctor has put her on bed rest.

They're saying the baby could come any day now, but it would be best for her to take it easy and try to get to 40 weeks."

Merrick's voice comes through my phone's speaker from where it sits on the desk next to me.

Even without having to see his face, I can tell he's close to freaking out, and it takes a lot to freak Merrick out.

I can't say I wouldn't feel the same way in his position, though.

You wait nine years to finally get the love of your life, only to have her almost die in your arms.

Thankfully, she lives, and now you're having a baby together, and there's the possibility of complications.

Something potentially happening to her or the baby.

I'd probably be freaking out too.

"Everything's gonna be fine,"

I reassure him, trying to put as much conviction into my voice as possible.

I mean, I'm not a doctor.

I have no way of knowing if everything will be fine, but that's what you do when your normally stoic best friend sounds close to spiraling.

"How's Amelia taking this news?" I ask .

Merrick releases a heavy sigh, the crackling on the other end of the line making me thankful that I don't have the phone directly to my ear.

"She seems fine.

Not worried in the least, but I don't know if that's a front she's putting on for my benefit or if she's actually okay.

You would think that basically stalking someone for nine years, then being married to them for nearly a year, would make me a little more intuitive to her tells.

But she's either really good at faking it, or she actually isn't worried, and I'm not sure I wanna know the answer, honestly."

"Well, women know what's going on with their bodies more than we do, so if she's not concerned, I think it's best for your own mental health to take that at face value.

Otherwise, you're just gonna make yourself a nervous wreck,"

I say seriously, shelving my usual dialogue of banter and sarcasm.

There's a lot of rustling going on in the background as he says, "Yeah, I'm sure you're right.

The thought of losing her terrifies me, though.

I barely survived the first time, and, granted, it worked out in the end, but what if this time it doesn't?"

More rustling.

" Fuck! Where did I put that blood pressure cuff?!"

"Dude … calm down.

Find a seat and take a few deep breaths.

If she sees you like this, it's just gonna stress her out.

Talk to her and tell her how you feel, but don't look for a problem before there is one."

Damn, I give sound advice.

Too bad I'm shit at practicing what I preach.

"I just need a distraction.

Tell me, what's going on over there? Any news on Gaspari or your father? I know Alexi found something but we haven't gotten to discuss what that something is."

he says, the rustling finally stopping.

I can physically hear him sit down as he expels a big puff of air.

I hate to be that friend that's always talking about their own drama, especially when he's going through the wringer right now, but if immersing himself in my bullshit will help take his mind off his problems, I'll oblige.

I scrub my hand over my face, then click several buttons on my keyboard to pull up the data I extracted from the burner cell Alexi dropped off the other night.

"I've got my father dead-to-rights on the assassination plot.

Unfortunately, I still haven't figured out when or where the hit will occur.

I've sent an anonymous tip to Cole Sykes to let him know that his life may be in danger, but I don't think he or his staff are taking it seriously.

I could out my father right now, but I'm not sure that would prevent Sykes' death.

If anything, I'm worried that releasing the information I have will only push the hit to happen sooner rather than later.

As for Gaspari, I've got nothing.

I'm almost positive he's still alive but other than the little bits of video feed I found of a doctor coming and going from the house right after I got Siren out, there's been no movement.

He's either covering his tracks like no one I've ever seen or he's simply gone to ground.

I have a hard time believing it's the latter because, after everything he put Siren through, I highly doubt that he'd just let her go without a fight."

I wouldn't.

But then again, I would never have hurt her like he did.

Flashes of what she described the other night still play through my mind, each one only increasing the desperate need I feel to avenge her.

I want him dead nearly as much as she does now.

Releasing a sigh of my own, I add, "I think we're gonna have to do something to draw him out.

I'm tired of waiting.

I wanna end this.

For her, for me, for all of us."

"Use me as bait."

The feminine voice comes from behind me, nearly giving me a heart attack.

I whip around to find Siren standing just inside the vault doorway.

Since the other night and my confession about the cameras, I've taken to leaving the door to this room open.

I don't have anything left to hide from her.

My secrets have been laid bare for her to see, and she's still here.

As much as I want to keep her as far removed as possible for her own safety, I've stopped thinking of myself as her protector and started thinking of the two of us as a unit.

A partnership with open communication and rational discussions, all of which are about to fly out the window.

I give Siren a death glare.

She simply returns the sentiment.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?"

I ask, my tone making it very clear that there's no way in hell that's happening.

There's gotta be another way.

"Deacon, I'm just as tired of waiting as you are.

I need this to be over,"

she says, and her eyes pleading.

"I need it to be over."

I stare at her for a long time.

Time in which Merrick simply sits there, silently waiting for the climax of what I'm sure he believes will be an epic battle.

But as I look at Siren, I don't feel the need to fight.

For her, definitely.

With her, no.

Still, there are too many "what ifs"

for this type of plan to work.

Addressing her, I say, "How would we even do that? In what scenario would we be able to get him the information that you're out in public and set a scene for him to feel comfortable enough to make a move?"

Merrick's voice chimes in from the speaker.

"He's right, Siren.

Even if we could drop the information in a way that wouldn't make him suspicious, where would be a location that's safe enough to protect you but open enough for him to feel like he could take you without anyone being able to identify him?"

She blinks, looking at the floor for a minute before lifting her head again and saying, "My parent's annual masquerade party.

It's one of the few things my parents return home for.

It'll be in the same house I grew up in, so we'll know the layout better than anyone.

It'll be crowded, and everyone will be wearing masks, so he'll feel like he can slip in without being seen."

Looking at me, she says almost desperately, "You know it's a good plan.

It's probably the best we're gonna get.

Please, Deacon."

Fuck.

I hate it, but she's right.

It might be our only opportunity.

As much as I'd like to keep her to myself, I can't hide her here forever.

Eventually, she'll want to return to some semblance of a normal life.

The thought that that life might not include me almost has me ready to take up the fight again.

But for the first time in my adult life, I have to set aside my own wants and needs in favor of someone else's.

I can't rule her life for her or I'll be no better than him.

"It's a decent plan, Deacon.

And the only one we have right now,"

Merrick says cautiously, as though he can sense that I'm balancing precariously on a knife's edge.

Resigned, I say, "When's the party? We need to know how much time we have.

We have to do recon, prep, and work out the timeline."

The smile that blooms over Siren's face is nearly enough to quell the waves of nausea rolling through my stomach at the idea of that fuck getting within 100 yards of her.

"It's in a week.

My parents won't give me the time of day after I walk in but they'll expect me to be there.

If we plant the seed that I've confirmed my appearance, I think he'll take the bait."

A week.

It's not nearly enough time for my liking but again, it's not my decision.

The only thing I can do for her is shore up every possible loophole that would allow him to execute whatever plan he'll concoct to get to her and make sure that by the end of the night, he'll finally be put in the ground where he belongs .

Merrick's voice chimes in from the speaker.

"What do you need from me? How can I help?"

"You've got enough on your plate.

We can handle this.

Take care of Amelia and yourself.

We'll keep you updated,"

I say firmly.

I know him, and if I said I really needed him here, he'd want to come.

But I don't want him to have to make the choice between Amelia and me because I know if she said she needed him there more, I'd lose.

As I look at the woman across the room from me, I don't fault him for that.

When you find that person, the Earth shrinks down until everything that matters is standing right in front of you and that person becomes your world.

Everything else blurs, your focus centered on the part of your soul that now lives and breathes and looks at you with chocolate brown eyes like you're her savior when, in reality, it's the other way around.