Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Elaine

Iwas so nervous as we gathered our things ready to go.

No, nervous doesn’t cut it. I was terrified.

I had a battered old suitcase of Jemma’s with her clothes inside and was dressed in a way I’d never been dressed before. I’d chosen as casual as I could, hoping it disguised me as well as humanly possible. I had a tight little t-shirt on with be the world’s best friend on it in scrawly script under a big loose green sweater, and faded jeans that fit me just fine. Her sneakers were okay on my feet, besides being a little bit big. It would do okay. I hoped so anyway.

I appeared nothing like my usual self with my hair scraped up into one of her hair bands, and that was a good thing.

Lucian nodded his approval. “You make that look damn fine.”

“Thanks,” I said, then took a solid look at him. He was in by far the most casual combination he was able to muster from the clothes I’d packed for him. He was wearing some loose joggers with a sports sweater on over the top. Unfortunately, his head still looked very, very much like Lucian Morelli, the sculpted god.

I just hoped they’d let him on that plane without realizing.

“Just a few hours left,” he told me, but I already knew that. I was counting down every minute.

He gestured to the cash cases on the living room floor. “Take what you want for your friend, just make sure we have plenty left for our airport deal.”

As soon as I opened the case, I realized that his idea of leaving some money for Jemma and my idea of leaving some money for Jemma were very, very different things. A couple of little bundles would easily be enough to make her faint in shock.

The letter I wrote for her brought a tear to my eye.

Be you, forever, because you are amazing. Just a shame I won’t be able to share that forever with you. You’ve been such an important friend to me. I’ll miss you for all time.

Love, Elaine.

P.S. Use the money to save the planet if you want to, but use it to save your wardrobe, too.

Oh, and please at least allow yourself some little treats before you donate it all to charity.

P.P.S. I’ve included another little pile for Tristan, too. If you could please pass it on to him, I’d be grateful.

Lucian scanned my letter as I put it on the kitchen countertop along with the six bundles of cash.

“Wow,” I said as he reached into a cash case and pulled out another two bundles, placing them next to the others.

“I know these people mean a lot to you. I’m sure the money will mean a lot to them.”

I would have never expected the Morelli monster to be so generous. Even now, after all the shockers I’d witnessed from him, this was one of the biggest.

Clearly he could see that. He brushed it aside like it was nothing.

“We can’t take the cash anyway, Elaine. It’s hardly me being Mr. Compassionate.”

But it was.

Lucian sure was turning out to be Mr. Compassionate to me.

Slowly but surely the minutes ticked by. The afternoon matured until it was ripe for us to leave, and there we were, gathering our pitiful excuses for belongings ready to go.

I cast one last look around the place before we stepped out into the hallway, then I locked up behind us.

I kissed my fingers and pressed them to the door. “See you later, Jemma,” I whispered, and then I followed Lucian down the corridor.

The street was pretty busy when we headed outside and began our walk. The taxi stand was a few blocks away and luckily we got there just fine without anyone shooting us too much of a glance—or actually shooting us.

The cab driver was barely interested in us when we slipped into the back seat.

“JFK,” Lucian said and he gave us a nod.

“Sure.”

We didn’t speak in the cab, just stared out of the windows. My heart was thumping scared as NYC hustled and bustled outside. This was real. Definite. We really were on the run, and they really were coming after us from every direction.

Lucian directed the driver to one of the furthest parking lots from the airport hub, and handed him his fare with a grunt of thanks.

The driver didn’t even help us with our luggage, just popped the trunk for us to take them. He sped away without another word.

“Wesley Dale should be here soon,” Lucian told me, then checked his watch. “Next few minutes.”

“Is he the guy getting us out of here?”

“Yes. He’s the guy who should be getting us out of here, provided he hasn’t turned into too much of a pussy to go through with the deal.”

I couldn’t hold back the question. “And what if he is too much of a pussy to go through with the deal?”

Lucian’s face was deadpan. “Then we’re fucked. Dead and buried.”

I nodded. “Okay, I just hope he isn’t a pussy, then.”

“So do I.”

Luckily Wesley Dale wasn’t too much of a pussy to go through with the deal. A black car pulled up ahead of us and reversed into a parking space up close.

“Here he is,” Lucian said, and closed the distance.

I watched the guy get out of the driver’s side and he looked…agitated. His eyes were roving all around before he pulled a little black briefcase from the passenger seat and placed it down on the hood.

“Is this everything?” I heard Lucian say to him. “IDs, passports, plane tickets?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Everything.”

Lucian opened the briefcase and flicked through the contents. He nodded. “Good.”

The guy leaned against the car and folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah, fucking good and fucking harder than you said it would be. You know you’re the most wanted guy on the planet right now, by both your family and the world chasing down that man?”

“I’m well aware of that. Just as well, a business deal is a business deal, isn’t it?”

That’s when the guy reached out and closed the briefcase in front of him. I could hear his voice loud and clear when he spoke next. “See that car over there?” He gestured to one a few bays down. “They are here with me. Any move toward me and they’re set to take action. They’ll shoot you and turn you in.”

I could see the rage in Lucian’s eyes. “Right,” he said. “So let’s get down to it. What the fuck do you want?”

“I want two hundred and fifty thousand more,” the guy announced. “Or I’ll turn you in myself right now.”

Lucian’s voice was as angry as his face. “You want two hundred and fifty extra for two sets of fucking IDs, some plane tickets and a pair of fucking glasses?”

The guy shrugged. “Your call, what’s it gonna be? You know everyone is after you, just as well as I do. You pay up, or you’re dead. Both of you.”

Lucian’s voice was evil. “You’re lucky I can’t break your neck.”

“Yeah, I am,” the guy said, and he laughed. “So, do we have a deal?”

Lucian paced over to me and took the cases of cash from the floor. “We have a deal.”

They swapped cases and the guy smirked.

“Nice doing business with you.” He gestured to the airport building. “You’d better make a run for it, you ain’t gonna survive long around here. Whole fucking city is looking for you.”

“Just as well we won’t be around here for long, then, isn’t it? Flight’s at eight fifteen?”

“Yeah.” The guy nodded. “Three hours. You’d better get over there and get checked in.”

I was so scared I was shuddering as his car pulled away from us and the other one followed behind him. Lucian was straight back over to my side once they were out of view. He tipped my face up to his and kissed my forehead, then wrapped me up tight in his arms.

“Here we go, sweetheart,” he said. “We have a shot at it. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll truly make it across the Atlantic. Just as well we had enough cash in those cases for that asshole, isn’t it? He could have billed my father ten times that, just for my whereabouts.”

It was only when I heard the tone of relief in his voice that I realized just how unsure he’d been that this deal would happen at all.

Yep. He’d been as terrified as I had, he’d just been better at hiding it.

“Let’s do this, then, baby,” I said to him with a smile. “Let’s go see the London Eye.”