Deception (Carrington Hill Investigations Book 1) (14 page)

They
waited from her FBI team to show up with a verbal approval from the Director and they went in hot and silent, knocking the guards out by the surprise attack in the front of the building. She picked up a discarded AK47 and held it tightly in her grasp as she followed behind Marco with two man flanking her sides and one behind. One of Marco’s men in the distance signaled to stop and that there were two more thugs inside. They got into positions with their scopes trained on the door in case they were spotted.

When the two nervous thugs walked outside
the front doors of the warehouse with their guns in front of them, both of them were taken down, knocked out instead of killed.

Marco waited until the all
-clear before he let Lexi approach. They walked with purposeful strides. The warehouse stank of fish and stale air. Her heart raced, hoping that they weren’t too late. Three men were on their knees with their hands behind their back. She recognized them instantly. They were definitely Constanza’s men. Never removing her finger from the trigger, she walked up to Contanza’s second-in-command.

“Where is she?”
she demanded.

The asshole just laughed. She chambered a
round and pressed the metal against his head. “I’m only going to ask one more time. Where is she?”

His laughing stopped. He turned his head
, pressing against the barrel harder. “Go to hell.”

Lexi tilted her head and shot a round into his leg. He screamed and fell to the ground
as the blood spilled from his leg. She hadn’t hit an artery. She wasn’t going to kill him, but he didn’t need to know that. 

“I’ll fill you full of holes, nice and slow. But you aren’t going to like where I put the next one.”

She aimed the gun at his crotch. She heard Marco chuckle behind her. The man on the floor cupped his crown jewels as his eyes widened.

“Where is she?”
she demanded again, firing a shot into the concrete between his open legs when he didn’t talk. “That was a warning. The next one won’t miss.”

He held up his hand. Sweat beaded from
his brow as his chest quickly rose and fell. “Okay…okay…”

Lexi lifted
a brow.

He pointed toward the other end of the warehouse. “She’s in the hole.”

One of Marco’s men slid up beside her and kept his gun aimed at the bleeding man. She stormed across the warehouse, her eyes scanning the ground, looking for anything that might tell her where she could find the hole.

“Under the stairs
. There’s a latch,” the bleeding guy called out. “I told you where she is. Now call me a goddamn ambulance.” He moaned.

She ignored him, grabbed the latch
, and pulled the door open. Marco trained his gun into the darkness. She could hear Celia whimpering. Marco placed his hand on her arm to stop her from entering. He pointed to two of his men. They descended into the stairs. Marco held her back from going in after them. If Celia was hurt, she just might have to go back and finish the bastard off. Trip would never forgive her for bringing his family into her mess. Seconds passed that seemed like minutes. Celia’s fate hung in the balance. One of Marco’s men carried her up the stairs and sat her on the floor. Lexi fell to her knees and grabbed Marco’s knife, cutting the bonds around her wrists before she pulled the tape from her mouth.

Celia
’s face was dirty and stained with tears. The clothes she’d worn were filthy, and her hair was matted to her face, but Lexi said a silent thanks that Celia was safe. Celia threw her arms around Lexi and held on for dear life, crushing her in a hug.

“Thank
God.” Celia cried as her whole body shivered in Lexi’s arms.

Celia
’s shoulders shook as she was unable to hold back the tears of relief. Lexi rubbed her back. “Everything’s okay. You’re going to be fine.”

Marco
tapped Lexi’s shoulder. “We’ve got to go, luv. There could be more coming.”

Celia
’s eyes widened with renewed fear. Lexi helped her to her feet and one of Marco’s men picked Celia up and carried her outside to the SUV.

Lexi
texted Johnson and apprised him of the situation. A few of Marco’s men waited for the ambulance and the FBI to show up, as she and Marco were escorted back to Trip’s house by the rest of the team. They took the back entrance into his compound. The doors flew open, and Emmitt and the rest of his family flew down the stairs. Celia ran into her husband’s embrace. He kissed her forehead as he cupped her face, never taking his eyes off hers.

Trip pulled Lexi into his arms and kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”

She closed her eyes and leaned into his embrace, letting the warmth of his arms surround her, even knowing it would be their last embrace.

“Lexi, we’ve got to go.” Marco’s voice pulled her back into the real world. “I’ve
got to get you to the federal building.”

She stepped back. “Make sure she gets medical attention.”

Trip nodded and reached for her hand as she turned to leave. “Lexi…”

She let her fingers slip from his
and walked to the SUV. “Goodbye, Trip.”

She slid into the leather passenger seat and pulled the door closed.
The entire Hathaway family silently watched as she left. She closed her eyes and rested her head back against the seat.

“You did a good thing.”

She turned her head toward Marco. “She wouldn’t have been taken if it weren’t for me.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You can’t control what
Constanza does.”

They rode the r
est of the way to the federal courthouse in silence. Her testimony took forever, but there was no way he was getting off on the charges. She held back her smile and knew the moment Constanza’s men burst into the room and started whispering to their old boss. Yep, he now knew that her friend was safe; his plans had been foiled. Constanza’s jaw twitched when she walked by, and he looked like he could spit nails when she left.

The
trial ended a week later. The jury came back with a quick decision after hearing both sides. Shortly after that, the judge agreed to the jury’s recommendation, life in prison without the possibility of parole was the maximum sentence they could give, and it’s what they issued. Constanza would soon be where he belonged—a maximum security prison, where he’d spend the rest of his days.

Lexi spent two weeks on paperwork, closing out her case. She spent time with Catherine, whose memory was slowly coming back. She remembered childhood stuff but nothing recent and still couldn’t remember what had happened on Hathaway’s assignment. The doctor assured them all, it was temporary and she’d eventually regain all of her memories.

Ethan was a constant thorn in
Lexi’s side, wanting to know where Catherine was. She was finding it more and more difficult not to just give in and tell him her location. Trip tried to call her several times, but she let the calls go to voicemail, unsure there was anything left to say. She still didn’t have a clue about who was taking Trip’s money, but forensics assured her they were getting close. It was just a matter of time before she could wash her hands of the situation and bring it to a close.

She spent day and night going over Trip’s books with her remote access hooked up into her laptop
, trying to help forensics discover the trail that would lead them to the thief. Her phone rang, and she glanced down at the caller ID to see Sara’s number. “Hello.”

“She
remembers us.” Sara’s words were music to Lexi’s ears.

Her heart raced as she pushed from the desk and picked up her purse and keys with the phone still pressed to her ear. “I’m on my way.”

She pulled open the front door and stopped. Ethan stood on her front porch with his fist poised in the air as though he was about to knock. “I need to see her, Lexi.”

Lexi’s
gaze ran over his face. He looked like hell. The dark circles under his eyes were deeper. His normally clean-shaven face showed days’ worth of stubble. He had it bad. She tilted her head from side to side as she weighed her options. Deciding on the best, she closed the door behind her and linked her arm with his. “It’s your lucky day.”

He almost stumbled down the stairs
as she quickened her pace. “Really? You’re going to let me see her?” His voice hitched in disbelief.

She pulled him to a stop in mid stride. “Once we get there, you won’t be able to leave. I can’t risk anyone finding out where we’re keeping her.”

“I understand.” He handed over his cell phone. “Just make sure Trip knows that I’m okay and I’m with her.”

She nodded
, and Ethan matched her stride into the garage. They both slid into the new black SUV with the tinted windows.

She clicked her seatbelt into place
, threw the car into gear, and pulled out toward the back of her property. He turned in his seat and pointed back to the front of her house. “Lexi…your gate is that way.”

Her lips tilted up in a grin as she followed the
dirt path only made big enough for a four-wheeler into the woods. “I installed another exit.”

He turned back around in his seat and grabbed the handle above the door to minimize the bouncing over t
he newly established rough path.

“How is she doing?”

For the first time, she had good news to tell him. Through all of the turmoil that still weighed heavily on her chest, her heart lifted with renewed hope that, just maybe, everything would be okay. “I just got the call. She’s starting to remember.”

Ethan leaned back into the leather seat, closed his eyes
, and let out a deep breath. “Thank God.”

She gave him a w
ary look. “Don’t get your hopes up, Romeo. You have to give her time. I’m not sure if she remembers everything, but it’s starting to come back to her. I’m hoping when she sees you, she’ll remember, but don’t crowd her or Sara will kick your ass. Do you understand?”

His eyes shot open
, and he clenched his jaw in determination. He gave a slight nod. “I’ll keep that in mind. It’s going to be hard not to pull her into my arms and kiss her silly, but I think I can refrain.”

Lexi raised her brow and glanced at him. “See that you do
. I’d hate to have to shoot you for spooking her.”

She drove to the outskirt
s of town and down a dirt road, stopping at a house sitting in the middle of nowhere surrounded by woods. If she didn’t know this house stood back here, she wouldn’t ever know. From the road, the trail leading up to it looked as though it was only big enough for four-wheelers because it was camouflaged. Fifty yards in, the road grew bigger, leaving a lot less scratches in her paint job. It was worth it. Catherine was worth it.

Guards flanked the house
, only relaxing when she stepped out of the SUV and held up her badge. Marco’s men….her men, she reminded herself. Once everything was done with Trip’s job, she’d turn down the desk job Johnson kept telling her she would have to take and leave the bureau for good, starting over in a field she loved and taking her rightful place in Carrington-Hill Investigations.

Garrett
stood on the porch with his arms crossed. Once he’d been removed from Lexi’s detail because of her divorce, she’d asked Johnson to position Garrett on Catherine’s detail. He’d taken leave to stay on the property with Catherine and Sara, never leaving their sides. He was a good man, a caring man, and it was his dedication that made her realize it.

He tipped his chin
up. “What’s he doing here?”

Lexi patted
Garrett on the chest. “He’s with me. He’ll be staying until she makes a full recovery.”

Garrett
narrowed his eyes. “I’m not sure it’s such a good idea.”

Lexi grinned at
Garrett’s overprotective, big-brother act. “I think he’ll be able to help trigger the rest of her memory. It’s worth a shot.”

She watched as
Garrett looked over Ethan, gauging any potential threat. “The first time he upsets her, he’s out of here, and we’re moving her.”

“Deal.”
 

His palms rested on
Lexi’s arms in a gentle caress. “When this is over, I’m taking you on a proper date. It’s high time that you get to relax a while and kick back.”

“
Garrett, we’re friends.”

He shrugged. “All great relationships start out that way.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head
. “Just think about it.” He let her go and returned his glare to Ethan.

Confusion racked her mind
as she glanced up at him. Garrett was a big flirt; he’d always flirted with her, but a date? Every waking minute she had was either spent dealing with the case, keeping people alive, or reminiscing about Trip. All she wanted to do was forget Trip, and maybe Garrett was right. Maybe he could make her forget…as friends.

She pulled Ethan behind her as she pushed the door open.
Familiar voices came from the living room. She released his hand, and turned back to him. He stood with his mouth parted, locking eyes with Catherine. He shoved his hands into his pockets in what, Lexi assumed, was an effort to control himself from pulling Catherine into his arms. “Hi.”

Catherine glanced from Lexi to Ethan and back.
“Lexi? You brought a visitor?”

Lexi rushed across the room and she grabbed Catherine in a hug. Catherine
regaining her memory was the best news Lexi had in over a month.

Lexi
glanced back over her shoulder at Ethan, even though he tried to keep a smile on his face she knew he was disappointed that Catherine didn’t remember him. “I’m Ethan.”

He approached her slowly but stayed
far enough away not to spook her.

“Do we know each other?”

He sat down on an a couch across the room. “We met about six months ago. But it’s okay if you don’t remember. You will eventually, and I’m willing to wait as long as it takes.”

Catherine’s shoulders relaxed when Lexi sat next to her. “You remember me?”

Lexi watched Catherine grin for the first time since they’d found her. “How could I forget my other best friend?”

“Exactly!”
Lexi said raising her hands into the air.

Catherine pulled her into a hug. “God
, I’ve missed knowing who you are.”

A tear slid down
Lexi’s cheek as she clutched Catherine to her. “I’ve missed you too.” She leaned out of the embrace. “Don’t ever scare us like that again.”

Catherine straightened on the couch and lowered her head. “I still don’t know what happened. The last thing I remember was being at the bureau in Director Johnson’s office
, and he was about to give me my assignment.”

Lexi slid down to her knees and clasped Catherine’s hand. “You don’t remember anything?
The flash drive, the name Hathaway, none of it?”

Catherine shook her head slowly. “
Every time I try to figure it out, I get a headache. I know that the information is sitting just outside of my reach. I don’t know what it’s going to take to make me remember.”

Squeezing Catherine’s hand, Lexi reassured her everything would be okay.
Ethan walked Lexi out to her SUV after visiting for several hours. He pulled her into his embrace. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

She patted his back. “
It’s going to be okay.”

He looked down at her. “
Saving Celia, finding Catherine, looking into the theft… I don’t know what we would have done without you.” He rested his palm on her arm. “He misses you, you know.”

No matter how much she wanted to believe that was true, his calls had stopped coming. The divorce was
pushed through and final and she still had no clue where his money was going. “I can’t…You’ve got to understand it was a mistake. We don’t belong together. We never did.”

Ethan let his hands drop to his side
s and threw his arm around her shoulders, walking her the rest of the way to the SUV. “Regardless of what happens between him and you, you’ll always be my favorite sister-in-law…even if it was for a limited time. If there’s anything I can ever do for you, I’m just a phone call away.”

Lexi smiled as she pulled open the door. “
I’m glad she found you, you better take good care of her.”

Ethan kissed
Lexi’s cheek and started to jog back toward the house. He stopped before she shut the door. “Hey, Lexi, do you think you could swing by Trip’s and grab me some clothes?” He looked down at his jeans and wrinkled shirt. “I don’t want her to kick me out for stinking when I wear the same clothes day in and day out.” He glanced back at the door before turning his attention back to her. “I’m not going anywhere until she’s ready to go with me.”

His eyes sparkled in the sunlight from the possibility. Ho
w could she refuse him even if her butterflies danced in her stomach? “Sure. We can’t have you stinking up the place.”

He waved as she drove away.

Lexi checked in with Director Johnson and Marco as she made her way back through town. She explained to Marco that he would have to give her some time to finish up her case before she’d be joining him. He was a patient man, although no one would have ever guessed that by looking at him. He’d been there for her through thick and thin, and it was time she stepped up to the plate to help him run their company, even if she couldn’t work in the field.

The butterflies in
Lexi’s stomach flipped in a fit of excitement and dread about going back to Trip’s house, a place she hadn’t expected to ever step foot in again. She pulled up to the gate and was ushered through when she flashed her badge, not sure if his staff would let her in because she was his ex-wife. Sitting out in her car, Lexi took a few deep breaths before she pushed her door open and jogged up the stairs. Get in and get out, she reminded herself. She glanced down at her watch and realized, if she was lucky, Trip wouldn’t even be home this time of day. The door swung open, and it wasn’t the butler staring at her. It was none other than Lillian Hathaway. The lines of her face softened as she pulled the door open wider.

“Lexi, I’m so glad you could come by.”

It was a different reception than she’d ever experienced from the older woman, whose reaction caught Lexi off guard. “Uh…thank you.”

Mrs. Hathaway addressed the butler. “We will be taking our tea on the back patio.”

“That’s not necessary. I just came—”

Lillian
cut Lexi off, hooking their arms together. “Don’t be silly. It’s the least I can do. Besides, I think we need to talk.”

Her ex-mother
-in-law escorted her out to the back veranda and pulled out a chair from underneath the table in the shade of the large umbrella covering the patio table. “Please have a seat.”

The maid carried out the tea service and served them both a glass
of iced tea. Lillian leaned back in her chair as if all was right as rain in her world. Lexi, on the other hand, sat on the edge of her chair, knowing it would be rude if she tried to excuse herself.

“How have you been, dear?”

Lexi sipped her tea, trying as she might to get what she needed and get out before they had an ugly exchange. “I’m fine.” She pointed back to the house. “Listen, I’m just here to grab something for Ethan, and then I’ll be on my way.”

Mrs.
Hathaway lifted a perfectly manicured brow. “Ten minutes of your time and you can be on your way.”

Lexi leaned back into the cushioned lawn chair and watched the
older woman skeptically. What was she playing at?

“I know what you’re thinking
,” Mrs. Hathaway said. “I wanted to officially apologize for my rude behavior when we first met.”

Lexi’s
mouth parted, but she snapped it closed. Her brows pinched together. “Mrs. Hathaway…I understand…”

“No
, dear, I should have never treated you like that. And I am truly sorry.”

Lexi pasted a fake smile on her face. “It was understandable.” She pointed back to the doors. “But I
—”

Mrs. Hathaway pierced
Lexi with her gaze. “Please indulge me, Lexi. I have a lot more I need to say.”

Keeping her smile in place, Lexi
leaned back into the cushions knowing escape wasn’t going to come quick enough.

Mrs. Hathaway continued without skipping a beat. “You have to understand
that they didn’t explain to me why you were here. I’m protective of all my children, but more so of Trip. He uses most of his energy mastering business deals. I don’t know why I didn’t see what was happening.”