Vengeance (SSU Trilogy Book 1) (40 page)

“I’ll need to search you, ma’am. Sorry.”

By the time the man had finished his search for weapons, Jenna wanted to melt into a mortified puddle.
I was wrong
, she wanted to shout.
I don’t want to kill him any more.

But at least the guard went to stand just inside the door. She hoped he was far enough away not to hear what she was about to say.

She sat on the edge of the bed and stared at a fold in Kai’s blanket, unable to meet her brother’s eyes.

“Talk to me, Jenna. Why do I need protection from you?”

She started to answer, then shook her head. “Why did you say you’re sorry when you saw me back in your cell? Why did you beg me to kill you? Was it…because you were part of the attack that night?” She plucked at the blanket.

Kai swore, the sound so full of pain, Jenna glanced up. Underneath his cuts and bruises, his face was white as snow. “God, no,” he rasped. “Why would you think that?”

She twisted a section of blanket around her index finger. “Because during the attack I heard your voice telling the men to kill us. And I saw you leave the house.”

“No!” He grabbed her hand. “Jenna, look at me.”

She raised her head and met his eyes.

“Jenna, I spent years trying to distance myself from the family so none of you would ever be hurt by the men I dealt with while undercover. I did not order the attack that killed our family. I swear it. I arrived that night, saw the van speeding away and…” Kai swallowed heavily. “I knew I was too late.”

The anguish in those words tore the remaining scabs from Jenna’s wounds.

“But I had to see,” Kai continued. “I thought maybe…maybe I was wrong. Or that someone could be saved.” A tear spilled down his cheek. “I checked everyone’s pulse, tried CPR, even though it was clear no one was alive.”

Kai’s hand landed heavily on her head, awkwardly stroking her hair despite the thick bandages around his fingers. “I even checked your pulse, Jen-shine. Nothing.”

“But—” She frowned, thinking back. “I could barely breathe, but somehow I opened my eyes. I saw you hurry out the back door and shut it behind you. The light threw shadows on your face, but what I saw was the face of a stone cold killer. I tried screaming your name but nothing came out. And then I—.”

“Died.” Kai’s voice cracked, and Jenna nodded.

“I’d heard the ambulance coming down the street, indicating it was time for me to leave. Until I knew who all my enemies were, I couldn’t risk talking to the authorities. I ran out the door, then tripped over you on the lawn. When I leaned down to check, you had no pulse. Otherwise, I never would have left you.”

“The paramedics revived me right away,” she said. Then admitted, “Sometimes I wish they hadn’t.”

“Oh Jenna, no, love.” Kai’s arms gathered her into a tight hug. “Your survival is a miracle.”

His familiar warmth and strength reminded her of all the times he’d comforted her as a child. Helped chase away the last doubt as to his innocence.

He wasn’t the monster she’d thought him.

She pushed back and looked into his eyes, seeing only sincerity and anguish there. “I believe you.” Her lips curled in a wry smile. “After all, even Alvarez admitted you weren’t part of the killing team. But since you’re innocent, why did you apologize to me when you were feverish back in your cell?”

He sighed. “Because I wasn’t careful enough. Someone betrayed my identity to Alvarez, leaving the family vulnerable to attack.” He cleared his throat. “It’s my fault everyone’s dead. If I hadn’t taken that assignment…God, Jenna, when I saw what had been done…” Kai’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears and he glanced away. “It destroyed part of me. How did you survive without going mad?”

Now it was her turn to look away. “I’m not sure I did. Kai, all this time I’ve believed you guilty.” She pinched a piece of lint off the blanket. “All I’ve lived for is vengeance. The thought of making you pay with your life.” She stared at her fingers, pale against the dark blue blanket, remembering how they’d looked clutching the hilt of the knife as it plunged toward Kai’s body.

“Can you forgive me?” The words came out in a frightened rush. What if Kai hated her for not trusting him?

“Jenna. Oh, honey.” His hand gently stroked her hair, just like he’d used to do when she was a little girl and couldn’t sleep. She relaxed under his touch, knowing she was forgiven.

“I tried to kill you,” she whispered. “Back in your cell. But I…couldn’t…” She shuddered, knowing she’d come within a hairsbreadth of making the biggest mistake of her life.

“I remember. I saw the knife and thought you were an angel come to save me from my pain.” Kai closed his eyes, but not before she saw the unbearable sadness and weariness there. It called to the dark place inside her where she’d locked all her grief, bringing a tightness to her throat that made her breath catch.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the guard move to the far corner of the room.

“How did you find me, Jenna?”

“I’ve spent months training with the SSU,” she said. “After the attack, Ryker transferred me to the compound’s hospital. When I was healed, he let me enter operator training. Then you were spotted in Moscow and Ryker sent me to draw you out of hiding.”

“The boy in the bar. That was you?”

She nodded.

“I thought so, but when I hacked into the SSU database it said you were dead.”

“False information, meant to protect me.”

“Ryker,” Kai said. “You…trust him?”

She glanced up, surprised. “Yes. He’s been very good to me. Why?”

Kai explained about unreturned phone calls and assassins. “But…that doesn’t make sense,” she said.

“Ryker was there the night of the attack,” Kai insisted. “After I left the backyard, I found I couldn’t walk away. So I stayed in the shadows at the back of the crowd, hoping no one would see the blood on my clothes from my CPR efforts. And I saw Ryker. Our eyes met and his were full of guilt. He knew he’d failed to protect you, even though I’d given him plenty of warning.”

“He never mentioned anything about being there that night,” Jenna said. “But Ryker did warn Dad. We were just about to evacuate when the assassins burst in.”

Was it possible Ryker had leaked Kai’s name to Alvarez then deliberately arrived too late to save them? No. Jenna shook her head. “I can’t believe Ryker had anything to do with the attack. You should hear how he chokes up when he talks about Dad.”

Kai didn’t answer, just ran his hand down her back. She flinched slightly as the pressure touched the welts left by Alvarez’s whip, but Kai noticed. His hand stilled and she felt his muscles tense. But she didn’t want to talk about it, so she snuggled closer and Kai gently resuming his stroking.

“Kai, I’ve…changed. I’m not your sunny little sister anymore. I’m not sure I even like who I am now.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He placed a kiss on her hair. “We’re both alive. We can work everything else out later. But…I think it’s time you told me what happened that night.”

Underneath her cheek, she felt his heart speed up. “Are you sure? Maybe I should wait until you’ve recovered.”

“Uh-uh. I want to know now. I’ve imagined so many different scenarios over the years, all of them terrible. Tell me the truth, so I can understand.”

This was the moment she’d been dreading. She’d given the facts to the police. Told parts of it again to Ryker and her psychiatrists at the SSU. Even shared a few details with Niko. But this would be the first time she talked honestly about not just what happened, but how she’d felt. Kai deserved no less.

“I was so happy that day…” she began.

Kai was a good listener. And with his arm around her and his chest cradling her head, the horror didn’t pull her under like it usually did.

“By the time I left the hospital, I was convinced you had to die,” she concluded.

He tightened his arm around her shoulders and they stayed like that, in silence, for a very long while. When she finally lifted her head, she saw that Kai’s face was also wet with tears. She gave him a shaky smile and dabbed carefully at his face with her sleeve, trying not to break open any of his cuts.

“Sometimes I can’t believe they’re really gone,” Kai said. “Even though—” He cleared his throat. “I knew that working with Alvarez was dangerous. I’d warned Dad to take extra security precautions.”

“He did. The police told me that he’d wired the house with a silent alarm. And officers made regular patrols past the house. That’s why help got to the scene so fast.”

Kai nodded. “It didn’t make sense Dad would leave you guys unprotected.” He looked into her eyes, so solemn she almost started crying again. “Jenna, I would never do anything to hurt my family. I love—” His voice broke and he closed his eyes.

She reached out and cupped his cheek with her hand. He nestled against her.

“I loved everyone so much.” He opened his eyes and took her face in his hands, wincing slightly as the movement jarred his sore, newly relocated shoulder.

“You’re all I have left.” He gave her a grief-tinged smile. “I know you thought I was overprotective before, but…I think I’m going to be worse now. You need to stay away from Alvarez, Jenna. I can’t let anything happen to you. I don’t think I could survive losing you again.” He pulled her back into his arms.

Jenna shook her head and disengaged. “I’m sorry. I can’t do that. Our family died because of Alvarez. He has to be punished.”

Kai grabbed her hand. “Yes, Alvarez deserves to be brought to justice. But not by you, Jenna. Leave that to the professionals. Like the Andros brothers.”

“No. I need to be involved. I vowed to get vengeance and I’m not backing down.”

“Too late, sweetheart. They’re leaving this morning for Cozumel, following a lead I gave them on the chip.”

“That bastard! Niko didn’t tell me.” She leapt off the bed.

“Jenna, wait! You can’t go with them. It’s too dangerous.”

Jenna ignored him and raced out the door.

#

Saturday, Afternoon

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Alvarez glared at the dead body on the autopsy table, impervious to the stench of voided bowels and blood. The man had been tortured for hours, but never once changed his story. This man named Juan Duarte was not Eduard Percone. He knew nothing about the microchip or Dr. Nevsky.

His rage was so great, Alvarez forced himself to turn around before he completely desecrated what was left of the body. Nevsky’s mistress had lied to him. After all he’d done for her, providing her with money, with a fancy house, she’d betrayed him. She’d given Kai Paterson this man’s name and location, when in two years she had revealed no such knowledge to Alvarez.

Yet Doña Serafina’s secrets were forever out of his reach. The whore had been weak. She hadn’t survived her interrogation last night.

Much like this man.

Alvarez nodded to his companion, exerting all his control to keep his fury from showing. He exited the room, knowing that the doctor who’d assisted him would clean up the mess. Otherwise, Alvarez would expose the truth to his very conservative, very religious wife. She would be horrified to learn her husband enjoyed torturing people.

Alvarez left the small adobe building and climbed into his bullet-proof limo. He closed the privacy screen and placed a call to his lieutenant in Acapulco.

“Find out which hospital in the United States is treating Kai Paterson.”

Alvarez closed his phone and stared out the window, his fists clenched on his lap. After all this time, he was no closer to finding Nevsky’s microchip. Paterson had lied to him about the location of the chip. He might not have it, but he knew where it was.

His men would torture the location of the chip out of Paterson, but it might be too late. Niko might even now be on his way to retrieve it.

If that was the case, Alvarez would still come out victorious. Because he held Niko’s aunt. And Niko would do anything to free her, including giving up the precious chip.

#

Saturday, Afternoon

Somewhere over Mexico

He was losing his edge.

Niko tapped his forehead against the window of the small plane. Fifteen minutes ago, after the plane had completed its ascent, Jenna had crawled out from behind the last row of seats.

Un-freaking-believable.

Her damn brother must have spilled the beans. And Niko had stupidly trusted the SSU pilot when he’d said the plane was clear.

She’d probably bribed the man.

So much for sneaking away without her. With him having some peace of mind, knowing Jenna was safely in the States and well-guarded. Out of Alvarez’s reach.

Knowing Jenna was someplace else, so Niko didn’t have to talk to her. Or look at her. Because he didn’t want to think what a fool he’d been. How she’d used him.

How she’d planned to fucking
kill
herself.

Dammit, he couldn’t make up his mind if he wanted to throttle her, or kiss her and hold her so close she could never get into trouble again.

Niko ground his molars. Yeah, right. Keep her out of trouble. She
wanted
trouble.

So why the hell did he care if she had a death wish? Let her be useful and distract Alvarez while he went in for his aunt.

Let Jenna sacrifice her life if that was what she wanted.

Across the aisle, Jenna laughed at something Rafe said. Niko gripped the armrests of his seat, fighting the urge to go over and pull her away from his brother.

Ah, shit. Who was he fooling? She was tearing him up inside. The thought of losing her scared him to death.

Tamping down the rise of jealousy, Niko closed his eyes. Of course Jenna was friendly with Rafe. His brother had laughed his head off when Jenna revealed herself as a stowaway. Just like that, Rafe’s iciness had melted.

But even though Niko didn’t know if he’d ever be able to forgive her, he wanted the focus of those sexy amber eyes on him and no one else. Christ. He was so fucked. Because as soon as they landed, he was going to make certain Rafe understood that Jenna was off-limits. Niko might not be able to see his way forward, but he damn well knew he wasn’t ready to give her over to another man.