The Final Chapter
Kendra paced in the safe house. She was nervous, but saw no way around this. Lopez had to be caught. Lopez wanted her. She could be bait. Then he could be arrested. This would all be over. She’d collect Cliff. They’d find a place to live and she could go back to her job. She missed her job.
She missed her mother.
She also missed Sacha, but she had to stop thinking about him. He was gone from her life. He was no longer here. No matter what her heart was saying to her, she couldn’t see Sacha again. He’d made it clear he wanted no strings. No emotion. They’d both signed the contract.
Her heart ached. She didn’t think she’d ever find a man as good as Sacha. She’d never settle, that was for sure. He was kind and thoughtful. Things she had been lacking in her life. And holy shit, was he a good lover.
Her body ached with his absence. Her heart ached with the knowledge that he’d never return her feelings. She would rather turn away from him and never see him again than have to live with him knowing he didn’t love her.
It wasn’t his fault. She understood that. She wished she could tell Tembi or Alia. She needed a girlfriend right now and a pint of ice cream. Not wanting to rely on any of the agents, she kept her heartache to herself.
She had to concentrate on the mission. Get Lopez. If he was gone, she could get on with her life or build a newer and better one. She didn’t have her mother to take care of so that gave her some freedom. Maybe they’d leave Manhattan.
She could practice law anywhere in New York. Why not set up a practice in a small town? She’d always been a city girl, but Cliff needed more space to roam than Manhattan offered. He was enjoying his stay with Viktor and Alia. They had a yard. There was a park down the street and they knew their neighbors.
That was the life Cliff deserved. After this was done, if she survived, she’d give it to him. Now she wanted a computer to look for places where she could move. She could rent, and then maybe buy a house. Give herself her own picket fence instead of waiting for a man to do it.
The idea energized Kendra. She was ready to take on the world.
But first, Lopez. She frowned. Someone knocked on her bedroom door. The agents had left her alone most of the day. They hadn’t intruded on her space.
She opened the door to find Nik.
“Any news?”
He didn’t come in. His face was grave. “We haven’t figured out what exactly will flush him out. We’ve put the word out that you’re back in New York. Nothing specific.”
“That seems like a good start. What’ll you do? Let me walk down the street?’
“Not that simple. We have to make sure that there is no one there that could be collateral damage. We’ll have to evacuate wherever this rendezvous is going to take place. We can’t hurt any civilians. Including you.”
“Am I doing the right thing?”
“I’m not a fan of using anyone not in law enforcement for these things, so in my opinion, no you aren’t doing the right thing. I’d like to see you go back to Sacha in Pennsylvania and stay safe.”
She looked down at her hands. “That’s not going to happen. I doubt he’d take me back anyway. Sacha isn’t part of my future.”
When she looked up Nik had a strange look on his face. “If you say so. That’s none of my business.”
“When do you think you’ll have a plan?”
“Tonight. We’ll implement it tomorrow. We have to be sure that none of Lopez’ men are aware that we’re around. We have to do this carefully.”
“I see. I wouldn’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“No, we don’t either,” Nik said. “That’s why I’m doing this.”
He stepped out of the way. Sacha was standing behind him. Kendra gasped. She wanted to close the door, but Nik was in the way. She also wanted to jump into Sacha’s arms, but that wasn’t going to happen.
“What are you doing here?” Kendra said.
“I’m here to take you back with me. Home.”
Home. What an odd word. She didn’t know where her home was anymore. The apartment she’d been living in had been rented. She couldn’t call Sacha’s place home anymore, either. Like she’d been thinking, she’d find a new one.
“I can’t, Sacha. I have to see this through.”
He stepped closer to her. “No you don’t. Let law enforcement deal with this.”
“For how much longer? My life is on hold. Your life is on hold.”
He brushed a hair out of her face. “Don’t worry about my life.”
“I do worry about it. What about your son? You have to get him out of the foster care system. He has to be with you.”
“He will be. In time. Don’t worry. I always get what I want.”
Too bad he didn’t really want Kendra. It was an ego thing, she knew. She’d walked away from him and that smarted for a guy like Sacha. She crossed her arms.
A shot rang out. Nik shoved them all into the bedroom. He didn’t get the door closed before someone grabbed him.
Lopez, Kendra could see. The moment of truth. He’d come for her.
She stood up. Sacha tugged her down, but she wriggled out of his grasp. “Let Nik go. You want me.”
Lopez grinned and it put a chill into Kendra. How was she going to get away from this man? She had no idea, but he was here and she was not going to risk anyone else’s life.
“Come here,” Lopez said.
She walked to him. He shoved Nik into the room before he grabbed Kendra. He dragged her down the steps. She could hear Sacha’s voice. “Kendra. I love you.”
***
“What the fuck just happened?” Sacha said to Nik.
He raced out of the door, but he couldn’t see Kendra. The front door slammed. He was about to run down the steps. Nik grabbed him.
“We have a tracker on her.”
“What? You let him walk in here on purpose?”
“No, but we put something on her just in case. We had no idea where he was.”
Sacha looked at Nik, studied his face. His friend was telling him the truth. “How’d he get in here?”
“You stay here. I’m going to find out what happened to the other agents.”
“I’m not staying here,” Sacha said.
“Stay behind me.”
Nik traversed down the steps slowly. He ducked his head down so he could see the first floor. “Shit.”
“What?”
“They’ve been shot. Must have had a silencer on his gun.” Nik pulled out his phone. “Two agents down at safe house.”
Sacha stood on the steps as Nik called it in. His heart beat double time.
“How are you going to find her?”
Nik held up his phone. “I have the app on my phone. It would be best if we waited until they stopped somewhere. It’s hard to raid a moving target.”
Sacha gulped. “We have to wait. Maybe he already killed her.”
“No. I think he wants to enjoy this. He can be pretty sadistic, from what I understand.”
“Yeah, that makes me feel better.” Sacha rolled his eyes.
They settled at the kitchen table, waiting for the ambulance. The agents were dead, sadly. “Damn this guy is good. I can’t believe he got the drop on those agents. How could he be so stupid to be found out by Kendra? A civilian.”
“I don’t know.”
An ambulance crew took out the two agents. Nik locked the door again to the safe house. Sacha paced in the kitchen. He’d been doing that a lot since Kendra left. He was a man of action. He took responsibility for things getting done. Sitting around waiting was not his forte. Unless he was waiting out a competitor.
This wasn’t the case.
“Shouldn’t we head in the direction so we’re closer when we stop?”
“I have agents on the signal. It doesn’t just go to my phone. The vehicle is being watched at all times.”
“What if he has already killed her?”
“He hasn’t. Trust me,” Nik said. “I know you’re concerned, but we’ve prepared for this contingency.”
“How can you be so calm?”
“I’m not. I just don’t show it.”
Sacha frowned. Nik wasn’t cold, but two agents were dead. Kendra was in danger. How could he sit there looking at a dot on a map? Sacha couldn’t even sit still, let alone stare at the screen.
His heart was in his throat. How would he go on without Kendra? He would because he had to. He owned a company and his employees needed him, but he wouldn’t enjoy his life. He didn’t think he’d ever find someone like Kendra again.
She’d come into his life so unexpectedly. They’d initially had an adversarial relationship. That seemed as if it had been years ago. It had only been a few months. Wow.
And in that time Kendra had become an integral part of his life.
“Bingo,” Nik said.
Sacha moved over to the table where Nik’s phone sat. “They stop?”
“Yes. They’re in Connecticut. Let me touch base with my boss, then we can get on the road. The office there will help us get her out of there.”
Sacha resumed his pacing as Nik made the arrangements. Sacha couldn’t wait to get on the road. He had to see Kendra. Had she heard him? Had she heard what he said?
He hoped so. She needed to know how he felt. And that he was never going to let her go again. Not caring what it took to keep her in his life, he made himself that promise. He wasn’t going to ever do anything to make Kendra leave.
Never.
She was his. They belonged together. Their lives were intertwined now. He hoped she’d be able to hang on until they arrived. He’d never wanted to see someone so much in his life.
He didn’t care if she loved him. He’d woo her until she did. Whatever it took.
“Okay, we can go,” Nik said finally. “We’ll take my car.”
It was a non-descript sedan. Probably the ugliest car that Sacha had ever seen. If it took him to Kendra, he strap himself to the top of it if necessary.
“I know. It isn’t an Aston Martin.”
“It’ll do for what we need it for.” Sacha climbed into the passenger seat. “What’s our ETA?”
“Probably an hour. It’s a remote part of the state. Not surprisingly.”
Not at all, especially given that Lopez will want to kill Kendra and dump her body. The thought made Sacha shudder. Would they get there in time?
“Our agents are already in place,” Nik continued. “They know the area. She’ll be fine. They won’t let anything happen to her.”
“I hope not.”
Sacha stared out the window as Nik drove through the streets of Brooklyn, then eventually into Connecticut. The city gave way to countryside, but none of it soothed Sacha. He had to see Kendra. If he didn’t touch her, hold her, he’d never be sure she was okay.
“We’re almost there, but I want to stop here.”
“Why?” Sacha said.
“I can’t bring you with me.”
“You aren’t leaving me behind. This is Kendra we’re talking about. I’m not leaving.”
“Sacha. Now that’s two civilians I have to worry about.”
“No, I’m not leaving. She’ll be scared and I’ll be the only one who can comfort her.”
“You underestimate her. She’s a strong, solid woman,” Nik said.
She was, but he wasn’t budging. “You aren’t talking me out of this. Let’s go get Kendra.”
Nik frowned. “When we get there, you damn well better stay in the car.”
*
The cabin was hot and musty smelling. The dust made Kendra want to sneeze. Where the hell were they? Was the cavalry on the way?
Lopez had tied her to a chair, then left out the front door. She struggled with the ropes, but she couldn’t get free. He’d tied her wrists tightly and the bonds were chafing at her. What was he going to do with her?
She looked around the cabin, memorizing it as if she might have to identify it later. It had the simple four walls. One corner held a bathroom. Or at least, from this angle, it looked that way. There was a kitchenette on another wall. A bed next to that. It had the bare minimum of what a person needed to live.
Hopefully, it was a hunting lodge and not someone’s primary home. It made her apartment look huge.
The walls were made out of logs. A window sat adjacent to the front door that Lopez used to exit the building.
What was he doing? She could hear talking. Was he bringing in other people? Kendra had never been so scared in all of her life. She’d struggled with him as he’d taken her out of the house, but he’d been strong. He’d slapped her also, which made her a little dizzy. She wasn’t feeling the effects anymore, but she knew her lip was fat.
Lopez returned. Was he going to have fun or just kill her? She wished he would just get it over and done. She regretted not saying goodbye to Cliff. She should have called him before she entered the safe house. He would miss her.
Alia and Viktor would be good parents. She wanted to cry, but she didn’t want to give Lopez the satisfaction. He had to know she was scared.
He stood in front of her. “I can’t believe that you caused me this much trouble. I lost my place on the council. I lost my business contacts. I’m a pariah to everyone because of you.”
“I think you did that all on your own.”
He slapped her across the face again. Her head whipped to one side, her teeth practically shaking in her mouth. She wasn’t going to go down meekly. That wasn’t who she was. She’d signed up for this, knowing full well she might not come back. She’d be damned if she wasn’t going down with a fight.
As much as her lip hurt from the hit, she could handle it. She was a tough lady.
“Smart ass,” he said. Not in a nice way either. “Good thing I found you. I was going after the kid next. That would have flushed you out.”
“You don’t even know where he is.”
He laughed. “I do. In a house in the suburbs with Kozlov’s brother and his very pregnant wife.”
The idea that Lopez had them watched chilled her. This would be all over soon. Whether he’d be alive or not was debatable, but she squirmed in her ropes, just to see if she could get them loose. If she did, she’d punch this man in the throat.
Twice.
Lopez was staring at her. Behind him, a face appeared in the window. Nik. Oh, thank God. They were here. As far as she knew, Lopez was by himself. Guess he’d pissed off everyone else. Or she was his solo project.
Damn.
Before she could distract Lopez, the front door was flung open. Someone came through the window. Some kind of smoke filled the room and Kendra began to cough. Were they burning the place down?
When the smoke cleared, Lopez was on the ground with a gun against his head. Someone was behind her, untying her. Sacha appeared in the doorway. He raced over to her. When the man behind her had her loose, Sacha dragged her to her feet, hugging her.
“Kendra.”
He was happy to see her. She put her arms around him, happy to see him also. He picked her up, carrying her out of the place. Agents were everywhere. All of this for her?
Sacha put her in the back of a car and slid in behind her. He kissed her head, her face, and her neck. “You scared me, Kendra. Please don’t do that again.”
She coughed. Her lungs hurt a little.
“Are you hurt? I’ll take you to the hospital,” Sacha said.
“I’m sure I’m fine.”
“No, we need to get you checked out. I’ll get someone to take us.”
It was an operation by federal law enforcement and of course, Sacha was taking charge like he owned the place. Kendra rubbed her wrists as she waited for him. He climbed back into the car, took her in his arms.
A man she assumed was an agent drove them to the local hospital. A doctor checked out Kendra with Sacha making sure he did everything right. He asked many questions and Kendra had a feeling that the doctor was glad when they left.
It made Kendra smile. Sacha did really care about her.
But it didn’t mean he loved her.
Sacha called one of his drivers who came and brought them back to Manhattan. Nik called on the way. Sacha told Kendra the good news. Not only had they caught Lopez, he squealed on the guy above him in the organization.
Sacha settled Kendra against him after they hung up. “You are not going anywhere. Ever.”
“What do you mean? I have to go back to work.”
“Okay, but not right away. I want you healed and recovered.”
“Sacha, I only have a fat lip. Not a concussion. I’m fine. A little strung out, but fine.”
He held her tighter. “I’ll draw you a bath, then make you something to eat.”
“You don’t need to fuss.”
“Let me fuss, Kendra. I want to fuss. You scared the shit out of me,” Sacha said.
She settled against him. Okay. If he wanted to fuss, she’d let him.
“Then we’ll have a serious talk,” he said.
Uh oh.
***
While Kendra was in the bath, Sacha made macaroni and cheese, one of her comfort foods. He wanted to talk to her. He must tell her how he felt about her.
His phone rang. He wasn’t going to answer it except that it was his lawyer.
“You’ve got him,” Tom said. “You can pick Ethan up from his foster parents tomorrow.”
“You are the best Tom. I mean it. This makes my day. Everything has fallen into place. Thank you.”
“No problem. You have a place for him?”
“I do for now. We’ll move to a bigger place. Everyone will pick, not just me.”
“You’re sounding awfully domestic,” Tom said.
“I have a kid now and a girlfriend and another kid in the mix. I have to be domestic.”
He hung up then did a little happy dance. Yes.
“You’re in a good mood.”
Kendra stood in the doorway to the kitchen in just a robe. He knew she was naked underneath.
“I’m going to pick up my son tomorrow.”
“Nice.”
Kendra’s smile lit up the room.
“Then we should pick up Cliff this weekend.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Pick up Cliff?”
“Yes. Now that you’re safe, he can come back and live with us.”
“Live with us?”
Was she going to repeat everything he said? He approached her, putting his arms around her, pressing her against him. It was good to feel her near him.
“Yes, live with us, Kendra. Like a family.”
“I don’t understand,” she said.
He loosened his grip on her for a moment, looking into those beautiful eyes. “Kendra, I love you. I figured that out when you left. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I’m an ass, but I want to be your ass. From now on. Let’s date. I’ll win your heart no matter what it takes.”
Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She cleared her throat. “You already have my heart, Sacha. I love you too.”
He picked her up and spun her around. “Then it’s all settled.”
“What’s all settled?”
“That you’ll stay with me.”
She blinked. “I hadn’t thought about it.”
“It makes perfect sense. You, Cliff, Ethan, and me. A family. We’ll get married, but that isn’t a proposal. I’ll do that properly when I decide how.”
She looked at him as if her head spun. “Do I get a say?”
He put her down. “Of course. What do you want?”
“I’m not sure we should live together.”
He frowned. “Why not? Why get an apartment to move into when we get married? Seems like a waste of moving around.”
She kissed him. “Maybe I like my independence.”
“We’ll buy a bigger penthouse. I’ll give you your own wing.”
She laughed, but he knew she was teasing him. She wasn’t going anywhere. She loved him. His heart wanted to explode.
“Okay, Sacha. Let’s all live together.”
“We can live here until we find a bigger place, okay?”
“Okay.”
She smiled up at him and he pressed his lips against hers. When he stopped, he asked her, “Hungry?”
“I am, but not for that.”
“Oh?”
She cocked her head, then dropped the robe. She was naked underneath. He scooped her up before she changed her mind. She laughed all the way to the bedroom. He put her down onto the bed. “You sure that you’re up for this?”
“Just don’t kiss me on the lips.”
After they made love, Sacha brought them bowls of macaroni and cheese to eat in bed. Kendra was propped against the headboard.
“You really don’t mind Cliff coming to stay with us?”
“No. You don’t mind Ethan in the mix?”
“No. He’s your son. He should be with you.”
Sacha was sure that he fell in love with her even more at that moment. He kissed her cheek. “Thank you. One more thing.”
“What?”
“I want to adopt Cliff.”
Her smile lit up his room.
“You want to adopt him?”
“Yes. Let’s make it all legal. I’ll go from no family to two sons.”
She laughed. “Are you sure you can handle all of this, Sacha?”
It was an adjustment, but he was willing to take on whatever to be with Kendra. She was his love and he didn’t want her anywhere else but in his life. In his home and in his bed.
“I can handle it. Where would you want to get married?”
“At your place in upstate New York.”
“Okay. We could do that. What about kids?”
“We’ll already have two.”
“I know, but I’m selfish. I want one with you. I want to see that baby grow inside of you. See your belly get large with my child.”
“You really want kids?”
“Yes.”
She put her spoon down, leaning her head against the wall. “I didn’t even know that you loved me, Sacha. Not until you said it at the safe house.”
“So you did hear me.”
“I did. It kept me alive. It gave me a reason to fight Lopez.”
“Good. Now, how many kids?”
Kendra laughed. A sweet noise in his ears. “Can I just get used to the idea that you love me and that you want kids? I need a few days.”
“Didn’t you ever think about having them?”
“I never thought about getting married,” Kendra said.
“Oh. I didn’t either, but I’ve had time to think about it, I guess.”
She punched him. “Then give me time to think.”
“Okay. But I’m not waiting too long to ask you to marry me. I’m in a hurry.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not going to let you change your mind once you say yes. You’ll have to meet my mother.”
“Okay.”
She smiled at him and his heart leaped.
“I think I need to make love to you again. One more time while I have you all to myself. Life will get crazy with two young kids in the house.”
“I think I’d like that. Take me now, big boy.”