Chapter Fifty-Seven

A FEW HOURS LATER, Acacia sat up in bed and picked at her dinner.

She’d been seen by a doctor, who examined her and told her she should be in a hospital. Acacia dismissed him and his nurse.

Nicholas had only left her side while she was in the bathroom.

“Now will you talk to me?” Acacia pushed her dinner tray aside.

“I’m worried our conversation will place additional stress on you.” Nicholas removed the tray and placed it in the hall. He closed the bedroom door and stood next to the bed. His expression was wary.

“I guess we can postpone our talk until after I have a bath.”

“That’s easily done. I’ll fetch the nurse.”

“You can help.”

Nicholas hesitated. “Are you sure?”

Acacia sighed. “Send in the nurse, if you must. But I’d rather have you.”

“I would do anything to help you.” His tone was insistent. “But we’ve gone our separate ways, remember? You left me.”

“I did.” She gave him a tremulous look. “But I’m here now. I’m not feeling well, and I need a bath. Are you going to make me beg?”

“Of course not.” Nicholas ducked his head guiltily. “I’m sorry.”

He helped her climb off the bed, but she insisted on walking to the ensuite bathroom unassisted.

She sat on the closed toilet while Nicholas fussed. He filled the large Jacuzzi tub with hot water and bath salts. He shook out a pair of large, white bath sheets and a face cloth and arranged them next to the tub.

When she unbuttoned her blouse, he turned away, an act that made her heart clench.

Acacia thought for a moment that perhaps she did need to see a doctor. Perhaps her hope that she and Nicholas could reconcile was entirely delusional.

She climbed carefully into the tub. When she was safe beneath the bubbling water, he perched himself on the closed toilet.

“I thought you’d gone to Russia,” she said softly.

He folded a towel and placed it behind her head, so she could lean back.

“No. I’m confident I’m being watched, so I’ve avoided any incursions.” Nicholas rested his elbows on his knees and wrapped his hands around the back of his neck. He stared at the floor.

“My father thought you were Mossad.”

“Rick told me. I’m not, but I passed information to them from time to time.” He rubbed his neck.

Acacia’s eyes widened. “If you passed information to them, then you’re Mossad.”

Nicholas leaned forward. “I need you to hear this, because it’s very important. As I’ve repatriated stolen art over the years, I’ve come into contact with crime bosses and arms dealers. On some occasions, I acquired information that would be valuable to law enforcement and other agencies. From time to time, I’ve passed that information on. I’ve worked with Mossad, Interpol, the CIA, and others. So no, I’m not Mossad, just as I am not Interpol or CIA.”

“What you’re doing is dangerous.”

“Yes, which was why I was cautious about what information I shared and with whom. But the contacts I made and the favors I curried have more than paid off. Mossad shared intelligence that enabled me to pinpoint your location. We made an agreement that my team would extract you and Mossad would give your father’s location to the Syrians.”

“Why would Mossad do that?”

“There are surprising and uneasy alliances all over the world. No one does anything for free, however. The Syrians wanted your father for the Damascus bombings, and Mossad wanted something from Syria. I wasn’t told what that was.”

“I was worried if they thought you were Mossad, then someone would…” She trailed off. Her emotions bubbled to the surface.

“I have more allies than enemies. But I’m beginning to realize how much I want out of that world.

“I’m the one who failed you, Acacia. You were under my protection when your father’s men kidnapped you.”

“I never should have gone to Dubai. That’s how my father found me.”

Nicholas sighed. “You could have run into him in Paris or Geneva or a thousand other places he did business.

“He traced us to Paris and bided his time until you were alone. I believe the taxi driver who drove you and Kurt to your apartment was in on it.”

“Kurt,” she whispered.

Nicholas grimaced. “I attended his funeral.”

“Did he have a family?”

“Just his parents.”

Her eyes began to water. “Could I write a letter to them? He died trying to protect me.”

“I’ll have my assistant get you the address.”

“I guess she hasn’t had her baby yet.”

Nicholas gave her a half-smile. “You remembered. No, she hasn’t.”

“When your men came to get me, the soldier who was carrying me was hit. We went down, and one of my father’s men grabbed me. I killed him.” She covered her mouth with her hand.

Nicholas’s dark eyes blazed. “I know.”

Acacia began to sob. As soon as the tears began, she knew this was a deluge that could not be controlled. She didn’t have the energy to visualize a wave or anything else. Her reserve of inner strength was gone. All she could see was the man she’d killed, lying on the mosaic tile, blood pouring from his neck.

Nicholas wrested his jacket and threw it aside. He kicked off his shoes, peeled off his socks, and climbed into the tub with her.

Acacia looked at him in shock. “What are you doing?”

He shifted so he was behind her, and wrapped his arms and legs around her body. “I’m not going to sit there and watch you cry.”

“You’re fully dressed.” She hiccupped. “You’ll ruin your clothes.”

“I don’t give a fuck.” Nicholas placed his chin on her shoulder. He hugged her as she sobbed in his arms.

When her tears were spent, she rested her head against his chest.

“The nurse will have to change your bandage.” Nicholas kissed the top of her head.

“I sent her away, remember?”

“She’s downstairs. I told her she was staying the night.”

“Thank you.”

“Acacia, I need to send you back to Geneva. It isn’t safe for you here.”

She gripped his forearm with both hands. “I’m not leaving.”

“You need time to recover from your ordeal.”

“Are you returning to Geneva?”

He exhaled loudly. “No.”

“Then I’m not either.”

Nicholas huffed in her ear but didn’t argue.

“Your mother invited me to see her after I checked out of the hospital. I didn’t respond to her invitation. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I kept your personal details private, but she knows you were kidnapped. She’ll understand you weren’t ready to see people.”

“I didn’t have any clothes. She sent me the outfit I was wearing, along with a bag of brand-new things.”

Nicholas stroked Acacia’s hair. “She cares for you.”

“Does she know you’re here?”

Nicholas gently extricated himself from her grasp and stepped out of the tub. He stood on the bathmat, dripping wet.

He ran his fingers through his hair.

“You’ve ruined your watch.” She pointed to the gold timepiece that sat on his wrist.

He shrugged. “To answer your question, no. My mother doesn’t know I’m here. I’ve been avoiding her calls.”

He unfolded a bath sheet and held his hand out toward her. She took it gratefully.

He wrapped her in the bath sheet and helped her out of the tub. Despite the fact that his clothes were soaked, he took his time toweling her. Then he retrieved a bathrobe from a nearby hook. “We have a lot to discuss, but now is not the time.”

“We can talk tomorrow.”

He made an exasperated noise. “You know why I’m here. I have to see this through.”

She looked up at him. “I love you.”

He tugged at his hair in frustration. “But you know what I’m going to do. You told me you couldn’t stay with me.”

“I’m sorry I left you. That was a mistake.

“I’m probably not well, Nicholas. The doctor is sure I have post-traumatic stress disorder. But somehow I see things much more clearly than before I was kidnapped.”

“And?” he interjected, his eyes guarded.

Acacia was quiet for a moment. But when she spoke, it was from the heart. “I’m not here to prevent you from seeking justice. I want the people who killed your sister to be punished. And I want your family to have their artwork back. I just don’t want you to kill anyone.” Her voice wavered. “I say this as someone who has.”

“Acacia.” He gripped her arms. “Look at me. No one blames you for that. You were trying to escape.”

“But it’s a choice I wish I hadn’t had to make. And I will have to live with that choice for the rest of my life.” She sniffled. “I’m not leaving you. I’m going to stay at your side and work like hell to keep you from making a mistake.”

His eyes bored into hers. “There have been some developments.”

“What happened?”

“We’ll talk more tomorrow. It’s getting late and you should rest.”

She took his hand. “Promise me you won’t do anything until we talk.”

He looked down at her hand. He rubbed his thumb across her knuckles.

“I promise. I’ll get the nurse so she can see to your bandage.” He kissed her forehead and left the room, still soaking wet.