chapter thirteen
On his first trip through the neighborhood, Rafe didn’t slow down when he passed the house in question. It was a decent neighborhood with neatly manicured lawns and trees planted in rows along the sidewalks, the kind of place he could see himself living in someday. And surprise, surprise, his imagination conjured up a helpful image of Diana there with him.
Rafe would have never thought he could enjoy such simple, basic pleasures as coming home to a woman who was happy to see him. But seeing Diana was quickly becoming his favorite part of every day. She always had a smile for him that made him feel about ten feet tall.
The warmth he felt just being around her was unlike anything he’d ever experienced with a woman before. This wasn’t just desire. Desire he was familiar with. Rafe loved women and certainly hadn’t been a monk in his past, but it had always been enough to spend a night with a woman and then move on. It made him feel like an asshole, but he’d never wanted anything more than that. Some people functioned better on their own, and he’d always figured that the only family he needed was Nonna, Lucia, and the gaggle of kids he’d always known his sister would one day have.
He wouldn’t have described himself as lonely before. There was an uncomplicated beauty in living alone and having every part of his life regimented. Due to his years of training to be invisible, it was easier to be alone. But he couldn’t deny that a part of him was awakening being around Diana. She didn’t ask for much from him other than his company, and she made him feel that was a gift. He’d puzzled over it for days before realizing that she simply liked him as he was. What a revelation.
So when Rafe finally got the details from Matthias about Diana’s ex-boyfriend, there was no question of how he’d handle it. When they’d met, she’d been scared and hurt, and no amount of time would erase that image from his mind. For a man like him, there was only one thing to do when someone he cared about was in danger.
Eliminate the threat.
Rafe shook his head. He couldn’t kill the guy. After years being in ORUS, and to a lesser degree the FBI, it was hard to shed their kill first, ask questions later mentality. But he was transitioning back into a civilian. This was what he’d always wanted and what he’d bargained so hard for. He couldn’t do anything to jeopardize his chance to live freely again, so he would have to step carefully.
But just because he couldn’t kill the guy didn’t mean he couldn’t take care of the problem. By the time he was done, Corbin James would never even look askance at another woman. He’d be lucky if he wasn’t pissing into a bag.
Rafe continued to drive around, making sure not to linger too long on any street until he saw what he’d been waiting for—a blue SUV parked in the driveway. Rafe smiled.
Corbin James was home from work.
He parked on the street behind the house and walked through the back neighbor’s yard to a small copse of trees right behind the house. According to Matthias, Mr. James had a dog. Rafe had never had one, but the little he knew about them included how often they needed to be taken outside, which would give him the opportunity he needed. Rafe glanced at his watch and waited patiently. Ten minutes later, a man stepped out onto the back porch with a puppy on a leash.
Moving quickly, Rafe scooped up the dog, jerked the leash from James’s hand, and deposited the pup inside the house, closing the door behind it. The little guy would try to protect his owner, and he’d never enjoyed the thought of hurting a defenseless animal. The dog didn’t even bark, just pressed its little face against the glass, observing Rafe curiously.
“Some guard dog you’ve got there,” he commented as he turned around.
The other man backed up, his eyes darting nervously between Rafe and the back door.
“What the hell, man? Who are you?”
Rafe punched him in the gut and then cradled him on his way down to the ground. “I’m the guy who is going to kick your ass.”
Corbin wheezed, in too much pain to even scream. Rafe had hit him right in the lung, so he wouldn’t be breathing normally for a while. Plenty of time for them to have a talk.
Well, for Rafe to talk and for Corbin to listen.
“Get away, help!” The soft scream was cut off when Rafe grabbed him by the throat. He enjoyed the man’s look of terror. Was that how Diana had felt when this asshole had kicked her in the ribs? Had he stalked her around this house, letting her feel the terror of being hunted before he’d hurt her? The thought of her being scared and helpless enraged him, and his hand tightened around the other man’s throat. The gurgling below him was the only thing that prompted him to loosen his grip.
Don’t kill him.
“Is that her dog?” Rafe glanced back at the house as the thought occurred to him. That seemed like the kind of thing that Diana would have talked about. She was such a gentle spirit—he couldn’t imagine her leaving a puppy behind easily.
“Who? That’s my dog. Just got him. I’m sorry I forgot to pooper-scoop yesterday!”
Rafe scowled. “Do I look like I’m from the fucking homeowners’ association? I don’t care about your dog’s poop. I’m here because of Diana.”
Corbin dragged in a greedy breath as soon as Rafe’s grip relaxed a bit. “Who? Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just came home to walk my dog.”
“You don’t know who I’m talking about? You don’t remember kicking Diana so hard a few weeks ago that you bruised her ribs?”
Rafe waited for the inevitable sniveling and excuses. When they didn’t come, he looked down into the man’s confused expression.
“Diana who? Man, I don’t even know who that is!”
“Of course you don’t.”
Corbin shook his head and then winced. He put a hand to his throat where purple bruises from Rafe’s fingers were already forming.
These assholes never took responsibility for their actions. He’d seen this sort of thing back in his neighborhood, but he’d been too young to do much to help back then. Once he’d started training Noah, they’d been happy to use their skills to help those who couldn’t help themselves.
Noah had kept up the practice when he started his own security firm, something that made Rafe proud. Even after he’d been out of Noah’s life, the things he’d instilled in the kid had stuck and guided him into becoming the kind of man that Rafe had always known he could be. It was good to see that something he’d done had turned out right.
Corbin used his inattention to back away, crab walking backward until he bumped into the small table on the patio. “Just take my wallet. I have a lot of cash in there!”
Rafe kicked one of the chairs out of his way. “I don’t want money. What I want is to make sure you never hurt Diana or any other woman again.”
Corbin tripped over his own feet trying to get away. Rafe caught him by the back of the shirt and yanked him back.
“Diana Renquist. Doesn’t ring any bells, right? Let me guess, you conveniently forget every woman after you use her as a punching bag.”
Corbin held up his hands. “Punching bag? Man, do I look like I would punch anyone?”
Rafe paused, looking at the man’s long, thin, clearly manicured fingers. Was that— Wait, was that nail polish? The dude had hands that looked like they belonged in a lotion commercial, pale and smooth. Although that didn’t mean anything. There were plenty of abusive men who put on an elegant façade in public while living their lives as monsters at night.
“Wait, Renquist? You mean the chick who lived here before me?”
“Huh?” Rafe loosened his grip slightly.
The other man gulped. “Yeah. There was some lady with that name who lived here before me. I still get her mail sometimes.”
Rafe had a long history of dealing with liars, which was how he knew that Corbin James was very likely telling the truth. But that meant that along the way, he’d gotten something very wrong.
But then, who was she running from? And who the hell had hurt her? Had she not told him because she feared something like this would happen? Feared what he would do?
He’d almost killed this guy. Based on what? An overheard conversation and a hunch?
It’s no wonder she doesn’t trust you with the whole story.
When Diana walked down the sidewalk to reach Charisse’s house, she found her friend waiting for her at the door.
After a quick hug, Diana followed her inside. There was a soft, nubby throw blanket over the back of the couch and a colorful painting on the wall that she’d never seen before.
“I see you’ve made a few changes since I’ve been gone.”
Charisse harrumphed. “You would have known that if you’d come by more often.”
Diana laughed. “I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been a crap friend. I just… I don’t want to risk being followed.”
“No, you haven’t. You’ve been dealing with some stuff. I get that.” Charisse shooed her toward the sofa and then came back with two cans of cold soda. “Besides, you’re here now, even if I don’t agree with the reason why.”
Diana glanced at her from the corner of her eye. “Does that mean you got it?”
“Hell yeah, I got it. I told you I had a hookup. My brother is friends with the guy who coded this one. It’ll work on any digital safe. You just have to give it enough time to do the job.”
That was the trick, wasn’t it? Finding enough time without interruption to let the safe decoder work. Rafe left her in the apartment alone now, but it was never more than a few hours. What if that wasn’t enough time? With the kind of encryption he had on that safe, it could take longer.
“I’ll find a way,” Diana muttered. “This is the only option I really have.”
“Or you could stop this whole thing and get out before that dude finds out what you’re up to.” Charisse ignored the withering glance Diana gave her. “I’m serious. You’ve been lucky so far that nothing has gone wrong. Please, think this through before you get in too deep.”
Diana didn’t say anything. What could she say? No matter how she phrased things, there was no way to explain to her friend that she was already in too deep and there was no going back now. She needed to know the truth. Understanding the events of the worst day of her life was the only way she’d ever have any kind of closure. The confusing feelings she had for Rafe wouldn’t go away until she could answer the questions she had.
“Oh shit. It’s already too late, isn’t it?” Charisse shook her head and set her soda can down on the coffee table. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I have no idea,” Diana whispered.
Charisse sighed. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
They sat in silence for a while. Finally Diana leaned over and rested her head on Charisse’s shoulder. She closed her eyes, letting herself process for the first time what would happen once she was confronted with the evidence of what Rafe had done. It was one thing to suspect that Rafe had killed her father so he could steal the Jewel of the Sea, but another to see the evidence in front of her face.
What then?
“You certainly know how to keep things interesting, don’t you?” Charisse finally chuckled.
“That’s me. Never boring.” Her voice sounded as despondent as she felt.
Charisse pulled back, forcing Diana to sit up straight. “Tell me the truth. You have it bad for this guy, don’t you?”
With it stated so plainly, Diana couldn’t do anything but nod helplessly.
“And once you have the diamond back? Or at least find out who he sold it to?”
Diana shivered. “I don’t know, Char. These past few weeks with him have been intense. Nothing is what I thought it would be, least of all him. It’s surreal.”
Charisse grabbed her hands. “It’s not surreal. Unfortunately, this whole situation is very, very real. And he will really kill you if he finds out that you’ve been plotting against him this whole time. You’re sleeping with him now. It’s just terrifying to think of all the ways he can hurt you. I’m worried.”
Diana fought the urge to pull away. Her friend was just looking out for her and trying to be the voice of reason in an unreasonable situation. But that didn’t make what she was saying any easier to hear.
“I know. Believe me. This is real to me. My body wants him, I don’t deny that, but my brain knows the deal. The only important thing is getting revenge for my father and recovering my mother’s legacy. I haven’t lost sight of that.”
A loud sigh told her that her friend wasn’t completely convinced, but one of the valuable things about being friends with someone for so long was knowing they’d be there for you anyway.
“Okay. You know I’m here for you if you ever need to talk.” Charisse patted her hand. “Wait here while I get your stuff.”
Diana watched as she left the room. She looked around curiously. The furniture was sturdy, and everything was in a shade of beige. Despite that, Charisse had decorated with pops of color here and there that kept things cheerful. You could see her friend’s personality all over the room from the daisies in a vase in the center of the table to the piles of books on every surface mixed in with her kids’ toys. Eclectic but fun.
Would she ever have that? The opportunity to put her stamp somewhere and carve out a space that was purely her own? She’d spent so much time pursuing justice that now she wasn’t sure what she’d do if she got it. Who was she if she wasn’t avenging her father?
It had been a long time since she’d thought about that.
“Okay, here it is. Use with caution.” Charisse appeared at the end of the couch, holding a small box with a digital face, and the black bag Diana had left in her long-term hotel room weeks ago. “I hope I got the right bag.”
Diana held the bag in her lap and unzipped it. It contained her laptop, a charger, money, and her real identification. “This is exactly what I needed. Thank you for getting this for me. I didn’t want to take a chance in case Rafe has been watching me.”
Charisse held out the small box. “This is the decoder. Put it over the keypad and then let it run. It could take anywhere from one to five hours.”
“Got it.” Diana stood and accepted the device gratefully. “Thanks again, Char. It means a lot, especially since I know you don’t agree with any of this.”
“That’s what friends are for, right? Besides, it’s not that I don’t agree with it. I want you to get your revenge. I just want to make sure that you don’t end up getting played… or worse.”
Charisse’s words stayed with her the whole way home. Was that what was happening? Was she getting played?
Diana turned the phrase over and over in her mind as she looked out the windows of the taxi at the streets of New York. She was here, finally, and doing what she’d always dreamed of. Bringing her father’s murderer to justice for the pain and devastation he’d caused.
The idea that she was failing at something she’d spent so much of her life dreaming about was disturbing.
“Hey, lady. You gettin’ out or what?” The cabbie’s voice broke into her thoughts, and Diana scrambled to pull some money out of her pocket. Even that made her think of Rafe since it was no doubt some of the money he’d given her.
That went for the clothes she was wearing and the shoes on her feet. All provided by Rafe. She thrust the money over the seat to the cabbie and climbed out, suddenly wanting nothing more than to strip it all off. To be free and clear of any reminder of why she was here. But she couldn’t do that. He’d be back any minute, and she needed to be there so she didn’t have to answer any questions about where she’d been. The whole thing was a delicate balancing act of lies, and she was suddenly exhausted from the performance. But giving up now would mean giving up on justice for her father.
He deserved better than that.
But what about what you deserve? Wouldn’t he have wanted more for you than this?
It startled her to realize that her father probably wouldn’t have wanted her to move on. He’d been big on vendettas. She’d seen his scathing temper in action more than a few times. He’d have been proud of her for dedicating her life to evening a score.
Which didn’t make her feel any better.
She’d deliberately given the cabbie an address down the street from Rafe’s building. If anyone asked around, there would be no record of a cab dropping off a woman at his building. But as she walked down the street, she wished she’d picked a closer drop-off point. A man walking in the opposite direction slowed down and gave a wolf whistle as she passed.
When she didn’t respond, she heard the muttered “Bitch,” but she didn’t stop walking.
Then she heard the footsteps.
She slowed, and the footsteps slowed as well. When she sped up, they matched pace. Furious, she spun around to confront the guy and then… faced an empty street. There was no one there except for the homeless man she’d just passed, and he hadn’t moved.
“Damn it. Now I’m just getting paranoid.”
But she knew from experience that being paranoid could sometimes save your life.
She hurried the rest of the way, breathing a sigh of relief when Rafe’s building loomed ahead. Her skin was still prickling like someone was watching, but at this point she couldn’t tell what was real and what was in her head. But she kept her eyes open and alert as she entered the building and rode the elevator up to Rafe’s floor.
“Rafe? Hello?”
No answer. Mentally she cheered because it meant she still had time. Even though Charisse had said to expect it to take hours, there was nothing wrong with giving it a go now. Maybe she’d get lucky and it would work right away. Then she’d have the answers she needed and could put all this needless speculation to rest.
Diana wasted no time, heading straight for Rafe’s office. She pressed the painting and waited as the panel slid open. Then she placed the decoder over the keypad on the safe. With one eye on the door, she watched as numbers flashed across the screen.
It’s running through combinations, she realized with fascination. The decoder was literally going to try every combination possible until it found the right one. No wonder it could take hours.
Her shoulders sagged. It was too risky to try this now. Rafe could come home at any minute, and she’d have no reasonable explanation for why she was in his office. So it would make more sense to wait until he had another call for a job. His security work usually took him away from the apartment for hours at a time.
Or she could make the time. Her gut knotted up at the thought. Rafe had knocked over the glass of wine that she’d laced last time. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t try again. Maybe she’d hide it in food this time. He’d never know. Then she’d have all the time she needed.
And this could finally be over.
But could she do it? Diana took the decoder off and closed the panel hiding the safe. She wasn’t sure she had too many other alternatives outside of waiting for him to leave on his own. Considering how weird his schedule was, it could be days or weeks until he was called out on another job. That wasn’t that long in the grand scheme of things, but it was still longer than necessary.
She’d been here for weeks and was only getting more and more comfortable. It was time she got serious again.