Dead No More (14 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Friday, September 26, 7:00 p.m.

E
XCITED
ANTICIPATION
HUNG
heavy in the air. ARME had transformed one of their two-story labs into a grandiose stage for the unveiling of their newest addition in a long line of state-of-the-art weaponry. Lily was perched high above the mingling throng in a private balcony reserved for ARME’s honored guests, and she searched the crowd, eyes trained for one person: Jackson.

She knew he was there. Could feel him.

Derek walked up next to her and stared straight ahead. “You looking for Jackson?”

Lily scanned the crowd below. “I know he’s here.”

“Probably.” Derek shoved his hands in his pockets. “You doing okay?”

She took a sip of her champagne and nodded. He didn’t respond, just stood next to her. Heat radiated off him, and the strain in her neck faded. The pressure in her chest eased. His silent presence not only calmed her, but also solidified her resolve to nail Rowland and Jackson.

She could get used to being on his six.

And much, much more.

A commotion to her left captured her attention. Lily turned slightly. A tall, blonde bombshell wrapped in a tight sequined dress entered the room. Her sheer presence demanded the attention of those around her, including Lily. “Whoa.”

Derek chuckled. “I see you’ve spotted Mrs. Elsworth.”

“
That’s
Gina Elsworth?” She was everything Lily had expected. Tall. Exquisite. Walking perfection. The woman looked like she belonged on a runway.

“Don’t let her looks fool you.”

Lily frowned.

“Remember. Trophy wife.”

“I’d hate to hear what you have to say about me.” Lily smirked into her champagne.

“What? That you’re feisty, stubborn and a genius? Or that you can run circles around any of the operatives I’ve ever worked with? And I’ve worked with the best, mind you. Or that you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met, the woman I can’t keep my mind off of?”

Lily choked on the sparkling wine. Trying to appear nonchalant, she swirled the golden liquid and looked over at Derek. “I said I’d
hate
to hear. That wasn’t an open invitation to let your inner monologue out to play.”

He leaned in and his breath tickled across her neck. “Wasn’t it, though?”

She shook her head, suppressing the urge to turn and press her lips to his. “Don’t you have somewhere to be? Someone to protect?”

“Play nice.” He laughed, then walked away.

Lily stared after Derek. The longer this case lingered on, the faster her resolve to keep her heart closed to him faded. Past logic and the hopeful future battled within her. She grasped at the unraveling fringes of her determination, but she knew it was futile.

Every inch of her body wanted to finish what they’d started in the kitchen.

She was losing the battle against logic very quickly.

Lily swung her gaze toward Gina, intrigued by the tall beauty who owned the room and captivated its occupants. Could she really be capable of setting Rowland up? Or was she truly the way Derek had often described her? A trophy wife?

Gina greeted an older couple with a dazzling smile and nodded her head softly before moving on to the next person. As Lily studied her, a peculiar thought scurried across Lily’s mind.

Could Gina be
involved
with Rowland?

Lily wouldn’t put it past him to have charmed his way into Gina’s bed. Despite his savage background, he was gorgeous, his personality hypnotic.

Making a mental note to ask Derek, Lily turned her attention to the swirl of people below her. The air was electrified. She spotted Rowland mingling with the guests and raised her glass in acknowledgment.

He saw her and made his way up the curved staircase to her right to join her, wrapping his arm around her waist and tucking her into his side.

The intimate gesture caught her off guard. “Don’t you look handsome tonight.”

“Are you all right?”

“Of course.” She frowned and did a mental check of the past five minutes. What could she have possibly done to warrant that question? “Why do you ask?”

“Just making sure the help is minding his place,” Rowland answered, his voice hard as steel.

Lily’s blood ran cold.
Derek
. The last thing she wanted was for him to be the focus of Rowland’s psychotic attention. Whatever was happening between her and Derek needed to stop, before it got them both killed.

She glanced up at Rowland and forced a smiled to her lips. “He was just answering a question I had about the facility.”

“I see.” The green in Rowland’s eyes turned black, and his hand tightened on her waist. “In the future, let me be the one to answer your questions.”

“Of course. The excitement of the evening must have gone to my head.”

He tilted her chin up and looked down at her. “Meet me tomorrow, and I’ll take you on a private tour of the facility.”

It wasn’t an invitation. Lily’s heart hammered against her chest. “That would be lovely.”

He bent his head low, crushing his lips to hers. There was nothing gentle or loving about his kiss. It was demanding. Dangerous. Possessive. Pulling back, he gave her a measured look, then turned on his heel and left her.

Lily grabbed her flute of champagne and brought the sparkling liquid to her lips. A small tremor caused the bubbles to dance wildly within the crystal flute. She quickly lowered her hand, rested the trembling glass against the railing. Her heart skipped and fluttered.

He’d just claimed her.

Lily commanded her heart to calm, and spied Gina making her way toward the balcony where Lily was perched.

“I see Rowland has you under his spell.”

“Mrs. Elsworth.” Lily smiled. “You look exquisite tonight.”

“Thank you. Please, call me Gina.” Her lips curled, but the smile never reached her stunning emerald eyes. “You look beautiful, as well.”

If the woman standing in front of Lily, openly assessing her, only knew what lay beneath her mile-high makeup. It had taken
forever
to cover the gash on her forehead, compliments of Jackson, and she’d finally resorted to styling her hair in such a way as to hide the remnants. Lily tipped her head down, then fingered the diamonds floating around her neck. “I hope it’s not too much.”

“It’s not. It’s perfect. You must have quite the stylist.”

Lily combed the room for Derek and smiled inwardly when she found him.
Yes, I do.
He’d
blown into her loft again with another assortment of stunning, expensive gowns. All of which had high backs. When she’d questioned him, he’d shrugged and said he noticed she liked that style.

“Oh.” Gina turned and faced the stage below them. “Here we go.”

Rowland and John walked onto the platform together and stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the podium. Weariness etched around John’s eyes, the strain pulling at his handsome features catching Lily by surprise. A smile was fastened to his face, but the edge illuminated in his eyes betrayed him.

“Ladies and gentlemen.” Rowland’s deep, velvety words rolled through the quiet crowd.

Lily glanced at Gina. Why was Rowland addressing the crowd instead of John? The blonde woman stared straight ahead, lifted her champagne to her lips, calmly took a sip.

“Fine people of Omaha, thank you for honoring us with your presence tonight. A night that will prove to be the grandest moment in ARME’s long and glorious history.”

Deafening applause urged Rowland to continue.

He glanced up and caught Lily’s eye. She nodded at him and smiled.

“Tonight—with the backing of our own government—we unveil the first long-distance, multitarget missile
ever
to be produced in this majestic world.”

Lily stiffened. She had a hard time swallowing the fact that some bureaucratic talking head, who had most likely never seen a day of combat, had actually signed off on the development of this missile. It was insane.

Rowland glanced over at John. “Anything you would like to add?”

John and Rowland eyed each other like two peacocks competing for a mate. Neither moved. Neither blinked. Finally, John plucked the microphone from Rowland’s hands.

“Thank you, Rowland. I believe I do have something to add. People of Omaha and the world, I promise you this.” John scanned the crowd. “We at ARME Industries are committed to building weapons that protect humanity from any evil—foreign or domestic—that might arise to threaten our way of life, our survival.”

Support resounded throughout the crowd.

Gina’s back straightened just a fraction. A tight smile tugged at her lips.

“We’re committed to truth and equality. We build weapons not to arm those who wish to bring harm to us or our partners, but to aid our brave defenders all over the world with the equipment they need to accomplish the task at hand—freedom for every man, woman and child...”

Another roar of approval swept through the throngs of people below them. Lily studied Rowland closely. He’d perfected his poker face. She got nothing. Again.
Damn that man.

“And if we ever veer from that commitment, I promise you this.” John glanced up to the balcony. Gina stared down at him until he looked away. “We will close our doors for good.”

Silence blanketed the crowd. Lily peeked at Gina and caught the slight tick in her jaw.
What the hell was that about?

Rowland stepped up and put his hand on John’s shoulder. “Always the champion of the people. John Elsworth, ladies and gentlemen, president and CEO of ARME Industries.”

Rowland clapped his hands together. The stunned crowd followed his lead. Lily glanced over at Gina. She gripped her glass hard, her knuckles slowly turning white. The tops of her ears were pink. Lily frowned.

Who was Gina so pissed at? Rowland or John?

“And without further ado,” Rowland said, “the first long-distance, multitarget missile.”

The thick red fabric was pulled away from the display, revealing a small warhead perched on a bed of black velvet. The missile was smaller than Lily had imagined it would be, but she didn’t doubt its destructive ability.

Gina stepped closer to Lily and leaned in. “Rowland is quite the man, isn’t he, Addison?” Her tone was venomous.

Lily blinked back her surprise. Was Gina jealous? Angry? Lily hesitated, searching for the correct words before answering. “He is. I’m quite fond of him. And I’m very intrigued by the work that goes on here.”

Gina’s eyes flashed, and she jerked her chin slightly. “Are you now?”

“Yes. Rowland is giving me a tour tomorrow.”

Gina’s eyebrows arched. “He is, is he?”

Lily suppressed the sarcasm itching to be released and calmly answered Gina. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’m sure you are.” The tall, green-eyed beauty lifted her flute to her lips, took a sip and turned to leave. Pausing, she looked over her shoulder. “Enjoy your evening, Addison.”

Lily couldn’t have been more stunned if Gina had slapped her across the face. Lily watched the retreating woman. Any doubt that Gina and Rowland could be working together vanished. The men called her a trophy wife.
Yeah, right.
That woman definitely had some brains to go along with her beauty.

Lily had recognized Gina Elsworth for what she truly was the moment she’d made her appearance into the room. She portrayed herself as a beautiful trophy wife, but that woman wanted—all but demanded—the spotlight, and she didn’t want to share it with anyone.

Including Rowland James.

Derek casually joined Lily. “What was that all about?”

Her heart tripped over itself, and her blood ran cold. She scanned the crowd below for Rowland. She raised her champagne flute to her mouth, desperate to hide their conversation.

“You shouldn’t be here. Rowland has me under a tighter microscope than I anticipated. It’s dangerous for you to be speaking with me.”

“Let me be concerned with that.”

Lily cast him a sideways glare. Why couldn’t he just listen to her for once? “Stop being stubborn.”

He kept his eyes glued on the crowd mingling below them and smiled. “Right back at you, babycakes. Now, what was that all about?”

Lily sighed. The man infuriated her, but there was no use fighting him. She knew when she’d met her match. “I have no idea. But I doubt she and I will be BFFs.”

Derek laughed quietly.

“I’m not kidding, Derek. I’m not sure I’m welcome here,” Lily murmured. “But I’ll keep working on her.”

He looked down at her. The warmth in his eyes seeped into her, pooling in the pit of her stomach. “You’ve got this.”

Lily lifted the champagne to her lips.

Somehow, she wasn’t convinced.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Saturday, September 27, 7:30 a.m.

T
HE
COMPUTER
CHIMED
,
signaling movement in Rowland’s office.

“Crap.” Lily shoved the last bite of a toasted bagel into her mouth and sprinted toward her room, throwing herself into her chair.

On the screen, Rowland sat at his desk, steepling his fingers and staring at his companion. “We need to speed up the process.”

“You can’t just speed it up,” the man argued, his face obstructed from view, his voice garbled. “There are things that need to be in place first.”

Had she damaged her equipment diving through the front gates? She sighed, made a mental note to get back in and reposition that camera, check its receptors. She had ears, barely, but her viewpoint was handicapped, or at least partially so, and that drove her crazy—she needed full access to that office; an obstructed view wouldn’t do.

“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do,” Rowland said, his voice clipped, face dark. “A group of men wearing black masks broke into my home looking for me, and found my wife and daughter instead. They tortured my wife to find out where I was. The medical examiner told me she bled out, slowly and painfully. My daughter woke up and walked in on them brutalizing my wife. They killed my little girl in front of my wife as she lay dying. She was only six.”

Their smiling faces flashed through Lily’s mind.
Dear God, who’d murdered Rowland’s family?

“I understand your desire to speed up the—”

Rowland slammed his fist down on the mahogany desk. Lily flinched, despite knowing he couldn’t touch her. He leaned forward, murder flashing in his cold eyes. “You understand nothing. The men who tortured and killed my family were CIA. They brought this on themselves, on their people. I’ve waited too long to exact my revenge.”

Lily felt as though she’d just been hit by a brick. In the face.
Her
people had done that, killed that beautiful little girl?
No.
She couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t believe it.

“I’ve made it my mission to bring this country to its knees, and if it’s the last thing I do...” Rowland paused, his tone acid “...so be it.”

The man pushed back from his chair, stood. “If we speed up the process, Rowland, it
will
be the last thing you do.”

Rowland watched the man go, then picked up his Scotch glass and hurled it against the office wall, shattering the crystal into a million tiny shards. Cradling his head in his hands, a mournful moan ripped through the silence.

Lily reached for her phone and punched in the numbers she now knew by heart.

“I think you’d better get over here, and bring Ben,” she said and hung up, her eyes never leaving the sorrowful scene filling her computer screen.

* * *

L
ILY
’
S
LOFT
HAD
transformed into their command center. Despite her best protests that they were
all
safer in her tall tower, George stood guard downstairs. Derek and Ben sat next to each other, quietly discussing Lily’s latest information download on Rowland, and what the hell to do about him.

Despite the shit storm they’d walked in to, Lily smiled. She trusted Ben with her life, and how could she not? He’d essentially taken on a father role since her own had died, and seeing Derek and Ben getting along as if they were lifelong friends and teammates eased the strain of this case.

Ben rested his hands on the table and smiled wearily up at her. “Well, as fun as this brainstorming session has been, there really isn’t anything else I can do at this point, and I need to head by the shop.” He got up, stretched. “Jury is still out on the newbie.”

He walked around the table and drew Lily into a massive bear hug. “We’ve got this, Lily girl.” He released her and turned to Derek. “You sticking around?”

Derek checked his watch and stood. “Can’t.”

“Wait.” Lily’s heart sank. “Where are you going?”

Derek gathered up his files and stuffed them into his shoulder bag. “I need to catch a flight for a last-minute meeting in DC.”

“Fair enough. Safe travels, then.” Ben nodded, opened the door and left, leaving them alone.

Lily eyed Derek. Why was he going to Washington this late? “DC? On a Saturday?”

“You and I both know Kennedy works weekends.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“Why?” He stopped cramming the papers into his bag, looked up and gave her a knowing smile.

Her heart sped up as he took a step toward her. Lily backed up until she hit the kitchen’s granite island. He closed the distance between them and leaned close, bringing his mouth within an inch of hers. The urge to stand on her tiptoes and close the gap between their mouths coursed through her.

“Will you miss me?”

Every muscle in her body tightened. Oh, yeah, she’d miss him all right. She put both her palms into his chest and gently pushed him away. “Don’t be an idiot. I was just curious.”

“Keep telling yourself that, babycakes.” He laughed and squatted to pet Dakota. “It’s a quick turnaround trip. I should be back tomorrow morning, early afternoon at the latest.”

So many words, yet no information. “Is there something I should know?”

He shook his head. “You know how it goes. When Kennedy calls, I answer. It’s just a quick trip.”

She moved to the door and pursed her lips. Maybe she’d go see Rowland tonight. He’d canceled their private tour earlier, blaming an unexpected weekend business meeting.
Yeah, right.
Lily knew when she was getting the runaround. It was a bit reckless, yes, but she’d do anything at this point to move this case along from its current painstakingly slow speed.

Derek looked at her and narrowed his eyes. “Whatever is going on in that pretty little head of yours, don’t even think about it.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
How does he do that?
She’d never met someone who could read her so accurately. Even Jackson hadn’t been able to get inside her head. Yet Derek had managed to unlock her thinking within days.
Unbelievable.

Throwing up both hands, she gave him an innocent grin. “I swear.”

“Uh-huh,” he muttered. “I’m not kidding, Lily. We’ll get to the bottom of this case
together
. No heroic shit.”

She held the door open. “Promise.”

He was shaking his head as he left.

She’d promised, yes. But they needed answers. And they needed them
now
. They didn’t have time to do it by the book, not with Rowland speeding things up, not when they were already one step behind.

One thing was certain. Time was no longer on their side.

* * *

D
EREK
HATED
WALKING
AWAY
from Lily, especially with that dangerous glint flashing in her hazel eyes, making the swirl of colors dance even more wildly than usual. Somehow he knew that his no-heroics shit had gone in one ear and out the other—she was up to something, and he knew it.

The elevator doors slid open, and Derek reluctantly walked in. Turning, he punched the lobby button and leaned against the wall, staring at Lily’s front door, unable to shake the growing sense of unease, until the doors closed. He rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes. If it were up to him, he’d be staying put. But the director had called, wanting him on the next plane to DC to debrief the Dům Hrůzy situation with the team.

Derek had suggested he teleconference in. The director had hung up on him.

So, despite Derek’s better judgment, he was off to DC. He just hoped that Lily wouldn’t do anything rash while he was gone.