Redemption (22 page)

Will’s breath came in short bursts. “I will not let anything happen to Emma or Jake. I’d rather die myself than let that happen.”

Marcus covered Will’s hand with his own. “I know. I felt like that with your mother.”

“So you deserted her and she married the Colonel. If you really loved her you wouldn’t have let that happen. He treated her like garbage.”

Releasing a heavy sigh, Marcus’s grip tightened. “I encouraged her to marry him.”

Will clenched his fists to keep from punching his father. “You fucking bastard.”

“I knew he was destined to be a great soldier. I hoped he would be a good influence for you. I needed you to be a warrior.”

“What the hell do you want me to say to that?
Thanks
?”

“No, Will. I watched over you as you grew and I realized he wasn’t the father to you that I’d hoped for. But there was no doubt that he did influence you. You’re a great soldier with good instincts. They’ll serve you well.”

“You watched me and never thought to visit Mom? Or see me?”

“How could I explain that I looked exactly the same as I had twenty years ago?”

“Plastic surgery? Good genetics?”

“The longer I waited the more impossible it became.”

“You tell yourself whatever you need to, to make yourself feel better.” Will stood. He didn’t want to hear any more. “What do you want? Obviously, you’re here for a reason.”

“You need to trust your instincts.” Marcus rose to his feet and put a hand on Will’s arm. “Emma’s not a soldier. She’s a mother. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you need to trust
your
instincts and not hers. You’re the one capable of saving you all—and the world. Not Emma. You may have to go against her wishes and force her to do your bidding.”

“Even if I were to believe that, she’ll never go along with it.”

“You are bonded, Will, and you are the stronger of the two of you. You can influence Emma to do what you want her to do. You can use her power to accomplish what you need to do.”

Ice rushed through Will’s veins. “Why are you telling me this?”

“You need to be prepared. Your love for her is already a handicap. You need to know your options.”

Will shrugged off Marcus’s hand. “I’ve heard enough.”

“Just remember what I said. All I ask is that you make your decisions based on your military expertise and logic, not your emotions. You know that’s the best advice anyone could give you.”

Will released his anger into the pool, the water rushing up and breaking the glass walls. The roar of the water filled the room and half the pool ended up in the adjoining courtyard. Marcus stood to the side with his lips pressed together.

Shoving the hallway door open, Will tried to pretend his rage was a result of Marcus’s bad advice.

It was easier than acknowledging that Marcus was right.

***

Alex emerged from the bedroom, knotting a tie around his neck. “You’re still here.” He sounded amused.

She lifted her eyebrows. “I told you that I need you. Why would I leave?”

Stopping in front of a mirror, he finished the knot. “So you say. It just seems too good to be true, Emma.”

He watched her reflection as she approached, distrust in his eyes. She stopped and held his gaze in the mirror. “I’ve told you why. I’m not going to try to convince you otherwise. But you of all people know the lengths that I will go to, to protect and save our son.”

His eyes softened, his skepticism fading. Could he really care about Jake? She thought he’d faked it before, but now she wondered.

He’s a politician, Emma
, she told herself.
His job is to convince people to believe him.
But Jake was his son. Was it so farfetched to think he cared about him?

“Alex…” she hesitated, unsure she really wanted to know the answers to the questions she was about to ask.

He turned toward her, waiting with a patient expression.

“If I hadn’t been hiding the last three years… I mean…If Aiden hadn’t interfered…”

Alex sighed. “I wanted to be part of his life, Emma. In spite of his conception. But even if Aiden hadn’t interfered, I wouldn’t have contacted you.
Because
of his conception.”

Could she really believe that? She lifted her chin, hardening her gaze. “That’s not the impression you gave me in South Dakota.”

Indecision clouded his eyes. “It was all a game. I suppose it still is. A game of power and control. You were simply a part of it. But that was then.”

Her back stiffened. “And now?”

“And now my priorities have changed.” He turned from her toward the door.

She put her hand on her jutted out hip. “Yeah, the speech you’re about make proves how much they’ve changed. Instead of finding your son, you’re campaigning for your father.”

Alex stopped, his shoulders slouching before he spun halfway around. “If you doubt me, Emma, you’re free to leave.” He waved to the door. “The men outside this room are there to protect you, not keep you prisoner.” Sighing, he shook his head then stared into her face. “I’ll be gone several hours. If you want to work with me, stay. If not, then leave. No hard feelings.”

He walked out of the room before she had a chance to answer, not that she knew what to say. Was it really that simple? She wasn’t naïve enough to believe it was. The closer they got to the end of this thing, the higher the stakes became. Alex knew she’d joined with Will. If he thought killing her could kill Will, it might be worth his effort. So why hadn’t he tried it yet?

The real question was: Could she still follow through with Will’s plan? While she understood Will’s reasoning, she wasn’t sure she could actually do it. What if Alex really
would
help her get Jake back? What if there was some strategy Will hadn’t thought of?

She sat in a chair, looking out the window at the St. Louis arch, the sun reflecting off the metallic structure. She needed to remember her primary goal. To save Jake. Everything and everyone else came second. Even Will, as much as it pained her to admit it. And if she really could count on Alex’s motives, she couldn’t dismiss his help.

This was a decision she couldn’t make lightly. Will was the trained expert. She had to trust him, as hard as it was to do. He loved her and loved Jake by default. He was on her side and perhaps she didn’t agree with his methods, but she had to trust them anyway. Still, she’d just had a civil conversation with the man she planned to help murder. If that didn’t make her a cold-hearted bitch, she didn’t know what did.

The fact was that she was going to have to perform many evil acts before this all was over. Emma would pay whatever it cost her to insure Jake and Will survived. She’d worry about the redemption of her soul later.

***

Will had gone largely unnoticed by the hotel guests and staff for the last two hours, and that worried him. Sure, he’d been stopped by Alex’s security team a couple of times, especially after the damage at the swimming pool was discovered. Will could have kicked himself for losing control. The deeper they dug into this mess, the more important self-control became.

Thankfully, the security team didn’t seem suspicious of a lowly maintenance worker. They’d matched the name on his stolen name tag to their lists and let him pass. If they had patted him down, they wouldn’t have found any weapons, but an inspection of his toolbox would have been a different matter. He had determined that the Secret Service was nowhere in the vicinity, an oddity unless he took into account the fact Alex had secrets he didn’t want leaked to the voting citizens. The fact that his father came off looking like a hero, with his campaign providing their own security and saving tax dollars, was a bonus.

The fundraiser dinner was being held in the hotel’s ballroom. Five hundred bodies filled the space, all waiting for Alex Warren to give a mesmerizing speech. Will didn’t have access to the ballroom, but he got close enough to the entrance to see Alex get off the elevator and walk toward the doors.

A crowd of people stood in front of Will. Girls called out Alex’s name. Will could see why. He was the first to admit that Alex had movie-star looks and charisma—even without his elemental powers, he could charm anyone. If only he’d tried to use that charm six years ago. Will was sure Emma wouldn’t have fallen for it, but it might have made her life just a little easier.

Alex paused less than six feet away, his eyes shifting to the crowd. Will stayed in the back, lowering his face and moving behind a tall man. The security team tightened around Alex, and he leaned into one of the guard’s ear before resuming his trek to the ballroom.

Had Alex known Will was there? Will decided not to press his luck and headed to the stairwell, passing a couple of security men at the entrance. They gave him a glance, but otherwise ignored him, which Will took as a good sign. He couldn’t imagine them letting him walk free if Alex knew he was here. But Alex might realize that it would be more difficult to contain Will now and want to handle it himself.

At the moment, Will needed to concentrate on how to get onto the twenty-first floor with as little incident as possible. Emma knew about two men at the door. Will had to figure out how many more there were and where were they located.

Emma, is there any way you can get a count of the security men outside Alex’s room
?
Go out and get a bucket of ice or something
?

I can do better than that.

What are you going to do
?

Take a walk
.

***

Emma was going stir-crazy sitting around the hotel room so she was happy to have an excuse to get out. Alex had told her that she was free to go, which in theory meant she could wander the hotel. When she opened the door to the hall, two men turned to face her.

“I’m going to get some fresh air.”

“If you could wait a moment, miss, we’ll call someone to go with you.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“Mr. Warren insists that someone accompany you when you go out. For your protection.”

More likely to watch her and see what she did, but she had no intention of doing anything suspicious. She gave them a look of helplessness. “Are you sure that it’s not any trouble?”

The guard relaxed. “It’s no trouble at all. It will take a few moments to get someone up here. We’ll let you know when he arrives.”

“Thank you.” She considered leaving anyway, but she wanted Alex to trust her. That meant accepting his protection.

Several minutes later the door opened, and the guard poked his head in the crack. “Excuse me, Miss Thompson. Mr. Warren says he needs to speak to you as soon as possible. Unfortunately, he’s unable to get away. We have two men to escort you downstairs to see him.”

Her heart jolted into her ribcage. Had they found Will? Did they find it suspicious that she wanted to walk around? “All right.” To her irritation, her voice trembled.

“Right this way.”

She picked up her purse and headed into the hallway. Two new men waited for her, another by the open elevator. She laughed nervously. “You overestimate my need for protection.”

The two men fell into step next to her. “Mr. Warren insists, miss.”

So they kept saying. What if Alex found out her and Will’s plan and he was taking her downstairs because it would be easier to dispose of her there?

Will
?
They’re moving me.

Moving you where
?

Downstairs. They sent two men to take me to Alex
.

He’s in the ballroom. I just saw him go in about thirty minutes ago. Are they taking you to the fundraiser
?

I don’t know.

I don’t like this. Where are you now?

In the elevator, going down
.

I’m headed down now. If they’re really taking you to Alex, you’re headed to the second floor
.

The
two
button lit up overhead, and the doors slid open. The men led her into a large lobby-type area filled with people who stood behind a padded rope.

The words
Fundraiser Dinner
above an arrow emblazoned a sign, pointing down the hall. Maybe they really were taking her to see Alex. But why? They hadn’t caught Will and she couldn’t think of a single reason, good or bad, that Alex would drag her down here. Surely he didn’t want her known by the media.

They led her down a side hall and stopped in front of a door with a plaque reading
Magnolia Room
on the side, then ushered her inside. Other than rows of chairs facing the front, the room was empty. There was another door on the back wall.

Always know your exits, Will had told her once. She hoped she wouldn’t need to run.

One of the guards left the room, but the other closed the door and stood in the doorway. “If you want to take a seat, Mr. Warren will be right with you.”

Emma paced instead. She knew it made her look weak and nervous, but after everything she’d been through, she was past the point of caring.

Will, I’m in the Magnolia Room. Down the hall from the ballroom.

I’m in the stairwell on my way.

I have men guarding me. Stay back.

I’ll be close by if you need me.

Okay
.

Several minutes passed before the door opened. She half-expected Will, but Alex slipped through the opening instead.

“Leave us,” he grunted. The guard brushed past Alex and he shut the door behind him.

Alex’s face was pale and his hands shook. “Emma, I think you need to sit down.”

Her breath caught and she forced out, “Why?”

He gestured to the chair. “Please.”

Emma?
Will had sensed her fear.

What could make Alex so nervous? Something that he thought would upset her too? “Oh, God. Jake.” Her legs gave out and she sank onto a chair.

Alex sat next to her, worry in his eyes. “It’s not what you think. He’s safe, but I’m worried he won’t be safe for long.”