“Hailey,” he rasps out. His throat sounds damaged, and I cannot imagine what they could have done to him to render his voice that of a ghost.
“I can’t…” I sigh and wrap both arms around him as he curves forward as if he wishes to embrace me. “I hope this works. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“It’s okay. It’s okay. Who is coming?”
“Someone important is all I know.”
“Yeah. I figured it was so. I heard what you said, darling.” He inhales, exhales. “About loving me forever. I guess I need to say I love you, too, and now I don’t know what to say or do or—” I place my fingers over his mouth.
He peers down at me then deliberatively bites the ends of my fingers.
“Wait and see if we survive this first,” I whisper. “Then we can talk. Or you can. I need to paddle your butt.”
“Grrr,” he mock-growls, making me smile shyly. “I know whose butt gets paddled in this relationship and…Fuck. I maybe shouldn’t ever do that again. We do need to talk.”
The lift doors have dinged open and closed outside, and people are approaching along the corridor, and I pray this is going to be fine, but who knows?
Whatever Ron and Molly organized, this is better than anything I could have achieved. Apache gunships andquarantining the whole town? I’m scared, but at least I can hug Kail and hold his hand. I turn but remain in his shadow, leaned against him.
A man of average height with white-blond hair enters, dressed in a fine white linen shirt and pale gray pants, with black boots that look suited to an army ranger course. Two muscular bodyguards flank him, then settle a few feet behind him as he stops at a midpoint between door and desk where Clay now waits.
“You can call me Gregory,” he begins.
Clay curtly says. “Sir. I had this under control. This woman is?—”
“Shut up.”
Clay swallows but subsides, and for the first time I see fear written in the widening of his eyes.
“I know everything. I have been listening to what happened in here. I’ve seen the files Miss Hailey Tarrant compiled. I know of the killings you ordered. I surmise some were done by Mr. Stone also.” He sweeps the room with his gaze, stops on Cannon. “You bear much of the blame. Have you anything to say?”
“Iuhh, I’m glad you responded to my call for assistance, sir?”
That was definitely a question, and he what? He asked for this man to come too?
“You sent a message today. That was weeks too late. I’m not here because of your request, Mr. Edwards. I will be deciding whether to keep you in our employ later. Please wait outside in the main corridor with the others.”
“Sir.”
Cannon marches out with all the decorum of a funeral director. I’m tempted to blow a raspberry.
“Clay,” Gregory says.
“Sir I can have a complete account of everything sent to you within a day or so…Uhh, I…” Under Gregory’s mild glare, a man embodies the attitude of a disappointed school ma’am, he drains away to nothing.
“Don’t bother. The mountain of information I have from not just your opponents, but your employees, and from the records of the institute, is more than enough. You’ve been a bad, bad boy, Clay Skinner.”
I snort and stifle a laugh. Then I see where this is going. I think. He trivialized the crimes in that description.Please no. Do this right.I’m tempted to cross my fingers.
Clay flinched. “Sir. That is?—”
“Shut. Up. We cannot afford to have it all come out in public. Hailey Tarrant?”
“Yes?” I straighten and gesture at Kail. “Could Kail be freed, please.”
“As soon as we have an agreement, yes.”
“So, it’s like that,” I cannot help muttering.
