I don’t reply, but I do level him with a cool look as I nod.
I’m not sure if my cover’s blown as I go about my day as if it’s a normal one. I need to check in with Cahir, but I can’t risk it while Lloyd Eade is still in the building. He finally leaves at four-thirty, by which time my day is almost over. Still, I decide to wait until I get home to call Cahir.
It’s a decision I end up regretting.
***
I leave the office with the rest of my colleagues, in a hurry to get home and have Copper wrap me in his arms. I’ve come to needhim more than I need to breathe. When I’m with him, everything quiets enough to make sense. I crave the comfort he provides.
I press the auto-lock, and my car beeps. Slipping into the driver’s seat, I lock the doors. I set my bag on the passenger seat and put the key in the ignition, but when I turn it, nothing happens. No engine starting, no lights, absolutely nothing. I try again. Nothing.
My heart skips a beat. This isn’t a coincidence. This is planned.
I pick up my phone, staying alert as I call Copper. Worried that my car is bugged, I keep it short and use his undercover name as soon as he answers. “Hey, Coop. My car won’t start. Can you meet me at the gate and take me home?”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Copper explodes. “I’m an hour away on a breakdown collection, but no one was here when I arrived. This is a setup.”
“I agree,” I say, keeping my voice even. “I can’t call for a breakdown service because the gates will be closed and locked in ten minutes. I’ll walk to your work and wait by your bike like we planned.”
“Fuck, baby. Please be careful. Did something happen today?”
“It did. Can you call the family and let them know we’ll be late for dinner? I don’t want to be on the phone while I’m walking to the garage.”
We’re talking in code, but I know that Copper will understand that he needs to call the Cursed Skulls.
“Yeah, Spice. I’ll let them know,” he assures me. “Keys for the bike are in the usual place. I’ll meet you at home. Call me if you have any problems. I’ve checked, and your trackers are all working. Please be careful, okay? I can’t lose you.”
My heart flutters at the love and anguish in his voice. I know he hates being so far away. We planned for most eventualities, but his not being close by wasn’t one of them.
“I love you, Sugar,” I whisper.
His breath hitches and holds. It’s the first time I’ve told him how I feel, even though I’ve shown it in so many ways. If this goes sideways, I need him to know his love for me isn’t one-sided.
“I love you,” I repeat. “You mean everything to me. I can’t wait for us to get married, have babies, and live our best lives.”
He doesn’t reply, but I know he’s listening because I hear his breath catch again as I share my dreams with him.
“Bee.” His voice is rough with emotion. “Don’t say it like this is goodbye. It’s not. I’ll call the cavalry as soon as we finish this call. You keep yourself safe until I get there.”
I know that whatever Lloyd Eade has planned for me won’t be pleasant. I know I can fight, but I won’t survive a bullet to the head.
“I’m getting out of the car now,” I whisper. “I’ll see you soon.”
Copper shouts my name as I end the call.
I leave my bag. It will only hinder me if I need to fight. All my weapons are strapped to my body.
It’s winter, so darkness has already fallen. It’s kicking-out time for most businesses, so I have the advantage of losing myself in the workers flocking from office buildings. Not that I’d expect any of them to help me if I’m grabbed, but at least there will be witnesses.
Pressing my arm tightly to my side, I release the knives from the arm sheaths and into my hands. I’ll use my gun if I have to, but I don’t want to risk innocent lives. I tuck my phone into the inside pocket of my jacket and walk out the gate, giving the guard a cheery smile and a wave. My hands tighten around my knives as I join the throng of people leaving the estate. I consider hopping on a bus, but I know it’ll take too long to get home. I’ll be okay if I can reach Copper’s bike. Not for the first time, I’m thankful I was raised in a family that treated their girls the same as the boys. Riding a bike is second nature to me. I have my licence, even though I rarely have the opportunity to ride.
The crowd thins as I walk towards the garage where Copper works. I lower my eyes and covertly keep watch, not wanting whoever is watching me to know I have any sort of training. I need the element of surprise. Still, I quicken my pace to match the beat of my heart.
So far, I haven’t seen anything untoward, but I can’t lower my guard. The garage appears just ahead. The outside lights are off, but I know they’re on a timer. Copper’s bike is right where he always parks it. My stomach roils with nerves, and a thin film of sweat coats my skin as I pause in the shadows of a nearby building and look around. I can’t see anything, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t watching, waiting to take me out. A sniper is always a possibility.
Fuck, I need to get myself under control.
Deciding it’s now or never, I jog across the road and go straight to Copper’s bike. I feel under the rim for the box that holds the spare key. It’s not there. As suspected, this is a setup.
