I thought I’d only imagined it the first time I heard her voice in the restaurant. She and her partner were doing a terrible job of being inconspicuous. She haunted me again in that dark karaoke bar. Maybe that’s why I kissed her, regardless of who she might have been. I missed the girl I had lost.
But I had been right all along. I hadn’t allowed myself to even hope. But then I saw that scar in her hairline—the one she got because of me.
I knew she hated tea and loved to fight with me. But I was only convinced when she looked at me with eyes that never changed, when I heard her laugh.
She doesn’t talk with an accent anymore, and her hair is pitch black compared to the brown it used to be. Her nose and face structure are different as well. Her cheekbones higher, her lips fuller, her eyebrows a different arch.
But it’s her. And that’s all that matters.
I brush the hair off her tear-stained cheeks and hold her closer, wishing I was big enough, strong enough to truly protect her the way she needs. I ache to be able to hold up her burdens and allow her to crawl free from this fear inside.
I wait for her to speak, but it’s clear she’s opened up as much as she wants to for now.
“He’s the one who kidnapped us,” I say to confirm. I thought I heard his name spoken, but now I know. “Why does he want you?”
“I saw him kill someone,” she whispers into the pillow as if she’s afraid Sebastian could be listening.
Whatever I expected, it wasn’t that. “What do you mean?”
“Multiple someones. Eight years ago, I was, uh, dating him.” She pauses to tap on my arm, and only then do I realize I’ve tightened my hold.
“Sorry.” I relax my arms but not my heart.
“We dated for a couple years. He was manipulative, but he made me feel wanted. The more serious we became, the more cagey and defensive he got about his work. I got tired of the games and I followed him one night to a warehouse.” She takes a deep breath. “He had four men tied in chairs, and I recognized one man. Peter Marquois.”
I blink. “The powerful business guy?” He’d been a prominent leader nearly a decade ago, a billionaire. And then he up and disappeared. There was talk of him living in the Caymans.
Serena plays with the edge of the blanket near her chin. “They were arguing over a crate of stolen artifacts, the same crate I was hiding behind. When they weren’t looking, I took one of the items. I thought I could turn it in to the authorities and get Sebastian arrested, but I needed more proof, so I started recording. That was when Sebastian shot the men in the chairs. I ran. I went into hiding, waiting for it to blow over, but it didn’t. Sebastian turned into a hound, texting and calling me, trying to find me. He knew I had been there. They must have had security cameras in the warehouse. I ditched my phone, ran to the States, and became someone he’d never find.”
With a job that not only taught her how to fight but allowed her access to the highest level of resources to protect herself.
I’m in awe of this woman, but wholly confused. “How on earth did you get into the academy?”
“I had help,” she says simply, burrowing her head deeper into my shoulder. It’s incredibly distracting.
I will find out more on that front later. After we fix this mess.
“So Sebastian needs the footage?” I clench and unclench my fists, wanting more than anything to hit this man.
“And the box.”
“What box?”
Serena looks up at me. “Scarlett’s box.”
Somewhere in the house a clock ticks. “What?”
“That was the artifact I stole from the warehouse that night. I had someone get rid of it for me. But then it showed up again. With Amelia.”
I frown, studying the hideous wallpaper over Serena’s head.
That can’t be right. Scarlett stole it from a museum in Atlanta. She was the one who learned about the treasure connected to it and insisted on stealing it. It was a simple heist. We were looking into the treasure when Sawyer stole it. And killed her. Was Sawyer working for Sebastian and came after the box? And Scarlett was in the way, and that’s why she was killed?No.
I clear my throat. “Why did Sebastian want the box?”
“He must think the evidence is in there. That or he believes it’s part of a bigger treasure like you and wants to be the first to find it.”
It’s possible, but more likely, he thinks the evidence is in there. A man like that cares more about image than anything. The treasure would just be a nice bonus.
