Die for Me (8 page)

Taigen knocked on the dark red door, shifting his balance between his feet, as if he ached to run as much as she did. A quick glance over his shoulder toward her said he was just as paranoid, too. Not a good sign.

“Whose house is this?”

The front porch light flickered on and the door swung open.

“Nah-uh,” the house’s owner said, shaking his head. “No way, Taigen. This is not what I had in mind when I offered my help. You can’t
be
here!” The man’s voice dropped to a whisper, but the words were meant for anything but. He ran his hands over a shorn head, resembling Taigen’s in that respect, but his build was stocky where Taigen was lean, and no more than six feet.

“I just burned my safe house to the ground.” Taigen pushed his way inside with Torrhent following apprehensively. “Your house is the last place they’d look.”

“Do you know how much trouble I could get in with a fugitive in my house?” He looked in her direction. “Two fugitives!”

“You know me?” Her question made him laugh.

“Come on, honey. Your face is all over the news.” The
duh
expression on his face made her flush in embarrassment. Of course he knew her. According to the news, she’d been placed on America’s Most Wanted List.

The way he narrowed his eyes at her reminded Torrhent of the two NYPD officers who’d arrested her, assessing her every move with calculated awareness. Maybe he knew her not from the news but because a report with her photo had come across his desk. A chill ran down her spine. She tried to shake it off, assigning the sensation to her continuous paranoia. Consistently looking over her shoulder and examining every contact and expression exhausted her. The sooner the whole situation ended, the better.

She let her eyes roam over the interior of the house as a distraction and felt as if she was back home with the Egyptian cotton, the silk curtains, and the handmade lace. A woman had obviously decorated, but nothing within sight gave Torrhent the impression of one living here. No photos. No grease stains on the driveway showing evidence of a second car. It was close to six in the evening, yet aromas from dinner didn’t exist, nor did signs of previous occupancy. Everything seemed in place, perfect.

A sudden discomfort nearly overwhelmed her at the thought of this house being one of LAPD’s safe houses, and she crossed her arms over her chest to rein it in. The sick feeling climbing up her spine settled in her stomach. She exhaled slowly to keep her mind focused, but knew burying her instincts would cause more damage than following them. Torrhent leaned into Taigen, lowering her voice. “Who is this?”

“I don’t really give a shit about your problems, Grant,” he said, completely brushing her off. Taigen stepped in front of her as some sort of protective barrier. The action comforted her in part, but also ignited her independent side. She could take care of herself. “Let us stay a couple hours to figure things out and we’re even.”

Only Torrhent’s breathing broke the silence. She wondered what kind of arrangement they referred to, but not enough to make her ask.

“And if I don’t?”

Taigen didn’t have a chance to respond as red and blue lights flashed through the front window of the house.

Torrhent’s blood went ice cold. Her eyes darted between Taigen and the stranger, her mouth open in shock. “He called the cops!”

* * *

Taigen’s mind went blank. His hand reached for the gun tucked under his T-shirt then aimed it at Marcus’s head. “I thought you were smarter than that, Marcus.”

“What are you doing?” Torrhent yelled, pushing herself against the door, out of his line of sight. “Please don’t kill him.”

“Call them off.” Taigen pressed the gun closer. He didn’t want to hurt anybody else, but couldn’t afford to get caught when he was so close to locating Adelaide. She’d hidden from him for two years, but he’d finally found a good lead. Marcus wouldn’t ruin his plans. Not again. He’d known when he’d first met the guy he was trouble. Criminals and cops didn’t make good partners and they never would. The fact LAPD just happened to show up wasn’t a coincidence. “I should have known better. I shouldn’t have trusted you two years ago, either.”

Marcus’s hands went up in surrender, but his voice and expression remained solemn as he spoke. “I didn’t call them.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I had no reason to. Think about it.” Marcus took one step back with his right foot, giving Taigen his left side in order to make himself a smaller target. Combat 101.

Their sparring matches during their alliance gave Taigen all the information he needed about Marcus, but it’d been two years since he’d had to use his skills. If the situation went south, he’d have to go in blind and hope for the best.

“I didn’t know you were coming, Taigen. Hell, I don’t even know how you found this place. I’ve been right here in front of you the whole time.” Marcus’s words registered quickly and rang with truth.

Which left only one other logical explanation.

He turned his head slightly toward Torrhent, but kept his gun focused on Marcus. “The truck?”

Her expression sank as her lips parted. “Damn.”

“Shit
.
”
Taigen lowered the gun, breath leaving his lungs in a single gust.

Three knocks on the door sent Taigen’s mind into overdrive. Torrhent backed up until she hit the bottom of the stairs, fear plain in her eyes.

He lifted the gun for a second time, but Marcus didn’t seem surprised.

“Answer the door,” Taigen demanded. With his free hand he reached back toward Torrhent, motioning her behind the door. “Give us away and I’ll kill them, then you.”

“I don’t think you have it in you.” Marcus didn’t move.

“Answer the door.”

Marcus studied him as if he were trying to decipher Taigen’s intentions, but Taigen had spent years keeping secrets and it gave him the upper hand when it came to controlling his expressions. After a moment, the cop did as he was told, opening the front door to confront the officer on the other side.

The red and blue lights danced along the walls and Torrhent’s panicked face as he stole a glance toward her. With a finger to his lips, Taigen urged her to keep her silence, to trust him for now.

“What seems to be the problem, Officer?”

A flash of white light engulfed Marcus’s features as Taigen crouched farther down the door. He dragged Torrhent down with him, her knees cracking as she sank against the wall. Holding position on the balls of his feet, he aimed the gun at Marcus, but hoped he wouldn’t need it. His stomach could only take so much in one day.

“There is a stolen vehicle in your driveway, sir. Can I see some ID?”

“Stolen vehicle?”

“ID, please,” the officer continued.

Taigen gripped the handle of his 9mm harder. There were numerous ways this could go down, half of which ended in blood, but he kept hope at the front of his mind. Squeezing Torrhent’s arm to assure her they’d make it out alive, he watched as Marcus fumbled for his wallet and flashed his credentials.

“I’m Agent Marcus Grant of ATF.”

Torrhent’s body tensed milliseconds before she lurched to her feet.

Taigen wrenched around, pushing her back against the wall as quickly and as silently as he could. His shoes scuffled on the hardwood floor as he clamped a hand down over her mouth to keep her from screaming. He wasn’t sure he could hold her in place for long with only one free hand, and pressed his body into hers for more control. His face was inches from hers, her breath warm on his hand. Anger, fear and a hint of betrayal lingered in her gray eyes, but Taigen forced himself to focus on the silence from the other side of the door instead of her inner turmoil.

Seconds passed in silence, Taigen’s heart in his throat as he mentally prepared himself to take another life. It’d always been so easy for his sister to get her hands dirty. In times like this, he wished he had the same disregard, but couldn’t fathom handing over his sanity as she’d done. Perhaps that was the only thing keeping him from following in her footsteps, despite the monster lurking just beneath his skin.

Torrhent’s body shifted in his grasp, her movements bringing him back to the situation at hand.

“Is something wrong, Agent Grant?” the officer on the other side of the door finally asked. A white line of light crossed the wall behind Torrhent’s head. A flashlight.

“Not at all.” Marcus nudged Taigen’s backside with his foot.

He had trouble focusing on anything other than Torrhent beneath his hands. He lowered his lips against her ear, feeling a shiver run down her body as he spoke. “If you give us away, I’ll kill you. Understand?” He didn’t have to pull away to see her nod.

“Just my dog,” Marcus answered.

The ATF agent had always played his part well.

“And the car, sir?”

“Part of an ongoing investigation, and a little out of your jurisdiction, Officer.”

The officer was quiet for two breaths. “I see. And I suppose a call to your superior won’t contradict anything you say, Agent Grant?”

“Why don’t I call him for you? I’m sure Director Luent would love to get a call this late on a weeknight.” Marcus pulled a cell from his pocket. “What did you say your name was?”

Tension built in the center of Taigen’s chest when the officer didn’t answer right away. He tried to keep his breathing even, but the anger radiating from Torrhent claimed his full attention. He’d have to work with her on that.

Taigen counted another five breaths before the tension notably eased. The sound of shuffling feet indicated the officer’s defeat and he released a breath. Pieces of Torrhent’s hair brushed against the back of his hand, tickling his senses.

“No need for that, Agent. You have a good night.”

Marcus slammed the door shut without a response.

Relief flooded every nerve in Taigen’s body as his gaze remained glued to Torrhent’s. He searched her expression in an attempt to determine her next move, an automatic exercise he’d developed over the years, but her eyes had locked over his shoulder.

Taigen stood slowly, dropping his hand from Torrhent’s mouth, and turned to find a gun aimed directly at his head. The betrayal he’d expected stared him directly in the face. “You sure about this, Marcus?”

With the gun still in one hand, he adjusted his hold on the steel for a better grip. His chest ached at the thought of receiving another bullet, but he’d survived once. A combination of desperation and anger had kept his heart pumping and now he stood face-to-face with the man who’d put his sister away for life, the man who’d promised to keep her safe. Taigen let the tension build in his fingertips and imagined himself taking the first swing. He had every right.

“I am a federal officer,” Marcus said. His hand was steady, but the quick licking of his lips gave his anxiety away. He wouldn’t pull the trigger, not without cause, but only for the sake of his conscience rather than from any debt he owed. “And I just lied to a cop.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Taigen reminded him. The hair on the back of his neck stood straight up, ready for a fight just as much as Marcus was.

The agent only stared at him, his eyes squinting down into slits. “I think you’ve stayed long enough.” He lowered the gun. “The next time I see you, I won’t hesitate to put your ass behind bars like I should have done the moment I met you.”

Chapter 7

“Take a left at the next light,” he ordered.

“You dragged me into a cop’s house!” Torrhent’s skin swam with an unknown sensation, a tingling, but not quite. She tried to control her trembling hands. Anger practically bled through every pore as she gripped the steering wheel harder.

“I had my reasons.”

“Oh really?” she asked, taking the left a little too sharply. The pickup’s tires screeched in protest, but she didn’t slow. Everything had been at stake for twenty agonizing minutes. The ATF agent had recognized her. What was stopping him from calling in an anonymous tip or coming after her directly? “While you were so wrapped up in your pissing contest, did you remember your promise to help me? I was under the impression that included keeping me out of cuffs.”

Taigen kept his gaze forward. “Marcus won’t turn us in. Keep your eyes on the road.”

Torrhent swerved to avoid the median. The overcorrecting motion of the truck made her words sharper than she intended. “How can you be sure? He’s a
fed
.”

“You need to rest,” he said, ignoring her concerns altogether. “There’s a small hotel at the next left. We can stay there for the night.”

“Are you serious?” She chanced another glance in his direction. “You want us to
stop
?” Paranoia mixed with a sliver of anger bubbled up her throat.

“You don’t drive much, do you?”

Her eyes darted to the rearview mirror, memorizing the license plate number of the vehicle behind them. She’d only survived so long by being careful, but Taigen made it hard. “Not really. Why?”

“You cut that car off back there when you got over.” The amusement on his face only annoyed her further. “Keep it up and someone
will
call the cops on us.”

“Well, next time you try to get me arrested, I’ll be sure not to panic so much.”

He looked out the passenger-side window. “I should have told you about Marcus, but if we hadn’t been in a stolen truck, the situation would have worked out a lot easier for both of us.”

Torrhent tightened her grip on the steering wheel, gritting her teeth to hold back the words on the tip of her tongue. She’d been stupid to give him so much leeway. Instead of taking control, she’d let him believe he was in charge and she could trust him. Obviously she didn’t know a damned thing about him or what his goal was. She pulled the truck into the hotel parking lot with a sharp jerk and braked hard.

In less than ten breaths, they walked into the lobby of the shittiest hotel she’d ever seen.

“We need a room,” Taigen demanded at the front desk, turning partially toward Torrhent as if to make sure she’d followed. “Two beds.”

“I’m not sharing a room with you.”

“One room.” Taigen ignored her. “Two beds.”

Five minutes later, they had a key and the promise of a place to sleep in peace. The light turned green as he slid the keycard into the reader. She pushed past him into the room, dumped her pack onto the closest bed and ducked directly into the bathroom. What the hell had he been thinking, putting the two of them in a single room? Despite the fact they’d have two separate beds, the idea of sleeping mere feet away from each other without a barrier made her shudder. In his apartment, he’d kept his distance. Now, however, she’d be forced to keep her guard up while she tried to sleep. Still, she could keep a better eye on him. Torrhent could put up with him as long as he did his job in the end.

“I’m going to get some food,” he called through the door.

“You can go fuck yourself for all I care.”

His responding laugh trickled down her spine and she roughly turned on the shower in her frustration. “What an ass.”

The room steamed up quickly, hiding her reflection behind a layer of fog. Burnt skin peeled away with her clothing as she stripped, but Torrhent didn’t care. Her thoughts rested on the dangerous yet infuriatingly intriguing man who’d forced her to share a room with him.
He’s only here to play his part.

She mentally shook herself as her mind settled on the memory of Taigen’s lithe, almost choreographed movements with the Russian hit man. His performance had been beautiful in a way, his arms and legs tensing and striking simultaneously as their attacker fought for purchase. The Russian hadn’t even had a chance against him. Taigen had kept his composure the entire time, but she hated to imagine what he’d do to her if he discovered her intent.

Originally, she’d locked herself in the bathroom to get away from him, but a shower was just something she couldn’t pass up these days. When she’d grown brave enough to reemerge into the main room, Taigen waited for her with a variety of vending machine items.

“Here.” A bag of chips hit her in the chest. “Eat something.”

“Candy bars and chips.” She picked up the fallen bag then sank down onto the edge of the bed. “Best meal I’ve had in days.”

“It will have to do until we can get out of town.”

His gaze weighed her down as she opened a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos, her hands shaking with the effort. It’d been too long since she’d last eaten, but in the back of her mind she knew malnutrition wasn’t the only thing causing her to tremble.

“So what’s the plan now that we know others are after us?” She kept her eyes in her lap, focusing on the bag in her hands and not the way Taigen’s tense jawline accentuated his lips.
Focus, idiot. You’re beginning to let your guard down
.

“Doesn’t change a thing. We’re going to go through Nicholas.” He reached toward her and Torrhent froze. Slowly taking a chip from her Doritos bag, he pulled away, all the while keeping those electric blue eyes locked on her. “You said he’ll lead us to Isaac, so we start there.”

Under his gaze, warmth flooded her senses. This stranger claimed the attention of every cell in her body and she didn’t know how to react. Of course there’d been men in her life before her incarceration. Some wealthy. Some shy and completely devoted to her. None like Taigen. Closed off. Intelligent. Dangerous. A flicker of attraction passed between them and Torrhent cleared her throat in order to focus on the next phase of her plan. If her eagerness to return to New York showed in any way, she’d lose everything. Making Taigen convince her seemed like the only way to keep him under her control.

“But it’s easier said than done,” he said, his gaze growing distant as he steepled his fingers against his lips.

“What do you mean? Nicholas stays with Isaac. Isaac is in New York. How hard is that to follow?”

“We don’t actually know where Isaac is. These guys are professionals. They’re not going to stay in one place for long.” Taigen stood then turned his back on her as he paced in front of the television and back to his original spot. “I’m willing to bet they’ve even moved out of that house.”

Isaac wouldn’t leave the house behind, not when it held so many memories, but Taigen didn’t need to know that. It was her job to get him back to New York, and hell, she’d sleep with him to get her way if she had to. “Well, I can get you in contact with a guy I know who might be able to help, but what happens if you find Nicholas?”

“Does it matter?”

She didn’t answer. In reality, Torrhent didn’t care as long as Isaac paid for framing her and for his failure to protect her mother. She’d let Taigen take the lead on this, let him drag her back to New York, and wouldn’t stop him when he killed her stepfather. If things went as planned, he’d never even know of her manipulation. He’d kill Isaac for his own reasons and she’d be free.

“You realize once we start looking for Chesnick there’s no going back, don’t you? It’s safe to say Rutler is watching your every move. If he realizes we’re hunting down his personal bodyguard, he’ll strike out.” He didn’t wait for her answer. “You’re wrapped up in this, plain and simple. You get in contact with your guy, Rutler will know and send more guys. So let me ask you a question.” Taigen leaned closer, the smell of his cinnamon-scented skin wafting into her nostrils. “Are you going to fight or run for the rest of your life?”

Torrhent pushed her hair back, uncomfortable with the weight of his cold eyes on her and the way just his scent relaxed the tension in her muscles. This was the moment she’d been preparing for. Her answer needed to be perfect. She inhaled slowly, calming her racing pulse. “Why should I fight? Isaac will see us dead before we can even get there.”

Taigen shrugged, but his eyes remained steady on her. “We have to try.”

“Back in county, you asked why Isaac was looking for . . . I don’t remember her name—”

“Adelaide,” he bit out.

His harsh answer made her pull back. Danger lurked in the depths of his eyes on this topic. Another inquiry might send him over the edge, but if reminding Taigen of his goal got him back to New York, she’d talk about this other woman all damn day. “Is she why you’re doing this?”

“Doesn’t matter. Are you in or out?”

“I’m not like you or the guys Isaac hires. I can’t kill people.” Torrhent swallowed hard. Nothing had prepared her to take another’s life and, realizing she’d effectively wedged herself into a war she couldn’t fight by escaping Bedford, she shuddered. In the end, she’d end up dead, or Isaac would. Either way, she needed Taigen to finish the job. “I don’t know what you think I can do.”

“You’re scared. I don’t blame you, but fear doesn’t help in a situation like this.”

“And what will? Isaac practically has an army.”

“Trust.”

Torrhent tried to hold back her surprise. Of all the answers she’d expected, “trust” had been at the bottom of her list. “You expect me to trust you? You killed a man with your bare hands less than twelve hours ago. Like you’ve done it before and most likely
not
in self-defense. Would you trust someone like you?”

“Well, it certainly came in handy when I saved your life.” Taigen sat on the bed, methodically chewing the rest of his chip as he looked at her. It infuriated her how he remained so calm after killing a man.

Wish it’d been that easy for me
. She’d thrown up more times than she could count and gained an unhealthy fear of blood to go with it. Torrhent swallowed back a bubble of bile climbing its way up her throat. Even the thought of that night made her sick. “Just tell me why this is so important to you.”

“Lives are at stake,” he stated evenly. The sadness in his expression made her heart clench. “Hundreds, maybe thousands of people will die if I don’t get to New York, and I can’t get there without your help.”

Did he really believe that? “Fine. I’ll help you, but only because you saved my life.”

“Good.” His expression didn’t change, his gaze unwavering. Taigen rubbed his hands together to brush the crumbs sticking to his calloused fingers away. His eyes relieved her from their penetrating search. “Eat up. We have work to do.”

“You never answered my question as to exactly what my part is.” This was a business transaction, nothing more, but she couldn’t help but wonder what had made Taigen Banvard into the coldhearted killer she’d witnessed earlier. He’d practically be Superman to her Lois Lane in this game.

“You’re going to be my Trojan horse.”

* * *

Torrhent jolted awake when a door slammed shut. The sun blinded her for an instant. Their planning had consumed every hour leading up to dawn and she didn’t realize she’d made it to bed. In fact, she’d been sitting on the floor when her eyes started getting heavy. The image of sending an anonymous text message to her contact from one of Taigen’s burner phones formed in her mind. That was the last thing she remembered.

“Didn’t think you’d ever wake up,” a familiar voice said.

When her eyes adjusted, she noticed Taigen staring down at her. Her heart skipped a beat. How long had he been watching her?

“What time is it?” She ignored the pleasurable shivers caused by his closeness. He’d become a distraction, someone who could get her killed if she didn’t snap out of it. She pushed herself upright to get her bearings.

“Almost ten.” Taigen’s gaze roamed over her body.

Torrhent hugged the comforter closer, hiking it up to cover the exposed flesh of her collarbone and shoulders peeking out from beneath her tank top.

A brown paper bag landed beside her. “Breakfast,” he explained.

“Thanks.”

“Eat them both.” He sank down onto the opposite bed. “I already ate.”

The doughnuts were still warm. She unwrapped the first one slowly, trying not to rush, but the slower she ate, the more she wanted to shove it down her throat.

“Torrhent.” He leaned forward to place his elbows on his knees. His gaze penetrated hers as she looked up. “Just eat it.”

She took a large bite, enjoying every bit of sugar and dough. Finishing the first doughnut in seconds, she quickly reached for the second. Crumbs decorated the blankets around her as well as her fingers. She licked each in turn, watching Taigen as he watched her. She couldn’t read his expression, couldn’t decipher what thoughts ran through his head, and her curiosity got the best of her. “How did I end up on the bed?”

“I put you there. You passed out cold on the floor.” Taigen entwined his fingers, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. He tossed the burner phone in her lap as he stood. “Get dressed. Your contact responded this morning. He agreed to meet with you in an hour.”

Dread tasted sour on her tongue. “Great.”

Exactly an hour later, they stepped into the same pawnshop Torrhent had left two days before empty-handed. The same musty, dank odor crawled down her throat, making her eyes water.

“What do you know about this guy?” Taigen asked. His eyes shifted over the racks of clothing, old instruments propped against the wall and glass cases.

“Aaron forges documents.” She surveyed the contents of the scratched-up case under her fingertips. Guns, knives, even what looked to be an old grenade rested on the shelves below. “Passports. Social Security cards. Driver’s licenses. The works.”

“He’s a dealer?”