Our hands are laced so tight together, I’ve nearly lost circulation. We both look up at the sound of the garage door opening.
“Are you ready?” Conor asks in a tight voice.
Inhaling deeply, I nod and pick up the Nécessaire off the front seat. Now that I’m truly looking at it, I can’t believe I ever mistook it for some cheap trinket. The craftsmanship is truly incredible — the product of months of painstaking work by Peter Carl Fabergé. The rubies and emeralds are positively dazzling in the hazy evening twilight. It’s one of the most gorgeous things I’ve ever held in my hands. (And certainly the most expensive.)
“Go,” Conor says, leaning down to kiss me. It’s a stern, no-nonsense sort of kiss — perfectly matching the tone of his next order. “And then come back to me.”
Bossy, bossy, bossy.
The walk up the driveway seems endless. I keep my eyes fixed dead ahead, listening to the roaring of my own pulse as I close the distance between me and the garage door, which is now fully open.
The Evanoffs are standing by my convertible, still fully armed, watching me approach. They both have their fingers on their triggers. The sight makes my stomach turn over.
They won’t risk their own chance at escape. Not now that they’re so close to getting everything they want,I tell myself, trying not to freak out.They gave their word they wouldn’t shoot me.
I can’t lie — I’d feel a lot better about trusting that highly-questionablewordif I knew there was a team of snipers on a roof next door, watching us through a scope right now.
Ten feet from them, I draw to a stop.
“TheNécessaire,” Lefty growls. There’s a gleam of excitement in his eyes as they lock on the Egg in my hands. “Hand it over.”
“As soon as you slide me the detonator,” I counter. “Carefully.Unless you’d like your Egg to go boom as well.”
He doesn’t move.
“I came alone, like you said. I’m not armed. I kept my part of this bargain,” I point out. “Time to keep yours, Evanoff.”
“Vik,” Righty grunts. “Give it to her so we can get the fuck out of here.”
Looking like he’s just swallowed a glass of vinegar, Lefty leans over and slides the detonator down the sloping driveway. It skids to a stop by my feet and, for the first time in hours, I feel a smidge of relief.
Maybe I’ll actually walk out of here in one piece.
My hands shake as I bend over and carefully lift the small remote, careful not to put my fingers anywhere near the red detonation button.
“The Egg!” Lefty snaps, impatient as ever. “Now!”
My eyes swing up to his. “Sure. Of course. Here.”
Without wasting another breath on them, I toss the Egg straight up, as high into the air as I can manage. Gasping in horror, both Evanoffs scramble to catch it before it crashes to the ground.
While they’re momentarily distracted — and, thus, unable to change their minds about shooting me — I take the opportunity to turn and bolt fast as I can without disturbing the belt of explosives still wrapped tight around my chest.
Back to the street.
Back to safety.
Back to Conor, who’s waiting for me by the Jeep.
There’s an intense look in his eyes as he sees me coming — one I’ve never seen before. One that steals my breath, hits me straight in the chest. One with so many different layers, it’s hard to decipher all of them at once.
Impatience, anger, worry, longing, fear.
And love.
Most of all, love. It’s there, so clear I can’t deny it. Burning so bright, I can’t mistake it. Undeniable. Inescapable. And as I take it in, as I feel it rushing over me like a warm wave that starts in the left side of my chest and radiates outward, until every part of me feels set aflame, alight with the power of it…
For the first time, I find myself believing. Believing that it’s actually possible. That he really did mean those three little words he spoke to me.