“It doesn’t matter. They’re the same guy. So if Tet can do it, then James can too.”
Merc draws in a long breath of air and then opens his door, leaving the truck running. “OK. Be right back.” He holds out his palm and I scribble the address down on the back of a map I found in the glove box. I marked the Santa Barbara community on there as best I could on the front too. Just to make sure they get it right. Drug dealers, ya know? Not the brightest of the bunch.
Merc takes the map and pushes the door closed so it doesn’t slam. Then he walks off into the sun, his shades down and his dark hair blowing a bit in the hot wind.
I hold my breath as he approaches the two men standing underneath the giant dinosaur. They don’t shake hands and I see that as a bad sign. But then I see heads nodding, so that eases me a bit.
I bite my fingers again. Geez. I can’t take the tension. I’m really not cut out for this hardcore dealing. I’m not. I’m just a little kid. I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m gonna get everyone killed with this idea.
But then the two men look at each other and smile. One even laughs and claps the other on the back. Merc hands them the map and they put their heads together to study it.
There’s more negotiation, then they all look over at me. My stomach flips. I swear, I almost open the door and puke.
This is it. This is where Merc tells them about Nick and Harper and asks for immunity. They already have the coordinates, so they’re the ones calling the shots. That was Merc’s idea. Give them the upper hand and let them make this decision on their own. That’s the only way it will work, he said. They have to want the deal. We can’t coerce them and expect co-operation.
My leg is going a mile a minute as they hash things out. They look over at me several more times, and then there’s some heated discussion.
I can only imagine what they are saying.
They want Nick. They want Harper.
And it makes sense for them, right? They want the children of the man who sent them so much trouble and strife over the years down in Central America. They want to teach him a lesson and they are ready and willing to send the LA chapter of their gang if they think they have the chance.
And I know what Merc’s response will be.
You can have James. The kid who shot your leader twelve years ago. You can have his rescuer. The assassin who broke him out and mowed down the deformed man’s entire family—mostly women and children—to do it.
I know this part. And no one else does besides Merc, because I told him. Probably not even James knows this part. Because this was how One got in to the compound to find James. James only knows what happened after.
I know this because One is my mother’s brother. My uncle. The uncle who used to come to our house every New Year’s Eve until I was ten and get drunk with my father so they could talk about my mother. Share her memory.
He used to ruffle my hair and whisper, “You have a number, Sasha. Not a name, a number. You’re Zero. The one no one sees. The one no one expects. The one who will set it all right.”
Of course, back then I had no idea what he was talking about. I had no idea what he was really talking about until James told me the Company had my parents killed. He told me this right here, in this parking lot. As I was sitting on the toe of a giant brontosaurus.
She needs to hear this, he told Harper.
He wanted me to know what I was up against.
Suddenly the little group of men breaks up and Merc is walking back to the truck.
My stomach flips again as I try to read his expression, but I can’t, it’s no use. So I hold my breath until he gets back in the truck and says, “It’s done.”
I exhale.
“They took the bait.” He looks over at me. “Now what?”
This is the last part of the plan. The really dangerous part. The part that might get all of us killed. Because this gang might be notorious for their ruthless revenge killings, but the person I need to bring in next isn’t called Number One for nothing. “Next I call my uncle.”
Merc clenches his jaw, his eyes darting back and forth as he thinks this through. “You wanna know why they were laughing back there?” he asks.
No. “Yes.”
“They were laughing because they said if they see James, they’re not gonna kill him.”
“No?” I ask, hopeful.
Merc starts the truck and backs out of the space, then heads towards the exit. “Nope.” And then he looks me in the eye as he waits to turn left to get back on the Interstate. “They’re gonna douse him in gasoline, set him on fire, and then put it out.”
“What?”
“They’re gonna make sure he lives to feel the pain.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Harper
“I might not’ve been all there this past year or so,” Tet says, coming forward a few paces. “But Harper Tate, the minute I saw you on the beach, it started coming back. It took me a while, but I’m here now. I’m not the person they say I am.” He turns his head and then gives me a sidelong glance. “At least not when it comes to you.”
He steps forward a few more paces and I automatically put my hands up to ward him off. He grabs my wrists and hikes my hands above my head, walking me backwards until I hit the wall. I press myself flat, but he leans in and touches his lips to mine. “It would kill me, Harper Tate, if you were afraid of me.”
“That was you last night.”
“That was me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to give you a chance to choose. A chance to choose a safer life than the one I can provide. I’ve got money. I’ve got assets. But I can’t keep you safe, Harper. It would not be possible.”
I just stare at him. What is he saying? “So you don’t want me? You’re going to pull one of those selfish I’m-doing-this-for-your-own-good moves? Because if so, James Fenici, I’m gonna fight you over it. I swear to God, I will—”
He leans down and kisses me, laughing into my mouth. “I love you.”
“I love you. Don’t leave me. Please.”
He pulls back just the slightest little bit and I look up into those beautiful emerald eyes. “I came back, didn’t I?”
I nod.
“I told you, Harper, you’re mine. And maybe I cheated a little bit to get you, but I meant that. I never want to let you go.”
Merc draws in a long breath of air and then opens his door, leaving the truck running. “OK. Be right back.” He holds out his palm and I scribble the address down on the back of a map I found in the glove box. I marked the Santa Barbara community on there as best I could on the front too. Just to make sure they get it right. Drug dealers, ya know? Not the brightest of the bunch.
Merc takes the map and pushes the door closed so it doesn’t slam. Then he walks off into the sun, his shades down and his dark hair blowing a bit in the hot wind.
I hold my breath as he approaches the two men standing underneath the giant dinosaur. They don’t shake hands and I see that as a bad sign. But then I see heads nodding, so that eases me a bit.
I bite my fingers again. Geez. I can’t take the tension. I’m really not cut out for this hardcore dealing. I’m not. I’m just a little kid. I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m gonna get everyone killed with this idea.
But then the two men look at each other and smile. One even laughs and claps the other on the back. Merc hands them the map and they put their heads together to study it.
There’s more negotiation, then they all look over at me. My stomach flips. I swear, I almost open the door and puke.
This is it. This is where Merc tells them about Nick and Harper and asks for immunity. They already have the coordinates, so they’re the ones calling the shots. That was Merc’s idea. Give them the upper hand and let them make this decision on their own. That’s the only way it will work, he said. They have to want the deal. We can’t coerce them and expect co-operation.
My leg is going a mile a minute as they hash things out. They look over at me several more times, and then there’s some heated discussion.
I can only imagine what they are saying.
They want Nick. They want Harper.
And it makes sense for them, right? They want the children of the man who sent them so much trouble and strife over the years down in Central America. They want to teach him a lesson and they are ready and willing to send the LA chapter of their gang if they think they have the chance.
And I know what Merc’s response will be.
You can have James. The kid who shot your leader twelve years ago. You can have his rescuer. The assassin who broke him out and mowed down the deformed man’s entire family—mostly women and children—to do it.
I know this part. And no one else does besides Merc, because I told him. Probably not even James knows this part. Because this was how One got in to the compound to find James. James only knows what happened after.
I know this because One is my mother’s brother. My uncle. The uncle who used to come to our house every New Year’s Eve until I was ten and get drunk with my father so they could talk about my mother. Share her memory.
He used to ruffle my hair and whisper, “You have a number, Sasha. Not a name, a number. You’re Zero. The one no one sees. The one no one expects. The one who will set it all right.”
Of course, back then I had no idea what he was talking about. I had no idea what he was really talking about until James told me the Company had my parents killed. He told me this right here, in this parking lot. As I was sitting on the toe of a giant brontosaurus.
She needs to hear this, he told Harper.
He wanted me to know what I was up against.
Suddenly the little group of men breaks up and Merc is walking back to the truck.
My stomach flips again as I try to read his expression, but I can’t, it’s no use. So I hold my breath until he gets back in the truck and says, “It’s done.”
I exhale.
“They took the bait.” He looks over at me. “Now what?”
This is the last part of the plan. The really dangerous part. The part that might get all of us killed. Because this gang might be notorious for their ruthless revenge killings, but the person I need to bring in next isn’t called Number One for nothing. “Next I call my uncle.”
Merc clenches his jaw, his eyes darting back and forth as he thinks this through. “You wanna know why they were laughing back there?” he asks.
No. “Yes.”
“They were laughing because they said if they see James, they’re not gonna kill him.”
“No?” I ask, hopeful.
Merc starts the truck and backs out of the space, then heads towards the exit. “Nope.” And then he looks me in the eye as he waits to turn left to get back on the Interstate. “They’re gonna douse him in gasoline, set him on fire, and then put it out.”
“What?”
“They’re gonna make sure he lives to feel the pain.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Harper
“I might not’ve been all there this past year or so,” Tet says, coming forward a few paces. “But Harper Tate, the minute I saw you on the beach, it started coming back. It took me a while, but I’m here now. I’m not the person they say I am.” He turns his head and then gives me a sidelong glance. “At least not when it comes to you.”
He steps forward a few more paces and I automatically put my hands up to ward him off. He grabs my wrists and hikes my hands above my head, walking me backwards until I hit the wall. I press myself flat, but he leans in and touches his lips to mine. “It would kill me, Harper Tate, if you were afraid of me.”
“That was you last night.”
“That was me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to give you a chance to choose. A chance to choose a safer life than the one I can provide. I’ve got money. I’ve got assets. But I can’t keep you safe, Harper. It would not be possible.”
I just stare at him. What is he saying? “So you don’t want me? You’re going to pull one of those selfish I’m-doing-this-for-your-own-good moves? Because if so, James Fenici, I’m gonna fight you over it. I swear to God, I will—”
He leans down and kisses me, laughing into my mouth. “I love you.”
“I love you. Don’t leave me. Please.”
He pulls back just the slightest little bit and I look up into those beautiful emerald eyes. “I came back, didn’t I?”
I nod.
“I told you, Harper, you’re mine. And maybe I cheated a little bit to get you, but I meant that. I never want to let you go.”
