REDEMPTION
Ellen Landry-Cole sighed as the private jet tooled slowly into the terminal. It was one used only by VIPs. The VP had set this up for her and she was profoundly grateful. She had no intention of lingering any longer than she needed to. There would be a limo awaiting her to get her to the hotel. After that, she would approach Martel [who now went by the name Frank Donovan…she didn't understand that] and give him the information she had. Regardless of what he did in the past, he certainly didn't deserve to be ruined so ruthlessly. When she climbed into the limo and got settled, she reached down and went for the wet bar. If she were expected to face Martel, she'd need a drink. After all, she could clearly be arrested in this deal. You may not walk away from this one unscathed. She poured herself a scotch straight up; she needed nothing to weaken it. She was afraid she had a long day ahead of her.
The gang was a little on the irritated side. Jake and Alex had gone to the apartment at least nine dozen times without getting anything good. Cody and Monica stayed behind and did what they could behind the scene. Every few hours, Donovan checked with them from the hospital. They expected Donovan back no later than tomorrow. Larkin was out of the danger zone and would be released very soon. Cody looked up and listened when he heard a person entering the building. He expected their visitor to be Donovan. However, he was wrong. Cody elbowed Monica and lifted his chin toward the woman. She seemed vaguely familiar to them, but they couldn't place her. She was tall and thin with brutally short hair that was a hard to define color. She was neither unattractive nor beautiful. She was simply…average.
"Can we…ah…help you," Cody asked, wondering how the hell this woman had gotten inside their building.
"Yes," she said with a soft, tentative voice, "I'm Ellen Landry-Cole and I need to speak with Frank Donovan immediately."
* * *
Larkin had fallen asleep about thirty minutes ago. She had been experiencing some pain that would not go away. Fighting against it for all she was worth, hospital personnel insisted that she take an injection. Now, she was pretty much passed out and would likely remain that way for several hours. He could have left her, but he didn't want to. He felt the need to stay at least until tonight. Some time tomorrow, Larkin was slated to be released, and he was unsure about that. He didn't feel comfortable taking her to his apartment, especially not with Devere wandering around. She wouldn't be safe anywhere but a hotel. Even then, would her safety be ensured? Someone would have to stay with her, but who? He needed his team, but he didn't want to leave Larkin alone. It wasn't a good idea. If Devere were responsible for Larkin's car accident, she wouldn't hesitate to hurt her further. Yet, he was more than certain Devere's target hadn't truly been Larkin. How would Larkin handle this? She had never feared anything in her life, even after Grant had tried to shoot her through the bathroom wall ten months ago. She wouldn't take kindly to being guarded as if she were a sacred witness. However, he would have to insist. He thought of her parents and brother. They were still in Chicago. Perhaps he could help divert them to a safe place and then use a decoy as a stand-in for Larkin. Alex? He nodded absently. It was exactly what he would do. Donovan turned toward Larkin and approached the bedside. He took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips, muttering 'I love you' under his breath. He left and stepped out into the hallway. He intended to go out and call his team to begin setting it up.
"Mr. Donovan?"
Donovan stopped, recognizing the voice immediately. What is she doing here? How did she know where to find me? How did she know to call me Donovan? Slowly, he turned around to face the woman. He stood before Ellen Landry-Cole. The only thing that had changed about her was her self-assuredness. She didn't seem quite as mousy as she did ten or twelve years ago. Her hair was brutally short and either frosted or dusted with gray. She was well put together in an expensive business suit. Her eyes studied him curiously. Elle did her own assessment of the man she had known as Tony Miles. Unlike her, he had changed tremendously. He seemed harder and colder [if that was even possible]. However, his eyes had softened a bit, as if someone or something had touched him. Of course, she didn't doubt it was someone. The people at Donovan's place of employ had explained he was at the hospital with his girlfriend. Girlfriend? I never thought Martel had it in him to have a girlfriend. I never thought he had it in him to truly love someone enough to stay with them ceaselessly. His olive skin had paled and he looked as if he was getting ready to pass out and puke at the same time.
"There is something you need to know," Elle said. "Can we find a private place to talk?"
Donovan had no idea where such a place was, but he would damn well find one. He nodded her way, trying to indicate that she should follow. The two of them went from one end of the hall to the other before finding a private waiting room. Thankfully, it was vacant. He led her inside, closed the door behind him, and then locked it. Elle took a seat and crossed her arms and legs. She watched in silence as Donovan chose a chair directly across from her. He wanted to look her in the eye, find out what she wanted, and then he would apologize for everything he hadn't apologized for back when he first met her. He wanted to speak first, but she shook her head. She had a ton of things to tell him and there was no time for idle chitchat or asking a dozen whys, hows, and whats.
"Kira Grant is my cousin, my close cousin. We were like sisters. Part of her hatred of you has to do with your mission back when you called yourself Tony Miles." At the mention of that, Donovan's pale face grew even paler. Once again, he tried to speak, but she wouldn't let him. She held up her hand and sighed. "We saw you at a mixer a few months after you had accomplished your task. At the time, I was five or six months pregnant. I told Kira the baby was yours, but it wasn't. When I gave birth to the child and she saw that it wasn't yours, she lost it a little, and tried to kill both the infant and me. After that, I didn't have much use for her. You don't realize how much she hates you and everything you love. Her hatred isn't completely competition derived, although, that was a big part of it in the beginning, I'm sure. I know you're wondering how I found you. Your former CIA director is in prison now and I asked a favor of the VP. Dubois gave me your new name and told me where you live."
Donovan studied Elle's face for a very long time. "You're referring to Grant in the present tense. Don't you know she's dead?" He held his breath, fearing that she was going to contradict him, praying that she would not.
"That's the reason I made this trip, Mr. Ma-Donovan. Kira isn't dead. She was in that bus accident, but she said herself that she suffered massive damage to her face. The extra female body belonged to the driver's wife. She hitched a ride with her husband, but clearly wasn't supposed to do so. The family had the remains exhumed and compared dental charts. It wasn't Kira on that bus. I can assure you that she's alive, but I have no idea if she's in Chicago or D.C. Since your girlfriend is here with you, she's probably somewhere close to you. You need to watch your back at every step. Start searching for her now before she causes more harm, more damage."
Grant? Alive? He had feared that very thing since he'd heard of the bus accident. Both he and Larkin had been so sure they were safe. They were so damn naïve. He didn't want to believe it, not for one second, but why would this woman bother coming all this way to tell him? Why would she bother after he'd fucked her for information so very long ago if it weren't the truth? "Goddamn it," he said quietly, unable to come up with anything else that fit his feelings. He noticed that Ellen was about to stand and make her exit. She had come to say what she needed to say and now, she was ready to get out. "Wait," he said, stopping her. "I appreciate the information, I think it will help me find out who hurt the woman I love, if it wasn't Grant herself." He stood to face her. "Ellen, I never had the chance to apologize for what I did to you. I didn't want to use you like that, but I was young and stupid. I'm not trying to make excuses, but I'd always wanted to apologize and try to make it up to you."
Ellen sighed and crossed her arms again. "You don't have to apologize. It's something that I got over years ago. It hurt like fuck for a year or so, but I'm fine now. Unlike my cousin, I hold no grudges. My life now is ten times better than it was then, unless you want to implicate me in what deeds Kira has done. I work at the White House, so it shouldn't be hard to find me. And as far as spilling the beans regarding your true identity, don't worry. I don't care. Good luck to you and your girlfriend." Without another word, she left him.
Donovan was making his way back down to Larkin's room when his cell phone rang. Knowing the hospital staff frowned upon cell phone use, he turned back around and went into the private waiting room again. He flipped open the phone and gave his usual brusque greeting. It was Cody and the news he had received began to pump his adrenaline even harder. After he completed his phone call, he went back to Larkin's room, but found her completely passed out. If Kira Grant was in the area, how in the hell could Larkin stay safe here? Damn it. His dilemma had gone from bad to horrible in the space of fifteen minutes. Torn between staying and leaving, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. After making a brief arrangement with the hospital staff, he left and headed back toward the nest.
"So, Boss, you see," Cody began, "The local police dragged a wrecked car out of a flooded drainage ditch. It matches the description the witnesses were able to make out. The front is bashed in right where it would have to be for the initial damage to your Lexus. There wasn't any information inside to lead to whom the driver might be. But we did get a report of a body found just outside town in a remote area. It's a male, around age nineteen. Have you seen your neighbor lady's brother recently? I know we haven't."
Donovan gritted his teeth together in anger. Fucking Kira Grant. Somehow, some way, the bitch had cheated death. She had gotten her face fixed and tried to ruin his life yet again. However, he wasn't sure if she were Devere or Greene. Yet, it didn't take a genius to figure it out. Greene had done nothing to him or Larkin. Devere had done everything imaginable. "If the body is still at the morgue, I'll know. I'm on my way there now. Cody, I want either you or Monica to check in with the hospital to ensure that Larkin is safe. If Grant finds her, she'll finish her. Tell the staff to look out for a woman with short black hair and dark skin. If anyone like that comes within twenty feet of Larkin's room, they are to get the police there immediately."
After issuing his orders to Cody and Monica, Donovan called around until he found the right morgue where the body had been taken. It was a bit out of town, but he didn't care. He secured a rental vehicle and was on his way. Once he arrived at a small, rural community in the southern portion of Illinois, he went immediately to the local police. There, he was told a young man had been found with several stab wounds to his neck, face, and chest. Whoever the assailant was had tried to bury the body, but the person hadn't done the best of jobs. Unfortunately, there hadn't been any witnesses. The city police led Donovan to the local morgue. They weren't lying when they said the body was a mess, he thought. There were several wounds on his face, neck, and chest. His ear had been clipped neatly off his head. However, the condition of the body didn't hide his identity. Donovan recognized the boy as Beau Devere. Jesus fucking Christ. Kira Grant was right under my fucking nose for this long and I didn't even know. Donovan didn't linger at the morgue for very long. He went immediately to his rental, climbed in, and asked that Alex and Jake get into the Devere [Grant] apartment any way they could. They had to find her before she found Larkin.
By the time Donovan made it back to Chicago, it was almost dark. He immediately went to the hospital. Much to his relief, nothing had happened and Larkin was fine. She had just come out of her drugged sleep and she was drinking cup after cup of water from the pitcher near her. She smiled up at Donovan. "Where were you all day?"
"Selena, we have to talk." Donovan moved to the chair at her bedside. He took her hand and kissed it. "Earlier today, I was visited by a ghost from my past. She was a woman I knew a very long time ago in my CIA days. She is Grant's cousin and she said that she has been in contact with her. Grant isn't dead, she was never dead. There was an extra person aboard the bus who shouldn't have been there. Devere is Grant and she is responsible for the accident you had. She actually probably thought she was running me off the road. She was the one trying to ruin what we have."
She stared into his open, earnest face. She wanted to scream that he was a liar, but she knew he wasn't. The look in his eyes gave her that much information. "Oh God, how the hell could this happen? Frank, she's going to kill you, isn't she? She's going to come after you and kill you. She thought it was you that night, not me. Oh dear God. What the hell are we going to do now?"
"The first thing you're going to do is calm down," he said. "After that, I'm sending you to a hotel with your parents so they can keep you safe. Grant is after both of us, and right now, you are not at your best. You're extremely vulnerable to her, and I'm sure she is aware of this. We'll have to set up some type of diversion so she doesn't see where you're going. I won't have her hurting you again. This is between Grant and me."
He had spoken his words bluntly, matter-of-factly. In other words, he wasn't prepared to accept any arguments from her or anyone else. She didn't know if she was just angry or pissed off. "Doesn't it now involve me as well? Regardless of who was in that damn car, she touched me, and dragged me into it. I am just as entrenched in her game as you."
Donovan shook his head. "Selena, you're lying there with bruised ribs, broken fingers, and whiplash. You think you can get up and fight with me on this? Look in the mirror; you can't do it. If you stay here or at the apartment, she can easily find you. She has done enough damage to you and I don't want to see any more done. If you go with your parents, you'll be safe. We've lost too much by her hands and I don't want to lose you to her. I know she was your case, but she has stalked me my entire career, and I can't risk it, Selena, I can't lose another woman I love. It could happen very easily."
"So I assume that after tomorrow, I'm going to be all locked up in a hotel room with my parents?" She rolled her eyes. "If you knew them, you'd realize that's torture all its own." Donovan smiled a little. He nearly opened his mouth, but she held up her hand. "Wait a minute, Frank, don't say anything yet. I know there's a chance I'll not see you again after tonight." He started to open his mouth again. "No. Let me. You're talking like I'm in grave danger, but you are, too. I know you can't promise anything, but at least try your best to kick her ass once and for all. If I have to see her face again, I think I might die." Quietly, she hiked up her hospital bed. She crooked her finger toward him and he sat on the edge of the bed near her. With her good hand, she ran her fingers along his cheek, noting the scruffiness right away. Poor guy hadn't taken care of himself in days. He turned into her touch, reveling in the feel of her soft hand. "I love you, I really and truly love you. I just wish this was all over."
"I do, too, but I'm afraid it's just beginning," he said. "I want to stay with you until you're released, and then we'll get you settled. Eventually, Grant will call me out. I know her well, I know the mindset and from what I've been told, her mind isn't her own." He took her hand down from his face and held it into his.
"I don't think it was ever her own," she whispered.
Donovan watched as Larkin reached behind her to remove the cushiony neck brace. "Selena?"
"It's okay. The pain isn't that bad," she said. "I want you to kiss me. I don't want one of those pecks an elderly couple gives each other after fifty years of marriage. I want a real one, a kiss that you give me when you pick me up at the airport. As long as I don't move my neck, I'll be okay," she said with a smile.
He leaned toward her and she met him halfway. He wanted to be gentle, to continue his mindfulness of her injuries, but as her lips parted against his, he lost a bit of that control. It had been so long since he had really kissed her, he had nearly forgotten what it felt and tasted like. Her good hand came up and her fingers went into his hair, running through it, reveling in its soft, silky fullness. His own hand came out, settling on the side of her neck, and he immediately wanted to draw it away, but she moaned a 'no' against his lips. He kept his hand where it was and pressed forward. She wanted more, she wanted so much more, but it simply wasn't possible. He broke the kiss so very slowly, not completely giving up on it immediately. When his lips finally released hers, he leaned his forehead against hers. Her hand reached out and went up and down his arm in a slow caress. Her hand eventually landed on his where their fingers entwined tightly.
"I truly thought I'd lost you," he whispered. "I didn't think you would ever let me back in your life."
"I didn't think I would, either," she said with a smile.
He chuckled. "Larkin, one of these days, I'm going to lose my patience with you."
"Hmm…I thought you said that a year ago? Where are we now," she asked with a teasing smile. She kissed him again, but this time gently. "I know the hospital is going to frown highly upon this when they see you, but I don't care. If you're staying with me tonight, I want you to climb into bed with me and hold me in your arms."
"I'll do anything for you, Selena," he told her.
She sighed and nodded her head. She moved over to make room for Donovan's body. He climbed into the small bed beside her and she immediately snuggled in as closely to him as she could get [bruised ribs and whiplash be damned]. "Don't let me go," she whispered, "Just don't let me go."
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To be continued…