Chapter 127 Chapter One hundred and twenty-six
ARA
I ate lunch in the back of the car because Thayne insisted. He’d somehow arranged it without me noticing, some fancy takeaway from a place I’d never heard of, delivered straight to the SUV right before we left the hotel garage.
The containers were still warm when he opened them: grilled salmon with lemon herb sauce, roasted vegetables, a small side of quinoa salad, and a thick slice of chocolate cake that smelled like sin.
He fed me himself. Forkfuls held to my lips, his other hand resting on my knee, his thumb rubbing slow circles through my jeans.
He didn’t speak much, he just watched me chew, watched me swallow, watched to make sure I actually ate. When the containers were empty and the foil trays gleamed clean, he wiped the corner of my mouth with his thumb and kissed the same spot softly.
“Good girl,” he murmured.
I rolled my eyes, but the warmth in my chest stayed.
Ten minutes later we pulled into a private helipad on the outskirts of the city. Thayne’s black helicopter was already waiting.
The transition was seamless, from the SUV to the tarmac, then to the cabin in under five minutes.
Thayne buckled me in himself, double-checked the harness over my belly, then settled beside me and pulled my hand into his lap.
The flight took forty minutes. I watched the city shrink beneath us, then the sprawl of Long Island, then the long green finger of the North Fork stretching forward.
When we landed on a private pad behind a dune, the salty ocean air hit me first.
I was shocked when I realized where we were.
The North Fork. Long Island.
Thayne helped me down from the helicopter, his hand firm on my elbow. The wind off the water tugged at my hair and the hem of my coat.
Stuart appeared like an angel of doom behind us. “Sir, it is time.”
Thayne thinned his lips, the muscle in his jaw jumping once. But Stuart was already speaking, as though he didn’t care about Thayne’s reluctance to send me out to the beach house where my sisters were staying.
Where Emily was currently with them.
“She will pretend to be shocked by Emily’s presence in the house,” Stuart continued, his voice clipped and efficient, “and the exchange must last for over twenty minutes. We need time to surround the property so that no external force can get in or out. No one leaves until we have confirmation Sasha and Gabriella are secure.”
Thayne’s hand tightened on mine, hard enough to hurt.
“I can do that,” I said quickly.
Thayne’s head snapped toward me.
“No.” The word was flat and final. “You’re not walking into that house alone.”
“You agreed earlier that I could do it,” I countered, squeezing his hand back. “Andv you’ll be listening the whole time. Plus, your team will be in position. I'm sure Emily is too obsessed with me at this point to kill me upon sight.”
Stuart shifted his weight. “She’s right, sir. Emily’s obsessed with her. She’ll want to gloat. She’ll want to see Ara’s face when she realizes the girls are under her control. That gives us the window we need.”
Thayne’s eyes stayed locked on mine, furious and terrified all at once.
“I’m not letting you walk in there without me,” he said through clenched teeth.
“You won’t be,” I said softly. “You’ll be right outside. You’ll hear every word. You’ll know the second something feels off. But I have to be the one who goes in first. She won’t believe it’s real otherwise. She needs to see me, alone, vulnerable, and shocked. That’s what will keep her talking long enough for your men to lock the perimeter.”
He exhaled sharply through his nose. I stepped closer, resting my free hand on his chest, right over his heart.
“I’m not helpless anymore,” I said. “You taught me that. You gave me the choice. Let me use it.”
For a long moment he didn’t move. Then he closed his eyes, his jaw working. This man was hard to convince.
When he opened them again, the fight was still there, but so was surrender.
“I’ll never forgive you for putting this mad idea into her head, Stuart. If I see one mark on her, or a hair out of place, you’ll wish you stayed back in the army.” Thayne growled, each word edged like broken glass.
Stuart nodded grimly, unfazed by the threat. He’d probably heard worse in whatever war had carved that scar through his eyebrow. He extended his hand toward me, palm up.
Thayne stared at that offered hand like it was something he wanted to bite off at the wrist. His jaw worked once, twice, the muscle ticking hard enough to show under the skin.
For a heartbeat I thought he might actually snap Stuart’s arm instead of letting go.
But then, he stepped back.
Stuart’s fingers closed around mine. His grip was firm, impersonal, nothing like Thayne’s possessive hold.
He led me away from the SUV, toward the narrow path that wound through sea grass and dunes to the beach house.
Thayne walked three paces behind us, close enough to lunge if anything went wrong, far enough that Emily wouldn’t see him from the windows.
His men had already fanned out, silent shadows melting into the landscape.
The wind off the bay was sharp, carrying salt and the scent of the sea. My coat flapped around my thighs; the concealed vest underneath felt heavier with every step.
Stuart spoke in a thick, husky whisper. “Stay calm. Act surprised when you see her. Act scared. Your enemy feeds on fear. Give it to her freely. The longer she talks, the more time we have to lock the perimeter. Once we’re in position, you'll receive the signal. That means get to the girls and get down. We’ll handle the rest.”
I nodded once, my throat too tight for words.
The path curved, and the house came fully into view, gray shingles weathered by salt air, white trim, with the wide porch facing the water. Lights glowed in the living room windows.
Stuart stopped behind me.
“From here, you go alone,” he said. “I’ll be out of sight, but close enough. Thayne’s team is already circling. You’re wired, everything you say, we hear.”
I looked back. Thayne stood at the edge of the dunes, his hands fisted at his sides, his eyes locked on me like I was the only thing tethering him to the earth.
I gave him a small nod, and he waved.
I turned in shock as the front door opened. Emily and my twin sisters stepped out, all dressed like they were going out for a walk.
Emily's mouth dropped open, and so did mine.