Chapter 156 Chapter One hundred and fifty-five
ARA
Stuart’s eyes flicked from my face to the phone on the table behind me.
Understanding dawned on him instantly. He raised both hands in surrender.
“I promise, it’s not what it looks like. I would never betray Mr. Slade.”
“Munroe said that too,” I shot back, my voice low and steady. “Over and over again. Look where that got us.”
My heart was racing, but I forced my expression to remain calm.
If he was lying, I needed to stay one step ahead.
“I’m not conspiring with your enemies,” he said again, more firmly this time.
“Forgive me if I find that very hard to believe.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked once. “I got intel that Slade Senior is trying to buy his way out of the FBI’s grip.”
He gestured toward the phone still clutched in his hand. “I managed to get word to the real Agent Jean before your husband’s communication lines were rigged.”
I blinked. What did he mean by the real Agent Jean? How did everything go from perfect to chaos?
I took a slow breath in and out. One issue at a time.
“Where are my sisters? Lenora?” I asked him.
“I took them to the roof a few minutes ago. We are no longer safe here.”
I narrowed my eyes. “If you’re lying, Stuart, I’ll make sure you’re ball-less before the end of today.”
He cringed visibly, but nodded fast.
“I swear it. I returned to take you up there as well. The text from Agent Jean is fake. Your husband knows, but he’s unable to reach you. We’re running out of time, please follow me up.”
I stared at him, unmoving. I would never let myself be caught between Jimmy Ackerfield or Slade Senior ever again. I needed conviction before acting.
“In a few minutes, people disguised as inspectors will storm the hotel and demand a thorough search. The only way to hide us is on the roof.” Stuart explained.
“What do you mean people disguised as inspectors?”
“Trust me, we need to leave immediately. Your sisters and cousin are on the roof. We need to join them before it’s too late.”
“Like they won’t climb?”
“As far as I’m concerned, they don’t check roofs. We have only a few minutes.” Stuart stressed, reaching for the phone and tossing it into his back pocket.
“I'm going to carry you if I have to, your husband would want that too, I'm sure.” Was he threatening me?
I hesitated for half a second, then followed.
There was no elevator leading up to the roof, just an old staircase that smelled of concrete and old paint.
Stuart was behind me, probably watching my back.
When we pushed through the heavy metal door onto the roof, the wind nearly tossed me away.
I nearly fainted from the height.
“Don’t look down!” Stuart said over the gusts.
It was hard not to. The drop below was endless, forty-seven floors of nothing but air and glass and distant, tiny cars crawling like ants.
My stomach lurched. I grabbed the railing so hard my knuckles went white.
“They’re here,” Stuart muttered, using his arm to herd me back when I tried to peer over the edge again.
My sisters were huddled near the far side of the roof, backs to the wind, Lenora standing protectively in front of them. They turned when they heard the door bang open.
They crossed over to me, embracing my stomach and waiting for me to speak.
“You’re okay,” I whispered over and over, kissing their hair. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
They clung to me like they’d never let go. Even Lenora.
“What if they come up here?” Lenora asked in a trembling voice. The wind was making her teeth knock together.
“Stop frightening yourselves,” Stuart chided her gently. “They won’t.”
I looked up at him over their heads.
“Stuart,” I said quietly. “Do you smell anything fishy?”
He frowned. “No, we can’t smell the food from the kitchen up here.”
I thinned my lips. “Not that, stupid. I mean, something is wrong. Who do you think is disguising as Agent Jean?”
Stuart’s face hardened.
“I don’t know yet,” he admitted. “But whoever it is seems to be working for Slade Senior or your father.”
My grip tightened on the girls.
“Someone on Thayne’s team?” I whispered.
Stuart’s jaw clenched. “I don't think so. I’ve already flagged three people for review. But we don’t have time to root out the mole right now. We need to move.”
“Where?”
He jerked his head toward the far corner of the roof.
“There’s a service stairwell on the east side which leads to the parking garage. We take that down, get to the secondary vehicle. From there, we disappear until Thayne can secure a new location.”
I nodded.
The wind picked up again, whipping my hair across my face.
I stood, keeping the girls close.
“Let’s go,” I said.
Stuart led the way. He was fast and quiet, checking corners like he expected someone to jump out at any second.
We made it to the service door.
He pushed it open. And froze.
A man stood at the top of the stairs, wearing a black tactical vest. His face was covered by a balaclava, and his pistol was already raised.
Stuart moved first, shoving me and the girls behind him, drawing his own weapon in the same motion.
“Down!” he barked.
I pulled Sasha and Gabriella to the ground, covering them with my body.
The first shot cracked. It was loud, deafening in the confined stairwell.
Stuart returned fire. Another shot answered.
Then there was silence, broken only by ringing in my ears and the girls’ muffled sobs against my chest.
I peeked around Stuart’s leg.
The masked man was down, crumpled at the bottom of the first landing, blood pooling beneath him.
Okay. He was dead. Phew.
Stuart exhaled sharply, lowering his gun.
“Stay here,” he ordered.
I obeyed, because I knew he was right. I suddenly felt guilty for accusing him earlier.
He moved down the stairs carefully, lifting his weapon up and checking the body, then the next landing.
It was clear.
He waved us down.
I was walking really slowly, because gone were the times I used to jump the stairs and do all those stunts.
Thayne would likely shackle me to the bed if Stuart reported anything to him.
I descended slowly until I joined them on the garage level where there was an empty SUV parked awkwardly by the side instead of in the row of cars parked the other way.
“Be careful,” Stuart said to me, holding out his hands to aid me in walking faster. I brushed them away and asked him to help my sisters instead.
The SUV suddenly roared to life and barreled backwards.
Lenora in front stood with her eyes wide, her mouth opening wide as she let out a scream.
Stuart lunged like a shadow, grabbing her by the collar and spinning wildly to the left like a ballerina.
The SUV reversed quickly and zoomed off, leaving all of us panic-stricken.
When Stuart finally rose to his feet, I saw the blood. Lenora was injured.