“Stop.” She grabs her head between her hands. “Stop saying things like that.”
“Why?” The word grates in my throat. “Because it’s the truth and you can’t handle it?”
“Because I can’t give you what you want.”
“You,” I say without hesitation. “That’s all I’ve wanted from the moment I laid eyes on you. Just you. I have no preset ideas or qualifying criteria.”
A wry smile plays over her lips as she shakes her head. I don’t know what’s going on in that pretty little mind of hers, which makes it hard to come up with a strategy of winning her over.
I backtrack to the door, giving her space. For now. Taking my phone from my pocket, I dial Leon. She watches me from under her lashes as I walk from the room.
He answers with, “Changed your mind about that fishing trip, did you?”
My voice bounces off the walls of the spacious lobby. “I need you to hack a phone for me.”
“Ah, and here I was thinking you’re calling because you’re missing me.”
“I’ll need a tracer on any number at the receiving end of the line.”
“Whoa. Slow down a minute. That’s big stuff.”
“I know you can do it.”
“I can’t, not yet, but my boss has the technology. If I convince him to let me use it, it’s going to cost me a hell of a favor.”
“You’ll live,” I say with a smile in my voice.
He snorts. “Let’s hope so.”
I pace the floor, stopping in front of an impressive elephant painting. “Is that a yes?”
He sighs. “Send me the number. I’ll route an app to your phone. Who’s it for or am I not allowed to ask?”
“Wolfe.”
“What?” he exclaims. “The guy who’s on your case?”
Rubbing my brow, I consider my words. “I’m in Joburg.” After a beat, I add, “In Damian’s monstrosity of an office block.”
“Wait. What? What the fuck is going on, Ian?”
“Cas isn’t dead.”
Silence.
“Leon?”
“Ian.” His exhale is loud in my ear. “I think you need help, man.”
“She didn’t die. The villagers found her. They thought I tried to kill her, so they hid her while she was healing and smuggled her back to South Africa.”
“I can’t believe this. How did you find her?”
“I didn’t. She found me. It’s a long story, but Wolfe found me too. He took a shot at her and wounded her. That’s why we’re here. Damian organized a surgeon.”
“He’s hiding you. Fuck, Ian.”
“We’ll be moving soon.” I hesitate. “I’m going to fucking kill Wolfe, but you better lie low for the next few days, just in case.”
“If you need me—”
“I need you to stay the hell away from me while the shit goes down. Damian already has the cops on his ass, asking questions about us. He’s creating a bogus history for you, saying you’ve been backpacking through Africa until now.”
“This is fucking crazy.”
“There’s no other way. If I don’t take care of Wolfe, neither Cas nor I will ever be safe.”
“Why do I get the feeling there’s more to this than what you’re giving me?” he asks.
“You don’t know the half of it.” I grit my teeth. “The imposters who posed as us and killed that bank manager?”
“Wolfe,” he bites out as he catches on.
“Yeah.”
“Motherfucking fuck. I have a right to go after him for what he did.”
“Let me handle this. Just keep your head down and your nose clean, and do what you do these days.”
“It’s called programming.”
“I know what it’s called.”
“Ian, I—”
“I’ve got this, Leon.”
This time, I’m not dragging him along. It’s bad enough I let Cas convince me to take her with.
“You’re a fucking hard-headed mule,” he says.
“Thanks, you’re not so bad yourself.”
Worry creeps into his tone. “I’m not going to tell you to be careful.”
“Yeah. I wouldn’t want you to jinx me.” I knead the muscles of my neck, rubbing out a knot. “I owe you one.”
“Say hello to her. I’m still battling to believe it. It feels unreal.”
“Unreal is a light way of putting it.”
Hanging up, I go back to the room. Cas is looking from the window, pretending she doesn’t see me.
That’s all right.
In time, she’ll come to accept the way things are just like she did the first time.
Chapter 12
Cas
To say I’m a mess is an understatement. Messy is the word that best describes my relationship with Ian. Then again, it has been messy since the day I met him. From the time he took me to an old house next to a broken windpump, my rights have been murky and my wrongs wrapped in lust. Yes, it’s messy, but it’s also effortless. Somehow we always fall in tune.
The longer I spend time with him, the blurrier the lines get. While my body is getting stronger, my noble reasons for granting him freedom become fuzzier by the day. The only way of ensuring I don’t fall under his spell again is to keep a distance. It’s hard to do when he sets out my pills, feeds me, and washes my hair. I get the feeling I’m not succeeding in keeping him at arm’s length due to my applaudable efforts, but because he’s allowing the distance. He’s giving me space. Like always, everything happens on his terms.
Damian and Lina visit every day, sometimes with and at other times without the kids. They bring food, clothes, and medicine. When, four days later, it’s finally time for us to leave, they see us off at the helipad.
Lina takes my hands in hers. “If you need anything, and I mean anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”
Ian got me a new cell phone, but I didn’t want to risk anyone finding Lina’s number on it. Instead, I’ve memorized her number.
“Same for you,” I say with humor. We both know she can’t call me and ask the normal things one girlfriend asks of another, like if I want to go shopping together or if I can babysit so she and her husband can go out.
Damian nods at Ian. “My connection at the control tower cleared your route, but keep low.”
Ian offers his brother a hand. “Thanks.” His lips tilt. “I owe you.”
“I’ll hold you to it,” Damian says, returning the handshake.
Ian helps me inside the helicopter and secures my safety belt. The tin-like contraption still scares me. I give a nervous wave as we lift off.
Putting an arm around Lina’s body, Damian guides her back into the building.
Hart Diamonds is painted in silver letters over the roof. The letters grow smaller as we lift higher. Ian hands me a pair of earphones for the noise. I fit them and sink lower in my seat. I’m tired from the small exertion of climbing the stairs to the roof, but I don’t want him to know for fear he’d leave me behind. The doctor ran tests. My heart condition is stable. My exhaustion is just from a combination of the energy the healing is taking and the stress.