Page 73 of Until the End

Her gaze locked onto Castle. His Today is a good day to die T-shirt—written in Klingon—stretched tight over the muscular plane of his broad chest, his tawny skin, multiracial features, and size making him stand out in any crowd. Gorgeous, a force to be reckoned with, and a Trekkie. What a breathtaking combination.

He spoke to Alistair, pointing at buildings, no doubt devising a plan to keep her safe. The only man who’d ever cared to try. A flutter went through her chest.

“Okay,” Lenny said, but she was still staring at Castle. “But only if you really have forgiven me for what happened.”

What happened? He was taking no responsibility, as usual, and pushing a subject she’d rather not discuss.

She looked back at Lenny and realized how little he mattered to her. What they’d shared had been brief and, honestly, hollow. His transgression was a lifetime ago. She refused to carry the weight of caring a second longer.

Maybe it was the pervasive danger smelting her down and forging her anew. Maybe it was Castle, his perspective, opening her eyes to see the world differently.

She took Lenny’s hands in hers. “I forgive you.” And she meant it. “For being such a narcissistic douchebag.” Although there wasn’t an exact translation in Spanish.

“Kit,” Castle said in her ear through the communications device, drawing her attention to him. His gaze lowered, homing in on her holding Lenny’s hands, and his jaw hardened, the muscle working so hard he was going to get TMJ.

Was he jealous?

If only he knew how little there was to envy.

“Ready?” Castle growled.

Letting Lenny go, she nodded.

The four of them headed up the stairs of the amphitheater to the upper court. The sprawling Stata Center came into sight, its striking complex comprised of forty-seven unique elements. The tilting towers, angled walls, and whimsical shapes made from a mix of brick, glass, and reflective metals looked like something plucked from the pages of a modern-day Alice in Wonderland or designed by Dr. Seuss.

This had always been one of Kit’s and her brother’s favorite spots on campus when she had visited.

A pang cut through her. The only thing worse than her grief was her guilt. Guilt that still gnawed at her every day.

“Is it just me,” Alistair said, “or does this place look like Godzilla’s playpen?”

Castle grunted. “The design is impractical. Do you know how hard it’ll be for us to—”

Whatever Castle was about to say evaporated on his lips.

“I see them,” Alistair said, low.

“Who?” Kit asked, her pulse ramping up.

“Three o’clock and nine o’clock. Perimeter sweep,” Castle said, putting a hand on her lower back, keeping her moving.

Kit scanned both directions. The campus was quiet and uncongested at this hour, except for a few students passing by. Nothing stood out, no sign of Bravo and his men. But then she pinpointed a man to her right, tall with a buzzcut, wearing a blazer and jeans, loitering as if he was waiting for something or someone. The same on the left next to the garden, only it was a woman, dressed similarly with her hair in a tight bun. They both had a fierce intensity to their eyes, a hard set to their mouths, and athletic builds.

“How do you know they’re threats?” Kit asked. “Neither of them was at the loft.”

“Shoes. Earpieces,” Castle said.

Kit noticed they wore utilitarian black boots made for running and kicking down doors. Similar to what Alistair and Castle had on.

“Bulges on the side of their jackets,” Alistair added.

“We don’t know who they are and what we’re dealing with,” Castle said to Alistair, “and we don’t want to leave a mess we can’t clean up. Immobilize only unless faced with deadly force.”

“I’m a believer in kill or be killed,” Alistair said, “but if you insist.”

Lenny’s phone rang and he answered. “Nat, are you okay? Where are you?” He listened for a moment. “All right, I forgot about your SoulCycle class, baby. Don’t worry about the mail. I’m doing it now. Don’t go to the office. Go to campus security and stay there. Tell them to send guards to the Stata Center and call the police.” Lenny disconnected and met Castle’s glare. “I’d like to survive doing this favor.”

The man and woman caught sight of them. Both took out something from their inner jacket pockets, a piece of paper or a picture, looked at it, and then headed in their direction. The man lifted his cuff to his mouth and started talking.