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His face brightened a few shades, and color dotted his cheeks. “A couple of times. We played chess at a dodgy pub in Newcastle before I was sentenced to prison. Of course, our life paths would never intersect, not in that way, but I loved him.” Melancholy crossed his gaze.
Her bloodstream surged several degrees warmer. She absorbed his unexpected admission in an instant, surprised neither jealousy nor shock overtook her. “He was my one in seven billion, and I swear to you, I’ll find justice for him.”
“Lots of danger awaits you, so stay tough, and never forget, you’re a survivor.” He reached out and patted her arm with a warm smile.
She bowed her head a moment before answering. “I will. Be safe, Raven.”
“Kyle would approve, you know.” He escorted her to the foyer and poised his hand on the polished iron doorknob.
“Sorry?” She stopped in her tracks to face him.
“Mark. You don’t realize it yet, but he’ll never fail you. Best of luck to ye, lass.”
Tess swallowed as a thousand thoughts swirled through her mind like a windstorm. Aside from chasing Crimson Hammer and saving David’s life, a larger question loomed. If she survived tonight, she might have a future, and any future she imagined included Mark. But love meant risking her heart again, which scared her even more than fighting Crimson Hammer.
When she said goodbye, she memorized the Raven’s enigmatic face, regretting their paths would not cross in the future.
Outside, Mark waited in the car and hopped out to open her door.
With care, she descended the stone steps in the drenching rain and slid into the passenger seat. The sedan’s engine purred, and sleet slapped against the windshield as the wipers whizzed back and forth at breakneck speed. She slipped a hand into her trench coat pocket to confirm the two USB thumb drives were there.
Mark drove down the rough, potholed road with his hands tight on the wheel. “He’s not the burly criminal I expected, and we’re lucky he wanted to help us. He’s insightful.”
“Very.” Vertebra by vertebra, she relaxed her back against the heated leather seat, grateful for the safety the car offered from the elements. Unsure what conclusions to draw from the Raven’s observations, she filled her lungs and stretched her legs, garnering her strength for the next phase of their journey. Gray fog threatened to swallow the puddle-laden moor of Culloden’s battlefield in its entirety, obscuring it from sight.
Mulling over the Raven’s closing words, she placed a hand on Mark’s left knee. “Thank you for being with me now.”
In return, Mark squeezed her hand and smiled.
His warmth soothed her and eased the awkwardness of last night’s events, but his scarred hand underscored how much danger they faced ahead, with no promise of safety.
On the flight back to London, she felt unnerved as her apprehension about the ransom handoff escalated. Despite the early hour, she swallowed two vodka tonics in quick succession to ward off her unease.
In the airplane seat beside her, Mark napped, and when his hand draped open across her lap, she interwove their fingers together. The multiple Elena phone calls irritated her. Years had passed since she experienced jealousy like this. Gazing at Mark’s chiseled cheekbones and the sensuous curve of his shoulder, one thing became clear. She had no desire to share him with the mysterious redhead, or anyone else.
The vodka tingled in her throat and tangled her thoughts, and the mild buzz helped numb her anxiety. Recent memories of Mark’s bare skin against hers juxtaposed with visions of Kyle so vividly, she swore he had returned from the afterlife, alive again. But every time, the images vanished, shrinking from the edges before they curled inward like a burning photograph dissolving into ash.
Staring out the window, she contemplated the impermanence of everything. She worried for David's life and Declan's safety at the handoff and realized nothing guaranteed her survival, or Mark's. Shivering, she prayed the day didn't end in more death.
Chapter Nineteen
Scheming in the Crypt
As the plane made its final descent into London, Tess tensed, her blood pressure spiking in parallel measure with her dread. Kyle and Riku were gone. And now, with David kidnapped, everyone was in danger from Crimson Hammer. Somehow, she must find an end to this chaos, but how? The walls of the plane shrank around her, trapping her, and she wanted to bust out into the open air. The crush of tonight’s deadline weighed on her shoulders like an anvil that could flatten her at any moment. The second the plane’s wheels touched the tarmac, she texted Declan.
—Just landed @ London City.—
—You safe, or should I summon the cavalry?—
—Let’s sync up, fast. Where?—
—In 30 minutes @ The Crypt Café, Trafalgar Square.—
—Crypt, like tomb?—
—Right. Hell’s broken loose. Shattered, need help.—
—On our way. Bring a clean laptop.—
