Risky Obsession (Wolf Security #3)

26. Lacey

CHAPTER 26

Lacey

T he endless trek to Cuxhaven’s main street was a nightmare. Kane’s anger radiated in every step he took. As the bitter cold seeped into my bones, the pitch-black darkness surrounding us confirmed we were still a long way from civilization.

The weight of my deception had crushed Kane. I had known it would, and I deserved to be punished, but each time he looked at me with utter hatred burning in his eyes, I knew I could never salvage the relationship between us.

I’d ruined everything. Him. Me. Us.

For what? My career? My determination to keep forging forward no matter what?

Kane was about twenty yards ahead of me and he wasn’t slowing down like I was. The deserted road stretched ahead like a glistening black ribbon. The frosty air threatened to choke me with every breath I forced into my lungs.

I was completely drained, and my hand around the handle of my rolling suitcase was chilled to the bone and aching more than my wounds. I was exhausted and hungry and couldn’t remember if we had any water left in our bottles. It was an effort to convince myself to keep moving.

If I wasn’t so fucking cold, I probably would have curled up on the side of the road and cried myself into oblivion.

A ringing noise pierced the silence, and I jumped. It was the burner phone in my pocket. Kane was too far ahead of me to hear it. I stopped and pulled out the phone. I didn’t recognize the number on the screen, but there was only one person who knew the number . . . Archer.

I swiped to answer. “Hello?” My teeth chattered.

“Tory, it’s Archer.” His voice crackled through the line.

Oh, crap, now I need to tell him that I’m a fucking liar too.

“Is Kane there with you?” he asked.

“Hang on, let me catch up to him.” Clutching the phone in my injured hand, I grabbed my suitcase, and it rattled behind me as I raced to close the gap between Kane and me.

“Kane. Kane!” As I neared him, he turned with hatred blazing in his eyes.

It tore my heart out to see that look directed at me, but I deserved his loathing. And more.

“What?” His evil tone cut through the bitter air like an ax.

Raising the phone like a baton, I yelled across the distance, “Archer’s on the phone.”

Kane strode back to me and snatched the phone from my hand.

Pain ripped across my damaged fingers, and I cried out.

“Shit. Sorry.” He seemed torn between showing his remorse and blocking me out.

“I’m okay.” I clutched my hand to my chest, trying to stifle the pain blazing along my fingers.

Kane held the phone to his ear. “Archer.”

“Can I listen, please?” My chest heaved from my sprint to reach him.

Wariness flickered across his eyes, yet he jabbed the screen and lowered the phone so I could hear.

“I’ve done some digging into castles in that area and I think you two are on the money,” Archer said.

“Why?” Kane and I said at the same time, and I smiled at him.

He scowled at me.

“Two reasons. First, the Germans used a naval base in Cuxhaven to house their submarines during the war.”

Kane and I shared a look that gave my heart hope.

“The naval base was a major port for their U-boat operations in the North Sea.”

Kane nodded. “That’s good information. ”

“Yeah, I figured the submarine angle would pique your interest. Want the other juicy clue?” Archer’s tone was upbeat and clashed heavily with the emotions I was drowning in. “I found a news report in that region about a young boy being killed by a lion.”

Kane’s eyes lit up and we smiled at each other.

Then, his expression dropped into a scowl again. “Do you know where?” he asked.

“Sure do. ünetzburg Castle.”

“Where’s that?” I asked.

“Cuxhaven,” he said. “The castle dates back to the fifteenth century and is located high on a cliff overlooking the ocean. But that depends on how overgrown the area is.”

“Who owns it?” Kane asked.

“I couldn’t find an answer to that. The castle was abandoned for one hundred and fifty years before the Nazis occupied it.”

“Okay. Does anyone live there now?”

“As far as I can tell, no. It’s probably been abandoned since the end of the war.”

“What did the Nazis use it for?” I asked.

“The site at the top of the hill gave them a perfect vantage point to oversee the naval base. And they made a stairway that led down to the water. They used it for movement of supplies and to secretly transfer prisoners onto boats.”

“Oh jeez.” I shook my head.

“Great work, Archer. How did you go with the car and cash?” Kane asked.

“The good news is, I believe I’ve found a car dealer who is shady enough to sell a car to you without papers. The bad news is that he doesn’t open his shop until nine o’clock.”

Kane and I both leaned forward to see the time on the phone. Five thirty in the morning.

“Text me through his details and location, and I’ll be there at nine.”

I noted that Kane didn’t say that we would be there. If he thought he was going to that castle without me, then he was about to learn something about me that was true to my core: I was not a quitter.

“I’ll tell him your name is Duncan,” Archer said .

Kane chuckled, and I wished I understood what made his smile somehow also seem sad.

“Listen,” Archer said, getting all serious, “you guys need to be careful. Your faces are all over the news in connection to the murder of that symbologist guy.”

“Gunter Sachs,” Kane said.

“We didn’t kill him,” I said at the same time.

“Yeah, that’s him and I believe you. You’re also wanted in connection with two other murders and a pile of other crap. You pissed off a lot of people at that gala and the paparazzi are fucking loving it.”

Kane huffed. “Sounds about right.”

“So, you might want to lay low. Once the morning news breaks, everyone is going to be on the lookout for you. And you’re hard to miss, Kane. Just saying.”

“We’ve got some disguises sorted, but thanks for the heads up. How did you go with getting me some cash?” Kane asked.

He said it like I wasn’t here. Archer’s information confirmed we were on the right track. We’d put those clues together. The two of us. No matter what I did, I deserved to be here. And I was damn well staying.

“Well, the bad news is that getting some cash to you at this time of the day turned out to be harder than I thought.” Despite his comment, Archer’s tone was upbeat.

“I’m guessing there’s some good news.” Kane rolled his eyes toward the moon, and I had the impression he was fighting the urge to look at me.

“You got it. I can’t let you get away with hunting this treasure without me. I’m invested now.”

Kane chuckled. “What about Rosalina? Won’t she be pissed?”

“Nah, I think she was getting bored herself. Not that she’d ever admit that. She’s happy to be coming back this way. It’ll give her a chance to see her nonna.”

Kane nodded. “I don’t want Rosalina angry at me.”

“She won’t be. We’re already on our way, so all going well, we’ll see you in about six or so hours.”

“Roger that.”

“Well done with putting these clues together, buddy,” Archer said. “I have a good feeling about this. ”

Kane’s gaze shifted, and I had the impression he was torn over his reply. “Me too. See you when you get here.”

“Yes, see you soon,” I blurted before Kane ended the call.

As Kane shoved the phone into his pocket, he shot me a glare that could freeze lava. “You won’t be meeting Archer at that castle because we are no longer a team.”

He picked up his pops’ bag and strode away again.

I grabbed the handle of my case and chased after him. “That’s fine. I’ll go to the castle on my own.”

“Bullshit. When we get to Cuxhaven, I’ll buy you a ticket to Berlin.”

I nearly had to jog to keep up with him. “Fine, do that. But you’re not getting rid of me that easily. I know I’ve ruined everything between us, but the only thing I have left is my job. And whether you like it or not, I’m continuing this mission until I find the gold, with or without you, or until we end up in locked cells.”

In the moonlight, the conflict raging in his eyes looked painful, and with each step we took along the deserted road the air between us grew colder.

My heart raced as I increased my speed, trying to match his strides. He clenched his jaw so hard that the muscles along his jawline bulged, and I had the feeling he was fighting the urge to scream at me. I wanted him to yell and scream at me because his silence was like an unbearable burden after the days of fantastic banter we’d had.

I wanted to return to that, to our fun conversations, to learning all about him. The frigid air stung my lungs as I struggled to find the right words to bridge the gap between us.

But there were none. Not a single thing I could say would undo the damage I’d caused.

Yet there was no fucking way I was ending my time with him when we reached Cuxhaven.

So I decided on a different approach. Kane said he didn’t know who I was. I might as well tell him.

“My parents are still alive.” My breath clouded in the icy air like my words were tangible. “But I haven’t seen them since I ran away at seventeen. I tried to connect with them a few times, but my dad made it very clear that I was no longer a part of their life. So when I said my father was dead, in some ways he is. I don’t blame him. They had to mortgage their home to put me through the accelerated University degree, and Dad took a second job to make the payments. He wouldn’t even take money from me when I tried to pay him several years ago. I doubt he’ll ever forgive me for what I did.”

“History is repeating itself.” Kane’s chiseled features blazed with anger.

“When I handed myself in to the police, I was still seventeen, and as a juvenile, I was able to keep my crimes off my records. Hopefully, we can keep these latest crimes off our records too.”

“There is no we , Tory. Fuck. Lacey.”

I huffed. “You can call me whatever you like.”

“How about bitch?”

“Sure, but it may be awkward in public.”

His lips drew into a thin line, and I had the impression he was trying not to smirk.

Progress.

“The operation to take down Axel and the rest of the drug gang took six months and during that time, I was both a criminal and working with the police. I knew Axel would kill me if he ever caught me, but I didn’t care. What I’d done was wrong and I would have done anything to put those ruthless bastards in jail.”

Kane didn’t comment, and I wished I could read his mind. Was he even listening to me?

“When the police raided the drug lab, Axel used me as a shield. I don’t know when he figured out it was me who betrayed him, but he did. He stabbed me in the back with a knife.”

Kane sucked air through his teeth. His gaze swept to me, and I had a rotten feeling he thought I was lying.

“The blade took a chunk out of my liver. I have a nasty scar. I can show you if you like.”

He yanked his gaze away.

“No? Okay, well, let me know if you change your mind.” I needed him to understand that I was telling the truth.

As the road stretched ahead, winding through the darkened countryside, I told him random things about me like my favorite chocolate bar, the movies I loved and those I hated, and how ridiculous most detective shows were. I talked about my pet fish, Squirt, who is probably the only thing in the world who was missing me right now. I mentioned Whisper and how she’d rescued me from the ocean after that explosion on the island and how her CPR saved me.

“Do you know her? Whisper? She’s from border force and?—”

“For fuck’s sake. Will you just shut up?” He bulged his eyes at me.

“Okay, sure. You start the conversation then. Ask me anything.”

“Just shush.”

I fell silent, and his anger was like a toxic cloud between us. The road seemed to stretch on forever, and the moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale glow over the dense forest around us.

Walking in silence made every step sound like an effort, yet Kane didn’t slow down. It was probably his anger that was keeping him moving; he’d been awake for over twenty hours.

Darkness still hung in a heavy thickness around us when we reached the outskirts of town, and the air seemed to be getting colder. My hand around my suitcase handle was frozen to the bone, and I wouldn’t be surprised if my fingers snapped off with frostbite.

I had no idea what time it was, and there were barely any lights on in the houses we walked past. Finally, we reached the main section of town, and I just about crumbled with relief when we found a McDonald’s restaurant that was open. Kane didn’t hold the door open for me like he’d previously done, and as I followed after him, the air was so warm my freezing skin ached.

The aroma of bacon and coffee reached right down into my stomach and demanded that I eat. But I had no money, and I certainly wasn’t going to ask Kane to buy me breakfast.

As he marched to the front counter, I aimed for the bathroom. Inside, I quickly peed, and as much as I would have liked to put on fresh clothes and wash my face, I didn’t. I feared Kane would vanish by the time I stepped back out.

My reflection in the dimly lit mirror wasn’t pretty. Exhaustion painted dark circles under my bloodshot eyes, and strands of hair stuck to my damp forehead. I washed my hands, and as I ran my fingers through my hair, I exited the restroom.

Relief washed through me when I spied Kane heading to a booth near the window, carrying a tray. Maybe his hunger overrode his desire to lose me.

We sat on opposite sides of the booth, and the harsh fluorescent lights above made the weariness etched on Kane’s face even more pronounced. His eyes were sunken, and the tension in his shoulders was visible even under his leather jacket.

He shoved a burger and a steaming black coffee toward me.

“Oh, thank you.” I didn’t expect him to do that. But even under all that anger, he couldn’t help but be a wonderful, decent man.

We ate in silence, and Kane barely glanced past the dinner tray as he devoured his two burgers.

“Hey look, there’s Wi-Fi here.” I nodded at the sticker on the window. “We could use our phone to —”

“There is no we .” His eyes drilled into me.

“Okay. Sorry. Just trying to be helpful.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“I know. You’re right.”

His steely demeanor didn’t show any cracks, and he lowered his gaze to the black coffee in his cup.

I’d created this disaster between us, but I had a feeling something else was going on. His hatred for me went deeper than my lies. Someone had truly hurt him. Someone he’d loved and trusted. I’d only known him for a few days. Whoever had hurt him was someone he knew very well.

I just hoped that he could separate his hatred for them from me, but I had no idea what to do or what to say.

I’ll hate myself forever if he doesn’t give me another chance.