Relentless (Starcrossed Lovers Trilogy 3)

Love, Elaine.

P.S. use the money to save the planet if you want to, but use it to save your wardrobe, too.

Oh, and please at least allow yourself some little treats before you donate it all to charity.

P.P.S. I’ve included another little pile for Tristan, too. If you could please pass it on to him, I’d be grateful.

Lucian scanned my letter as I put it on the kitchen countertop along with the six bundles of cash.

“Wow,” I said as he reached into a cash case and pulled out another two bundles, placing them next to the others.

“I know these people mean a lot to you. I’m sure the money will mean a lot to them.”

I would have never expected the monster Morelli to be so generous. Even now, after all the shockers I’d witnessed from him, this was one of the biggest.

Clearly he could see that. He brushed it aside like it was nothing.

“We can’t take the cash anyway, Elaine. It’s hardly me being Mr. Compassionate.”

But it was.

Lucian sure was turning out to be Mr. Compassionate to me.

Slowly but surely the minutes ticked by. The afternoon matured until it was ripe for us to leave, and there we were, gathering our pitiful excuses for belongings ready to go.

I cast one last look around the place before we stepped out into the hallway, then I locked up behind us.

I kissed my fingers and pressed them to the door.

“See you later, Jemma,” I whispered, and then I followed Lucian down the corridor.

The street was pretty busy when we headed outside and began our walk. The taxi stand was a few blocks away and luckily we got there just fine without anyone shooting us too much of a glance—or actually shooting us.

The cab driver was barely interested in us when we slipped into the back seat.

“JFK Airport, please,” Lucian said and he gave us a nod.

“Sure.”

We didn’t speak in the cab, just stared out of the windows. My heart was thumping scared as NYC hustled and bustled outside. This was real. Definite. We really were on the run, and they really were coming after us from every direction.

Lucian directed the driver to one of the furthest parking lots from the airport hub, and handed him his fare with a grunt of thanks.

The driver didn’t even help us with our luggage, just popped the trunk for us to take them. He sped away without another word.

“Wesley Dale should be here soon,” Lucian told me, then checked his watch. “Next few minutes.”

“Is he the guy getting us out of here?”

“Yes. He’s the guy who should be getting us out of here, provided he hasn’t turned into too much of a pussy to go through with the deal.”

I couldn’t hold back the question. “And what if he is too much of a pussy to go through with the deal?”

Lucian’s face was deadpan.

“Then we’re fucked. Dead and buried.”

I nodded. “Okay, I just hope he isn’t a pussy, then.”

“So do I.”

Luckily Wesley Dale wasn’t too much of a pussy to go through with the deal. A black car pulled up ahead of us and reversed into a parking space up close.

“Here he is,” Lucian said, and closed the distance.

I watched the guy get out of the driver’s side and he looked… agitated. His eyes were roving all around before he pulled a little black briefcase from the passenger seat and placed it down on the hood.

“Is this everything?” I heard Lucian say to him. “IDs, passports, plane tickets?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Everything, including a bonus extra. Some fake glasses that look nothing whatsoever like Terence Kingsley’s.”

My heart froze. Oh my God. Everyone in the world must know about Terence Kingsley by now.

Lucian opened the briefcase and flicked through the contents. He nodded.

“Good. Looks fair.”

The guy leaned against the car and folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah, fucking good and fucking harder than you said it would be. You know you’re the most wanted guy on the planet right now, by both your family and the world chasing down that damn journalist? I’m chancing fucking carnage just by being here.”

“Yes,” Lucian said. “I’m well aware of that. Just as well, a business deal is a business deal, isn’t it?”

That’s when the guy reached out and closed the briefcase in front of him. I could hear his voice loud and clear when he spoke next.

“See that car over there?” He gestured to one a few bays down. “They are here with me. Any move towards me and they’re set to take action. They’ll shoot you and turn you in.”

I could see the rage in Lucian’s eyes.

“Right,” he said. “So let’s get down to it. What the fuck do you want?”

“I want two hundred and fifty K extra,” the guy announced. “Or I’ll turn you in myself right now.”

Lucian’s voice was as angry as his face.