Relentless (Option Zero 2)

“I don’t remember much after that. When I woke up, I heard Becca moaning. I somehow ended up in the backseat. I managed to climb over and Becca…” She swallowed hard twice before she continued, her voice thick with emotion. “She was upside down. I couldn’t see her face. She was saying something.”

“What was she saying?”

“She said Jensen.”

“Who’s Jensen?”

“The guy she’s been seeing. The one who broke up with her.” Tears filled her eyes. “He must have meant more to her than I realized.”

“Aubrey?”

Liam turned to see a disheveled-looking middle-aged man striding toward them. If he hadn’t expected Syd Green to show up, he wouldn’t have recognized the man. The few times Liam had seen him on television and in photos, Syd Green had looked both elegant and supremely confident. This wild-eyed man with mussed hair and a ravaged expression bore no resemblance to the famed director.

“Uncle Syd!” Aubrey jumped from her chair and ran into her uncle’s arms. “I’m so sorry.”

They held each other, and while he was one hundred percent sure that Syd Green was involved in whatever this shit was, there was no doubt in Liam’s mind that the man was grieving.

After several moments, Green backed away and asked thickly, “Where is she?”

“In ICU. They asked me to step out for a few minutes. They said they’ll let me know when I can go back in.” She glanced behind her and said, “This is Liam Stryker.”

Liam met Green’s eyes, and while there was no indication the man knew about his suspicions, his gaze went guarded and wary.

Before either man could speak, a nurse appeared in front of them. “Are you Becca Green’s father?” she asked.

“Yes,” Green said huskily.

“You’ll want to go in now.”

The urgency in her tone, along with her words, left no one in doubt that time was running out on Becca’s life.

Green quickly followed the nurse while Aubrey turned in to Liam’s arms with an agonized sob.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

They sat in the Bereavement Room, which was basically a small alcove off of the rest of the ICU waiting room. Aubrey’s entire body ached with grief. Every single molecule felt the pain of loss. Becca, her best friend since they were barely able to walk, was gone. She hadn’t woken from her coma, and though the nurses assured them she knew her loved ones were there, Aubrey didn’t believe it. Becca had been gone only moments after the wreck, her body just hadn’t known it.

Her uncle had been stoic up until she took her last breath, and then he had lost it. They had held each other, comforting one another in their shared grief.

How was she going to tell her uncle that it was all her fault? How could she explain that if she had never come back to LA, Becca would still be alive? She had put a target on Becca and would have to live with the horror of knowing she’d caused her death.

“Here, drink this.”

She opened her swollen eyes to see a large hand holding a cup of steaming tea in front of her. The hand belonged to Liam. How could she have gotten through the last hour without him? He was her rock.

Taking the tea, she whispered her thanks and then took a sip. Sugar exploded on her tongue.

“I know it’s sweet, but it’s good for shock. Just sip slowly.”

Nodding, she did what she was told. She couldn’t think past the next second. She should probably be doing something, helping her uncle with the arrangements, calling her mother. Yes, she needed to call her mother.

“I need to call my mom and let her know.”

“Would you like me to do it?”

She looked at him then, really looked at him. Unshaven, slightly scruffy, and absolutely beautiful. His bloodshot eyes were filled with sadness, but she also detected a simmering anger. She was angry, too. Somewhere deep inside her, a burning, bubbling anger was brewing. The sadness and grief were weighing it down, but it would soon erupt and spew.

“Thank you, but I can do it.” She glanced around. “There’s really not a lot of privacy here, is there?”