So what if he does?
The thought made her hesitate. Maybe it was time to tell Deacon the truth about the baby. She’d been dragging her feet for weeks, but now that the situation seemed to be escalating into something that sent a chill to her bones, she might need to be completely honest with Deacon.
Another SUV greeted them at the airstrip, and Lana was shoved into the backseat. Still not blindfolded, though, which was a relief. She stared glumly out the tinted window as the familiar scenery whizzed by. The car cruised right by Capitol Hill then veered north, finally coming to a stop on a narrow street near Stanton Park. Low-rise apartment buildings lined each side of the sidewalk. Echo, who was in the driver’s seat, drove into an underground parking lot beneath one of the buildings.
The sheer nerve of it amazed her. They were hiding her in plain sight. No isolated cabin this time, but in the heart of the U.S. capital. These men were either very foolish or very smart.
Le Clair hadn’t come with them this time. He’d slid into another SUV with Oscar at the airstrip, saying he had a few things to take care of. Lana hoped that meant he was contacting her father again, setting up some kind of exchange, but the nagging twisting of her insides told her she might be hoping for too much.
The four remaining men—Deacon, Echo, Kilo and Tango—clustered around her as they walked into the elevator in the underground. The car dinged and stopped on the third floor, and then she was being led into a spacious apartment with cream-colored walls, modern furnishings and thick white carpeting.
“Who lives here?” she couldn’t help but ask.
None of the men replied. Deacon had her suitcase tucked under one strong arm. He gestured for her to follow him, taking her down the brightly lit hallway toward a bedroom in the back. The master bedroom, judging by the size, and a refreshing change from her previous accommodations. This room was large and airy, with a huge four-poster bed and bright turquoise comforter, a cozy living area with a couch and love seat, and an enormous bathroom off to the left.
“You’ll be more comfortable now,” he said.
She fixed him with a cool stare. “I’m still a prisoner. A fancy room isn’t going to change that.”
What looked like remorse flickered in his hazel eyes. “I’m sorry.”
She got the feeling he was apologizing for a lot more than simply her current state of captivity.
“How much longer is this going to last, Deacon?” She spoke in a dull voice, not even able to muster up anger anymore.
“I don’t know.”
“Another week? Another month?”
“I don’t know.”
The pain on his face was unmistakable. The tug of hope she’d experienced in the car returned, this time wrapping around her entire body like a comforting pair of arms. “You’re going to help me,” she whispered.
His eyes remained shuttered. “Nothing’s been decided yet.”
Lana moved toward him. Before she could stop herself, she had both her hands on his chin. She forced him to meet her gaze. “No, you’ve already decided. You don’t like what’s happening here any more than I do.”
“No,” he agreed quietly.
Her hands dropped to her sides in determined fists. “Then let’s get out of here. I promise you, I won’t let them arrest you. I’ll do everything I can to make sure the authorities know you’re not to blame for any of this.”
His eyebrows shot up to his forehead. Her words surprised her as much as they did him. She hadn’t planned on saying that, but once it was out, she realized she didn’t want to take it back. She didn’t want to see Deacon punished for this. Maybe it made her the idiot of the century, but she was still clinging to the notion that he was a good man.
“You’d do that for me?” He sounded gruff. And slightly ashamed. As if he couldn’t possibly fathom how she could make him an offer like that.
“This wasn’t your idea.” She studied his face. “You got caught up in something that spun out of control. And you’ve been doing everything in your power to keep me safe. I’ll make sure the cops know that.”
“Why?”
Because you’re the father of my baby.
The confession almost popped out, but jammed in her throat at the last second. Not yet. She couldn’t tell him yet. He was beginning to give in, to recognize that they truly needed to get themselves out of this mess. If she told him about the baby now, he might shut down again and dismiss her plan.
She couldn’t risk that.
“Because I have to believe you’re a good person,” was what she said instead.
He shifted in discomfort, his broad shoulders sagging. “Why are you so determined to believe that? I’m not the man you think I am. I’m not—”
“Delta.” Tango’s sharp voice came from the doorway.