twenty-nine
Abruptly, Alec stood and walked to the wall of plate-glass windows encircling the restaurant, where he stopped and stared down at the phantom city below. Every muscle in his body felt taut. He was so overwhelmed with helpless fury, he found it hard to breathe.
Claire shoved her chair back, leapt to her feet, and crossed to where Alec stood. “Tell me you’re not really going through with this,” she pleaded softly.
“I have no choice, Claire.” Alec’s voice broke. “It’s the only way I can protect you.”
Tears sprang into Claire’s eyes. “There must be another way!”
“There isn’t.”
“You can’t go back! I don’t want you to give up everything for me!”
“Claire, you’ll be happier without me. This is your chance to be safe, to have some semblance of a normal life.”
“I don’t want a normal life.” Claire reached out to take Alec’s hand. “I want you.”
“I want you, too.” He gripped her hand tightly, his eyes welling up as he gazed at her. “But—it’s not realistic. It never was.”
Vincent cleared his throat sharply. “My boy, step away. You are only making this harder.”
“Shut up!” Claire threw over her shoulder at Vincent. To Alec, she cried fiercely, “You said anything worth having is worth fighting for!”
He longed to kiss her one more time, to hold her in his arms, to tell her how he felt about her—but that was impossible with Vincent here. “I tried. I failed. I’m sorry. Just forget about me, Claire. Let me go. Move on.”
“No. No. Please,” she whispered desperately. “Don’t do this. Don’t go.”
“I have to. I’ve spent my entire life pursuing justice by ending the lives of others. Let me do this one thing, Claire, to save a life. Your life.”
She went silent at that.
Alec felt as if his chest were wrapped in a continuously constricting band of barbed wire. His heart was breaking, and he could see that hers was, too.
“When are you leaving?” she whispered, agonized.
“Now. Tonight. There’s no point in prolonging this.”
“Am I really never going to see you again?”
Alec shook his head. “I’m sorry, Claire. Vincent will be watching over you from now on. He’ll protect you in my stead. This has to be good-bye.” He let her hand go.
A deep sob escaped Claire’s throat. She whirled on Vincent, visibly seething. “Turn this thing off!” she cried as she advanced toward him. “Let me out of here!”
Vincent gave her a slight nod. Suddenly, they were back in Alec’s apartment, where they’d been at the start. Vincent stood between Claire and the door.
“Now get out of my way!” Claire shouted.
Vincent obliged, opening the door to let her pass. With one last look at Alec, Claire stumbled out with tears streaming down her face.
Alec slumped against the wall in despair. “There. It’s done,” he choked.
“Good.” Vincent nodded gravely as he stepped into the open doorway himself. “Call me when you finish packing. I’ll take you to the airport.”