“Keep him grounded, we cannot afford for him to fly off half cocked.” Zach headed for the front door.
“Gerry is the most grounded man I know, and he’s not stupid. Norah may be his daughter, but he won’t risk her by going in unprepared. It’s not his style.”
“Who exactly were you two before?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she said, and closed the door gently behind him.
* * *
“I WANT IT to be a huge party, Carl.” Clayton stood behind his desk and stared out at the city skyline. His city, he thought to himself with a smile. “I want our comeback to be one to remember.”
“You got it, Boss.”
“You can handle security?”
“Absolutely.”
“Oh, and invite our new friends at the Seattle PD.”
Carl nodded again.
“Any input, darling?” Clayton asked Norah, who sat on a chair across from his desk.
“No.”
“You need to participate, this is your night as well.”
“I don’t care. Whatever you want, Clayton.”
“That’s a good girl.”
Norah watched as he opened a drawer on his desk and pulled out a small black device that looked almost like an old cell phone. He connected it to his laptop and spent a few moments staring at the screen and using his mouse to drag what she guessed were files into the device folder. When he unplugged it, he passed it over her diamond bracelet and smiled at the readout.
“It’s going to be a great party.”
“Can I go now?” she asked, not wanting to appear interested in what he was doing. She now knew where he kept the device they needed, and she imagined he would have her wear the bracelet at the press gala just as he always did.
“He won’t see you.” Clayton laughed and waved his hand in dismissal. “But go ahead and try.”
Norah left the room as quickly as she could and headed for the basement. They had been trapped at Clayton’s for nearly a week now, and every time she went to see Harley, he refused to speak with her. She saw the new bruises, though, knew that someone was using him as a punching bag. She had brought it up with Clayton and he had just shrugged. The bastard had told her boys would be boys, as if they were bullies on a playground taking lunch money.
She had actually thought about killing him. If she believed they could get out of there alive, she would do it without hesitation. But his people would kill them where they stood, so Norah just held fast and looked for a way to get them out.
“Back again?” One of Clayton’s goons stood in the doorway to the basement with a mocking smile on his face. “How many times can you get rejected before you’ll just give up?”
“As many as it takes.” She pushed past him and into the dark, damp basement. There was a work light on the table across from Harley, and it illuminated the bruises on his face. He looked so beaten down and defeated that he was almost unrecognizable. Had she done that to him?
“Why are you back? Don’t you get it? I want nothing to do with you,” he said without looking at her.
“I wanted to see you.”
“You’ve seen me. Now go.”
She knelt beside him and ignored his words. Norah reached out and cupped his cheek, and for a moment he leaned into her hand and it gave her hope.
“I know what you’re doing, Harley and I need you to stop, please.”
“What am I doing, Norah?” Pain was prominent in his once clear eyes, and she worried he was more injured then he was letting on.
“Pushing me away so I will give up and leave you here. You must know that I won’t ever leave you. You can tell me you hate me, that I’m worthless to you, but I won’t ever leave you.”
“You have to go, Norah. You can’t stay here. I will never walk out of this place. He won’t ever let me go.”
“I know,” she whispered against his cheek. “I’m working on a plan, and I will get you out of here.”
“Norah.”
“Don’t say anything, Harley. Please just don’t argue with me. You can tell me all you want that I should have saved myself, but I am nothing without you. I can’t just let them kill you.”
He wrapped his free hand around her and pulled her close, breathing in her scent. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too.” She kissed him gently and then stood.
“I’ll be back soon.”
* * *
HARLEY WATCHED HER walk away. The dress she wore fell to her knees in a bright yellow, a brown belt situated on her waist. She was so beautiful and would always be his ray of sunshine. Even though he had refused to speak with her, hoping it would push her away, he had stolen glances every time she came to see him. She gave him a reason to stay alive, to fight. He couldn’t give up, because if he died, he worried Norah might give up right along with him.
* * *
“HOW’S OUR GUEST faring today?” Clayton’s arrogant voice filled the basement, and Harley looked up to see him grinning.
“Fan-fucking-tastic.” Harley smiled back, although his swollen lip cried out in protest.
“Oh, now don’t tell me you aren’t enjoying your stay?”
“What do you want?”
“There’s someone who wants to see you,” Clayton said, and turned to the door.
Harley straightened when Tom walked in.
“It didn’t have to be this way, Harley,” he said, and shook his head softly. “You could be on the right side of things.”
“See, that’s where you have shit backwards, Tom. I am on the right side of things, it’s you who have a fucked-up view of things.”
“So hard-headed, just like your father was.”
“You don’t have the right to speak about him,” Harley growled. “You had him killed!”
“All a matter of perspective. He was going to turn me in, and from my side—the right side—that would have been a bad thing.” Tom clicked his tongue and shook his head again.
“You’re a real fucked-up person.”
“There’s that perspective again. It really is too bad,” he said, and turned to Clayton. “Where’s the girl?”
“Upstairs getting ready. Photographer will be here in about thirty. My fiancée will look her best,” he said, and winked at Harley.
Harley ground his teeth together to avoid saying something he would regret. Son of a bitch was going to die the first chance Harley got to get away.
Tom nodded and headed for the stairs.
“Should I tell Norah hi for you?” Clayton taunted. “Perhaps give her a nice kiss. From you, of course.” He grinned.
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Harley said, and Clayton laughed.
“Keep dreaming, cop.”
“I’m not a cop anymore.”
“All right. How about ‘keep dreaming, dead man’? That better for you? See you around,” Clayton said, and rammed his fist into Harley’s gut. “Oops, slipped,” he said, laughing as he left the room.
Harley looked around again for anything he might be able to use to escape, but just as he had discovered every day before, he found nothing. Where the fuck was Gerry? Wouldn’t he come looking for them? Surely he wouldn’t leave his daughter knowing she was in danger.
He wasn’t sure what Norah’s plan was, but as far as Harley could see, Gerry was going to be their only hope of making it out alive.
* * *