Deadly Pursuit - Chapter 16
Tyre took her hand. “It’s possible those guys caught up with Charley and forced him to talk.”
“Forced?” Serena swallowed hard. “You mean like tortured him?”
“Hey.” Tyre squeezed her hand and looked directly into her eyes. “We don’t know anything yet. It’s all speculation.”
Serena nodded, but in his gut, Tyre knew he was right, or close to it. The pieces of the puzzle that they had fit. Too well. “So, what do we do now?” Serena asked.
“I have an idea,” Ryan said, looking at Tyre. “But you’re not going to like it.”
Ryan was right. Tyre didn’t like his suggestion at all. He’d spent a good chunk of the night and the next morning arguing against it, but the more Serena thought about it, the more Ryan’s plan made sense. She didn’t want to spend another day looking over her shoulder in fear that the guys were finally going to get the jump on her.
But Tyre wasn’t wrong, either. Ryan’s plan was risky. She was a computer specialist, not one of West’s operatives. But it looked like she'd be taking on a new role, at least for a little while, because for Ryan’s plan to work, she’d have to be bait.
She’d agreed to do it over Tyre’s very vocal protests.
“Are you sure about this?” Tyre asked for the thousandth time as he taped a small microphone to her chest.
“Yes. I don’t want to have to keep running. Ryan’s right. If we can get them to come to us, we can end this today.”
Tyre’s frown deepened.
Ryan’s plan was simple. Serena had sent an email to Charley, presuming that the bad guys were monitoring his email accounts. The email too was simple. It said, I have what you want. I want $250K. Prospect Park. 7 p.m. tonight.
The response came an hour later.
Agreed.
“I don’t like this,” Tyre said, taking a step back.
Serena let the hem of her shirt fall. She stepped in close to Tyre and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. “I know you don’t like it, but it’s the best way to end this.” She looked up at him. “I don’t want to keep looking over my shoulder.”
Tyre pulled her in closer. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I won’t. You’ll be there along with half of West Investigations and the police. I trust you.”
He smiled down at her. “When this is all over, will you let me take you out to dinner?”
Serena’s heart fluttered so quickly she was sure he could feel it against his chest. “Like on a date?”
“Yes. On a get dressed up, go to a fancy restaurant, romantic date. Will you?”
“Absolutely.”
Tyre met her lips in a scorching kiss that heated her from the inside out.
They only pulled apart at the sound of someone clearing their throat at the door.
“You two ready?” Ryan said.