Silent Run

challenged. “Was it some kind of experiment?"
    She met his gaze and turned the question around. “Is that why you decided to make love to me -- as some kind of experiment?"
    Hands on his hips, he stared at her for a long moment and then shrugged. “Maybe,” he admitted. “Actually, that’s not true, and I’m not going to lie about it. There have been too many lies between us already."
    â€œThen what is true?” she asked, wrapping the bedspread around her naked body.
    â€œI wanted you, Sarah. I’ve always wanted you. I can’t seem to get you out of my system. You treated me like shit, and I still want you. How ridiculous is that?"
    â€œI wanted you, too, in this moment, in the present, regardless of what happened before."
    â€œIt’s easy to say the past doesn’t matter when you don’t remember it. But the memories of you and me together are burned into my brain."
    â€œJake --"
    â€œDon’t say anything. There’s nothing you can say. I’ve got to get out of here.” He grabbed his keys off the table.
    â€œWhere are you going?” she asked in alarm. She wrapped the bedspread around her body as she sat up.
    â€œI need some air. I need to get out of here. I need to get the hell away from you, Sarah."
    â€œJake, this isn’t the time to walk away from me."
    â€œDo you realize we didn’t use any protection?” He paused by the door. “I could have just made you pregnant again. Unless you’re on the pill?"
    She stared at him, shocked by his words. What a fool she was. She’d been so caught up in the moment, in the desperate need to remember Jake, that she hadn’t even considered protection.
    â€œYeah, I didn’t think so,” he said, not giving her a chance to answer. “Don’t worry, Sarah; I’ll be back. You and I aren’t done yet. Although I wish to God we were.”

Chapter Eighteen

    â€œWhat are you doing here?” Shane Hollis couldn’t believe Victor Pennington and Rick Adams were standing in his motel room, wearing their Armani suits and Ferragamo shoes and sporting their two-hundred-dollar haircuts. They were supposed to be in Chicago, waiting for his call. Their presence could mean only one thing: They were unhappy with his performance. He’d always been the weak link in their group, the scholarship student, the one who didn’t really belong, the one they wouldn’t tolerate at all if he didn’t do their dirty work for them. He felt a trail of sweat slip down his spine under their intense stares.
    Victor was the self-proclaimed leader of their group and had been since college. The son of a Russian actress and the stepson of an American millionaire, he was a mix of raw evil and charming sophistication. Rick Adams was Victor’s right-hand man, another rich kid who boasted more brawn than brain and was built like a tight end. Both men had led charmed lives for a while, graduating from Harvard, running several businesses, making huge amounts of money, and moving more than just art through their gallery. Then all hell had broken loose when the woman Victor was sleeping with betrayed them all -- the woman Shane should have killed long before this.
    Eight months ago Victor and Rick had been in prison. They would be there now if their rich parents hadn’t convinced the parole board to let them go on good behavior. Now they wanted revenge, especially Victor.
    â€œShe’s supposed to be dead,” Rick said. He had an annoying habit of stating the obvious.
    Shane glanced at Victor and saw the rage burning in his dark brown eyes. There was something wrong with Victor. There always had been. He loved a good kill -- more than sex, more than money, more than anything. Not many people knew that about him, but Shane did, because he’d always been the one to carry out his orders.
    â€œI’m working on it,” Shane said. “I need a little more time."
    â€œYour time is up,” Victor said.
    â€œLook, she has someone watching her all the time. It’s not going to be that easy to get to her right now. We might have to back off for a while."
    â€œI’ve waited eight years to see her die; that’s enough,” Victor said.
    â€œA few more days, a week -- she’ll let her guard down,” Shane said. “You’ve only been out of the pen a few months -- do you want to go back?"
    â€œThat won’t happen,”