Page 33 of Undefeated Love
Initiate all plans as directed.
* * *
Katlin had tracked Alex to the Chicago Center a week after they had killed Jack and Nikkole had taken her own life. She’d practiced this time and time again. Recorded and rerecorded before she finally hit send at the exact moment a messenger walked into the Windy City Guardian building. “Alex, I want you to be happy and I’m in the way. I hope you have a good life together.” She was notified that he’d listened to the message a second time.
She received a text message that had been rerouted through several cities:
Package delivered. He chased me out the door asking questions. I didn’t have any answers for him.
Perfect. Alex had back in his possession the diamond ring he’d bought her. Well, most of it. Katlin stared down at the ring she wore on the middle finger of her left hand. She had her mother’s blue diamond reset and wore it where she could give all men the middle finger.
CHAPTER15
MinutesLater
Katlin Gone One Week
Alex stood just inside the closed front door of the Chicago Center staring at the ring that Katlin had worn on a titanium chain around her neck when she went on missions and on her left-hand ring finger whenever possible for over the last two years. It was missing the large beautiful blue diamond that had once been her mother’s. Daniel had given it to him for Kat’s engagement ring.
Obviously, the messenger was simply a deliveryman.
Katlin’s voicemail had broken his heart. He keyed it up and listened to it again, as much to hear her voice as the words. She wasn’t in the way. If she really wanted him to be happy, that could only be with her at his side.
It had been nearly nine weeks since he’d briefly held her in his arms and made love to her. Seeing her in South Africa was torture. He only had glimpses of her as she stood facing her greatest nemesis. His gaze never left Jack, waiting for the opportunity to finally put a bullet into that fucker.
When they’d both shot and killed Jack, Alex had turned, wanting to go to Katlin. To explain. But Nikkole’s next words froze him in place. She had a gun pointed at his Kat, screaming at her.
Alex had taken aim at Nikkole. If he’d had any indication that she’d shoot Katlin, he would have shot the lookalike without hesitation. He, like everyone else in the room including Nita and Griffin, were in shock when Nikkole turned the gun on herself.
It had taken Alex a minute, or several, to recover from the ugly sight on the floor. He’d looked to where Katlin had been standing…she was gone. He’d sprinted out the front door, but no Katlin. She hadn’t been on the Black Swan jet home either.
Out of the corner of his eye, watching her offering herself to Jack to replace Nikkole, was his last memory of her. He stared at the ring he’d given her a few years ago.
Will she ever wear it again? Will she finally believe me?
Alex didn’t let his mind go there. He needed to end this fake engagement and get back to his real one. It was time to visit the Los Angeles Center anyway. He’d hunt up JJ and try to get her to change her mind. If they could publicly break up, maybe Katlin would then listen to all his previous messages and read his dozens of texts.
Maybe then, everybody else would believe him, too.
Although it’d been over a month, Alex suddenly remembered that he’d assigned Brett to find the video. On his way to the penthouse to pack for Los Angeles, he called his corporate computer guru.
“Brett, did you ever find the complete video that I asked you about nearly two months ago?”
“Yes, sir. I actually found several different angles. Where would you like me to send them?”
Ten minutes later, packed and ready to leave, Alex sat at the dining table in the penthouse and watched each video on his laptop. When he found the ones that most clearly showed what really happened, he moved them into a separate file.
On the way to the airport, Alex called JJ. “Can you meet me for supper?”
His old friend giggled. “Sure. We’re filming in a small village in Greece on the Adriatic Sea. What time are you going to pick me up?”
“I’ll see you when you get stateside.” He hung up the phone and immediately called Griffin. “Are the Ladies here?”
“Yeah. They’re doing some training with Black Swan Team Two.” He was glad Griffin was so forthcoming with information. “Why? What’s up?”
“Indisputable proof.” Alex changed his flight plans to D.C. while talking with Griffin. “Can you get everybody together at the DuPont Circle condo this evening? I want the Ladies and their significant others. I’ll have supper catered in.”
Griffin chuckled. “Good thing I’m already here. I can do that for you. Let me know what time you’re arriving, and I’ll pick you up.”
