“That would be great. Thanks.”
In answer, the waitress produced a mug and filled it with coffee. Soon, he’d receive a heaping plate from the kitchen, covered in eggs, hash browns, pancakes, bacon, and sausage. And he’d need a snack in a few hours. If she spent any time with him, Mia would soon learn he ate enough for four linebackers.
By the time Gladys cleared off, the flames had settled in his head somewhat. At least, he no longer wanted to drag Mia out by her hair and strangle her. Honesty prompted him to admit, silently anyway, that part of his rage came from feeling bested. He’d let his guard down, and the results could’ve been disastrous. What if it hadn’t been Mia? What if it had been the Foundation goons? Horror spiked through him. He couldn’t afford to relax.
“So now you know,” he said tonelessly. “What are you going to do about it?”
She was too clever; he’d said that all along. But he’d give her a chance to do the right thing; her answer would decide her fate. God knew, he didn’t want to kill her, but if he had to choose between justice for Lexie and Mia Sauter, there was no choice at all.
“I’m going to help you, of course. I understand everything now.”
He froze. That wasn’t possible… was it?
“Oh?”
“I’ve got the big picture. Serrano invested in Micor. Using him as my common link, I did some checking, using my trusty iPhone… and everyone who initially invested in that consortium is now deceased.” Her eyes were bright and hard as obsidian. “In some cases, they were unusual and painful deaths. That’s what you’ve been doing. Going Punisher on their asses.”
Søren neither confirmed nor denied. He raised a brow. “An interesting theory.”
The waitress brought his food, so he began to eat. If he put it off any longer, he’d get the shakes. He kept his gaze on Mia, who looked gorgeous, tousled, and thoughtful. She took a sip of her coffee, and despite his lingering anger, he found himself watching her lips on the rim of the mug.
“Micor conducts illegal experiments on human beings,” she went on. “And you’re determined to stop them. I’m speculating now, but I believe they took your daughter. Maybe they took you as well. It would explain your weird… ability. Whatever they did to her, it broke something in her, and-”
“You’re dangerous.” He wanted her to believe she was right.
But she was uncomfortably close now. For God’s sake, Mia, dig no more. Be satisfied with what you know. It would kill him if she found out the truth-that he was to blame for what had happened to Lexie. Punishing those indirectly responsible had become his sole purpose for living, an obsession that permitted him to retain a sliver of sanity.
“I won’t ask how you got away… or why you didn’t destroy the facility before you ran.” She studied him too closely for comfort. “You were probably weak. Frightened. You just wanted to save your little girl. You weren’t thinking of revenge until you realized…”
Søren permitted himself a cold smile. “That she would never awaken?”
The compassion in her dark eyes was going to kill him. “Yes. Anyway, I’m so sorry. For everything. But you must know-I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you get the evidence you need to stop them.” She hesitated, laying her hand over his. “I’m glad you’ve realized you can’t just execute everyone involved.”
She was so close to the truth-and yet so far from the reality of him. His intentions would horrify her; she wouldn’t touch him if she knew. “I appreciate that.”
In the end, compassion would be her undoing.
CHAPTER 15
“So, when are you going to kill me?” Mia asked, as he took a bite of pasta.
It was Sunday night, and she was surprised he’d returned to the condo. He’d taken off from the diner on Saturday morning after saying he’d be in touch, but she hadn’t expected to see him this soon. Jesus, but she had a lot to think about. Being with him was more complex than she’d ever imagined, probably more complicated than she wanted.
And yet she’d let him in tonight.
To his credit, he didn’t choke at the question. He chewed and swallowed before answering, “What makes you think I will?”
“Don’t I know too much?”
“And who would you tell?”
“I could tell Micor you’re not who you say you are.” She studied him for a few seconds, calculating his reaction. “But you already knew that.”
“That isn’t new. You could’ve done that since day one and you’re still walking, aren’t you?”
“But now I know the extent of your plans. What makes you sure I won’t turn you in for money? I bet there would be a finder’s fee for you.”
“More likely they would have you killed for-as you put it-knowing too much.”
Mia conceded that point, pushing the spaghetti around on her plate as he went on, “And you won’t betray me because you’re a loyal person who believes in justice. You can’t countenance Micor’s continued research any more than I can.”
“So, you’re saying you trust me.”
That question stopped him cold.
“As much as I am capable of trusting anyone,” he said at length.
“Talk about damning me with faint praise.”
He finished his food and carried the plate to the sink. “I didn’t mean it that way. Actually, Mia, I didn’t come here tonight to talk about any of this.”
“No?” Her tone invited elaboration.
“It’s been a long time since anyone knew me,” he said quietly. “And now… you know about Lexie, too. That renders you extraordinary.”
She tried-oh, how she tried-not to let his rare gentleness go straight to the heart of her. “You’re saying you came because you couldn’t stay away.”
Not to lay plans. Not to discuss their next move. Not to fulfill his promise to help her ferret out the embezzler. She could’ve withstood anything but this.
Not your typical Sunday night.
“Yes,” he said quietly. “I should be out looking for leads. But this evening, I could only think about how you opened the door Friday night and stood in a circle of light when there was nothing for me but darkness and rain. I wanted that feeling again.”
Home. Though he hadn’t put it that way, she recognized the yearning for a place where he’d always be welcome. Mia wanted to make all kinds of promises to wipe the blasted look from his eyes, but she couldn’t. So she did the next best thing.
She hugged him.
Despite their prior intimacy, he still tensed; she pretended she didn’t notice. Resting her cheek against his chest, she listened to his heart and counted the beats. It took almost thirty before his arms came around her in turn. His heat came as a profound shock in contrast to his untouchable air and mental distance. Sometimes it was easy to forget he was a flesh-and-blood man, not some chimera born of vengeance. Mia half suspected he’d forgotten that fact himself. She wished she didn’t want to reach him so badly; self-preservation told her it would be foolhardy even to try.
But if she’d made a habit of accepting things instead of fighting for what she wanted, she’d be working as a clerk in a small town in Minnesota. As his hands slid up her back, almost as if he couldn’t stop himself from caressing her, she realized-
Oh, God, no. Not him.
Better if she loved unattainable Mark for the rest of her life. She had as much of a chance of making a life with him as with this man. But her heart insisted on Søren. On the surface, it made no sense. She had never collected stray animals or gone looking to heal the wounded. Of all the nice, normal men she’d encountered in her life, why not one of them? Why, why, why?
For long moments they stood like that while she breathed him in. Cedar and citrus. Doomed this affair might be, but she wasn’t going to pretend any longer. She’d felt something for him a year ago, something real, which was why she’d been so shaken when he betrayed her. Now she understood the reasons behind his decision-the little girl in the hospital bed offered a powerful incentive.