Page 103 of Between Now and Always

“I don’t know… I don’t know. But if it’s true, it’s a very bad thing. We need to get to Duke’s before she does. I have his address, but we’re an hour out. We might be too late.”

The thought of that man with his hands on her makes me want to rip him from limb to limb.

“Let’s go. But when we get there, he’s mine. I don’t care if I break every bone in my hand trying to stop him. If he lays a hand on her, I’ll kill him. Whatever the consequences may be. Let the chips fall where they will. This ends now. All of it.”

Mastermind

CARTER

“Open the door, Tremaine,” I shout and pound on his door at the same time. He’s living in an apartment complex in a suburb of Dallas. It’s new, but basic and I wonder what he did with the money I gave him in exchange for those pictures and our records. I’ve been praying like a whore in church that Beth isn’t at his house. But she’s not answering her phone.

Phil is standing out of sight, in case Duke has a weapon or tries to get past us.

The door swings open just as my hand is coming back down on it and my eyes nearly fall out of my head.

“Giselle?” I ask, but my voice has gone to gravel and my brain feels like it’s going to short circuit from the shock of seeing her here. And it’s not just that she’s pointing a gun at me.

She looks different. She’s not strung out and bordering on emaciated. She’s dressed in a crisp white blouse and black pants, and her hair is honey blonde and shoulder length.

She lets out a relieved sigh and lowers her weapon.

“What are you doing here?” She asks angrily, her eyes darting around me before she grabs my arms and tries to yank me inside. But she’s tiny and I don’t budge.

“Phil,” I call over my shoulder and she groans.

He comes running from his position around the corner and stops dead when he sees her.

“Serene?” he says and I look back and forth between them.

“This isGiselle, the girl who stole all that shit from my apartment.” I correct him.

“I’m sorry about that, by the way. Phil knows me as Serene,” she says and leans against the door jamb.

“What thehellis going on? Where is Duke?” Phil asks.

“I’m trying to figure that out myself. You better come in.” She walks inside and Phil follows her, squeezing past me into the apartment.

“Come in Carter,” she urges impatiently.

I feel like I’m in the twilight zone when I sit down across from her in the small living room.

“So, you met with Susan. She told you about me?” she prompts.

My jaw drops. “You’re Serena?” I ask.

“Yeah, special task force with Dallas Police, we’ve been working on this case for five years. I’ve been undercover for almost three as Serene. But my name is Serena Davenport. We were planning a sting this weekend. Thanks to our informant, we finally got the goods on the Wolfes. But something is wrong. I think my CI’s cover was blown because she’s disappeared.”

“Who’s your CI?” Phil asks.

“Dina,” I say flatly as it all comes together.

“Yup. We recruited her after the wedding when we found out she was trying to get the goods on them, too. She’s proven to be a very valuable asset. But, now, it’s all gone to shit.”

“Did they put you up to taking those pictures of me? And was fucking me part of yourjob?” I feel sick.

Her expression is pained. “I’m sorry Carter.Sosorry that I lied to you. If it makes you feel any better, I liked you… I felt bad about misleading you. And the pictures…that’smything.” She has the good grace to blush when I narrow my eyes at her. “ I would never have let them be released,” she adds.

I scoff.“But you gave them to him.”

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