Desiree went back to the cabin, her face ashen.

Theo looked over his computer lid and frowned. "What's wrong with you?"

The sound of his voice snapped her back to her senses. She blinked and swallowed. She made a motion to go to the bathroom, changed her mind and sat on the bed. He followed her every movement with interest.

"What happened?" he asked, this time worried that she must have done something wrong to jeopardize their plan. "Desiree, what the fuck happened?"

"Do you..." she started but stopped, shaking her head. Then she turned her head and faced him. "Do you know what package your client bought?"

His frown deepened. "No. It is not our business to know what the package is. Our job is to make sure that the transactions are clean and the delivery happens without a problem."

When she didn't say another word, he stood up.

"Why? Did you meet Berkeley? Did he tell you anything about the package?"

She shook her head.

"Then what the fuck is wrong, Desiree?"

"Theo, I think I know what they are."

He was getting impatient. "What do you mean by that?"

"I just have this feeling. Oh God, I hope I am wrong."

He finally reached his limit and he stormed toward her and placed his hands on both sides of her, trapping her in bed. "Tell me what the fuck is wrong," he ordered, his eyes boring into hers.

Her eyes wavered. "I made a deal with Berkeley."

"What deal?"

"To work with him."

"You already told me that."

She shook her head. "But I was actually considering it. Seriously considering it."

Anger surged up inside him. He pushed from the bed and walked away from her. If he as much as touch her, he could kill her. "You were fucking going to stab me behind the back. Is that what you are saying?"

A tear fell from her eyes. She didn't plan for this to happen at all. She thought that she might have had a chance to escape Theo's hell if she worked with Berkeley. But after what she had discovered, she didn't think she could do it. Those kids were going to land into someone's hand one way or the other. The only chance she could save them was to go back to Theo's good side. He may be as bad as everyone else in The Liaisons, but he was a better option for the kids right now. She could talk him into saving the kids.

"You know I trusted you to do exactly what I said, didn't I?" he spat out icily.

"Don't go talking about trust here, Theo. You know very well there is not an ounce of that where we are concerned," she retorted, wiping her face dry with both hands. "I told you what I had planned to do, right? You shouldn't have trusted me to do exactly what you asked for. You know very well where I stand and that is to get the hell away from your world."

His jaw clenched as he stared down at her. "What changed your mind then?"

"Berkeley has been talking about the packages for the entire week. Packages, Theo. Not just a package."

"And? What does it have anything to do with the operation and you changing your mind about double crossing me?"

"It's the kids."

He frowned. "Don't talk riddles, Desiree. I'm on the verge of strangling you right now."

"It's the kids!" she screamed at him. "The packages are the kids!"

*****

Khaye looked at the small house. It was plain-looking and well-hidden. One look at it and she already felt safe. They had been jumping from one motel to another for the past few days. Marco said it was better that way as he was trying to veer anyone who might be following them. Gian only called once to know how she was doing but didn't insist on where Marco was taking her.

"Is this house yours?" she asked.

"No. It belongs to someone I know."

"I thought you were going to take me back to your father's place."

He looked surprised. "Who told you about my father?"

"Gian, of course."

"Well, this is not owned by anyone from my family. You'll be safe here."

"You also said that the last time."

"Oh, but last time you were attacked in the station, not the apartment."

She followed him to the door and watched as he worked the lock. "Are we really allowed to be here?" she asked suspiciously as he worked on the lock with two pins.

"The owner is in some prison somewhere in the state," he answered as he worked, concentration on his face.

"We are crashing into a prisoner's home?" she asked with horror.

"Keep your voice down," he hissed at her. The lock finally gave and he swung the door open. "Welcome to your new abode. Please, do feel at home."

Khaye walked into the darkness and was suddenly blinded by the lights. Marco had turned them on. He walked to the windows and closed the curtains. "This place is clean. It needs a little cleaning, but it will do. No one is going to think we're here, trust me."

"Of course," she said sarcastically. Her arm was still in a sling and the stitches still hurt every now and then. She winced when she tried to move her shoulder. She had accidentally leaned it against the car door earlier while she was sleeping.

"Are you okay?" Marco asked, seeing her pained look.

"I'm good. I just need to get a good bath, dress my wound and sleep."

He nodded and placed her bag on the couch. "The bedroom is that way. I'll get the other room. Can you manage on your own?"

"I've managed for two days, haven't I?" she asked, taking her bag in her good hand. "And I can make my way to the bathroom, thank you."

As she showered, she thought about what might happen to her. Marco didn't even ask her a single question for two days. He was all about keeping her safe. They never talked about Gian as well. Her brother should be here with her now. He should be the one taking care of her but he wasn't. Whatever he was doing, it was screaming suspicious.

She should be okay now but she wasn't. She finally decided to side with Marco and now her own brother might be the one who had been putting her life in danger.

*****

"Aren't you going to visit?" Marco asked Gian over the phone. He was outside the house, pacing the lawn, eyes furrowed.

"Someone has to take care of the investigation."

"I can do that. Instead, I am the one doing what you should be doing," he snapped.

"And you expect me to talk to my sister and dig the truth out of her? You know you can do better."

"She's going through a lot right now, Gian. You should at least call her and ask how she is doing."

"I am trying to work my ass out here to get her out of this mess."

"Why the sudden lack of interest in her welfare? The last time we had a proper talk, you were about to punch me in the face for being hard on her."

There was a long pause from Gian's end. "I can't talk right now. I have a lot to do."

"The hell you are."

"We are having progress with Jamaica's death. This may not lead us directly to The Liaisons, but this can be something. I just want my sister out of this mess. That's all."

"Then be there for her. Call her."

"I will do that. I have to go."

"No, Gian. Talk to her NOW."

Marco stormed back inside the house in anger. Without a word, he opened Khaye's door and found her dressing her own wound. She jumped in surprise. She was almost naked with just a towel wrapped around her. "Can't you knock?!" she shouted angrily.

"Sorry," he said, turning around. "I didn't realize you're...well, you're doing something."

"What do you want? Can't it wait?"

He reached the hand holding the phone behind him and said, "It's Gian. He wants to talk to you."

He heard Khaye walk toward him and grabbed the phone from him.

"Yes?" she asked Gian.

Marco thought it was better to leave her to talk to her brother alone so he left, closing the door behind him without another glance at her.

He went to the bag of groceries and took out a pack of beers. He carried it outside with a chair and gave himself a little peace before he faced another challenge of talking to Khaye about Jamaica's death and her curious encounter with Petroff.

*****

"You can't be sure of that," Theo told her.

"You don't even know what your client bought."

"They said it is a digital device."

"Like a computer?"

"Something like that."

"Which contains a lot of information about your client's organization."

"And more."

Desiree frowned at him. "What do you mean more?"

"More like information on other organizations and underground dealings. In short, everybody wants to get their hands on it, at least those who know of its existence."

"But those kids are too young to be—"

"You don't even know it's the kids!"

"I don't have to know. I am almost certain. You should have seen how those Chinese couple looked at the boys like they are their own. Those kids are different. I talked to them and they are different than other kids."

"What? Like super genius different?" Theo scoffed.

Desiree didn't find it funny. "Yes. Like Aspergier's different."

Theo stared at her in disbelief. "Okay, let's say you're right. What do you expect me to do? Cancel the damn operation? Are you crazy?"

She was getting desperate. "I told you the truth because I thought you would help them."

Theo's gaze wavered for a moment. "I can't do that. It is my job to make sure that the package or packages get to our client safely."

"Because you've been paid for it," Desiree stated with contempt.

He nodded. "Because we've been paid for it."

"And you don't care what happens to them at all."

"It is not my job to watch over the kids once they are delivered—that is, if they are the package we have to deliver."

"Then who will look after them? You are willing to give two young boys to someone who has the potential to rip them of their lives?"

His eyebrows twitched. "Those kids are better off to my clients than those Chinese."

Desiree laughed mockingly. "Yeah, right. You are trying to convince me that I should be working with you and not Berkeley. You want me to continue working for you because you are afraid to lose more money. I shouldn't have told you the truth."

"Whether you work with Berkeley or not, you've already ruined your chances for those kids. I know you know that the best chance they can get is if you work with me. Trust me when I say that my clients will not put them in any harm. God knows what would happen to them if people found out."

"You are really good at talking, aren't you? I want those kids free from anyone who wants to use them. That's all I want. And if you think I believe you that your client will not—"

"My client is the fucking CIA, Desiree, so yes, I will tell you that they will not put those children in harm if they want us to keep their dirty little secrets remain secrets," Theo cut in angrily, stepping closer to her.

It took a moment for his words to finally sink in and when they did, her jaw dropped. "The CIA?"

"I am not going to repeat my words if you didn't hear them." He stepped back and took a deep breath. "Now, why don't you fucking start telling me what Berkeley intends to do?"

Desiree was still lost for words.

"Desiree," Theo said with warning.

She suddenly shot to her feet and said, "I need to think."

"I don't think—"

"Give me fucking time to think, Theo!" she shouted, pushing him away to run to the bathroom. "And don't you dare fucking knock and nag at me!" she added before slamming the bathroom door behind her. She stripped off her clothes and went to the tub. She needed to think and understand how fuck up the world was.

*****

"What did he say?" Marco asked minutes later. Khaye walked out, dressed in a loose shirt that served as a dress. Gian didn't bring her enough clothes.

She handed him back her phone. "Nothing. He said I should be fine now that we're hidden away somewhere."

"Did he ask where we are?"

Khaye shook her head. "No, and I don't really think I want him to know where we are. For now, it is better that he is away." She walked to drag a chair next to him and Marco forced himself to keep his eyes off her thighs. "He may be my brother and I love him to death, but if he works for Petroff, I am going to make sure that he goes to prison with the guy." She reached out for the last beer and popped the can.

Marco watched as she gulped it down fast. "But you are not certain I work with Petroff either," he finally said.

She gave him a sideway glance and scoffed. "I actually considered everyone to be working for Petroff. I guess I just took the biggest risk of my life by trusting you. I ended up in a hospital but I guess you're clean."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because you were the only one with me inside that room. And it was you who did everything to make sure that I am safe today."

"Gian's your brother though."

"And I know him. And I know that the Gian I knew would not just leave me here. He would want to be here with me, to keep me safe. This is not him. That's why I can't trust him right now. I just hope I am wrong and if I am, I will have to beg for his forgiveness. And I fucking wish that day happens."

Marco saw the tear run down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away.

They sat in silence for a long time, just watching the starless night sky.

Maybe he'd have to postpone his questions for another night. Khaye needed her own peace and quiet.

*****

"Desiree, you've been there long enough," Theo said behind the door.

She had finished her bath and she was already wrapped in her robe. But she was not yet ready to go out.

"If those kids are the package, we have to deliver them to our clients."

"I told you to give me fucking time to think, Theo," she said out loud. She was standing beside the door, facing the mirror.

In response, the door opened and she almost shrieked in surprise. "I have a key," Theo explained, looking at her through the mirror. "Get the hell out of there, Desiree."

She shook her head and more tears fell down her eyes.

"You know we can't do anything for those kids. But you also know that my clients are the better option." His voice was gentle now. "If what you are saying about those kids is correct, then they can be useful."

"They are just children, Theo. They deserve their childhood."

"But they also contain vast information that can either make or break wars. If they and the things they keep inside their heads fall into the wrong hands, we might be looking at the next world war."

"Don't pretend as if you actually care for such shit, Theo."

He smiled. "You're right. I don't really care." He laced his tone with sarcasm that she doubted his words for a second. "I have my own troubles to think of at the moment to even care, because, as you said, I don't know how anything about caring."

She chose to keep her mouth shut but her eyes met his through the mirror. Desiree regretted it the moment their gazes locked because she saw it again. She saw the burning desire that she refused to entertain. Her mind told her to look away but her body refused to do it.

Theo stepped away from the doorway and Desiree just found herself being pulled along. She didn't know how she ended up standing outside the bathroom and facing him in the dark.

"I'm not a bad person," she managed to say out loud. A tear rolled down her cheek as she stared at Theo. She was in battle with her own desires—desire to get away from this hell, desire to save the twins and desire to get close to him as much as she could, as intimately as possible. She shook her head, trying to convince herself that what her body yearned for was wrong. "I'm not a bad person."

Theo carefully approached her, the anger from earlier long gone. His eyes were free of any hint of what he was thinking but the desire was there. It was burning for her and she felt it. "It won't turn you into one if you give in," he whispered above her and she flinched when she felt his touch. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to hold back and stop herself from acting on her needs. It wasn't right, her mind told her. He wasn't right.

"I don't want to," was her weak response. She felt the walls crumbling. Her body was telling her that she was tired of fighting, that she should at least give herself this one thing that she could get. If she couldn't get her life back, she could at least have this.

"I told you that you'll beg me for this," Theo whispered, bending down to lightly brush his lips against hers, his hands firmly holding her by her arms to keep her in place. "But I'm willing to save you the trouble," he added, kissing the top of her lips ever so lightly. "We are good together, Desiree." His nose nuzzled hers. The hands on her arms caressed her until she felt the warmth wash over her and start to build into a familiar fire.

She managed to weakly shake her head, but that only brought her lips closer to his. She knew both of them were at the brink of giving in, of taking the jump and plunge into this thing. And she found herself waiting for him because she couldn't bring herself to do it. She still had enough strength to hold off with pride.

"You're not going to be the first to yield, are you?" he whispered against her lips, his voice tinged with amusement. She held her breath in anticipation and desire. She may want this, but she was not going to give in first if it was even possible. "Of course, you won't," he answered his own question. "Because, dammit, I will." And with that, his mouth crushed hers with so much force it surprised her, not because it hurt but because she never expected her desire could go higher.

He didn't have to force her to open her mouth to deepen the kiss. She did so willingly and more. Her hands went up his chest, over his shoulders and behind his head to grasp his waves and pull him closer. He drew her body up against him and walked her back up against the wall none too gently.

"This looks familiar," he whispered against her mouth before he kissed his way along her jaw, to the sensitive skin behind her ear and down her throat, reminding her of that night in the hotel.

Desiree's breathing was heavier as she arched her back to press her breasts against his chest, wanting more.

"This better not end in another fucking murder," she rasped when he lifted her up until she was striding him, her hips pressed tightly against his.

"It better because I don't think I can spare another eighty million to save your ass," he answered back, carrying her to the couch with him. "Now," he said, sitting down and letting her stride his lap, "stop talking and show me."

Desiree didn't need his orders because her hands had already been busy with his belt buckle. She was working on his fly even before he finished his sentence.

A pained grunt escaped his throat when her hand reached inside his pants. Her breath was snatched out of her when he abruptly swung her to the side until she fell on the couch, face up. He was heaving above her, his hands pinning hers on the soft armrest of the couch. "Give me a second. I want to take this slow."

"I don't have a second. I might change my mind," Desiree breathed out, squirming beneath him, urging him on.

He didn't need more words after that. Words might break the moment and Desiree needed that moment—just that moment.