A Minor Technicality [Completed] *Slowly Editing*

Chapter 34 - Duplicity

Luca POV

An ominous silence fell over the room the moment we heard the text message chirp. I quickly read the address to Walker and Natalie before they left the room to get into position. It had taken me over an hour to convince Blythe the plan would work. She was going to leave the hotel alone, just as Michael instructed. I was going to play the role of the suspicious detective, following her to the meeting place. She would continue to act completely unaware.

When Michael caught me, which he inevitably would, Blythe would be spared his wrath, since she followed his instructions. At least, that is what I was betting. Michael seemed more the type to take out his anger on the meddling cop than his girlfriend or hostage.

Walker and Natalie were passing the information to the four Marshals in our entourage. They'd each take a side of the building, ensuring the entire structure was covered. Natalie had reinforcements positioned a half mile from the hotel. I still couldn't believe his audacity. Of course, leave it to Michael Johnson to have Blythe come to him in one of his own hotels. All his dirty work was apparently done within the gilded walls of his establishment. No hiding in dark alleys for Michael Johnson. I paused, remembering how Blythe had discovered his evil in the first place...in a fucking alley. I guess that sometimes, even mighty Mikey lowered himself to do his own dirty work.

The nagging foreboding that had bothered me since Farrah had been taken was still plaguing my thoughts. I chalked it up to the tension caused by knowing that I was finally close to bringing Ally's killers to justice. It was a given that I would feel a mixture of stress and doom. An entire chapter of my life was coming to a close. While I would never forget my sister, bringing down the Fitzgeralds would end the pursuit of justice for her as my life's primary focus.

I glanced at Blythe as she sat nervously on the bed. Her eyes were closed and her hands rested in her lap. I watched her lips move silently and wondered if she was praying. When her eyes opened, I could see the stark fear and sorrow in their golden green surface. Stepping forward, I pulled her into my arms. She trembled against me.

"I'm so scared," she whispered, shame lacing her words.

"I'll be there every step of the way, baby," I murmured into her ear. Her arms tightened around my waist. She clung to me for several minutes, and I wished I could stop time. I never wanted her out of my arms.

"It's time to go," she whimpered, stepping back and wiping the unshed tears from her eyes.

"Come here," I commanded softly, as I tipped her chin skyward. My lips met hers in a tender kiss. It took everything in me to break it, as I knew it might be the last time I was able to hold her. Her eyes looked devastated when they met my gaze, and she slipped silently from the hotel room.

I waited two full minutes before I followed her. I hurried down the stairwell and through the lobby, stumbling as I exited the hotel. I managed to find my balance when I reached the sidewalk. The sun was blinding, and I slipped my sunglasses over my eyes. Weaving my way through the busy people on the sidewalk, I stayed several paces behind Blythe. Two blocks from the hotel, I stared in horror as a non-descript black van pulled to a stop in front of Blythe. The sliding door opened, and a man leapt from the vehicle to subdue her. I began to run as he yanked her into the van. Before I could catch him, I felt the barrel of a gun at my back.

"Don't worry," a slimy voice cooed in my ear. "You're going with her." I felt the butt of the gun against the back of my skull and the world went dark.

When I awoke, I was lying on the hard floor of a moving vehicle. The world around me was still dark, and I realized quickly that a blindfold had been tied around my eyes. My head was pounding from the force of the gun, and I wondered how much time had passed. The scent of orange blossoms filled my nose, and I felt the warmth of a small body tucked into my side. I sighed in relief when I realized that Blythe was curled against my chest, her heart thumping in time to mine.