Page 51 of Born in Sin (Phoenix #3)
Chapter Twenty-Six
CARA
She could feel her world righting itself on its axis as Virat’s arms closed around her, holding her to his heart.
“Why did you leave me? Why did you disappear from the hospital that night?”
Her words hung in the air, fraught with remembered pain.
“Celi, I-“
A sharp knocking on the door had them both exhaling, their chests moving in unison. Virat dropped his forehead to hers, swallowing hard.
The knocking increased in vigor, getting more insistent. Amay’s voice sounded through the door.
“Vir, I’m sorry man. But you need to get out here.”
Cara dropped her arms from around him. “Go,” she said. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
“We’ll finish this,” he told her even as he started to move towards the door. Cara watched him go, her heart feeling unbearably light after decades. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she glanced down to check. It was her regular phone, not the burner.
“Kabs,” she answered, leaning against the desk in the room.
“Car, I’ve heard from them.”
Her whole body went on alert at his tone. “What is it?”
“These assholes have sent me the coordinates of the location for the Saturday night evil incarnate event.”
“Send it to me. I’ll share it with Virat and the others.”
“I’ve already forwarded it to him,” Kabir said.
“Oh.” Celina paused. “You’ve got a budding bromance going?”
Kabir chuckled. “Yeah. From my end at least. He’s a good guy, Car.”
“I know.”
“You need to tell him the truth about us and end his misery.”
“We had an arrangement, Kabs, one that worked for both of us.”
“Then let’s un-arrange it.” When she stayed silent, he continued, “Come on, Car. Life’s giving you another shot at it. You should be going for it, all guns blazing.”
“And you?” she asked. “We were going to grow old together, companions in our dotage.”
“Oh honey. I’m going nowhere. Tell that intense, serious man of yours that I’ll be third wheeling it into his happy-ever-after.”
Cara laughed, the sound freeing and yet…“I don’t know Kabs. There is a lot that we need to sort out.”
“You have a lifetime to get it done, sweetie. Okay, I’ve got to go now. I have a look check to get to. We’re due on set tonight at eleven. Don’t forget.”
“I’ll be there,” she said. Disconnecting, she went looking for Virat to tell him that she was leaving.
She should get some rest before she reported on sets or there was going to be no makeup strong enough to conceal the bags under her eyes.
The minute she stepped out of the room, she knew that something had happened.
Virat was hunched over a computer with one of his employees. Both Ishaan and Amay hovered beside him, worried frowns on their faces. She couldn’t see either Mayukhi or Dhrithi in the room and assumed they’d gone home.
“What’s going on?”
Amay and Ishaan exchanged glances but didn’t answer. Virat was typing furiously on the laptop. She walked over to glance at the screen and noticed it was some form of code.
“Kabir said he’s sent across the location for the Saturday event.” She aimed the comment to the top of Virat’s bent head.
“Yeah,” he muttered tersely.
Yeah? That was all he was going to give her? What happened to no more secrets?
“Vir-“ she began but before she could say anything else, he pushed back from the table, his hands ploughing through his hair, grasping it and tugging.
A deep sense of foreboding settled in Cara’s chest. The last time she’d felt it had been in the run up to graduation, in the time leading up to that night.
“What is it?”
“The address, the one that they sent Kabir for Saturday night…” For once, Virat looked unsure, like he wasn’t sure what to make of the information he possessed.
“Yes?” Her voice unconsciously gentled as she took a step toward him.
“It’s Mohan Sir’s residence.”
Cara’s brow furrowed. “Our old math teacher?”
Somewhere in the distant recesses of her mind, alarm bells began to clang. Long suppressed memories rose to the fore.
Her mother and Mohan Sir standing by the window of the teacher’s den, looking to be in the middle of an intense conversation.
After what that boy did to Mohan, I should have had him expelled.
All my life I worked in this school, even after Mohan left, for you…only for you.
Mohan Sir’s voice echoed in her head, soft and vicious. “You don’t have a problem, Jha. You are the problem.”
“Celi-“ Virat’s voice came from far, far away. She blinked, bringing him back into focus.
“It was him, wasn’t it? The person who was hurting you?”
Virat stared at her.
“No more secrets,” she reminded him.
“Yes,” he admitted.
“And it has something to do with my mother,” she said flatly, a pit of rage opening up inside her.
Virat hesitated but nodded.
“And these assholes are using that as leverage. That’s why they’ve sent this house address to Kabir. On the off chance that you follow Kabir there, they’re expecting this to throw you off.”
Virat nodded, his gaze locked with hers.
“If that’s what it is, then they’re not expecting to actual destroy some poor girl’s life there. They have a secondary venue. They’ll probably pick Kabir up from this place and transport him to it.”
Again, Virat nodded.
“Have you found it?” The rage was now burning bright, a phoenix’s flame in her chest.
“Not yet,” he told her. “But I will.”
She backed away from where they stood, making for the front door.
“Celi, where are you going?” Virat called out.
She didn’t bother answering him. He knew exactly where she was going. She was going to set a bomb under their fucking leverage.