“He sounds like a good guy.”
“No, luv, he was a fucking piece of shit, just like me. But after that day we were friends. And I’d never had too many of those.”
“So how does he fit into all of this?”
“He doesn’t. He’s dead.”
“They got him?”
“Who got him?”
“The heavies.”
“Who? The Spaniards from the ghetto? No. We doubled back later the same night and we took care of that problem. Shit, Mateo became a big player after what we did that night. And as his reputation grew, so did his appetite. He got into a little of everything, guns, drugs, people. Mateo always had a next big plan.”
“So if he’s dead, what are we talking about here?”
“Mateo was a good friend, but he was a bad judge of character. The last time I saw him was ten years ago. We hadn’t seen each other in a few years, and I found myself in Spain once again. His eyes lit up when he saw me. He kept telling me about his new friend from America. According to him, the guy had a world-class bankroll and didn’t mind getting his hands dirty. It all sounded a little too good to me, and there’d been rumors about Americans flashing money around in our circles.
“I didn’t want any part of it, but like I said, this guy was a friend and he wanted a friend to have his back. It was supposed to be a meet and greet with a new heroin supplier. Turns out his new friend had different plans. Apparently, his new friend decided he was taking over Mateo’s whole operation.
“The American never showed up for the meeting. We were set upon by a pack of gunmen the moment we arrived. I watched Mateo die that night.”
“Where were you?”
“Shot up on the ground and bleeding, falling in and out of consciousness only fifteen feet away.”
“Did you ever get revenge?”
“The only thing I got was the message.”
“Message?”
“Every time Mateo mentioned his new American friend, he called him the letterman.”
“Sounds familiar.”
“It should.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Remember I mentioned the rumors about Americans flashing money around? We had a name for them. We called them alphabet men.”
“Alphabet men? Where have I heard that?”
“We called them alphabet men because they all came from your alphabet agencies.”
“The CIA?” Georgia speaks in a near whisper.
“They were one. There were others. But the message was clear. The Americans and their lettermen were taking over.”
“So what did you do?”
“I got my Irish arse out of Spain and came straight to America. Been here ever since.”
“So you’re saying the CIA is responsible for Karyn’s murder? And for all that’s been happening since?”
“I’m saying the only connection between me and Mateo Navarro, the only one capable of the kind of pursuit that's happening to us here and now, was the American who ordered his death.”
“The resources involved do raise questions. So what do we do now?” she questions.
“We? You gotta be sure from here on out, luv.”
“I’m in for the whole ride, cowboy. So what’s our next move?” Georgia smiles.
“We get the fuck out of the city before it comes crashing down on top of us. We need to put as much distance between us and them as we can, as fast as we can. Then we lay low, take a beat, and figure out our next move.”
“Sounds like a good plan.”
“Does it? I’m thinking we won’t even make it out of the city.” I smile. “But if you think it sounds good,” I shrug, “let’s give it a shot.”
Mikey walks into the room and interrupts my flirting. “Time to go, Bel. The kid I sent to ditch the car hasn’t checked back in.”
“Something’s held him up, huh?”
“Something or someone. Either way, you gotta go, brother. He’s tough, but I overheard what you said and he won’t hold up. They’ll be here soon.”
“I’d say they’re on the way,” Georgia agrees.
“Time is short, brother.” Mikey holds out a set of keys. “The title’s clean and the trunk is full.”
“Thank you, my friend.” I take the keys and pull him in close. “You gonna be good?”
“I’ll be gone like a puff of smoke as soon as you get your ass on the road.”
“May your enemies find no friends, brother.”
Mikey stops at the door before walking out of the room. “I’ll see you on the other side.”
Chapter Thirteen
Belfast
“Where are we headed?” Georgia questions as I guide us toward the highway.
“South.”
“Do you have a destination in mind or are we just winging it?”
My lips twist into a smirk. “What do you think, Georgie? You should know me by now.”
“I’m going to guess that you have everything all planned out and you know exactly where we’re headed. So why not tell me now?”
“To keep the suspense going.” I laugh.
“Pfft, I’ve had enough surprises the last couple of days to last me a lifetime.”
“We could die soon, so that might put an end to them for sure.”
“Do you really think we’re going to? Or are you just being flippant?”
I merge with the traffic as we get on the highway and glance her way for a second. “I’m definitely being flippant, because what else can we do but joke about it all? Whatever’s going to happen will. We can’t prevent it. We don’t even know who the threat is coming from.”
She releases an extended sigh. “True.”
“Don’t worry, luv. We’ll manage.”
“Are you sure you’re well enough to drive?”
I smile. “Are ya worried about me, Georgie?”
“Only because I’m a passenger and my life is in your hands.”
I chuckle because I knew she’d have some sort of comeback for me. “I’m fine. Mikey did a great job patching me up.” I pat the bandage on the top side of my neck. “I’ve got a bit of a headache and my ribs are still tender, but otherwise I feel great.”
“Was Mikey a doctor or something?”
“I’m not sure what his past is.”
“How is that possible?”
“Do you see us sipping wine in front of a fireplace, sharing details of our lives?”
“No, but I assumed you knew his history if he’s your employee.”
“Oh, Mikey’s much more than that.”
She growls under breath. “Trying to have a conversation with you is damn near impossible.”
“You’re just not asking the right questions, Georgie.”
“Why must you call me that?”
“I like it, and I like you.” I wink at her.
“It’s probably got more to do with the fact that it annoys me.”
I laugh. “It is fun to ruffle your feathers.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” She feigns ignorance. “I’m unflappable.”
“You are, for the most part. But I can weasel my way under your skin. Do you know why that is, Georgie?”
“Because you’re annoying as fuck?”
I grin. “Nope, luv. It's because you like me, too, but you can’t admit it to yourself.”
“Okay, Dr. Belfast.”
“Dr. Collins, please. My last name is Collins.”
She lets out a quick laugh. “Shouldn’t you be pointing out that you’re not a doctor?”
“I can be whatever you want, luv. I’m like a chameleon.”
“Okay. Let’s test that. I want you to pretend to be mute.” She giggles while I stay silent. “Oh, you don’t have anything to say to that?”
I shrug and point at my mouth. I’m mute. How does she expect me to talk?
“Ugh. You’re so frustrating. I was joking when I said that.”
In my periphery I spot her looking my way and I
clench my teeth together to hold in my laugh.
“I see how this is going to go. If you’re planning on being silent for the rest of the trip, I might as well sleep.”
It takes all my will to resist responding with a smartass remark about how I had no idea she enjoyed talking to me so much.
* * *
Pulling the car up to the gas pump, I poke Georgia’s arm a few times.
“Huh?” She stirs before snapping awake in a panic. Her wide eyes meet mine and she visibly relaxes.
I point at the gas pump.
She sighs and then scowls. “Are you really going to keep going with the mute thing?”
I nod.
“Okay, you win.” She rakes her hands through the sides of her hair, brushing it back from her face. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I don’t want you to be silent anymore.”
I smile knowingly. “I knew you liked hearing my golden tones too much. It’s the accent, sexy right?”
“I take it back.”
“There are no take backs, Georgie. That’s a basic rule of combat.”
“Fine,” she concedes. “I’m going to use the bathroom.” She shudders. “I hope it’s not too disgusting in there.”
“Take the gun from the glove compartment with you.”
She grabs the piece, shoving it in the back of her pants.
“And here, put this on.” I hand her a logo-free navy baseball cap. Slipping it on her head, she tucks her hair up inside it. “You’ll need this too.” I hold out a twenty dollar bill. She takes it from me, shoving it into her front pocket.
Since it’s the middle of the night and I can’t wear shades, I slip on a cap and leave the car. We both head inside together; Georgia branches off toward the restrooms and I head to the counter.
“Can I help you?” the clerk asks.
“I’ll take forty of the regular,” I say in perfect accent-free English before throwing the money down on the counter. People remember accents, especially Irish ones. I couldn’t take the chance that my voice could be identified. It’s the same reason I don’t have tattoos. Why would I want marks on my skin that can identify me? It’s hard enough to blend in, never mind if you go out of the way to make yourself stand out.
“Have a good night,” she calls as I walk away. I raise my hand in a quick wave before I step outside. I fill the gas tank, and as I’m hanging up the nozzle, Georgia walks over with an armful of snacks, a bottle of water, and some soda .
“What?” she questions. “Don’t judge me. I’m stress eating.”
I flash her a smile because she’s so fucking cute. “No judging here, luv, as long as you plan to share. And that bottle of water better be for me.”
“It is and I got plenty.”
Once we’re back in the car and pulling away, Georgia returns the gun to the glove compartment. “I’m assuming the gun is thanks to Mikey?”
“Yeah, he made sure we have everything we need,” I reply.
“So does that mean there’s a small arsenal in the trunk?”
I nod. “Something like that.”
“Well, at least we won’t be defenseless when they come for us.”
“Don’t worry about that now. Put it out of your mind.”
“Is that what you do when you’re worried?” She bends one leg onto the seat, turning toward me.
“I don’t worry, luv.”
“Never?” she presses.
“Never. It’s a waste of time.”
“You’re right, it is, but we’re so conditioned to worry.”
“You can change that. If you’re fully engaged in the present, then you can’t think about the future or the past.”
“You say that so matter of factly. Like it’s so easy.”
“It’s only as hard as you make it, luv. And probably a lot simpler than you’re imagining. You said we’re conditioned to worry. Why can’t you condition yourself to not worry?”
“I guess I can try.”
“While we’re together, I’ll help you.”
“Sure.”
* * *
“This place looks decent. And there are a lot of cars in the lot so we won’t be noticed.” I scan the area surrounding the Days Inn before glancing over at Georgia. Her face is definitely unforgettable. “You better put that hat on again and hide that gorgeous face of yours.”
Her eyes open wide and then her cheeks pink. “Okay.” She grabs it from the floor and shoves it on her head. I slip the other cap on backward and leave my sunglasses on. We’ve been in the car for ten hours and now it’s late morning. The sun is shining brightly in Richmond, Virginia.
We climb out of the car with matching groans. Both of us pause to stretch out the kinks from our backs and legs before we head toward the lobby.
“We’re a married couple from New Jersey. The Scotts.”
“Won’t it be kind of hard to explain our Massachusetts plates?”
“Georgie, have you taken a good look at the tags on our car?” I stop and tip my head toward the Toyota sedan we’ve been traveling in with the New Jersey plates.
“Holy shit. How did I miss that? I’m losing my edge.” She grimaces. “I’m assuming you have an ID with a matching address.”
“Of course.” I wink. “I’m a criminal mastermind, remember?”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re never going to let me forget I said that, are you?”
“Feck no. Why would I?”
“Because you’re a nice guy?”
I arch my brow questioningly.
She bursts into laughter. “I tried so hard to say that seriously, but I couldn’t pull it off.”
“Come on, Mrs. Scott. Let’s go get our room.” I wiggle my brows lecherously.
“Our room?” she squeaks.
“Yes, one shared room. How are we going to portray a married couple if we ask for separate rooms?”
“Good point.”
We book a room for one night and I pay cash. I speak without my accent and Georgia kicks my foot. I glance down at her next to me and smirk. The clerk hands off the keys, instructing us to drive around to the right side of the hotel.
“Well, well, well. Aren’t you full of surprises, Mr. Scott.”
“I’m assuming you’re referring to my lack of accent.”
“Talk about surprises. And I have to admit, it was kind of strange. I thought someone else was speaking at first.”
“I can’t tell you all my secrets, Georgie. Then you’d be bored with me.”
She shakes her head. “Boring is one thing you’ll never be.”
* * *
“What should we do for the next nineteen hours?” I throw the question out once we’re safely inside our room.
“What? Why are we staying here so long?” Georgia’s hands go to her hips.
“Because I’m tired and sore. And we need to lie low. We can leave tomorrow morning bright and early.” I sink down onto one of the queen-sized beds and barely hold in a groan. All I want to do is lie down and sleep, but we need to eat something. We hit a drive through around five this morning, but it’s almost lunch time now. “I’m going to run out and grab something for us to eat.”
“No.” Georgia comes toward me and places her hand on my shoulder. “I can go get food. There are enough fast food places around here. You rest.”
“Georgie?” Her name comes out like a question and I grab her wrist.
She squeezes my shoulder. “I’ll be right back. I promise.” She knows I’m concerned she might take off.
I nod, releasing her. She picks up the car and room keys from the nightstand.
“Be careful,” I remind her.
“Belfast, have you forgotten what I do for a living?” She winks and hurries from the room.
I’d like to say I remained vigilant until she returned, but the truth is, my body is too hurtin’ to stay upright. I strip down to my boxer briefs and climb between the crisp white sheets for a quick nap.
“Wakey, wakey.” Georgia giggles
, tickling my cheek.
I swat at her hand and she laughs harder. My eyelids slowly peel open and focus on her standing there with two bags of food. It smells amazing. I sit up against the headboard and hold my hand out. She hands me one of the bags and an ice cold bottle of water.
I watch her stroll over to the small table by the windows and set her bag down. “I hope you like bacon cheeseburgers and fries. I got you two of each and some chicken nuggets.”
“I’m so hungry, I don’t care what you got.” Unwrapping one of my burgers, I bite off a huge chunk, barely chewing before I take another. And another. Until the burger disappears. I throw the wrapper in the bag and remove my next burger and fries.
“Damn. You were hungry,” Georgia comments.
“Hungry doesn’t begin to describe what I was feeling. But I can’t remember the last real meal I had, unless you count the sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits from earlier. But those were more like a snack.”
“You know, now that you mention it, I haven’t had a good meal since lunch yesterday. But I ate it at my desk, so I don’t think that counts either.”
“How did you manage to find me, anyhow?”
“What makes you so sure it was me who found you?”
“Let’s say that my instincts are telling me it was you.”
“Well, they’re right. I figured it out by watching the hospital footage. The bikers acted suspiciously, but it took me a long time to notice. Which is why I ate lunch at my desk yesterday, thank you very much.”
“And Nash was okay with you going after me?”
“Our field office is understaffed with what happened three days ago. He needs us all to do our part.”
“Is he in charge now that Karyn is gone?”
She looks thoughtful for a moment and then answers, “Yeah.”
“That’s interesting, don’t ya think? Rather convenient too.”
“Nash didn’t have anything to do with Karyn’s death. They were great friends.”
“Georgie, sometimes the people closest to you are the ones you should be watching the most. That’s why when we’re betrayed by people we care about it’s always a surprise. No one wants to suspect that someone they care about could be to blame. You’re too close to the situation to see clearly.”
EDGE OF HONOR: On The Edge Duet: Book One Page 8
