by Stone, Piper
The bastard knew I’d be curious. I said nothing. Why give the man the satisfaction?
“You have forty-eight hours to decide. As you might imagine, time is of the essence.” Dante exhaled when I said nothing.
I shot him a sideways glance, my hand tightly fisted around the glass to the point I feared it would crack.
“I appreciate your time, Jack. Thank you for your hospitality.” He moved away and I was able to hear the sound of the glass being placed on the table.
I closed my eyes, trying to control my anger. I’d certainly had fewer rules being on my own. Then again, I’d also had zero backup, something that had nearly cost me my life more than once. The prison term in a third world country had been unexpected. Yeah, maybe I did owe the organization my life and some amount of loyalty.
“Oh, and Jack, I do think you really need to think about the merits of taking this assignment. It could be very beneficial to your… health.” While Dante’s voice was strained, an obvious statement he’d objected to making, my anger toward him increased.
Yet I chuckled under my breath as he headed for the front door. While those in what I called the inner sanctum of the Specialists remained anonymous, I knew enough about their identities to understand his threat wasn’t idle. The various mafia kingpins, influential politicians and wealthy moguls had the world in the palm of their hand, only very few people understood just powerful they truly were.
When I heard the door close, I darted another look at the file, my curiosity getting the better of me. There were times I realized Dante played me like a fiddle. Perhaps that’s why he had the illustrious position of handler.
I moved to the couch, staring at the file for a full two minutes before pulling it in my direction. The moment I opened the flap, a cold chill shifted down my spine, my throat nearly closing.
“Motherfucker.”
Chapter 7
Lindsey
Present Day
“You have to be kidding me.”
I glared at Michael, shaking my head. His arrogance had become intolerable, his need to be controlling over every aspect of my life something I’d once found cute. Now I was sickened at the way he treated me. “No, I’m not kidding. This is important to me. I’m going.” I’d known him for half my life, but he’d changed significantly over the last few years, becoming more like his father.
“But we’re supposed to be getting married,” he said offhandedly, as if it had been predetermined years before. Even the look on his face made me sick to my stomach. He’d alluded to the concept more than once, but there was something about his tone that was entirely different. Maybe I’d led him on all these years, the on-again, off-again dating a mistake.
“First of all, couples are supposed to be in love and that’s definitely not the case here. Second, it’s generally acceptable to ask for the woman’s hand in marriage, not expect it. And third, I think this is a good opportunity for us to take some time apart.”
Michael burst into laughter. “Now I know you’re kidding. You belong to me, Lindsey. You have since soon after you were born.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
I watched as he took a swig of his drink, his gaze slowly dropping to my inexpensive sandals. I could read such disdain in his eyes, as if I was dressed inappropriately, something he couldn’t and wouldn’t tolerate. When he swaggered closer, my skin began to crawl.
He gripped my chin, digging his nails into my skin as he towered over me. The stench of the scotch he’d been drinking all afternoon forced bile into my throat. “As I said before, I already own you. You will not be traveling to fucking Brazil. You’re going to call that fucking doctor buddy of yours and tell him the deal is off.”
“I will do no such thing.” I didn’t care that he was hurting me. He wasn’t going to lord his family’s wealth and influence over me any longer. While he’d never been the sweetest man, I’d begun to realize over the last few months just how far he’d go to get what he wanted. Money and power were all he cared about, even more so than my father.
“Yes, you will, or I assure you that there will be consequences.”
I laughed in his face, jerking out of his hold and backing away. “This is over, Michael. We’re finished. I’m going to live my life exactly the way I want, and you can’t do a damn thing about it.” Seeing the shocked look on his face gave me such a damn good feeling. I smiled as brightly as I could before turning around, storming toward the door, damn glad I’d made the decision to get out of his clutches.
“My sweet, naïve Lindsey. You obviously don’t understand that you were given to me as a gift.”
“You’re fucking out of your mind.” I didn’t bother turning around.
“I think you need to have a long discussion with your father.”
“As I said. Fuck. You.” What in the hell was he talking about? God, I abhorred the man and his pompous attitude. I continued walking even as I heard his laugh. The sound was deeper than normal, laced with an evil tone. When he started clapping, I bristled, stopping just inside the doorway.
“Bravo, Lindsey. Maybe you do have more of a backbone than I originally believed. However, that doesn’t negate the fact that you and I are getting married. While I’ll allow you to work, you’ll do so under your father’s tutelage or you won’t work at all. After all, you’re going to raise my children and serve my every need.”
I couldn’t help but laugh once again, almost giddy that I was getting away from him. As I turned to face him, I kept the same smile. “You don’t own me, Michael. As a matter of fact, you aren’t man enough to keep me satisfied. That being said, I’m leaving the country in a matter of days. I hope you find that unresponsive housewife you’re looking for.”
“I wouldn’t cross me, Lindsey. You have no idea how powerful I am or what I can do to anyone you choose to care about, including that doctor friend of yours.” Michael lifted his glass, giving me a nod. “Your choice, but know that you’ll be responsible for the ramifications of your decision.”
I fisted my mouth and curled my legs under me on the chair, the memory eating at me. The warm breeze only served to add to the chill trickling down my back. My head ached almost as much as my body. While the adrenaline was finally dissipating, I couldn’t close my eyes for fear of the vicious nightmares crawling in.
Had Michael made good on his threat? Was he responsible for the attack on the camp and for my abduction? If the horrors I’d heard about the Serpent were true, why hadn’t he forced himself on me? I lowered my head into my hands, trying to take a deep breath. The way the necklace dangled against my hand was far too much of a reminder of my past.
My father couldn’t have promised my hand in marriage to that awful creature. I’d known my father had wanted to control my life, much like he had when I was younger, but to actually agree to some kind of an arranged marriage was preposterous. While my father had never attempted to stop me from dating Michael, he had warned me to be careful.
I certainly needed to try to figure out why I was targeted. I honestly didn’t believe that the two mercenaries sent to find me had any real understanding of the reason for the job they’d been assigned. Or did they?
“You shouldn’t be out here.”
I bristled from the sound of Diego’s voice, my heart thumping. Both he and Jack were just as dominating as Michael, yet they were entirely different. The dichotomy of what I’d experienced was terrifying, mostly because I’d been so aroused at the intimacy that I’d shared with the two men. I’d never been that kind of girl, the type to desire dating more than one man at a time, let alone fucking them. Maybe the incident with the Serpent had changed me forever. What troubled me was that I remained wet and hot, my nipples hard as pebbles. “I couldn’t sleep.” My voice sounded so weak, beaten down.
“I understand but you’re out in the open. You are required to follow our directions. You know that, Lindsey. Rules were made to try and keep you alive.” Even though he issued the harsh words, he
moved to the second chair in the small balcony, sitting down beside me and leaning forward.
“If what you told me is true, he’s going to find me anyway. So, why bother?”
“You can’t think that way. You have to remain strong.”
“Strong. What do you know about strong?” This time, my words were unsympathetic, which was so unlike me. I’d changed more than I knew.
“Maybe you’re right. I have no idea what you had to endure. I only know that it’s our job to keep you alive and I intend on doing that, even if you don’t like it.”
Noticing two bottles in his grip, I couldn’t help but smile. He’d gone to look for me on purpose. As I took one of them into my hand, our fingertips touched. There was an instant incredible kinetic energy as I’d experienced with Jack, but then again, altogether different. Jack was the brooding in your face kind of man. I could see Diego as a lover, a man who would stop at nothing to make the woman he cared about happy. I pulled the bottle to my head, rolling it across my forehead, the bottle surprisingly cold.
I heard his deep raspy breath, could tell he was just as bothered by the intensity of our connection as I was. Swallowing, I tried to remind myself that there were thousands of stories about people in dangerous situations and the attraction they had at the time, only to find out they couldn’t care less about each other at a later point. I laughed softly, rubbing my hand through my hair. I felt his gaze, a man trying to figure out what I was made of.
So was I.
“It’s some local beer. I’ll get you something else if you prefer.” He kept his voice low, but I could hear the same level of lust as before.
“This is great. Thank you.”
He had such a different personality than Jack, but he remained on edge, harboring something from his past that he couldn’t seem to get away from. I dared to glance in his direction, my entire body tingling, forcing me to chastise myself for such inappropriate thoughts. I was a trained surgeon, for God’s sake, not some lusty little female in search of romance. I’d given up that thought a hell of a long time ago.
The slender moonlight allowed me to catch a glimpse of his silhouette, another deep sigh escaping my mouth. He was so strong, his carved muscles accentuated even in the dim lighting. Yet I could tell just how tense he was by the position of his shoulders and the way he scanned the area from side to side. He was worried and that actually gave me a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“The lights are off. I don’t think anyone is going to see me. Please just… please let me have some time. Everything has been so suffocating.”
Sighing, he remained where he was, moving the bottle from one hand to another. I could feel his stress, could hear his labored breathing. “I’m very sorry that you’ve gone through such a horrible nightmare. I can’t imagine.”
“Somehow, I think you can.”
His exhale was exaggerated as he turned his face in the opposite direction. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“What happened, in your past I mean?”
“You wouldn’t like me very much if I told you about my sordid life.” Huffing, he held the beer in front of him, finally taking a long pull after a few seconds.
“We all have an ugliness in our past, Diego. If anyone thinks otherwise, they’re dreaming.”
He chuckled, taking another long pull on his beer. “Not like this.”
“Why don’t you try me? I’m not here to judge anyone. I have no right.” My thoughts drifted to Michael, the arrogance on his face when I’d finally said goodbye. Then he’d actually acted like he was sorry, sending me several texts and presents. He must have thought I was stupid. The roses I’d tossed, the majority of presents thrown in the trash. I’d only kept the necklace I now wore, and I had no good reason why other than he’d finally seemed to accept we were finished. Maybe I’d ceremoniously bury it in the dirt before leaving. The thought gave me a smile.
“Yeah, well, I was a basic drug dealer for one big bad man in Miami. Bet you can’t top that.”
There were no words to offer that I thought would make any difference, so I remained quiet.
Diego darted a glance in my direction, chuckling under his breath. “I told you. The worst thing was that I stood by while he executed people. Not by his hands of course. He’d never get them dirty, but I didn’t try and stop the majority of executions, preferring to keep my status as his righthand man.”
I wasn’t shocked, even though I knew I should be. I’d been tossed into an entirely different world than the posh one I’d grown up in. “Sometimes we do what we have to in order to survive.”
“Forgive me for sounding crass, but you grew up in a wealthy family. Right?”
“Wealth doesn’t mean happiness, Diego. Something for you to remember.”
He nodded several times. “I guess you’re right. I never wanted that life. I just fell into it.”
“We all have choices, but they don’t always come when we need them. I think it’s what we ultimately do when we’re faced with horrors in our life that truly matter.”
He hung his head, shaking it as he laughed. “I just told you that I was a despicable criminal and you don’t seem to think that’s anything terrible.”
“What do you want me to say? That I forgive you? Or would you prefer me screaming at you, calling you horrible names?”
“You’re a religious girl, a sweet angel and I’m a monster. I’m not looking for forgiveness.”
“And I’m not religious.”
He snapped his head in my direction. “Then why the necklace?”
I ran my finger over it, laughing softly to myself. “It’s a pretty piece of jewelry and a reminder that I am stronger than I used to be.”
“Hmmm… That I can understand, and you are very strong. Few people could have sustained what you did and not be a little crazy.”
“Oh, I assure you that I’m a little crazy.” While both our reactions were delayed, the genuine laughter felt good, the sound coming from him sending vibrations down the length of my body.
Diego pointed the top of his bottle in my direction, waiting until I clinked mine against his. “I like a woman who can admit that. I really do.” He continued to chuckle as he took another long gulp.
“Do you regret the decision you made?” I dared to ask.
“I regret that I left my sister in Cuba, that I wasn’t able to keep my promise.”
I shifted closer, not realizing that I’d placed my hand on his arm until he glanced down in the darkness, his breathing even more scattered. “I’m so sorry. When was the last time you saw your sister?”
“So long ago that she wouldn’t recognize me.”
“Have you tried to contact her after all these years?”
He hesitated, looking up at the stars before answering. “Trust me, Lindsey, she wouldn’t want to talk with me. I’m certain she was told I abandoned her, became a vile criminal who never wanted to see her again.”
“Who would tell her such a thing?”
“Oh, my father wouldn’t hesitate to make certain she knew what I’d become. He was a brutal man. And no, I’ve never tried to contact her, but I do know she turned out all right after all. She lives in New York now with her husband and two children. From what I can tell, she’s very happy.”
There was such agony in his voice, his shoulders slumping. “She knows you love her,” I attempted.
Diego shook his head. “You’re still an optimist after all you’ve been through. I admire that as well as your courage.”
“We all find the courage when we need to, even if we’re simply forced into doing so.”
“Hmm… Sounds to me like you were running away from something in DC.”
I took a sip of the beer, closing my eyes. “My life.”
“Ya wanna talk about it?”
“Same story that a bazillion people have. A controlling father, an asshole boyfriend, and a need for a significant change.”
“Ah,” he said in a low voice. “That’s why you
ran.”
“Maybe I did. When the opportunity came up, I truly believed karma had sent me a sign.”
“That happens, Lindsey. The sad thing is that not enough people listen to their gut or the little voice inside their head. They plow through life trying to make ends meet, never seeing outside the box or trying something new.”
His words seemed so heartfelt. “Is that why you became a mercenary?”
When he laughed again, another series of vibrations shifted down my spine. “An interesting term.”
“That’s what you are, aren’t you?”
“We are…” Diego hesitated. “Maybe you’re right. That’s exactly what we are.”
“Who are you working for now? Are they any better than this drug lord? Why can’t you tell me anything?”
Chuckling, he gripped my knee, the way his fingers dug in possessive. His hold also sent shivers along every inch of naked skin. “Nice try. What we do and who we work for is off the table. As I told you before, we are very skilled at what we do. We’ll make certain you’re safe. That’s all that matters.”
“What if you can’t? What if this is all some nightmare that we’ll never be free of?”
He seemed to be stumped by the question. His hold shifted into a gentle caress, his fingers brushing in lazy circles on my knee. “With Jack and I working together, I doubt there’s any obstacle that we can’t handle. Stop worrying. We’ll hunker down for a couple of days then this will all be over.”
“I don’t know, Diego. I have a very bad feeling that this is much larger than my abduction.”
“Interesting. Why would you say that? Is there any reason to think your abduction was about anything other than the Serpent’s disgusting proclivities?”
“Nothing I can think of.” I heard the strange clip in my tone and bit my lower lip. Even though I tried to hide the fact I was lying by taking a sip of the beer, I had the distinct feeling he knew I wasn’t telling the truth. “As you told me. He is a sick man.”
