Eliminate all threats.
With a deep breath, he followed Ashad into the heart of the bungalow, the weight of his mission pressing on his chest. Killing Ashad would be no problem. Killing the rest of them bothered the shit out of him.
"You seem troubled," Ashad pointed out, his watchful eye on Steve. "Care to talk about it?"
"I don't want to burden you with my troubles."
"Steve, are we not friends? You do not burden me. You honor me by sharing. Please, sit. Let us share a drink as we talk as friends do."
Steve knew the play and had even used it a time or ten. Get the target to relax by befriending him. He decided to play along. "I'm just so relieved that little Jimmy is okay."
"Ah, yes." Ashad moved to a cabinet and pulled out scotch. Not just scotch, but holy shit, two hundred dollar a bottle scotch. He fixed them both drinks as he went on. "The boy has not stopped talking about you since the incident. He even drew several pictures."
"I'd love to see them."
Ashad snuck a glance at him. "Do you have children, Steve?"
"Not yet," he said as he grinned. "But I want kids. I want a ton of them." Hopefully Ashad bought the bullshit. Steve had never really thought of kids. He didn’t know if he wanted any and decided now wasn’t the time to deliberate that decision.
"My au pair seems to have taken a liking to you." He handed Steve a drink. They tapped their glasses together. "Perhaps there is something there?"
Perhaps. Steve felt the humming of the heated electricity between them. Judging by the color in her cheeks back in his hotel room, she felt it, too. Still, as much as he'd love to explore wherever that went, he had a mission to complete first. "I just helped her after she collapsed."
"And then saved Jimmy's life. Two admiral actions in a matter of minutes."
Ashad smelled something. Steve shrugged, playing it down. "It's my training. I am a lifeguard, after all."
"That you are." Ashad swirled the amber liquid in his glass. "And quite good at it. It is unfortunate that my two personal lifeguards were inadequate."
Which explained why two new men stood right outside the door. The two Steve met today would never be heard from or seen again, he was sure of it. Son of a bitch. The younger one of the two looked barely out of high school.
"The au pair mentioned to Jimmy that you'd be paying me a visit." Ashad's black eyes narrowed in on Steve. "He insisted on seeing you. Tonight. I hope you don't mind, but we'll be interrupted."
"I don't mind at all." Steve grinned. Holy shit. She did it. Jo actually altered Ashad's plans, at least to kill Steve. That had to piss him off.
He lost his smile. If she pissed him off, he could very easily make her disappear like he'd done to those guards. The thought weighed on Steve as they sat down at the table.
"So tell me, Steve. What drove you to becoming a lifeguard here at Matira Point?"
"The scenery," he answered without hesitation. He'd never seen so many gorgeous women, including one in baggy pants and ridiculously large aviator sunglasses.
"Some of the most beautiful girls. I shield my family from that, which is why I keep them on the other side of the point."
That made no sense. Why vacation at a beach known for its nudity if he didn't want to expose his family to it? It made Steve wonder why Ashad was really here.
It clicked like the firing pin in a .45. Oh shit. Oh fucking shit. He wasn't here on vacation at all. The man was here for an attack and brought his family along for the ride. Why the fuck would he do that? To show them how powerful daddy was? Or did he have another reason to drag his entire family here to witness his insanity firsthand?
Jesus and Christ. Steve had to get to Weber and read him in on this.
He sipped at his drink, careful to only let the scotch rest against his lips. He had to keep a clear head, just in case. If shit got ugly, he had to be able to react.
"What did you do before becoming a lifeguard?"
"I drove stunt cars in movies." Thus the nicknames between him and Weber. Hollywood and Broadway. Never one without the other.
"How exciting." Ashad's eyes sparkled with interest and he leaned forward. "Tell me more. How did you know you were meant to drive the getaway car?"
Steve played on Ashad's intrigue and rested his elbows on the table to be just a little closer, to give his target reason to relax. "I jacked cars as a kid. I'm not proud, but it happened. I stole the wrong van when I was fifteen. The guy caught me."
"What did he do?"
"Instead of turning me in, he asked me to join his racing team. I did. It turned my life around."
"So, in essence, this man saved your life."
Steve snapped out of it. Holy shit. He just shared half his life story with the enemy. What the fuck was wrong with him? He grabbed his drink and rested it against his lips. "Something like that."
"Just as you've saved Jimmy's life."
"You know," Steve said and set his glass down in front of him. "I was surprised when he told me his name. I mean no disrespect, but I sort of expected a more Middle Eastern name. Jimmy is so…"
"American." Ashad snarled the word, as if he'd just spoke the worst word in every language on this rock. "It was Hessa's idea. She felt if they had American names, they'd have a better chance."
"Chance at what?"
"Chance at what, indeed." Ashad stood and moved away from the table.
"Have I done something to upset you, sir?"
"No," he snapped. "I just find myself at odds with you."
Steve sat back in his chair, giving Ashad a look of shock even though triumph coursed through his system. "Odds? Why?"
"You are not what I expected."
"And what did you expect?"
"To be honest, a man attempting to be someone he's not. You appear to be very genuine. I'm gifted in reading people, Steve. No one fools me."
Think again, asshole. "I'm not hiding anything. I just came here for dinner."
"Why?" Ashad's eyes narrowed.
"It beats eating at the grease house on the beach or another microwaved dinner. Trust me. Most lifeguards don't eat that gourmet."
"And that is why you were so eager to accept my invitation?"
"Why else would I?"
Ashad nodded and even smiled, this time the gesture reaching his eyes and warming his entire expression. Steve knew better than to trust the comfort he put off. "A man in my position must be very careful."
"In what position? Aren’t you just a man here on vacation?"
He grinned wide, showing his back teeth. "No matter. Let us enjoy our dinner. Please, lift your cover."
Steve braced himself for a snake. Scorpions. Hell, even a gun triggered to shoot him in the face the instant he lifted the cover. What he didn't expect was mouthwatering chicken, baby potatoes, and asparagus. Holy shit. Where did he find this on the island? Was he so paranoid that he imported his own food, too? It wouldn't be the first time a man in Ashad’s position had done something like that.
Steve took a bite of the potatoes and caught himself before he moaned. Sweet Jesus, these are fantastic. The chicken, cooked perfectly. Although he wanted to devour his food, he matched Ashad's pace.
The host spoke between bites. "What drew an American to Tahiti?"
Ah, small talk as he fished for more information. Apparently, he wasn't satisfied with Steve's original intel. Well, fine. Steve took his time coming up with a new answer. Let the son of a bitch sweat for a bit. "What's not to love? The beaches are incredible."
"There are beaches in America, yes?"
"Well, sure. But they aren't the beaches here. You'd never believe the number of famous people I see here."
Ashad tensed as he studied Steve for several seconds. Dial it back, Gessler. "Are you a photographer? Trying to get that million dollar shot?"
Only between your eyes, asshole. "I can't even take pictures with my phone, I'm that inept when it comes to cameras. I have several pictures of my thumb and have even blinded myself with t
he flash a few times. I just can’t figure them out."
Ashad chuckled and settled back in his chair. They continued to eat and Steve wanted to start another conversation, just to keep him talking. He didn't like the silence. He didn't like the way Ashad watched him, like a hawk would its prey, until the perfect time to strike.
"I find you refreshing," Ashad admitted after wiping at his mouth and tossing his napkin on his plate. "Most Americans drive me insane with their incessant need to hear the sound of their own voice."
Here it comes. Time for the American-bashing. Steve expected as much. It surprised him it took Ashad this long to start.
"But not you," he continued. "You have been a polite guest, removing your shoes instead of tracking sand into my bungalow. You spoke only after being spoken to. You responded to my questions with sincerity and even allowed me a glimpse into what made you who you are. All in a half hour's time."
No doubt Weber would have a few choice words about that. He hated that Steve talked to anyone and everyone, and even went so far as warning him, "It will get you killed someday."
Steve hoped today wouldn't be that day.
FOUR
"Steve!" Jimmy sprinted into the bungalow out of nowhere and jumped into his arms, squeezing tight. Jo walked in behind him, a knowing smile spreading across her sultry expression.
"Hey, buddy." Steve hugged him and messed with his hair. It melted his heart having this innocent little boy hold onto him like they were back in the water. The kid really didn't hold anything back.
Jimmy pulled folded up papers out of his back pocket. "I drew for you."
"For me? Wow." Steve unfolded the papers and swallowed thickly as he studied the image. This kid had a way about him, a way that made Steve want to have a few of his own. Jimmy drew them standing in front of the ocean, smiles on their faces, as they held hands. "Is that us?"
"And Mama." He pointed at a stick figure off to the side with three smaller stick figures around her. "And my brothers. Here is Papa." He set his finger on a stick figure with a scowl on his face, clear on the opposite side of the paper. Interesting.
Ashad didn't even give his son's drawings a glance. The dick.
Jo moved in and tried to pry Jimmy away, but Steve stopped her, keeping Jimmy on his lap. "No," Steve said and set a hand over hers. He held her gaze. "Let him stay."
Jo nodded and backed away just as Hessa and the rest of boys walked in. The boys all laughed as they beat on each other. She gave one pleading look to Jo.
"Boys," Jo snapped and they all stopped. "Mama is tired. Jason, you make her tea. Jared, you go help him. Jackson—"
"Go watch Jimmy," the second youngest groaned with a roll of his eyes.
"I got it," Steve offered as Jimmy pulled out another drawing and started in on his description. Once again, the figure he drew for his father stood away from everyone else, a scowl on his face. Jimmy didn't care much for his dear old dad.
Steve gave a quick glance at the other kids. They didn't even approach Ashad and instead hurried into the makeshift kitchen to boil water. Even Hessa steered clear of her husband. Great family dynamics.
A phone rang in another room. Ashad jumped to his feet. "I must take that."
"Amoor," his wife whispered as she wrung her hands in front of her. "You promised."
"Hessa." His tone was cutting, sharp. Definitely cold. He didn't have to say anything more. She jumped and hurried into the kitchen, pushing her boys out of the way as she waited for the water to heat in the pot. Ashad disappeared into the next room and closed the door behind him.
Steve sat there, half-listening to Jimmy, as he took everything in. The rest of the family didn't like daddy. Hell, they didn't even acknowledge him.
"Is that your father?" Steve asked as he pointed at the frowning figure.
"That's Papa!" Jimmy exclaimed.
"He's not our father," Jared, one of the middle boys, declared. "He's our uncle."
Holy shit. He didn’t see that coming. Steve and Jo exchanged wide-eyed glances. Clearly, she didn't know that, either.
"Jared!" Hessa snapped and he went back to stirring the pot.
But not Jason. The oldest, at a whopping ten years old tops, snuck around his mother and moved over, pulling Jimmy off Steve's lap. He held Jimmy in his arms as he watched. Steve waited to spot that anger, that hatred toward Americans he’d seen in Ashad's eyes. Instead, he saw fear.
"Jason?" Since Steve still sat in the chair, he was eye-to-eye with the boy.
"He is our father's brother. Our real papa died when he failed Uncle."
"Jason!" Hessa practically cried. "Enough. Amoor is a good man. He takes care of us."
"No, Mama." Jason set Jimmy down and he ran into his mother's arms. "I believe in fate. Steve is here to save us."
Well, shit. Talk about timing. Steve had every intention of taking out every last one of the Ashad clan and ridding the world of the bloodline. They were still Ashads, but something forced him to hesitate.
It was what he saw in every last one of their gazes. The two youngest didn't really understand, but the two oldest did. Hessa definitely did, which meant she may know why Ashad was really in Tahiti. And it bothered the shit out of Steve that Ashad conveniently disappeared into another room to take a call and still hadn't reappeared, especially with a stranger in the house with his family he hired local mercs to protect.
Just what the hell did he have planned?
Hessa spoke, pulling his attention to her. "Jo, take the boys back to the other bungalow and get them ready for bed."
"I'll tuck them in with a movie." She grabbed Jimmy and Jackson by the hands and nodded at the other two. "Which one?"
All four shouted their vote as Jo dragged them out. She poked her head back in, gave him a sly look, and then left. Steve grinned and kept his attention on the sliding glass door they just left through.
"You have feelings for her?" Hessa's question caught him off-guard and he cleared his throat as he shook his head. "I may not be as young and beautiful as Jo, but I am still a woman."
Oh, shit. Oh, holy shit. Please don't let her be coming on to me. "Mrs. Ashad…"
"I'm not here to seduce you. I feel your affection may already be with my au pair."
Steve couldn't stop himself as he asked, "Why hire a nanny? You're on vacation with your kids. Why pay a stranger to care for them?"
"You don't have kids, do you?"
He shook his head.
"One boy is a blessing. Two is a handful. Three is unmanageable. Four is impossible." She smiled sadly. "My husband used to say every last one of them took after me and he was grateful for it. When he died six months ago, Amoor took us in."
That explained why TREX's intel didn't pick up on him having a family. It wasn't his, not immediate, anyway. "Why did he bring you here?"
As her gaze shined, she lifted it to the ceiling. "For vacation."
Lie. She must think he's a fucking idiot. "And?"
Snapping a look to him, she then crinkled her brow and glanced over her shoulder toward the door Ashad had disappeared behind. "There are four dead men by Amoor's hand since we arrived. Two guards from before, and the two from today. They are in that cave where we were today. He forces the other men to stay inside the shadows of the cave with the bodies as a reminder of what will happen to them if they disappoint him."
Christ. Steve would make sure the local authorities found them and returned them to their families. They may have made the wrong call by working for Ashad, but they didn't deserve to rot away inside a cave. "What else, Hessa? Why is he really here?"
"There's a man Amoor followed here. He plans to kill him, along with destroying the hotel. This is why he has us in private bungalows away from the hotel. I don't know how he's done it, but I heard him talking just today that the charges have been set."
Jesus hell. The man planned to take out an entire hotel full of innocent vacationers, all for one guy. Ashad did like to make a scene, the bigger and more devastating,
the better. Steve made mental plans for the evacuation. He'd have Weber pull the fire alarm while he'd march into that room and put a bullet between Ashad's eyes.
But first he'd find the target and have Weber get him to a safe house. He grabbed his phone and dialed his partner as he asked Hessa, "Do you have a name?"
She shook her head. "He only calls him Hollywood."
Steve's entire body seized at the news. Ashad was here to take out Dan Weber? Why? That didn’t fucking matter. Weber wouldn’t die today or any other day. Stever would see to that. He jumped up and threw open the door to the room Ashad disappeared into, ready to demand a few answers of his own.
It was empty.
"Fuck!" He ran out of the bungalow. Screw the shoes. He’d pay Weber back. He had to get to him before Ashad. As he ran back to the hotel, Steve couldn't help but ask himself the all-important question. What connection did Weber have with Amoor Ashad? And why the fuck didn't he say anything?
Steve ended the call after no answer and tried again. When he didn't get an answer after three tries, he tried the room. Still no answer. His gut twisted and for a split second he knew he'd lost Weber forever.
No, goddamn it. He would not lose Weber, not like this. He was a giant pain in the ass, but he was also Steve's best friend. They'd been through too much shit together for fate to dump on him like this.
He sprinted to the hotel and didn't slow as he took the stairs, three at a time, to the sixth floor. Being on the top floor gave them the vantage point they needed and access to the roof, but it also trapped them when Ashad and his men moved in.
Shit. Shit! Why hadn't they seen this? They could have planned for this. Instead, Steve braced himself for the scene he was about to see and threw open the door to their room.
The distinct smell of copper filled his nostrils. That metallic scent took over, forcing him to breathe through his mouth. He flipped on the light and covered his nose with the back of his hand. His heart sank as his chest tightened. Jesus Christ, he'd never seen so much blood. Pools of it on every surface. Arterial spray on the walls and ceiling. Holy shit. It’s a blood bath in here.
No Way Out (TREX) Page 3
