Retaliatory Justice (The Talionic Files #1)

by Tawa M. Witko

  “Where are we going, Neo?” I ask, tugging playfully on his hand as we approach his car.

  The corner of his mouth quirks into a smirk before he glances at me. “Training,” he replies.

  I cock my head to the side, trying to figure out what that means. He just laughs and opens the door for me. We make small talk in the car, as he is careful not to reveal our destination. When we pull up to a large building, I’m confused. I look around the parking lot and notice that there is only one other car here.

  “Is this a gun range?” I ask startled.

  He smiles and nods as he gets out. As I exit the vehicle, he takes my hand again. “I did tell you I would show you how to shoot.”

  “Is this place even open? The sign says it’s closed.”

  “I called the owner and asked them for a favor, that the government would appreciate their assistance.” When I look at him, he grins. “Trust me; it’s in their best interest to cooperate with the ATF.”

  “Is that legal?” I query.

  He chuckles. “No.”

  He knocks on the door and a portly man opens it. He doesn’t look happy at all. Valentino shows him his badge and credentials and the man allows us to enter. The man eyes me up and down and I am already regretting this outfit. It was perfect for Valentino, but other people, umm, no.

  “Hold on, Dominique.”

  He lets go of my hand and places his hand on the man’s shoulder, walking him away from me. They are talking intently for several minutes. Both of them look in my direction a few times as I cross my arms around me, trying not to look suspect. Finally, the man nods and leads Valentino to a gun case, and after a moment, he hands him a weapon, along with a box of ammunition. The man then directs us towards the indoor range and leaves quietly.

  “What was that about?” I ask.

  “I explained to him that you were a witness in a federal investigation and that I needed to prepare you should something happen when I wasn’t around.”

  He motions me towards one of the stalls. “And he believed that?”

  “Of course, it’s the truth.”

  “Yeah, but...” I shake my head as I look around.

  I have never been in a gun range before so I’m not sure what I expected but this is kind of nice. There are eight stations divided by grey partitions, each with small grey shelving separating you from the target range. There is a pair of earmuffs on of the shelves and a black button on the edge of the counter.

  “This is a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield,” he says, placing the small pistol in my hand. “It’s a 9mm but very light, only nineteen ounces with manageable recoil.”

  He smiles when I look at him completely confused. It’s like he’s speaking a different language and I’m really embarrassed.

  “That just means that when you fire it, your arm won’t jerk very much,” he says as he takes my arm and demonstrates.

  “Oh, okay, I get it.”

  He grins again. “This is an excellent first gun for you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I just bought this for you,” he states happily. “It’s in my name right now because as a federal agent I already have clearance to carry a concealed weapon. Technically, I shouldn’t give it to you but I am because I don’t want the delay. You need protection right now, not months from now.”

  “You bought me a gun?” I ask stupidly, as if I didn’t hear everything he just said.

  He nods and gives me that sexy smirk I like.

  “Huh, most men buy flowers,” I say with a wink.

  He leans down and kisses my lips playfully. “I’m not most men.”

  I sigh against his mouth. “That is very true.”

  He grins and then starts explaining in detail the various parts of the weapon, demonstrating how to load it and then removing the bullets so that I can load it. When I have done that to his satisfaction, he has me go over the parts again. Once I have been versed on the intricacies of the weapon, he turns me so that I am facing the target. He then presses a button to move the target closer to us. I’m supposed to hit that? He brings his body flush to mine and has me lift the gun but I’m suddenly distracted by the feel of his evident arousal pressed against my lower back.

  “Hold this position, Dominique,” he says as he picks up the earmuffs on the shelf and places them on my head and then does the same for himself.

  He runs his hands down my arms and slightly bends them at the elbow. I can feel his breath against my neck as he positions my hands correctly on the weapon. My breathing picks up. A combination of the exhilaration of what I’m about to do and Valentino’s close proximity. He places my finger on the trigger, stroking it lightly, a gesture that makes my eyes flutter. His lips linger on my temple before he puts pressure on my finger causing me to squeeze the trigger.

  “Oh God!” I squeal as the bullet shoots out of the gun and hits the target, not even remotely close to the mark.

  I turn to him smiling, my excitement bubbling over. He smiles before his lips crash to mine and suddenly I can’t remember why I’m here. After several minutes, he turns me around and I feel his hand lift my arm again. I glance over my shoulder and the look of want on his face halts me for a moment. My body flushes with anticipation.

  “Shoot, Dominique,” he mouths.

  I nod and turn around, trying to focus on the gun, the target, how to hold the weapon, anything other than how Valentino feels pressed against me. When I get to the last shot, I set the gun down, my body full of unreleased adrenaline. He senses it as well and moves my head so he can kiss me again. I turn all the way around, wrapping my arms around his neck as our kiss intensifies. I want him desperately right now. When he yanks my pants and panties down, I don’t stop him. I only groan my approval in his mouth.

  He releases me, turning me quickly as he sets my hands on the shelving. Only moments later I feel him enter me. My head drops and I turn slightly to see him. There is a feral look on my face that he responds to immediately. He sinks into me and although we are both moaning and grunting, I can’t hear a thing, the earmuffs block out all sound. It’s surreal, exciting, and invigorating all at the same time. It’s the most erotic thing I have ever done. My body begins to tremble as I near my release.

  “Valentino,” I scream out as I hurdle into an erotic abyss.

  He continues to thrust into me over and over, my ragged breathing unheard, only felt. His thrusts increase while his hands grip my hips with such force that I’m positive I will have bruises when we are done. Moments later, his hand slams down on the shelving beside me and his body stills momentarily as he finally succumbs to his own orgasm. I lull my head down and soon feel his forehead between my shoulder blades. We are both panting, our hearts racing as we come down from our orgasmic bliss. He finally pulls the earmuffs off of my head and twists my face so he can kiss me.

  “Dominique,” he murmurs against my lips. We kiss again, this time soft and gentle, slow and lovingly, breathing each other in.

  “Who knew that firing a gun could be so… hot,” I mutter and feel his smile against my lips.

  “Sorry, baby, but the sight of you in these leather pants firing a weapon was just too much,” he says, kissing along my jaw before meeting my lips once again. “Let’s go through a few more rounds, okay?”

  “Okay,” I whisper as I kiss him again.

  He adjusts himself, tying the condom off while I readjust my awesome leather pants that I will never ever give up. We go through four more rounds of ammunition before finally quitting for the day. I progressively got better, still not hitting the bulls-eye, but I was at least hitting the target. Before we leave, he signs some paperwork on the gun and I happen to catch sight of the cost. Yikes! That’s a lot of money for a gun. As we get into the car, he pulls his phone out.

  “How is everything?”

  “No sign of them?”

  “All right, we are heading over there.”

  “No, she didn’t make you anything.”

  He glances at m
e and rolls his eyes as he hangs up. Taking my hand in his, he brings it to his lips, kissing it softly before maneuvering out of the parking lot. I smile as I watch him drive. This feels so right, being with him and what we just did. My God! That was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I close my eyes, allowing my mind to replay what happened in the gun range. I smile and feel his thumb ghost over my lips. Don’t fall in love, Dominique… umm, too late!

  “What’s too late?” he asks.

  My eyes flip open and I shake my head. “Nothing! Are we almost there?”

  “Yeah,” he says, giving me a questioning look.

  I nod and rest my head against the headrest as I continue to watch him drive. He looks deep in thought and I wonder what’s going on in his head. I then begin to wonder how deep I’m already in with that group he mentioned, the Sigca, something. I have never heard them mentioned before. And what exactly did Phillipe mean when he said he never meant to get me pulled into this, whatever this is, and now it seems that I’m pulled in even further by Valentino.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asks concerned.

  I shrug and sit up. “I’m in pretty deep, aren’t I?”

  He nods as he makes a turn. “You know something, Dominique,” he glances at me, “but maybe you just don’t know what that something is.”

  “I wish I did. I would tell you.”

  He smiles. “Don’t worry. I’ll figure it out.”

  I nod, hoping he’s right.

  “We can go in the back,” I say as he starts to approach the restaurant.

  He shakes his head. “There are cameras at the back entrance.”

  “Really? I never noticed.”

  “There would be no reason for you too. But trust me, they’re there.”

  “Well, I can go through the back and then I will open the front door for you guys.”

  He nods as he stops just south of Le Creole. I let go of his hand and exit the vehicle. As I get to the back of the restaurant, I look up and, sure enough, there are cameras there. I sigh and type in the code. Once inside, I do a cursory look around the restaurant, just to make sure that no one is here. Once I determine the coast is clear, I unlock the front door. I peek outside, not seeing anyone, and then feel my phone vibrate.

  V: Is everything okay?

  D: yes, I just looked around to make sure no one was here.

  V: step away from the door, Clayton and I will be inside shortly

  D: okay

  I step back nervously. Less than a minute later, both of them are inside. I am a little stunned with the serious look on both Clayton and Valentino’s faces. Their guns are drawn and they are eyeing the restaurant in all directions. After a moment, they both relax a little and put their weapons away.

  “You had me worried, Dominique,” he says, washing his hand over his face. “Next time, text me what you’re doing so I don’t think…” he doesn’t finish his sentence.

  “I’m sorry, Valentino. I…”

  He shakes his head and cups my face. “Show us around, okay?”

  I nod and take them to the kitchen first.

  “Are there any exits or doors in here?” he asks.

  “No, there are only three exits,” I start to say and then stop when Valentino and Clayton stare at each other. “There’s another exit, isn’t there?”

  “Yes. We know where it ends but not where it begins.”

  I nod and look around my kitchen, trying to decide if there is some place in here that could be a secret exit and finally shake my head. There’s nothing in here. I would know if there was. Besides, I would imagine that it wouldn’t be someplace that a lot of people have access to. If I were to venture a guess I would say it’s in the storage room.

  “It’s not in the kitchen. I know this room like the back of my hand. But I have a feeling I know where it might be.”

  “Show us!” Valentino says firmly.

  “This is their office,” I say as we pass by. Valentino and Clayton stop, so I stop as well. “It’s too small to have a secret passageway but that is where the vault is,” I say. “The one that had the money in it.”

  Clayton jiggles the door handle but it’s locked. “Do you want me to get in there?” he asks Valentino.

  “Not yet, we’ll come back to it.”

  We approach the storeroom and I turn to them. “I have seen all three of them in here on various occasions. The last time was a few weeks ago. They were moving something because Whitney said, ‘that’s the last of them’.”

  Valentino takes a deep breath and his brows furrow. So what Whitney said means something to him. We step inside and there is nothing out of the ordinary. Both Valentino and Clayton have their guns out again. He motions to Clayton to take one side as he approaches the other. It’s fascinating and terrifying to watch them work. There is no joking at all; both of them are completely focused on what they are doing. They are each feeling the walls, looking for anything that would indicate a separate room or compartment.

  “I got nothing, Masterson,” Clayton exclaims frustrated.

  “Me neither,” Valentino replies, equally annoyed. He turns to me. “Dominique, does anything look different or out of place?”

  I look around the room, not really seeing anything. I honestly don’t pay much attention. I usually just come in and get the supplies I need and then exit. I walk to the middle of the room, my arms wrapped around my chest as my eyes dart over everything.

  “I’m sorry,” I say sadly.

  Valentino places the butt of his gun against his forehead, pinching his eyes shut. I could have sworn it would be in here. It’s the only room that all of them have been in and not everyone has access.

  “Has the room always looked like this?” Clayton asks.

  “Yes, pretty much. Except,” I pause, remembering something.

  Valentino opens his eyes and walks over to me. “Except what?”

  “The shelving over there,” I point to the line of bookcases against the back wall. “That was added later. Maybe the first week I was here. I only remember because I was trying to get the lay of everything and was told the room was under construction to make it more space efficient or something. Anyway, I wasn’t allowed in and then a few days later those shelves were there.”

  Valentino nods and kisses my forehead before he darts over there. Him and Clayton play around for quite a while and then suddenly one of the shelves moves. I actually jump back startled. Both of them draw their weapons again and glance inside.

  “Clayton, stay with Dominique.” Clayton nods and then Valentino turns to me. “Dominique, Clayton will protect you.”

  As he darts inside the wall, I mutter, “And who will protect you?”

  21 In Too Deep

  Valentino Masterson

  July 31st

  I step inside the passageway, my gun up, ready to fire should the need arise. I take a few cautious steps. It’s pitch-black in here. I’m sure there is a light switch somewhere, but if someone is in here I don’t want to alert them to my presence. I take a couple more steps and shake my head. I need some kind of light and my phone won’t give off enough to make a difference. I step back out and see that Clayton is talking intently to Dominique, who looks petrified.

  “What’s wrong?” I question.

  She looks up immediately, running over to me and flinging her arms around my neck. “Are you okay?”

  “Dominique, I’m fine. I didn’t get far. I can’t see at all, its pitch-black in there. There’s no movement that I can hear but I need a flashlight or something.”

  She nods and steps back. “I’m sorry, I’m…” she stutters and shakes her head at the same time, finally turning in the room, spotting a flashlight on the shelf.

  “Thank you,” I say, kissing her softly.

  I glance up, see Clayton staring at me, and turn quickly. I’m sure I’ll hear about that later. Entering the passageway again, I shine the light to and fro, trying to get a feel for the dimensions of the space. As the lig
ht shines up and around, I am grateful I don’t suffer from Claustrophobia because this space is not that large. I slowly take a few steps, my gun in one hand while I hold the flashlight above it. The passageway is almost crude, like a tunnel that hasn’t been finished. Bringing the light to the ground, I notice that there are indentations in the pavement.

  “That’s odd,” I say out loud as I kneel down.

  My fingers trace over the groove, and as I do so, I notice that it’s evenly spaced. I wish I had brought my camera. Sighing, I bring my phone out. It’s not the best solution but it’s something. I place my gun at the inside edge of one of the lines and snap several pictures. We can ascertain the width from that. I let the flashlight follow the trail somewhat and see that it continues down the passageway. Pocketing my phone, I stand and start to take a couple more steps when the lights in the tunnel suddenly come on.

  “Shit,” I mutter and make a mad dash back through the passageway and into the storage room.

  “What happened?” Clayton asks, stepping in front of Dominique.

  “Someone is coming through,” I say quickly as I hand Clayton the flashlight and begin to reposition the shelving, making sure it looks like it did when we arrived. “We need to leave before we’re made, or worse, before Dominique is.”

  I’m estimating that we have probably about five to six minutes to get out of here. Dominique looks panicked and scared as I drag her down the hall. I start pulling her towards the exit and she stops me, jerking her arm out of my grasp.

  “Go, they expect me to be here, I’ll be fine,” she says the words but they are laced with fear. “Please go,” she begs.

  I stand in front of her, emotionally conflicted. I can’t leave her here; suddenly Clayton is yanking me out the door, making the decision for me. She quickly locks it and heads back inside. When we are safely down the street, my hands drop to my knees before I look back towards the restaurant. My breathing is all messed up as I stand and remove my hat, running my hand over my non-existing hair.