by M. Malone
"I don't know. I feel a little responsible. If I'd been there, I would've steered you away from him. I would've seen him for what he was. It was my job to protect you."
"Stop. It wasn't your job to protect me. I made a bad choice. And I suffered the consequences. The good news is, now I won't make choices like that anymore."
He nodded. "All the same though. I'd personally like to kick that guy’s ass for you. You were a good kid, and I did love you. I do love you. Not the way that Jonas does. And I'm pretty sure he's probably going to want to kill me for saying it."
JJ giggled. "Yeah. He's still kinda mad at you for everything that happened last year."
Rafe rolled his eyes. "You try to kill a guy one time. I swear, it was a misunderstanding."
She grinned. "That was one hell of a misunderstanding. Are you guys ever going to tell me who exactly it is that you work for or what you do, or did, or whatever?"
He studied her for a moment his expression impassive. "Lucia told you?"
"Not much. I sort of guessed that you guys were more than just a security company, but she hasn't really said explicitly. So I let my imagination run wild. And my imagination is very, very good."
He nodded. "Well, yeah, I guess we don't exactly keep a lot of things super-secret."
"So this isn't the part where you tell me now that I know that you have to kill me?"
"Nope. Right now my job is to protect you. You, Lucia, Nonna, Noah, and by extension these idiots." He shrugged. "You're all family. That's how it goes. For what it's worth, that was good intel that you brought into the conference room. I know it can't have been easy to walk in there after — after last night."
She shrugged. "Well, talking to Lucia helped me remember his level of obsession. You know what's funny? I didn't even realize it then, but I probably fed into his obsession. Every time I would talk to him about how much I missed you or how much it hurt Lucia not having you there, he would ask me to talk about you and told me it was therapy, that it would help me feel better. And like an idiot, I played into that."
Rafe took another bite. "You're not an idiot. You trusted the wrong guy, yes, but you did nothing wrong there. You were being open and kind and trying to move on with your life after the bullshit I put you guys through."
"Yeah, still feels like I should've seen something. But he was everything I thought I wanted, you know? Like the perfect kind of guy. And then I saw it was something much more dangerous, something darker than that. I didn't understand it. Now I see how much he hated you. I mean he was obsessed with me, but only because I had a crush on you. You were the real one, the one he wanted to hurt. I didn't see that until now."
"Well, the good news is he's not gonna get the chance. We're going after him before he even comes anywhere near us. You're safe now."
For the first time in her life, she actually believed that. Between Jonas, Noah, Rafe, and everyone else, she knew that she was safe here. Safer than anywhere else in the world.
"You know, I've been thinking about what I just said. He is obsessed with me. But not as much as he's obsessed with you. A part of me feels like the only reason he was ever so fixated on me was because of you in the first place. I keep thinking if I make myself bait or something, that would bring him running, but I don't think so anymore. I think you're the one he wants. I think he’d do anything to get a shot at you."
Rafe stood straight. And then he studied her for a long moment. "You know, JJ, you might be absolutely right about that."
chapter 12
“You still got your panties in a twist, or are you ready to work?" Rafe’s voice was low as they sat in the dark under cover of bushes.
Jonas slid him a glance as they waited for the signal from Matthias and Noah. Moonlight was the only light they had to go by, and if push came to shove, they had their night-vision goggles ready to go. They'd been sitting there for fifteen minutes in tense silence. Neither one of them wanting to give way.
"My panties aren't in a twist. It would be a shame to do that to Italian silk."
Rafe chuckled. "Fair enough."
"Since we’re here and all, I guess now's a good time to ask if you’re sure about this,” Jonas mumbled.
Rafe's jaw tensed. But when he spoke, his voice was flat. "Yes. Besides, no one's supposed to get hurt today. I'm only playing assassin again. It's not for real."
"You know, you, Noah, and Matthias all get that same look on your face whenever you talk about what you used to do."
Rafe narrowed his gaze and did another sweep through his binoculars. "Yeah. ORUS changed every single one of us. That's the problem when you do that kind of job when you still have a soul. There are plenty of guys in there who have no soul." He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe now it's the kind of organization it was supposed to be in the first place. Only taking out the worst of the worst, cleaning up the trash. But, I still don't trust them. It’s hard to say."
"You regret bringing Noah in?"
Rafe didn't even look at him as he answered. "Every fucking day. I mean it wasn't like I brought him in myself you know. That was Ian. The kid saved Ian's life so that was that. Ian thought he was saving him. The problem was Ian didn't see the toll it was taking. And I had to train him, or he'd get killed. So I regret him being in that life, but I'm glad I taught him to be the best he could be. It kept him alive. And you can't get out if you’re dead, right?"
Jonas nodded. "Yeah, that's one way of looking at it.”
After a long moment, Rafe asked, "So, we cool on the JJ thing?"
Jonas clenched his jaw. "Yeah. We're fine. As long as you get that she's mine."
Rafe chuckled. "Man, what the fuck is it with you guys when you fall in love? All caveman and shit. Me Tarzan, she Jane. I swear you and Noah are ridiculous. I mean, you're too pretty to be a caveman anyway. You're too Metro."
Jonas shook his head. "There is nothing wrong with a little manscaping and decent clothes. You might try something other than basic black all the time."
Rafe frowned. "What's wrong with black? It goes with everything. And helps, you know, when you're trying to kill people. They can't see you coming."
Jonas had to hold back a chuckle. "Seriously? I'm beginning to doubt your sanity."
"What? I'm just being honest."
"All I'm saying is it wouldn't hurt you to put a little effort into it. You know mix it up, change your fabrics."
"Look, I'm just going to leave the pretty-boy antics to you and Noah."
"Oskar sees nothing wrong with a little blazer every now and again."
"Yeah, you realize you're talking about the accountant, right?"
Jonas considered that. "Yeah, you have a point there.”
They’d sat in relative silence for several more minutes when Rafe frowned and grumbled. "Something's wrong."
Jonas shifted in his position slightly. His fucking arm was falling asleep in his current position. "Why do you say that?"
Rafe shook his head. "It's quiet. Almost too quiet. We haven't had a single person walking a dog or turning off their porch lights. It's like the whole neighborhood's dead."
Jonas frowned. “Please don't say the word dead."
Rafe pressed his comm unit. "Matthias, can you verify we have movement in the house? And while you're at it check the other two neighboring houses. The street's too quiet."
Matthias's voice came back in the comm unit. "I still see heat sigs. There's a body upstairs, master bedroom. So target is there. Still alive as far as I can tell. Other houses, everyone's snug in bed."
It was funny, as soon as Rafe had said it, Jonas started to get that all-too-familiar feeling that something was wrong. Something was very wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it though. He pressed his own comm unit. "And we're sure this is the location Ian identified? Because Rafe's right. Something's not right here. Even my gut's saying it. And I'm not some superspy."
Next to him, Rafe chuckled. "You'll do okay. I mean cop senses aren't as good as spy senses, but they’re not bad."
Jonas rolled his eyes. "I'm serious. Something is wrong. We've been out here for an hour and a half. Either he's a no-show or he found another way in that house that we don't know about."
Noah's voice was crisp. "Roger. Alpha unit, move into the house. Secure the target if you have too. But you're right, something’s off. Beta team, fall back to their flanks and watch their six."
Despite their stiff bodies from lying in position for so long under the hedges of the house across the street, the house that had been in foreclosure for over six months, Jonas and Rafe sprang into action, darting quickly across the street and ducking for cover. At this point, everyone was silent. He and Rafe communicated with a series of sign language and hand gestures as they approached the side door of the house. When they entered, all was quiet in the garage, but there was an eerie silence that fell over them like an icy cold blanket. In seconds, Rafe had the deadbolt off, and then Jonas flipped the security alarm.
The moment they stepped in the house though, they knew something was wrong.
Jonas's voice was tight as he spoke into the comm unit. "Matthias. We have a problem. The house, it's too cold in here."
Noah's voice was harsh. "Get to the target now."
Gun drawn, Jonas followed quickly behind Rafe, both of them clearing each room in succession. When they reached the master bedroom, Rafe went first and Jonas watched his back. Gun aimed, at the ready. And then from behind him, he heard it, Rafe's rather inventive cursing. When he spoke into his comm unit, the anger dripped and vibrated from every single word. "We have a fucking problem. Target's goddamn dead."
Matthias's voice came through loud and clear. "Fuck a twat. What the fuck do you mean he’s dead, mate?"
"I'm talking ashes to ashes. Time to baste the formaldehyde turkey. "
"That's not fucking possible. I’m showing your heat signatures and his.
Jonas glanced over his shoulder. Rafe was right. The guy was too still in the bed. Not moving. “Yeah, Rafe's not lying. The guy's not moving."
Matthias cursed on the other line. "Then why do I see a fucking heat signature?"
Rafe sighed. "The son-of-a-bitch used a warming blanket. Temperature's currently set to one hundred degrees. And he's tucked in tight, like a cocoon. Hate to say it, but he's fucking cooking in here.”
On the other end of the line, Noah swore. "Fucking Ian. We've been played."
Jonas and Rafe carried the body out of the house into the back yard where they at least had some cover. Noah and Matthias met with them within a minute.
"The people in the houses next door, they're all dead." Noah muttered. "No one was supposed to die."
Jonas stared at him. "We’re not dealing with someone sane are we? He not only took out our target, he took out innocent civilians."
"Jonas, you think I don't know that? You think I don't feel the pressure?"
Rafe stepped between the two of them. "Never thought that I'd be doing this, but we need to focus. We need to identify the people in the houses next door, identify the target for confirmation, and get the fuck out.”
In their comm units, the alarm sound blared. Rafe glanced at Matthias. "What is that?"
"Proximity alarms. We have incoming."
Rafe and Jonas immediately put on their night-vision goggles.
"I've got three guys coming from the south."
Rafe drew his gun. "I see two coming from the east.
Matthias and Noah went on red alert. What they didn't account for, was the basement door bursting open, and two men running out.
All four of them backed up against each other to face their opponents. Their guns had silencers, and they each had extra ammo. But this was not the kind of fight they wanted. None of this was supposed to happen. You're a cop. Ex-cop.
In situations like this, he’d call for fucking backup. Well your backup's here. Do what you gotta do. Jonas knew that some people were going to end up dead. He just prayed it was none of his team. He turned toward the two guys that had barged out of the basement, Rafe chuckled before sheathing his gun back in his holster. "What the fuck are you doing, Rafe?"
The guy must have completely lost it because he laughed. "It's time to have some fun."
A swift glance around told Jonas that Matthias had also put away his gun. Instead, he had out knives. Knives at a goddamn gunfight. He knew what happened to people who carried knives. They fucking got shot.
Noah was the only one who was acting sane. He at least had out his gun, scratch that, two. Okay then, so it was like that.
In the span of a second, Jonas wasn't paying attention to what was happening with his friends. He was fighting for his life. He squeezed off a bullet, hitting one of the guys in the upper thigh, but the asshole didn't even go down. Instead he just kept on coming. "What the fuck?"
Somewhere near his right, Rafe called out, “Body Armor. That's why the guns are useless unless you can fire a kill shot at a moving target."
Well fuck him. Before he knew what was happening the shorter guy on the right lunged at him and knocked him over. The air whooshed out of his lungs as the asshole pressed all his weight on top of him.
From beneath, Jonas defended against the blows. The taller slimmer one on the left had jumped onto Noah.
Noah had fired a kill shot for one of the guys coming from the south, but the other was still coming. And now he had more company. Jonas had to get the fuck up off the ground. Somewhere above his head to the left, he heard the slicing of knives, metal on metal, and a series of grunts, kicks, and curses.
All Jonas could do was block the blows and try to survive. But then the guy on him made one fatal mistake. He eased back, to reach for a weapon maybe? But he didn't know that Jonas had Jujutsu training.
Jonas loved nothing more than to grapple if he could get a leg in. He wedged his knee between his body and the guy’s chest then shoved back. The guy flew backwards, and Jonas was on his feet in a second.
Then it was a matter of hand to hand. The good news was this guy was not as good as Rafe. Oh he had been trained. Really, really fucking well-trained. Like assassin trained.
Jonas took a left cross to the jaw and staggered. Then the guy moved forward, grabbing him by the shoulders and delivering a series of knees. Motherfucker. The pain spread through his chest as his ribs took a pounding. But on the last knee kick, Jonas grabbed him under the thigh, and unsettled him enough to knock him on his back.
And then it was on. Jonas pounced on him, raining blows on his face. The guy reached underneath him, and Jonas heard the shhhht sound of metal being unsheathed. A knife.
He leaned back in the nick of time to avoid a slice of the knife across his jugular, but the damn thing caught his arm. Son of a bitch.
Jonas grabbed the guy’s hand and dropped several elbows on his face. But even though the guy’s eye was glued shut now with blood, he still tried to work his legs out from under Jonas.
Jonas pinned one of his arms with a knee, which essentially put his dick right in the guy’s face. "Hey man, maybe you like balls in the face, but now would be a good fucking time to stop moving."
The asshole beneath him still tried to come at him with a knife, raising his arm, and Jonas had to duck and weave and grapple for that free arm. When he grabbed it, it was a battle of wills and a battle of strength. The guy tried to turn the knife around on him, but Jonas didn't let go. No, then it would be lights out. Party over. And then what the fuck would happen to JJ?
JJ. Fuck. Just thinking about her gave him the extra boost of strength he needed. And with all his might, he turned the guy’s wrist, shoving the knife down into his neck. It took several seconds, but eventually he stopped moving.
Don't stay still. On your feet. There's more of them than there are of you guys. When he turned, Jonas found that one of the guys that had come from the south was already dead. Another one was down. One guy was limping and reaching for his gun. Jonas went right for him. He was running, stepping on his hand before bending down, grabbing the
gun, and twisting his hand until he heard it crack.
The guy made a muffled moan, but tried to twist around and grab Jonas's ankle. "Stop fucking with me or I will kill you.” But he still reached for the weapon.
What the hell was wrong with these guys? None of them seemed to want to live. Jonas had no choice. One shot to the head. Without even thinking about it he dropped the guys arm and turned to face his friends.
Matthias had one down on the ground, they were wrestling with one of the knives, but then Matthias head butted him and made sure that knife sliced home and implanted in his neck. Then the kid was up on his feet in no time. His face was covered in blood, and his hands were up, both knives gripped by their handles, ready to slice and fight.
Noah delivered a kick to the skull of the guy he had been fighting with. But the guy refused to go down. He came at Noah with fists and knees, but Noah dodged and avoided them all. He delivered a couple of good knee strikes before a very nice elbow to left hook combination. The guy staggered back and delivered his own elbow, ringing Noah's bell. Before Noah could rebound, there was a pffft sound and the guy sagged to the ground. Noah whirled around, hands up. Rafe just shrugged.
"You were playing with your food. You want a work out, I'll give you one."
Noah nodded. "Thanks. Fucking lost my gun."
Jonas handed a gun to him. “This it?"
"Yeah. Those assholes had me pinned down and took it off me."
Rafe give him a wry grin. "Not the first time I saved you in a firefight."
Noah clocked him on the arm. "Probably not the last." Then he checked in on each of the rest of them. “Kid? You good?"
Matthias, who still had knives at the ready and was breathing hard and heavy standing over the carcass of the man he'd carved up, didn’t respond at first.
Under normal circumstances, Jonas would have said the kid was a good kid. Loved his nerdy T-shirts, and the superhero movies. Given the way some of the female clients smiled at him shyly, women didn't think he was too hard on the eyes. And there was a somewhat innocent quality about him. Women tended to want to take care of him. Hell, they all looked at him as some kind of little brother. But at that moment, with his knives in his hands and pure, visceral hate and anger radiating over his body and his face, Jonas knew the truth. Matthias was all killer. This was who he was underneath the carefully crafted exterior. Peel back one layer of the onion, and it was clear the kid was no one to fuck with.
