Infiltration

by Ana Ban

  “The DeLuca family is trouble, but they’ve always had a healthy respect for you and I. When you went missing, I went a little crazy. I approached the leader of the family, Tony, to see if I could sniff out information. In the past, when we’ve needed to work together, he’s always kept his word. And, even though I didn’t tell him directly that you were gone, he must have put two and two together.”

  “So, you think this DeLuca family are the ones that took me?” I asked, turning the information over in my mind. Since the real Selena was still out there, somewhere, I wondered if the DeLuca’s might have had something to do with it.

  “Tony wasn’t forthcoming with information, though I was able to link the building we found you at to their family. It’s possible one of the brothers was working solo. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

  His fist had clenched while talking about my disappearance, so I reached out to grasp it gently in my hands. Words didn’t seem adequate in light of this new information of our attack, so I remained silent.

  “We need to deal with this family, once and for all.”

  “You have a plan,” I said, and it wasn’t a question. When he’d given Reggie instructions, I knew he’d already pieced together something.

  He nodded once. “There are four DeLuca brothers. Two were arrested recently, but released due to lack of evidence.”

  This hit me hard. Crates full of illegal weapons was a lack of evidence?

  “Reggie is going to set up a meet between the brothers and us. If we can’t work out something like gentlemen, it’s on to Plan B.”

  His tone sent chills down my spine.

  Just then, the cell phone rang. Donovan lifted it to his ear. “Yeah?”

  After listening for several beats, I watched his eyes harden.

  “We’ll be right there.”

  “What is it?” I asked immediately.

  “Our security has caught an intruder.”

  Back to the tunnels we went. Going back towards our home, Donovan stopped the bike half a mile before where our offices were located.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  “Holding cells,” he answered briskly.

  Swallowing back the sudden bad taste in my mouth, I slipped on my sunglasses at Donovan’s request and followed him inside the building. On the basement level, we exited the stairwell, and the scene was very similar to the cell I was held in while waiting for Donovan to find me. It was not a welcome sight.

  Feeling me tense, Donovan glanced down at me.

  “Are you all right?” He asked quietly.

  Not wanting to speak, I simply nodded.

  The head of security, whom I dimly remembered from my rescue, met us near the door. He spoke quickly.

  “We found him in your offices. He had no identity on him, and he hasn’t said a word, so we’re running facial recognition on him. Doesn’t look like the same kind of muscle that attacked. In my opinion, he looks like a cop.”

  My stomach tangled in knots at his last statement. Since I had gotten a message out, did Alec try to be a hero? Was he now sitting in a cell, because of me?

  “Take us to him,” Donovan commanded.

  Filled with trepidation, I followed the two men down the dreary walkway. Near the end of the hall, a man sat slumped on a low cot. His wavy hair was familiar, and it took all my will power not to speak.

  Donovan stood with his arms crossed, staring at the prisoner. “What’s your name?”

  There was no reaction whatsoever.

  “I said, what’s your name?” Donovan growled out.

  The man lifted his head, his eyes flickering from Donovan to me. Though the dark glasses hid my expression, my eyes were wide with fear.

  “I have nothing to say to you,” Adam finally responded.

  Chapter 23

  Donovan tried a few more tactics before giving up, bringing me with him back to the door. I had a feeling, had I not been there, the interrogation would have been a lot more physical.

  “Let him sit,” Donovan instructed the security. “I’ll be back later to speak with him again.”

  We left, and I couldn’t get Adam’s face out of my mind. Sweet, enthusiastic Adam, was in a cell because of me, and there was nothing I could do to help him.

  “It’s time to meet with the DeLuca’s,” Donovan told me before we got back on the bike. “I’ll deal with him later.”

  Terrified to speak, I nodded and slid on behind Donovan.

  We exited from the same building as our excursion earlier that day, when we had confronted Reggie. I followed Donovan soundlessly, and he did nothing to break the silence.

  A black SUV, one I recognized from my rescue, was parked in a garage connected to the building. We slid into the front, and, without a word between us, drove to the spot we were to meet with the DeLuca brothers.

  When Donovan parked, I knew the area well. It was on the docks on the outside of the DeLuca’s shipping yard. There was an SUV similar to ours already waiting. Donovan hesitated before opening the door, looking over at me.

  “Let me do the talking,” he said. “They only need to see you, know that you’re alive and well. Understand?”

  “I understand,” I told him, my emotions still in a whirlwind from seeing Adam locked up.

  After squeezing my hand once, Donovan stepped out of the driver side, while I followed suit, immediately meeting him in front of the car and staying just behind as he walked forward.

  Once we reached the halfway point between the two cars, all four doors opened and Tony, the leader, emerged along with Al, the muscle. Instead of the other two brothers, as I was expecting, two more large men stepped out with guns held loosely before them. They remained by the car, watching, while the brothers approached us.

  “Tony, Al,” Donovan greeted.

  “Donovan,” Tony responded, then looked around him to give me a once over. With a raised brow, he added, “Selena.”

  I didn’t move or speak, just kept my eyes sweeping between the four, and over the grounds behind the gates.

  “I’d like to know why you tried to kill us,” Donovan said starkly.

  Tony held his hands up, palms out, in the classic innocent pose. In complete opposition, Al crossed his arms, clearly unhappy with Donovan’s forwardness.

  “Whoa, Donovan, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Why would we go against you? We’ve been able to work together in the past, and we don’t step on each other’s toes. I wouldn’t want to mess up a good thing.”

  My eyes flicked over Al, watching his facial cues. An eye twitch gave him away.

  Placing a hand gently on Donovan’s arm, I pulled him a few steps back.

  “Give us a moment,” Donovan requested, turning to me and bringing our heads close.

  “Al knows something. Tony really is clueless,” I whispered on a breath.

  Donovan met my gaze briefly, nodding his head, before returning to the conversation.

  “Tony, you and I have had good dealings in the past, but that doesn’t change the fact that someone in your family ordered a hit on us. If you don’t take care of it, I will.”

  Tony glanced over at Al, noticing the murderous expression on his face. He contemplated the situation a long time before turning back to us.

  “Let me investigate this. If I find out what you say is true, you have my word I will handle it.”

  “Reggie knows how to get a hold of me,” Donovan answered before spinning on his heel to walk away.

  Though I hated turning my back on the brothers, I followed him quickly.

  Back in the SUV, Donovan wasted no time spinning out of the dirt lot, heading back to the garage the car was parked in.

  “I’ll bring you to our other home. We’ll stay there until we can rebuild. It’s a bit more comfortable than the safe house.”

  “You’re going back to interview the prisoner, aren’t you?”

  Donovan spared me a glance. “Yes.”
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br />   “I want to come with you,” I told him emphatically.

  “It won’t be… pleasant,” Donovan said in an attempt to talk me out of it.

  “You think that bothers me?” I asked with more bravado than I possessed. “After the last few days, you don’t think I can handle it?”

  Donovan studied me a moment. “Fine. Let’s go.”

  When we arrived back in the long hallway, the head of security was once again waiting for us.

  “Facial recognition came through,” he told us, shoving papers into Donovan’s hands. “You won’t believe this.”

  Reading through them, Donovan’s hands suddenly clenched into fists, scrunching the paper as they tightened.

  I looked quizzically at the head of security. He saw my gaze and answered my unspoken question.

  “I was right, he is a cop. But, there’s more. Our software hit a match from a newspaper article. He was a football star in high school, and was featured more than once in the Boston paper, where he grew up.”

  With gentle hands, I took the crumpled papers from Donovan’s hands. As I scanned the pages, my stomach dropped, and I felt bile threatening to rise.

  Donovan was already down the hall, his fury a living, breathing thing.

  “You stupid son-of-a-bitch. You think you can get away with this?”

  This was a different side to Donovan than I’d experienced in his care, however it didn’t surprise me that it existed. Though, truth be told, my own rage was at the same level.

  To my astonishment, Adam lifted his face to look squarely at Donovan, an evil smile spreading across his lips.

  “So, you’ve found out my little secret. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

  I was standing behind Donovan now, hands shaking with anger.

  “Now we know why the DeLuca brothers got released so quickly. They had a man on the inside.”

  “It’s true, I’m their favorite little cousin.” Adam stood then, approaching the bars. “You may know my secret, but I also know one of yours.”

  With this, Adam Malone- scratch that, Adam DeLuca- focused his attention on me. A well of fear bubbled up, knowing he could blow my entire cover with just a few words.

  Something snapped inside me. I couldn’t allow this to happen. In an instant I went from raging fury to complete calm. My hands ceased to shake, and I stepped up next to Donovan.

  In a cool, clear voice, I gave my first command as Selena. The words rolled from my tongue like waves across the shore.

  “Kill him.”

  Epilogue

  Selena

  Though it was the middle of the night, two figures stood in the room where Mia slept.

  “It’s time to move on to the next part of our plan,” my voice was hushed.

  “She’s not ready,” the second figure replied, but was immediately silenced from further speech with a look.

  “You’re falling for her.” Though my tone was flat, it had an undertone of disgust.

  “She’s a good person, Selena,” Donovan defended quietly.

  “She’s weak,” I snapped at him.

  “Compassion isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength.”

  “What does that make me?” Stepping close, my voice dropping into a seductive whisper as I stroked a hand down his chest, I purred my next questions. “Do you think of me when you’re with her? Does she please you the same way I do?”

  “There’s no one else like you,” Donovan’s voice came out husky. “If you feel we’re ready for our next step, I will see it done.”

  “Good,” satisfied, I took a step back. “Remember, she’s only here because I allow it, and I can take her away any time I choose.”

  Donovan nodded, looking at the floor, the perfect picture of obedience.

  Studying him, I was amused by his complete submission when I knew that, with anyone besides me, he was the one in control. When I spoke, it was as much a threat as a command.

  “I’ll check back in a few days’ time. Until then, I suggest you put your focus on the plan and forget about Mia.”

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading Infiltration: Book 1 of The Mirror Trilogy! I hope you enjoyed it, and join us for the next part of Mia’s story in Split: Book 2 of The Mirror Trilogy.

  On the next page, Amazon will ask you to leave a review. It would only take a few moments and would help spread the word. A review would be greatly appreciated!

  As always, you can keep up-to-date by “liking” me on Facebook, @anabannovels

  Always, Ana

  Other books by Ana Ban:

  The Parker Grey Series

  Abstraction; A Parker Grey Novel (Book 1)

  Backfire; A Parker Grey Novel (Book 2)

  Coercion; A Parker Grey Novel (Book 3) (available June 2017)

  Deception; A Parker Grey Novel (Book 4) (available soon)

  The Gifted Series

  Allure of Home: Book 1 of The Gifted Series

  Immaculate: Book 2 of The Gifted Series

  Night Shift: Book 3 of The Gifted Series (available soon)

  The Mirror Trilogy

  Infiltration: Book 1 of The Mirror Trilogy

  Split: Book 2 of The Mirror Trilogy (available soon)

  Wakening: Book 3 of The Mirror Trilogy (available soon)