by Dawn Ryder
He heard the first sirens when he hit the ground floor. A few workers looked up, curious as to what was happening.
Ricky walked by, through the parking garage and toward the lot where the construction crew was parking. It was tempting to take a truck but he walked toward a gas station and around the corner until he spotted a cheap motel. The clerk took his cash and didn’t bother to look twice at his ID.
Ricky slipped into the room, pulling out his burner phone to watch the show.
* * *
The resolution was crap but that didn’t keep him from enjoying the way Bram and his teammates turned on their company.
The local cops had their weapons drawn … Bram’s team wasn’t giving up their guns, either.
It was fucking beautiful to watch.
Even better than his dreams of vengeance.
He kicked back on the motel bed and heard it groan beneath his weight.
* * *
“What I haven’t heard you tell me is why you didn’t call me and clue me in to what you were planning.”
The local police sergeant wasn’t happy.
Bram didn’t much care. In fact, the only reason he was listening to the guy at all was because Kagan had asked him not to make waves.
“Someone better start explaining this mess,” the guy continued. It wasn’t that he was a jerk. No, he was attempting to control the situation, which was his job.
Problem was, Bram didn’t give a shit. “It’s a military matter.”
The cop jerked. “The hell it is. This is my jurisdiction.”
“Guess you should have taken the missing person report when you were called,” Thais said.
“You have any idea how many people slip away from their families in this city?” the sergeant demanded.
“We had a clear evidence chain,” Dare added.
The sergeant held up two fingers. “Two incidents, one being a dead car, isn’t a chain.”
“Coupled with a missing person, it’s a chain.” Thais was watching the cops keeping their sights on her as she moved forward.
“We don’t hesitate when someone goes missing,” Dare added.
“You don’t seem to hesitate for anything, like the law,” the sergeant bellowed. “You can’t just blow in here with your guns out.”
“He”—Bram said as he jerked his head toward Gideon’s body—“became obsessed with striking out at me. Stole a picture of my girlfriend. Look around, he’s been planning this. It’s PTSD syndrome.”
“You didn’t know that when you came over here.” The police officer cut through Bram’s reasoning.
“We’re licensed to carry firearms in every state.” Bram spared the guy only a half glance. “Considering you didn’t think it was worthy of taking a report, I’d say things worked out.”
“There was no reason to believe she didn’t take off on her own.”
“Except for a prowler, who turned violent when confronted,” Bram countered, laying down his reasoning.
“We take hundreds of trespassing reports a week in this city.”
“This one came on the heels of a disappearance.” Bram stood his ground as the cop tried to intimidate him.
“She wouldn’t be the first girls her age to take off because their family doesn’t approve of their choices.”
“She’s my girlfriend,” Bram said as he stepped toward the guy.
“According to social media, the other sister is your girlfriend. Maybe that’s why I thought this one took off after you started up on her sister. The press is going to have a field day with this mess.”
Bram stiffened, Kagan’s warning rising from his memory.
“I’m not going to the hospital,” Jaelyn said, raising her voice.
“Then you’re going downtown,” the cop in front of him said as he turned his attention to Jaelyn.
“Why?” she said, facing off with him. Bram almost felt sorry for the guy but not enough to intervene. Jaelyn propped her hand onto her hip and narrowed her eyes. “He chained me to a fucking bed and watched me like a porn movie. In the shower, on the toilet. Told me all about his sick little fantasies. Insisted I was going to eat from his hand because I was his pet. Don’t you dare tell me I don’t have the right to defend myself against creeps like him. I’d kill him again.”
Thais had given Jaelyn a jacket to cover the skimpy lingerie set she had on. She didn’t much care that it was flapping open as she gave the cop a piece of her mind. Dare was watching with a bland expression Bram knew was just covering up his fellow agent’s amusement.
Thais, on the other hand, did nothing to disguise how much she felt the cop was getting exactly what he deserved.
Bram’s phone vibrated inside his vest. He pulled it out and only took a single glance to identify Kagan’s number.
“You got your man,” his section leader began.
“Yes.”
Kagan grunted. “You’re Magnus’s spawn alright.”
“Don’t bring my dad or his rank into this,” Bram replied.
“You learned how to hunt from your pappy, son,” Kagan retorted. “Never doubt it.”
Bram didn’t. “Let’s stick to the topic. Another thing I learned from my dad was not to hide behind him. There was no way I was going to turn over Jaelyn’s location to the local law enforcement. Gideon followed me to her. It was personal.”
“That’s one of the traits I like about you,” Kagan informed him. “Another is the fact that you finish what you start.”
Bram had worked with Saxon Hale and Shadow Ops before. There was a reason they were mostly known by the rumors about them.
The reason was, Kagan and his team leaders didn’t leave many clues behind to track them through. The horde of police in the room was a huge problem. It was a lot easier to have no witnesses than to tell people not to talk.
“I brought in resources, so it’s my job to clear the deck?” Bram asked.
“Same thing I expect from any of my team members,” Kagan confirmed. “You’ll enjoy the part of telling the local cops.”
“More than I should admit,” Bram answered.
“Clean slate,” Kagan said. “Leave no trace.”
Bram tightened his hold on the phone. Kagan’s meaning was crystal clear. With Kagan, it was more important to hear what he wasn’t saying. If the press were sniffing around, there was no way the family could stay behind. Gideon might have followed him but Bram had brought in the team to deal with it.
So the team’s safety had to be protected.
“Copy that,” Bram replied. “I need resources.”
“They’ll be on scene shortly,” Kagan confirmed. “I’ll overlook the lapse this time. But don’t be shy in the future, Magnus. There’s too much chatter on the airways.”
It was a reprimand Kagan wouldn’t repeat. Bram killed the call and made a mental note to stop thinking like a civilian.
He’d made his choice and there was no going back.
“Sergeant.” The police officer jerked his head around, responding to the authority in Bram’s tone. “Get your men off site. Information blackout.”
“Says who?”
Thais pulled a folded bundle of papers out of her vest and tossed them toward the guy. The sergeant caught them as the door of the penthouse was opened and Kagan’s men started pouring in. They were all dressed in black, most of them wearing face shields to protect their identities. The only thing that was evident was the Shadow Ops badges on their belts.
“This is my jurisdiction,” the sergeant insisted.
Bram stepped up to square off with the guy. “No, it isn’t. Because this never happened. Handle your men or I will.”
The cop was pissed but he shut his jaw, recognizing the determination in Bram and the fact that Bram was trying to let him maintain command of his own people.
“You’re not the only man who’s served his time.” The cop sent Bram a look full of promise before he whistled and made a wrap-it-up gesture with his hand. His men were slow to respon
d, torn between a command from a man they were accustomed to answering to and the body lying on the floor.
The sergeant settled the matter by turning around and clearing out of the penthouse. His men followed as Jaelyn gave a little grunt of approval. The clean-up team knew their job well, beginning the task of erasing every last bit of evidence from the scene. Jaelyn watched them take the chain and collar she’d been forced to wear and put it into a dark tub. She looked past it to where her captor was being rolled over and lifted into a body bag. The sound of the zipper was like nails grating on a chalkboard. She shuddered and clasped the jacket tightly against her body.
“If no one minds … I would really like to go home.”
* * *
Gideon’s penthouse was being cleared in record time.
Ricky snickered, enjoying the way the cops argued but ended up on the way down to their cars.
Fuck, there were a few things he could get to like about the Shadow Ops teams. It must be a blast to be one of their number.
That thought sobered him.
Tyler Martin had promised him a position that came with authority. There were always men who needed their dirty work done. Men running for president were often among their number. Carl Davis had Tyler Martin and Tyler had brought Ricky on board.
Right before dumping Ricky in a Mexican prison after it was all over.
Shit but he hated a man who welshed on his bargain. Maybe Ricky was a murdering son of a whore but hell, he keeps his word. And he didn’t lie about what he was, unlike Tyler Martin in his suit and tie, standing there beside Carl Davis as they smiled and acted like great guys for the benefit of the cameras.
They were just as dirty as he was.
More so, because they were the ones who hired him.
In the end, he was just another man trying to survive, using the skills he had.
Gideon would never know what he’d been a part of. Ricky watched as his body was bagged and the blood cleaned up. The job wasn’t finished until even the tile was jackhammered up and bagged. The penthouse was left with stripped dry wall and bare floors as every last bit of surface area was cleaned. The local cops wouldn’t find a shred of blood left to support their claims of a murder happening.
Through it all, Bram Magnus kept watch.
And Sullivan watched him.
Soon, he’d lead Ricky right to the nest. That place where Saxon Hale and his team were dug in and calling home. Sure, Hale and his team hadn’t double-crossed him but they’d been the reason Tyler Martin hamstrung him.
Ricky might not have a lot of virtues but no one crossed a Sullivan or got the best of one.
* * *
Jaelyn got out of the car the second she could and ran across the lawn of her grandfather’s house.
“I can take the heat,” Dare Servant said as he moved up beside Bram. “They can aim their frustration toward me.”
Jaelyn nearly toppled her grandfather as she threw herself at him, locking her arms around him. LeAnn was only a half step away from them both. Bram could see her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
“You don’t have to be the bad guy,” Dare continued. “Might be better all the way around if they think you’re on their side.”
Bram knew what his fellow agent was referring to. Behind the little group having a much deserved family reunion was a house. One which had blossomed into a home with the help of the family living inside its walls. Honestly, he realized that was one of the reasons he’d stuck around LeAnn so long. His own childhood was a list of assignments as his father served his country.
There was part of him that understood why it hadn’t really bothered him to not have a badge yet. Dare was ready to take the heat without flinching because it was part of how the teams operated. LeAnn was a minor celebrity. Her cheerleading team had leaked the information of her sister being missing. They’d found Jaelyn but nothing came without a price.
He’d used the team and had to cover their tracks.
“Anyone home?” Dare asked.
“Yes,” Bram answered. “And no, I don’t need you to tell them. I made the call to bring you and Thais in, so I’ll be the one to drop the bomb on resettlement being a necessity.”
He’d be a fucking coward if he didn’t.
“I’ll check the details of our departure,” Dare offered. There wasn’t a whole lot of empathy in his tone. It was part of the job, part of making sure Shadow Ops teams remained unknown.
Not that Bram expected anything else. No, Dare Servant was a seasoned agent. One who loved his job. Men like Dare kept their attention on what mattered, which was the mission objective.
They’d achieved that.
Jaelyn finished hugging her sister as her grandfather ushered her through the front door. She looked toward Bram, their gazes locking.
Damn if he didn’t feel it as much as see it. She came toward him, her eyes filling with uncertainty as he didn’t relax.
Jaelyn didn’t stop. She drew in a deep breath and kept coming.
“Thank you.”
Her voice was full of relief and gratitude but what captivated him was the look in her eyes.
God, he wanted to be the man she saw him as.
“Thank you…” She turned and walked back toward the house.
Back toward the life he was going to have to tell her she had to leave.
“You know, Magnus, I like you and all,” Dare began as he pulled his shades off and tucked them into a pocket on his vest. “But are you fucking blind? You were dating the cheerleader?”
“It wasn’t dating. You think the life you’ve chosen mixes with a woman like Jaelyn?” Bram retorted. “I should have kept my hands off her. Gideon followed me here and it could have been worse. It could have been Tyler Martin.”
“Another good reason why we have to clear this family out of here. Martin might catch wind of this and your connection.” There was a ripping sound as Dare opened a pocket on his vest to pull out his cell phone. “Maybe you’re heading down the same road Saxon and Vitus did. There’s room at the nest for you and that little dove.”
“Even if I was interested in playing house, I doubt Jaelyn will be very happy about having me once I tell her she’s being relocated.”
She’ll be torn.
Deeply.
“And that it’s because a guy in my circle followed me to her grandfather’s doorstep.”
Dare shook his head. “Not my area of expertise. I just know how to get the bad guy.”
Jaelyn came into view through the kitchen window. She had no idea how dangerous it was to be seen.
He craved her.
Like a safe harbor.
All of the reasons why he shouldn’t give into those needs were going across his brain. He recognized the logic, agreed with it even, and still rejected the idea of parting ways with Jaelyn.
Not that it was going to be entirely his call.
No.
In fact, she just might hate him when he dropped the bomb on her grandfather about having to relocate. The house Milton Sondors had bought for his bride and watched two generations of his family grow up in was no longer safe.
It would be easier if she hated him.
Bram felt his chest tighten.
Fuck.
Bram shook his head. “I brought it here. So I’ll do the explaining.”
Dare nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements.”
* * *
She was going to be alright.
Jaelyn repeated the words a few times and then ordered herself to stop hiding in the bathroom.
She looked at the familiar tile and towels. Nowhere near as expensive or posh as the ones in Gideon’s penthouse.
But she preferred them so much more!
She dried off, feeling like her neck was going to snap because of how tense her muscles were.
Everyone was watching her.
Waiting for her to lose it …
Well, she had plans to disappoint them, but it was nothing personal.
&n
bsp; Actually, it was deeply personal. In fact, Jaelyn was pretty sure she’d never wanted to prove something more than she did at that moment. Keeping her wits together was a point of pride.
Intensely deep and important.
It was over.
And there was no way she was going to let Creepy take up residence in her thoughts.
Jaelyn moved toward the kitchen and realized the silence wasn’t in her head, it was in the house. She could hear the dishwasher chugging away while her grandfather sat at the dining room table.
“Grandpa?”
Milton Sondors jumped when she spoke to him. “I’m fine. Nothing to worry about.”
He’d never looked so old.
Her hair was wet and she was starving but there was a stillness in the house that had her looking at the members of Bram’s team.
Bram …
She was having trouble looking at him. He knew it, too. He was watching her from behind mirrored sunglasses, looking like it took a lot of effort for him to remain across the room from her.
Even behind shades, she got the feeling he saw more of her feelings than most people would. Did he know she was on edge? Of course he did. His lips were pressed into a hard line while she was hesitating in the hallway like some violated virgin.
Well, Creepy hadn’t gotten that far …
So there was no reason to be so uneasy. Jaelyn straightened her spine and moved forward.
If it didn’t kill her … it made her stronger …
Right.
“What’s going on?” she asked of Bram.
She caught a twist of distaste crossing Bram’s lips before he answered.
“Gideon wasn’t the driver at the hospital. He’s got an accomplice out there.”
Jaelyn nodded. “I heard the other guy, but never saw him.”
A chill went down her spine as a few key phrases rose from her memory like snakes in a swamp.
‘“I mean, I helped you with the bitch because I wanted to tap her pussy,”
No, she refused to think about it.
But Bram noticed. His eyes flashed with knowledge as Jaelyn fought to control her emotions.
“You all need to be relocated and placed in new identities.” He paused for a moment as his words cut her to the bone.
But at least it was a distraction. “Which means what?”
