by LENA DIAZ,
The voices were unfamiliar. Not Stefano then. The men shoved her against the building. Tears of anger pricked her eyes as the needle bit into her neck. Her body went limp. She fell into a dark void.
JACE STRUGGLED THROUGH layers of darkness, trying to open his heavy eyelids.
“He’s coming around. But she should have been alert by now. I told you not to dose her too heavily. How much did you give her?”
That voice sounded familiar. Was the man talking about Melissa? He remembered lying there, writhing in pain, helpless to stop them as one of them shoved a needle into her neck. Why couldn’t he open his eyes? Had he and Melissa both been drugged?
“I found this in his car. Might explain why she’s so groggy.”
A clacking noise, like maracas. Or maybe . . . someone tossing a bottle of pills?
“Painkillers. You’re probably right. Use the smelling salts.”
A moan sounded from somewhere nearby, then a startled yelp.
Was that Mel? Damn it. Open your eyes, Atwell. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog in his brain.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on there, Miss Cardenas. Careful, or you’ll start bleeding again. Settle down.”
Bleeding again? What the hell? Jace’s eyes flew open. He blinked at the light, trying to focus. Standing directly in front of him was Mason Hunt. To Mason’s right were Devlin and Ramsey, who was wearing his usual NASCAR-themed T-shirt and bearing some purple-and-black bruises on his face but who otherwise seemed okay. Austin took up a position in the corner, looking bored as he balanced his wheelchair on two wheels.
Jace cursed at Mason, but there wasn’t much point with a gag in his mouth and tape over that. He tried to get up, but his arms and legs were roped to the chair he was sitting in. He scanned the room, searching for Melissa. Relief flashed through him when he saw her, sitting about ten feet away on his right, apparently unharmed.
Like him, she was restrained, but only by a pair of handcuffs on one wrist. And she was sitting in a plush recliner, with her injured arm propped on a pillow. She wasn’t gagged, either. But those small allowances for her comfort didn’t mean that she wasn’t in trouble. It all depended on why Mason had brought them here, wherever “here” was.
Based on the lack of windows, the concrete-block walls, and concrete floors, they were probably in a basement, albeit a warm, comfortable one. Couches and recliners were scattered around the room, and enough cots lined the walls to accommodate a small army: or a handful of former enforcers calling themselves Equalizers. And judging by the unique gray-mesh texture covering the walls, the ceiling, and even the floor, Jace was 99 percent sure he knew exactly where they were: the Equalizer’s home base. But in the floor below the one he’d been in last time. That explained the elevator.
He glared his displeasure at his former associates, putting special emphasis on silently communicating his loathing to the man he figured was the ringleader in all of this—Mason Hunt.
Mason seemed unimpressed with his glares and crossed in front of Melissa, with Devlin and Ramsey following and standing off to his side. “Miss Cardenas, do you know who I am?”
She looked over at Jace as if asking whether she should say anything. But he had no way of telling her what to say, and he wasn’t sure what to tell her even if he could. He thought that he’d known these men, that he could trust them. But they’d turned their backs on him when he needed them. So now he had no way of being sure what their agenda was, or what they planned to do. All he could offer her was a shrug.
“Miss Cardenas?” Mason prodded.
She pinned him with a haughty stare. “Based on your voice, I’d say that you’re the jerk who stuck me with a needle back at the motel. As for the rest of you . . .” Her brows raised as she looked them over. “The men standing by you are Ramsey Tate and Devlin Buchanan.” She nodded in greeting and they shifted uncomfortably, as if embarrassed at their current role.
“Ramsey and Devlin used to work for me,” she continued. “They were tour guides for EXIT. And then they disappeared last year. I’m glad to see you’re both okay, gentlemen. A little notice would have been nice. Or a call so that I knew you were even alive. But then again, I gather you were never really tour guides were you? You probably worked for my father the entire time, as assassins.”
Mason cleared his throat, regaining her attention. “What about me? I’m sure Jace told you who I am.” He waved toward Austin who was still in the corner. “And him, too.”
“No. Jace didn’t tell me about any of you.” She motioned toward the far wall, where the corkboards from her house were propped up. “But you obviously broke into my home. And since you’re associating with Devlin and Ramsey, I assume your name is under the heading ‘Enemies’ like theirs are. Therefore, either you’re Mason Hunt, or the gentleman in the wheelchair is. I really couldn’t say. I’d apologize for that, but it wouldn’t be sincere. So I won’t bother.”
The disdain in her voice had Jace smiling against his gag. He took a quick inventory of their surroundings while everyone else was preoccupied watching Melissa and Mason. From his vantage point, he didn’t see any exits. But based on the pistols the other men had strapped to their belts, even if he wasn’t tied up, trying to fight his way to freedom might not be the wisest course of action. When he spotted the Taser holstered on Ramsey’s thigh, he swore against the gag in his mouth.
Mason crouched in front of Melissa. “You expect me to believe that you put those boards together without Jace’s help?”
She rolled her eyes.
Undaunted, he said, “Obviously, someone has told you about the enforcement side of EXIT or you wouldn’t have said anything to Ramsey and Devlin about their being assassins. Was it your father? Or Jace?” He waited, but she still didn’t respond. “You expect me to believe that you really don’t know my name, or the name of the man in the corner?” He waved toward Austin. “You can quit these games. It’s obvious that Jace has shared information about our group with you.”
She shook her head as if he were a simpleton without the intellect to grasp what was right in front of him. “There’s no ‘obvious’ about it, Mister whatever-your-name-is. I’m not in league with my father. And Jace hasn’t said anything about any of you to me. Although, as I recall, he did try to call an old Navy friend to help us a few days ago. But his friend turned him down. Looking back, and based on what you just said, what’s obvious is that he probably called one of you for help. And since no one has helped us, I can tell you with absolutely no reservations that I don’t give a damn what you believe about me or Jace. Because you aren’t the kind of man who stands behind a friend in need. Instead, you abandon him. Which tells me everything I need to know about your appalling lack of character.”
Mason’s brows shot up.
Jace chuckled against his gag. If he could have raised his hands, he would have applauded.
“We didn’t abandon him, ma’am,” Mason insisted.
“Really? Because from where I sit, you not only abandoned him, you’ve completely turned against him. Whatever ‘honor’ you might have had when you started this little band of merry men is long gone. You’re no better than my father and that Council of his. What I want to know is why you bothered to show up now? If you’ve come to help us”—she rattled her handcuff—“you have an odd way of showing it. And you can also forget it. Jace and I have survived this long on our own. We’ll continue to do just fine without your interference.” She stared at a spot over Mason’s head, effectively dismissing him as if he were a speck of lint she’d brushed off her jacket and had already forgotten.
Mason slowly straightened and scratched the stubble on his chin. He looked a bit dazed, as if he didn’t know what to do next. Devlin, who was now leaning against the far wall, shook his head as if he thought Mason was losing it. Ramsey appeared to be struggling not to smile. And Austin didn’t even bother to hide his amusement. He laughed, then dropped the front wheels of his chair to the floor and wheeled over beside Melissa, t
urning around to face the others as if the two of them were the best of friends.
“Any idiot can see that she’s telling the truth,” Austin said. “And those corkboards just confirm what Jace already told you on the phone. Plus, if he was trying to conceal anything, he wouldn’t have tried to call us so many times.” He looked at Jace. “My computer-genius brother back in Savannah remotely rigged the phones to make it seem like the numbers had been disconnected, but they logged every time you tried to reach us.”
Jace gave him a curt nod to let him know he appreciated Austin’s support and his show of solidarity with Melissa.
Pushing off the wall, Devlin strode up beside Mason again. “Enough. Austin’s right. Anyone can see that Miss Cardenas isn’t lying. And with all hell breaking loose over the past few days, seems to me that these two are in the perfect position to shed some light on that, if we give them a chance. And with two Council members down, we don’t have time to waste on a useless debate.”
Devlin waved toward Melissa. “Based on that bullet hole she’s sporting, it’s clear she’s not in EXIT’s good graces. And she fought like hell to help Jace at the motel. The clock is ticking. We need to get all of this sorted out fast before more innocent people die. And that, my friend, is the reason we started this merry band of brothers in the first place.”
“She’s our enemy’s daughter,” Mason reminded him.
“And I used to be the biggest, badass enforcer out there, the one tasked with eliminating rogue enforcers—like you. And yet you trust me now.”
Mason’s jaw tightened.
Devlin motioned to Austin. “Take the cuffs off her.” He stepped past Mason, stopped in front of Jace’s chair, and yanked off the duct tape over his mouth.
Jace spit out the rag and thanked Devlin as he went to work on his bindings. Melissa’s surprise was obvious when Austin unlocked her handcuff. She rubbed her wrist, a flash of fear and vulnerability crossing her face before she composed herself again. She shot a questioning look at Jace, and he realized how terrified she must have been on the inside all this time, perhaps thinking they were both about to die. And yet, she’d shown none of that turmoil while Mason questioned her. Instead, she’d shown only courage and defiance.
Damn, he was proud of her.
“Are you okay?” he asked. Devlin had freed his legs but was still working on the ropes around his arms, so Jace couldn’t go to her yet even though it was killing him not to.
“Other than being confused, and really ticked off, I’m fine. The pain pill has finally kicked in.” She reached for Austin’s hand. “Thank you for taking the handcuff off.”
“Any time, especially if good ole’ Mace here doesn’t want me to.”
Mason shot him a sour look.
“How did you find us at that motel?” Jace asked.
“GPS,” Devlin said. “Ramsey stuck a locator under your bumper the first time you two met, just in case something like this happened, and we needed to find you.”
“Normally, I’d be fuming over that,” Jace said. “But in this case, I’m grateful. What made you decide to come looking for us after turning me away when I called?”
“We found out about the murdered Council members and cut our missions short to join up with Mason, who’d already come back to check on Ramsey. We started following up, trying to figure out what was going on. When we checked your apartment, we saw the files you’d gathered and realized you were still on the case even though Mason told you to drop it.”
“I made a vow,” Jace said.
Devlin nodded. “I know. I think that’s when the tide turned, when we realized you were still trying to bring EXIT down. Mason might seem hard, indifferent. Mainly, he’s just careful, and takes his job as coleader very seriously. He doesn’t want to put anyone at risk unless absolutely necessary. But those files had him wondering if maybe he’d judged you wrong.”
“Huh. Could have fooled me.”
Mason, who was standing a few feet from Devlin with his arms crossed, rolled his eyes but didn’t look at Jace.
“Yeah, well. We decided to break into Miss Cardenas’s house.” Devlin winced. “Those boards pretty much changed Mason’s opinion again, back the other way. He thought you were both colluding against us and that you’d told her about the Equalizers.”
“I didn’t—”
“I know. It all worked out.”
“Are you hungry?” Austin asked Melissa. “We have beer and pizza.”
“I don’t think—” she started to say.
“No,” Mason snapped. “She’s not hungry.”
“Actually, a beer sounds really good,” she said, taking obvious relish in goading the man who’d been grilling her with questions earlier.
“You got it. I’ll be back downstairs in a few minutes with all the goodies.” Austin whirled his chair around and rolled out of the room.
Mason threw his hands up. “I’ve lost control.”
“You never had it.” Ramsey chuckled behind him.
“This is ridiculous,” Mason said. “We can’t treat them like allies without interrogating them and figuring out whether we can trust them.”
Devlin gave Mason an exasperated look as he cut the last of Jace’s bindings. “You need to catch up with the rest of us. How long are you going to hold a grudge? You thought Jace betrayed us, that he broke his vow. You were wrong. And based on the way he’s been glaring daggers at you, I suggest you be extremely polite to Miss Cardenas from here on out. Maybe you should take the elevator up with Austin and help him get the pizza to give Jace some time to cool off.”
Mason stood with his legs braced apart, narrowing his eyes as if he dared Jace to approach him.
“Suit yourself,” Devlin said. “And, hey, Ramsey?”
“Yeah, man?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, Jace has been eyeing that Taser of yours. You’d better watch your back, or you’ll be the next one to take a five-second ride on that thing.”
Ramsey’s startled gaze shot to Jace.
Jace slowly smiled and rose to his feet.
“I, uh, think I’ll help Austin.” Ramsey hurried out of the room.
Chapter Eighteen
Melissa sat on a folding chair in the basement of these men’s headquarters, mostly a group of former enforcers who’d turned rogue against EXIT and now called themselves Equalizers. She half expected them to whip out capes like a bunch of superheroes.
She sat beside Jace and the others at the makeshift table—a piece of plywood thrown over some boxes—while they ate pepperoni pizza and nursed ice-cold bottles of beer. It was nice not to be handcuffed anymore, and to be treated as a guest instead of a prisoner. But after an initial discussion about how this house had been retrofitted to make it into a base of operations, the conversations had splintered off into groups that did not include her. Even Jace was ignoring her.
She could only make out a few words here and there of his conversation. He had his back to her as he spoke to the man beside him, a man she automatically liked because he’d ordered her cuffs removed—Devlin Buchanan. Across from her, Mason and Ramsey were in an equally intense, hushed conversation.
The only person not ignoring her was Austin, and he was mostly occupied scarfing down pizza and staring at her as if he were trying to figure something out. He chased the last bite of his second slice, or maybe his third, with a deep swig of beer, then pitched his paper plate onto the table in her direction. “Hey, Mel, toss another slice on there, will ya?”
Jace looked over his shoulder, arching a brow at Austin. “Mel?”
“I don’t mind,” she assured him. At least someone was talking to her. She was beginning to feel like the invisible woman. She plopped a piece of pizza on the plate before sliding it back to Austin. “Mel sounds a lot friendlier than being called Miss Cardenas all night. Or my personal favorite, our enemy’s daughter.”
She aimed that remark in Mason’s direction. He paused midsentence and frowned. Perhaps she wasn’t as in
visible as she’d thought. But he obviously wasn’t ready to cross to the dark side to be friendly with her. Without responding to her jab, or even looking at her, he started up his discussion with Ramsey again.
Beside her, she heard Jace say, “Council.” And a moment later “Cyprian.” She fisted one hand on the table, the other in her lap.
“You’re an only child aren’t you?” Austin shoved his plate aside, apparently deciding he didn’t want that last slice after all. He waved toward the others. “I can tell you aren’t used to this. I’m the youngest of five, and this happened all the time growing up. Hell, it still does. I was usually odd man out. Sucks, doesn’t it?”
She smiled. “Yeah. It kind of does. And since my brothers died when I was too young to really remember them, I guess you could say I am an only child.”
He winced. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. You didn’t know. Five, huh? I can’t imagine. What was that like?”
“Noise and chaos.” He shrugged. “But you get used to it. And you get used to being alone even when surrounded by others. If you know what I mean.”
She shot an aggravated glance at Jace’s back. “I’m beginning to.”
“Here, this is how you get their attention.” Austin jabbed his elbow into Mason’s ribs. Mason jerked around, looking like he wanted to slug him, but he hesitated.
Austin winked at Melissa. “One of the few benefits of being in this thing.” He thumped his wheelchair. “I can do pretty much what I want without fear of retribution because of the guilt factor.”
“No guilt here,” Mason argued. “A pipsqueak like you just isn’t enough of a challenge.”
Austin shoved him, hard.
Mason shoved back, equally hard.
Melissa half rose from her seat, thinking to intervene, when both of them laughed and called each other crude words. Men. She relaxed back onto her chair.
Jace turned around and clapped his hands, gaining everyone’s attention. “I think we’ve had our sidebars long enough. We’ve pretty much got our plan of attack set.”
