Tempting Marcus (Mercenary Heat Book 1)

by Jan Graham

  It was a dance they engaged in at every meeting. Goodchild didn’t trust Marcus because he knew too much about the secretly run operations of the government. Marcus didn’t trust Goodchild because the man had the ability to hang, draw, and quarter him if he decided he needed a mercenary scapegoat should a mission fail, and or become public knowledge. That’s why Marcus ensured his missions didn’t fail.

  “Tokyo police have moved in on Oshimara’s organization,” the suit stated matter-of-factly. “Therefore, the mission is complete. I’ll need any transcripts you have from your man in Tokyo to pass onto the criminal division over there. So, job well done. Payment is in the case as usual.”

  Marcus let out an exasperated sigh. They were going to do the information dance yet again unless he could short-circuit it right now.

  “I know about the Tokyo raids.” Goodchild’s astonished expression indicated Marcus had his attention. “I knew the day it happened. I also hear Oshimara’s men are sitting in cells all over the city, but the main man has disappeared. I’m also aware the Australian contingent working for the Big O is still happily going about business. That doesn’t sound like mission complete to me.”

  Marcus watched as the suit adjusted his position, the leather of the chair giving a squeak as the man sat erect and crossed his legs. A frown fixed across Goodchild’s brow, and he pursed his lips. He wasn’t happy with Marcus’ knowledge of the situation, but with Beth firmly in the line of fire, Marcus didn’t give a shit. Goodchild cleared his throat.

  “The mission is complete,” the man’s voice was colder than an arctic breeze.

  “Be fucked it’s complete,” Marcus snapped. “I still have a guy on the inside, he’s with Oshimara’s Australian head as we speak, and the news from him isn’t good.”

  “I’m not interested in some low-level import-export goon. With Oshimara gone and the organization dismantled, we don’t have a problem here,” Goodchild spat back vehemently. “The kidnapping and sale of our women is over, Marcus. So, as I said… mission complete.”

  Marcus picked up the case near his seat and slammed it on the desk, pushing it toward Goodchild.

  “It’s over when I say it is, and I say it’s not over yet,” he growled.

  Goodchild scowled at him, sitting forward, silently pushing the case back across the desk, maintaining a fierce stare as he did. Marcus smirked. Albert didn’t have any idea what he knew, and the look on his face would be classic once Marcus revealed his trump card.

  “If you shut me down now and ignore the Australian connections, you put the lives of seven women, including one of my operatives, currently targeted for collection in danger,” Marcus stated, his calm returning, knowing he’d soon have Goodchild over a barrel. “The contract I have with you was to take down both ends of the organization. International and Domestic.”

  Goodchild frowned at Marcus’ announcement that seven women were currently targets and in imminent danger. Marcus knew he wouldn’t allow that. If nothing else, Goodchild agreed with him on sparing innocent lives, particularly the female variety.

  “I know what we agreed. However, with the organization in shambles, there isn’t a trade route left.” The frown remained firmly fixed on Albert’s brow. “Are you sure these women remain in danger?”

  Marcus retrieved his cell phone, flicking to the voice recording Nik sent him earlier in the day. Luckily for Marcus, the voices were crystal clear. The recording of the meeting Nik and Charlton had would provide enough damning evidence for the feds to continue with the Aussie leg of the mission.

  Goodchild paled when the recording began, his demeanor and expression changing as it became clear that Nigel Charlton wasn’t merely a low-level goon as he’d first described him. Albert's face flushed, reddening as the conversation proceeded. His hands clenched into fists against the desk, his breath turning to forcefully exhaled puffs.

  “That lousy son-of-a-bitch. He’s planning to take over the trade?” Albert’s raised voice reverberated around the room. “Over. My. Dead. Fucking. Body. I have a mind to order a hit on him and just be done with this entire mess.”

  A hit would suit Marcus. It would solve all his problems. One bullet delivered swiftly to Charlton’s head. Bethany safe, no danger to the other six women, Nik able to return home permanently and heal from his time undercover, his team able to move on to a new venture. The perfect and speedy end to a mission that was taking its toll on everyone he cared about.

  Marcus remained silent as Goodchild continued to glare at the smartphone as if it was the enemy rather than the criminal in the recording.

  “In case you’re unclear, I didn’t order a hit on this asshole.” The man’s anger appeared to be ebbing. “Okay, then. I’m happy for you to go ahead with the purchase if you can assure me you’ll keep it under Australian jurisdiction. I want this group taken down before they can regroup and make international inroads.”

  Marcus almost grinned. He could certainly guarantee any actions remained on Australian soil. After all, as Charlton stated in the recording, that would be preferable to him. It would be preferable for all of them. Especially Beth because once they grabbed her, she’d spend the smallest amount of time with Charlton and his men. Nik would be able to ensure her safety, especially if he informed Charlton his international contacts were running scared, and he couldn’t broker any other deals. The feds would get all the information Marcus had on the international operation, documenting Charlton’s involvement as well as the evidence of Bethany’s kidnapping and her sale on Aussie soil. Charlton wouldn’t have a leg to stand on, he’d go down for a very long time, plus lose all his assets under Australia’s proceeds of crime legislation.

  “I assume you want assurances before you give the final go ahead?” Marcus asked.

  A grim-faced Albert Goodchild gave a single nod. His complexion having returned to the non-aggressive state it had been prior to hearing the recording.

  Marcus retrieved a second cell from his jacket, found the number he required, and hit call. He flicked the speaker button on before placing the cell on the desk near his personal phone which he set to record. Goodchild frowned skeptically as the cell phone rang for an extended period before Nigel Charlton finally answered.

  “Mr. Belvoir, how good of you to return my call.” Goodchild raised an eyebrow and smirked as Charlton addressed Marcus by his chosen undercover name for the mission.

  He’d decided to take on his friend, Adrian’s last name because it suited his needs. Belvoir was known internationally as a recluse who no one saw—a wealthy businessman who kept to himself and stayed hidden. For the purposes of this mission, to have an established identity people could verify made his job easy. It wasn’t a great leap of imagination to accept Mr. Belvoir would require a female companion, one he was willing to pay for who would be as anonymous as him.

  “I’m hoping you have good news for me, Nigel. Have you managed to secure my girl yet?” Marcus kept his tone light, almost friendly, not wanting to alert Nigel to the fact he was aware of the situation with Oshimara. Nigel was his contact now, what was taking place in Tokyo wouldn’t be on a prospective purchasers’ radar.

  “Not yet, there’s been a few unexpected business issues in Tokyo which have delayed collection.” A slight nervousness edged into Nigel’s tone. Marcus glanced at Goodchild who sneered in reply. He’d sensed it as well.

  “Nothing of consequence, I hope,” Marcus stated. “I’m looking forward to receiving my new acquisition as quickly as possible.”

  “Well, as a matter of fact, the operation in Tokyo is down, albeit temporarily,” Nigel replied. “As you’re aware, there are legalities we circumvent to provide this service to our customers, and unfortunately, those legal issues have forced the shutdown of services in Japan.”

  “Which means what for me, Charlton?” Marcus allowed a hint of annoyance into his tone. “Are you telling me there will be a delay or attempting to soothe me, so you can tell me the order is canceled?”

  “N
o, nothing of the sort. The order will go ahead as planned. I’m taking over from Mr. Oshimara, and logistics are currently in place now to ensure your girl is ready for delivery ASAP. Unfortunately, I can’t give you a firm delivery date. Unless…” Charlton paused, Marcus assuming it was for dramatic effect. In fact, all it did was piss him off, and Marcus didn’t hold back in letting it show.

  “Unless what man? I want that woman. You said there’d be no issue. Oshimara assured me you were one of his more competent employees. All these excuses are beginning to make me think otherwise.”

  “Unless we can do the deal here. You can have the girl by the end of the week if we arrange payment and collection here rather than overseas,” Nigel stammered quickly. “Given the Oshimara accounts are frozen, payment will be made to me. I can document her sale as antiquities. Given the dollar amount you’re paying, it’s the only acceptable sales option for her. As you can understand, to cover both of us, the paperwork needs to look legit. So, if you’re happy to proceed, I can organize everything from here and contact you with payment and delivery details as soon as I have them.”

  Marcus glanced at Goodchild who now sat back in his oversized chair with a permanent grin on his face. The man nodded once, and Marcus confirmed the deal.

  “I look forward to hearing back from you, Nigel,” Marcus stated before ending the call.

  Done. They were back on track. With any luck, the mission would conclude within the week, minus the finalizing of paperwork, of course. After that, he’d decide if a permanent relationship was possible with Beth.

  * * * *

  She needed to get her head together. It wasn’t like her job at the Dungeon was taxing, yet she’d managed to stuff up more orders than a first-day trainee on this shift. Beth blamed Marcus. Yes, it was fantastic that he’d finally made his move and taken her to his bed. Four years of flirting and sexual innuendo on her part had finally paid off, but now she couldn’t concentrate. Losing focus now was a dangerous matter, especially with the mission heating up.

  “I might send you home early.” Zane, her minder for the hours she spent at The Dungeon, appeared at the side of the bar.

  “Why? I’m fine. Just a little flustered today,” Bethany snapped.

  Flustered wasn’t the right word, she remained preoccupied with thoughts of Marcus. Had he slept with her because he wanted to or because he believed he might not get another chance if the mission went wrong? He clearly knew more about the men running the Australian leg of Oshimara’s trafficking organization than he let on. How had he described them? More dangerous than anticipated. Marcus anticipated everything there was to know about a mission, and he rarely left any possibilities out. For him to underestimate the danger was an admission she’d never expected to hear.

  “A little flustered can get a girl killed.” Zane stared at her intently. “Have you noticed anyone watching you? Seen anyone on your tail on the way to work. Are you with the program or just letting Ash and me look out for you? Two sets of eyes are better than one in situations like this, Beth. Tell me you’re okay.”

  He was right. She couldn’t just rely on Ash and Zane to watch out for the moment of her kidnapping. At least she’d be authentically surprised when it happened, but that wasn’t the point. She needed to be alert. Take in intel about the who, when, where, and how her abductors captured her. It was her role to not only play the victim but remember the details. What they transported her in, how far she traveled, the destination. She was the details girl. It was the thing Marcus originally employed her for. It was her job. She’d never been the pivotal person in a mission before, and its success or failure depended on her. God, someone was going to kidnap her, for real. She might know it was all a setup, but the men employed to grab her didn’t. Until recently, the knowledge of the abduction hadn’t played on her mind. Now it did, and she didn’t know why.

  “I know I’m a little off. It’s just becoming a bit too real, Zane,” she willingly confessed. “I can do it though, don’t worry. I won’t let anyone down.”

  It wasn’t just Marcus and the team she envisaged as she said the words. According to the information Nik passed on, the risk to all six women targeted with her was high. She’d have to ensure not only her safety but theirs. Beth knew she could look after herself, and Marcus had measures in place for her not to be used or harmed. The other women didn’t have that protection. The stakes were getting higher with each day that passed, and that scared her.

  “We won’t let you down either, sweetheart. We’ve got your back even on the rough days,” Zane smiled. “I’ve called Ash, you can still go home early. The inventory loss for today is high enough. One more dropped bottle of my top shelf Bourbon will have the accountant asking too many questions.”

  Beth laughed. Her distraction had taken out more than one bottle of liquor today, in fact, she’d annihilated the entire top shelf as it came crashing down while cleaning. She did get a raucous round of applause and sporadic laughter from the patrons sitting nearby, so the entertainment factor probably counted for something. Still, leaving early sounded good. In fact, it might just work in her favor.

  The place she did her best thinking was at home. In the Highlands. Wandering around her parent’s rural property always calmed her mind, bringing clarity to any problem she encountered. Problem was, to achieve the state of peace she required to get her mind back in the game, she needed to be alone which meant one thing. She needed to lose not only Ash but her possible abductors as well. Under normal circumstances, a team member would announce they were going off-grid, but Beth didn’t have that luxury. The answer from Marcus would be a firm no. He’d already helped her do it once because of her father’s accident. He wouldn’t do it so she could wander around and have a think.

  No, this time she was on her own. She’d deal with the consequences on her return.

  * * * *

  Marcus envisaged one of those old cartoons where characters went red in the face and expelled steam from their ears when they were angry. If he were in a cartoon, then that’s how he’d look right now.

  “As if the week hasn’t gone badly enough, now you’re telling me Beth’s disappeared.” Marcus knew his irritation showed, but he didn’t try to rein it in.

  “She g-gave Ash the slip earlier today, and we still h-haven’t found her.” Billy stuttered uncharacteristically.

  God, he must look furious. Marcus drew in a deep breath and held it momentarily.

  “Cell phone triangulation isn’t giving us anything, so either she’s turned her phone off or someone else has,” Ash added, appearing as annoyed as Marcus felt. Perhaps it was the double dose of testosterone filled anger that had Billy stammering over herself. “Zane said she wasn’t herself at work today and when he quizzed her, Beth admitted she was edgy about the mission. All too real were the words Zane said she used.”

  Damn it. She should have come to him. But then, why would she, he’d probably have fucked her again thinking that would fix the world?

  Marcus finally nails the woman of his dreams regardless of the consequences. The thought wouldn’t abate.

  This was why he liked to keep work and sex separate. He’d accused Beth of dropping the ball when she didn’t notice she was under surveillance. Marcus had dropped the ball the moment he’d taken her to his bed.

  If he’d kept things separate, stayed at a distance, this wouldn’t have happened. He should have noticed the pressure building for her. This was her first lead mission. Of course, it would become real. Unlike him, Beth hadn’t developed a robot mode where nothing phased you about the details of a job. You trusted everything would go to plan, knowing the details were exact, carefully planned with no room for error. He’d missed it because of his own selfishness. He’d wanted Beth now, the sweet loving woman who tempted and teased him with her sexually flirtatious ways. He didn’t want to risk missing out on the woman he loved, worried she’d return from this mission changed. He wanted her unsullied by the evil she was about to encounter and the
possible damage this mission would cause.

  Marcus knew he wasn’t being overly dramatic about his fears for Beth. In this business, missions changed a person. He’d seen it happen with each of his men. Hell, he knew it had happened to him. Years of dealing with the depraved end of society had an effect. His men became hardened, cynical, jaded. And in the case of Nik, possibly about to go over the edge for good.

  Sometimes it took years for the change to take effect. Other times it happened on the first or second mission. So, he’d selfishly taken Beth before she became polluted by the serious end of their work. The face-to-face dealings with the men and women she’d not previously encountered. Those he’d intentionally shielded her from. It was that criminal contact that changed you, not the surveillance and investigation Beth previously performed. Not that her changing would make him love her any less. And yes, he did love her. What he didn’t know was whether the feelings she held for him would diminish along with each mission.

  “What else don’t we know?” Marcus questioned sarcastically, glancing casually at Billy before fixing Ash with his firm stare.

  The last thing they needed was Billy too perturbed to work because he was giving off a rapidly fluctuating aura or some mumbo-jumbo shit. Mercifully, she continued to tap frantically at her keyboard and basically ignore him. She was like that. If he was in a mood, she simply didn’t acknowledge his angry demeanor or presence unless she needed to. It was a scenario that kept them both happy and focused.

  “We don’t know if she’s been taken or just wandered off for some space. Nik reports that they’ve been ordered to capture her within the next forty-eight hours. Putting the timeframe in place, I believe she took off prior to that order, so we can assume, for whatever reason, she’s taken an unauthorized time out,” Ash replied.