Chapter Twenty-Six
He watched the footage on the card he’d retrieved from the body as he sat in his car in the parking lot of the state building. Pamela hadn’t taken this, but Westmore had. The son of a bitch had become a snitch for agent Crandall when she’d connected Westmore and Pam to the deaths of those kids.
It was a good thing for him she’d been deep undercover and demanding proof of Westmore’s accusations. He still wondered why he hadn’t just given it to her. The date stamp proved he’d had this the day Crandall had been killed.
Didn’t matter though. His ass was out of the fire unless that treacherous bitch had made copies. The Hatter’s people would get her soon enough, so he didn’t have to waste time finding out.
“Hey man.”
He casually hit a button to end the video. “What’s up Jansen? Making any headway?”
“I don’t think your sister was involved. At least we haven’t found any proof, and she hadn’t made any demands for immunity.”
He shrugged. “That tape—I don’t know, Pamela took our father’s disappearance hard. She might have been desperate for money to get out of town.”
“Probably,” Jansen said. “We’ve got enough to bust a dealer of The Hatter’s. We’re about to set it up. You want in? Your sister was dealing for him according to a witness.”
“Sure,” he said. “I’d love to see that bastard fry.” He climbed out of his car. “Thanks for the heads up.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
From behind her desk, Veda glanced at Blade who wore a smart pantsuit with her black hair braided neatly in a French plait. She looked like a true professional to Veda’s surprise.
She turned her gaze back to the laptop screen to study the figures before her to keep her mind from imagining the worst.
“Do you think the meeting is over?”
“More than likely,” she replied quietly from her position by the window. “If your woman was dead, you’d know. Ace wouldn’t have wasted any time coming by.”
She exhaled a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “Thanks.”
“Ace wants The Hatter, so things will happen pretty fast from here,” she said. “The meet was merely to get him off Sabrina’s back for the moment.”
“How bad is it?” she asked and turned her chair to face the woman who stood not too far from her.
Blade looked at her with those enigmatic brown eyes. “What do you mean? How bad is what?”
“This whole thing with The Hatter,” she said with a frown.
“It’s normal bad guys doing fucked up shit,” she answered with a shrug. “Nothing we haven’t seen or dealt with before.”
“Sabrina said she used to be a mercenary. Did you work with her?”
“We’re not buddies like she is with Ace, but yeah, and she’s not out of her element with this.”
“How’d you come to be working for them?”
“Same as most,” Blade told her but her face contorted into a mask of anger before that vanished as quickly as it came. “I needed a job but unlike Sabrina I never considered getting out.”
“Why?”
Blade gave her a smile. “I like what I do, baby girl,” she told her. “Besides, someone has to go into the dark corners of life. If we don’t who protects kids from pedophile parents who won’t let them go? Who protects rape victims from rapists the system can’t punish, and who stands between innocents when dictators take over small countries?”
Veda leaned back in her chair. “You do this to fight your demons,” she murmured, thinking of her own issues. Hers had been so petty compared to what these women must have had to deal with.
“Everyone of us has one or two personal bogeymen that bring us to the company, the job,” she admitted. “Don’t ask me about Sabrina because I don’t know her story. Even if I did I wouldn’t tell you.”
“You’d die for her?”
“Most of us would die for each other, ” Blade answered. “I’m here, ’cause I’d die for you too. Those that won’t, never get the jobs that will force them to choose.”
She swallowed tightly. Sabrina had lied to her. She had sisters, she had family. She wouldn’t hold that against her. She probably didn’t even think of those women that way.
“Thanks for answering my questions. I was just curious about Sabrina, and you’ve cleared some things up for me.”
“I don’t know how.”
She smiled. “I have a meeting in an hour.” Veda turned back to her desk and put together the file she’d need and downloaded it to the tablet she’d be taking with her. Then, she picked up her phone and dialed Sabrina’s number.
“Hey girl, what’s up?” Sabrina answered quietly. She heard a thread of tiredness in her voice.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Veda said and watched Blade head for the door. “Are you?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Are you and Blade getting along? I mean your father isn’t asking too many questions is he?”
“He’s worried about the cartel thing. He wants to hire me a bodyguard so I told him you’d done that. He’s glad Blade will be hanging out with me.”
“The feds talked to him?”
“Yeah. They talked to me in his presence. He was only going to worry, so I told him about Blade.”
“I’m glad you won’t have to lie to him.”
“Not about that,” she said. “He’s still bitching about my sexuality. He thinks I need a man to protect me. Then, maybe I’d fall for him.” She shuddered.
“Blade is better than most men but if you prefer a man then too bad,” Sabrina replied. “Blade stays. I trust her. I won’t know what he’s capable of.”
Veda smiled. “I told him you wanted to make things up to me. You know for getting me into this mess inadvertently.”
“You little brat,” she muttered but the words lacked sting.
“I can’t wait to see you tonight. I have something to show you.” She grinned, thinking about her surprise.
“Hmm. Should I make sure we’re alone?”
“That would be nice,” Veda murmured. “But not mandatory.”
Sabrina chuckled. “Misdirection? Okay, I’ll call your bluff, but I have to get back to work so I can leave by five.”
“I’ll see you then,” Veda said and ended the call with a giddy giggle. How could her life feel so right when danger swirled around her waiting to derail everything she’d always wanted?
She put her fingers to her lips. It doesn’t matter and it didn’t matter if this doesn’t last. She had Sabrina now, and she intended to enjoy every moment with her like it was her last.
****
The King of Clubs quickly strode into his office, his underarms were a little sweaty as he realized how close he was about to come to exposure. Trigger was a strong man, but he wouldn’t hesitate to give them all up if he was taken alive.
He waved to a co-worker in the white hallway and was careful to keep his footsteps as unhurried as possible. The operation was going to happen in a few hours and if he warned them too many people in the bureau would start looking at him and connecting some dots.
He wasn’t even sure Jansen didn’t already suspect him. The man had invited him into the case too easily.
The King of Clubs stepped into his office and let out a breath, glad his partner wasn’t present. The white walled room was like a box that barely contained the two desks and their guest chairs. There was no window which made him feel even more closed in.
He drew in a ragged breath. Time to cut some dead weight.
He pulled his business phone from his pants pocket and put in a call to his partner—the one that wouldn’t get cut out of this anyway.
“What’s up?”
“We’ve got to make a move.”
“I’ve already come to that conclusion. It was inevitable when Pamela and Wes were exposed. The Hatter is going out of his mind and talking about fleeing the country before shit really hits the fan.”
&nbs
p; “We can’t let that happen. We have to hand Grande over and make sure he gets assassinated on his way in.”
“Yeah, I know, but the question is how do we keep The Hatter in the country until we’re ready to dispose of him?” King of Clubs demanded.
“Don’t worry about that,” Black Jack replied. “You just hold up your end and I’ll take care of mine.”
“Trigger’s been exposed, and we have enough intel to bring Grande in. So get ready for the fireworks.”
“Get the party started, baby.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
At fifteen minutes after five, Sabrina headed out a happy woman. She’d hired a new photographer today and another reporter. So, all she had to do was finish the stories she’d started and let the new man handle the rest.
She’d been skeptical about hiring a straight man, but he came highly recommended from Atlanta. Despite that, she was having a background check run on him. She didn’t want to risk having a mole for the FBI or Hatter’s organization in her building.
Stepping out into the late afternoon sun, Sabrina’s heart thudded wildly at the prospect of spending the evening with Veda. She hadn’t wanted an affair let alone a woman like Veda, but now she was thinking this was definitely the start of something new.
Sabrina checked her car to make sure it hadn’t been tampered with before climbing in. Ace had decided it best they stayed at a safe house tonight, and she’d agreed, but this was more about Veda’s safety than her own.
She’d lived dark and dirty and expected to die that way. However, she didn’t want it to be anytime soon.
Her cell phone rang as she started the car. Sabrina plucked it from its holster and glanced at the display.
“What do you want, Charles?” she asked coldly.
“What do you want?” he asked. “I know you saw me there today, and I know you know I knew what Pam was involved in. So tell me how we can square this.”
“You can leave me alone,” she said in a hard tone.
“She said she saw you kill our father,” he said tightly. “She had proof and she’d never lie about that.”
“Why would she sit on it for years if she did?” Sabrina demanded. “More like your father walked away like my mother jumped off the stairs.”
Silence followed her words.
“I know you and Pam killed my mother,” she retorted. “I also have footage of the night he left. He was watching two of his friends use your sister. I have footage of him forcing me to play one of his little sex games too.”
“You’re lying.”
“You know what he liked,” she said silkily. “You knew damn well he wasn’t coming into my room after my mother died to comfort me. He married her to get to me and he said so many times and that night was no exception.”
“Sabrina you know that would ruin his name,” he snapped.
“And think about what that footage would do to yours and your career,” she said. “I made a copy, and I’m keeping it in a nice safe place with a mercenary who’ll make sure you hang if you come after me or my woman. Got it?”
“I got it,” he muttered.
“So, we call it even and both walk away with our lives.”
There was a brief silence and then he said, “Where’s my father buried? You know where your mother is.”
“I don’t know,” she said. Surely he didn’t think she was fool enough to confess over the phone. “I don’t even care. Anyway, your father left when he was finished with me. So I’m guessing what Pamela saw went to her grave with her.”
“Fine. I can’t bring him back anyway,” he muttered. “What was between us is done. You stay out of my life and I’ll stay out of yours.”
“Exactly,” she agreed icily.
“If we should happen to run into each other, and we might, pretend you don’t see me,” Charles said coldly.
“Same.”
He disconnected and she stared at her phone for a long moment wondering if she was wrong about him. He might have engineered retrieval of intel but that didn’t mean he was working for The Hatter.
Didn’t mean he wasn’t either.
****
Veda was prepared for not going home, but she was surprised when they pulled into a garage in the warehouse district. From the outside the place was an old brick with faded letters on one side. The spacious garage was well lit and two other vehicles were crammed inside.
Blade took her bag and led the way into a small entry and down a stone-tiled corridor to a large sitting room that could have once been a reception area. The peach and champagne palate provide a soft welcoming air and the scent of apple gave the place a homey feel.
“This doesn’t seem like Sabrina’s style,” she commented still taking in the well-appointed room.
“It’s a safe house,” Blade told her. “I’ll show you to your room.”
“Where’s Sabrina?”
“She got held up, but she’s on her way. You can relax and make yourself at home or worry.”
“Hi.”
She turned her head to take in a woman of average height in a pair of casual pants.
“I’m Kya. I’ll be keeping you company until Sabrina gets here. I’m part of your nighttime protection detail.”
“Hi.”
“I’ll be back later,” Blade told them. “Kya’s not me, but she’s capable.” Blade threw the other woman a look and Kya made a face before giving her the finger.
Blade grunted and headed out.
“Isn’t she a ray of sunshine,” Kya muttered. “I’ll show you where you’re sleeping.” She smiled.
Kya was an attractive woman with an infectious smile she couldn’t help returning. She followed the other woman from the room into the corridor. Her wolf growled and Veda glanced down the hall behind them.
“You don’t like Blade?” Veda asked distractedly as her wolf’s ethereal form took appeared next to her.
“As a lover, she’s attentive, but everyone’s a one-nighter,” she retorted. “If only I can stop thinking about her.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t touching that. She had terrible luck with women herself.
“She is good at her job though. And she’s right, better than me, but my specialty isn’t exactly death by fire arms or hand-to-hand combat.”
“What is it?” She had a feeling they were about to need it. Veda put her free hand to her stomach and centered herself.
She laughed. “I don’t know Sabrina that well, and I know—” Kya broke off when the lights suddenly started blinking. “Son of a bitch,” Kya muttered. “Someone’s bypassed the security. Move. We need to get to the control room.” She took off at a run and Veda followed her toward a staircase.
The lights went off and a jungle cat’s low growl made Veda stop where she was. She turned her head and nightglow eyes pierced the dimness. Her eyes widened as the big black animal leaped toward her.
The cat took her to the floor and she screamed.
“Oh, hell,” Kya cried and shots erupted through the room.
Veda didn’t see where Kya went, but she heard a hard male cry a moment later. Veda put her hands on the cat’s shoulders trying to push it off as it snarled and strained toward her.
“Off,” she muttered harnessing her magic but she didn’t throw it very far and the cat lunged for her.
Veda felt light-headed, dizzy even as she tried to move. A second later she was tangling with the cat whose snarls turned to growls as she sank her nails into its shoulder. She struggled with it, her strength surprising her and then they were rolling. She gave the cat a push and it came into a crouched as it stared at her.
She came into a crouch too and more shots rang out. She lunged at the same time the cat did and they collided in mid-air. A growl lit the air and then she was falling, warm wet on her fingers.
“Damn it,” Kya muttered and the wet sound of a hard hit turned her head in that direction.
Kya was sailing across the floor and two men were striding into the room.
“Where’s the fat girl?” a cold voice demanded of Kya. “Where is she?” He kicked her and she cried out and curled into a ball.
“Answer me!” he screamed and reached down to grab her by her hair. “Find her!”
They couldn’t see her?
Her magic was good but she hadn’t cast a cover spell. That kind of magic allowed a witch to hide in plain sight.
“You’re never going to find her,” Kya said and lunged forward. The flash of blade was brief but it hit its mark. She moved onto her knees as he tried to retreat. “Who sent you for her?”
He back-handed her and she drove her knee into his groin. He sank to the floor and she jerked the knife free.
“Who sent you? Tell me and I’ll finish you quick.”
“I’m already dead.”
The soundless footsteps and the metallic scent of something caught the wolf’s attention. The man coming up slowly behind Kya held a gun pointed right at the back of her head.
The wolf pounced, crunching bone in the knee before leaping up to take out the man’s throat.
Kya whipped around and let out a gasp as he fell. “Shit. Okay, Veda?” she whispered the last.
Veda tried to answer but couldn’t. Smoke suddenly filled the room.
“Let’s go. Where ever she is in here, she’ll die when the bombs go off.”
“Shit!” Kya got to her feet. “Veda!”
From behind Kya, the dying man rose and struck her over the back of her head. She collapsed and the man fell next to her.
“Get out,” he said.
“We’re dog meat coming back without that chick,” one of the others said as they raced from the room. “The King of Clubs will kill us.”
The wolf gripped Kya’s leg and dragged her toward the garage. An explosion wracked the house throwing the wolf against the nearest wall and a howl was ripped from her as the sound slammed into her eardrums and something pierced her side.
Fire raced along the walls and the wolf whine as it tried to right itself, but the pain made its stomach roil and blackness tugged at her. She tried to move but collapsed at Kya’s feet.
Burning for an Assassin Page 14
