Coveted Kiss (Savage Security Book 3)

by Karen Tjebben

  It was just the three of them in the room, but Hazeem faced a big mirror. He knew others were behind that mirror, observing him, judging him. He swallowed, the sound loud in his own ears.

  Suit interwove his fingers before him on the table and said, “Hello, Mr. James.” He gave a friendly nod, as if this situation wasn’t messed up. “May I call you Eric?”

  Hazeem couldn’t hide the sneer. Was Suit pretending to be friendly? He wouldn’t be manipulated that easily. “My name is Hazeem Ali,” he stated with all the boldness he could muster. “I demand a lawyer.”

  He wasn’t going to talk. His mission to destroy the men at Savage Security may have failed, but he would never betray his friends. They could still do damage to the Americans as long as they weren’t captured. He just needed to make sure they had time to set everything up.

  Suit pulled a pair of glasses out of his shirt pocket and set them low on his nose. “For the duration of our meeting, I will call you by your legal birth name, Eric James.” He leaned forward and scrutinized the paper in front of him. His finger tracked along the paper as he read. “Hmm,” he started. Pointing a long finger towards Eric’s shoulders he continued, “I hope your wounds heal nicely. You’ve been treated, correct?”

  His wounds? What the fuck! He’d been shot. Twice, by an angry SOB. “They dug two bullets out of me,” Hazeem fumed. The memory of the pain reignited the burning in his shoulders. It felt like they’d used dull spoons to retrieve the bullets. “And they weren’t careful about it either. It fucking hurt!” he sneered, spittle dotting the table. “You can’t hold me here. I’m an American.”

  A deep chuckle broke free from Wooly and iced the fiery blood that flowed through Hazeem. He turned to look at the beast of a man and noted the smirk. Wooly’s eyes were as dark as the fuzz that covered his body. He made Hazeem nervous. The man looked more beast-like than human. Hazeem had no doubt that Wooly would like to hurt him.

  Suit leaned back in his chair and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Well, that’s where we have a little problem. You see, you were injured during an act of terrorism. Setting bombs and attempting to murder a witness to your crime is damning. Your prints are all over the bombs, even the internal parts. It looks as if you not only planted the bombs, but you also assembled them. And I’m sure we’ll learn more about you as the days go by. But regardless, those actions alone are enough to null your right to a lawyer. You’ve been labeled an enemy combatant. We can hold you for as long as we deem necessary.”

  That couldn’t be true. Could it? Hazeem’s stomach roiled as acid churned his gut. When they’d removed the bullets, they’d taken his clothes and put him in an ugly, orange jumpsuit. He looked like a common criminal.

  “That’s not right,” Hazeem said stubbornly, shaking his head. “I need to call a lawyer.” They couldn’t question him without a lawyer. He fisted his hands and stared at the metal chains that bound him to the table. “You must let me call a lawyer,” he seethed, his eyes darting between Suit and Wooly.

  Suit took a deep breath and flipped the page. “It looks like you were shot at close range.” He looked up at Hazeem. “That must have hurt,” Suit stated as if relaying a comment concerning the weather.

  “No fucking shit!” Hazeem spit out. His heart pulsed with rage while his shoulders and arms throbbed in pain.

  Suit tsked-tsked Hazeem by moving his index finger back-and-forth. “That language isn’t necessary. It’s so crude. Let’s communicate like adults.” Suit’s eyes darted to Wooly and then landed again on Hazeem.

  Hazeem craned his head to see Wooly’s lips in a tight line across his face. Then, Wooly turned his dark eyes to Hazeem, and Wooly’s lips curved into a smile.

  Hazeem’s blood turned cold. He’d been around killers before, but they’d been on his side. He didn’t like being at the mercy of either of these two men. His gut told him that the old man was as dangerous as Wooly.

  Dr. Quinn tapped a finger on the paper and stared into Eric’s eyes. “I have some questions that I’d like you to answer.”

  Hazeem barked a laugh. “Go to hell!”

  Wooly chuckled. This was always the fun part. The bastards always acted so tough, but when it came down to it, they always caved. Pussies.

  Hazeem glared at Wooly. “What’s your problem?” he sneered. This was all wrong. They were violating his rights, but he was powerless to help himself. If they wanted his help, they weren’t going to get it by being asses.

  Wooly let out a laugh that humiliated Hazeem. “I don’t have a problem. I’m not the one in chains. But you,” he gave a slight shrug of his massive shoulders, “things aren’t looking too good for you.”

  Hazeem yanked his arms, as if the force would tear the chains free from the table. How long would they keep him here? He leaned forward over the table to get closer to the old man. “I’ll tell my story to the newspapers when I get out. You can’t treat American citizens like this.”

  “He’s cute,” Wooly said, throwing a thumb in Hazeem’s direction. “Can we keep him?” He knew it wasn’t professional to taunt the prisoner, but it was fun.

  Suit frowned at Wooly. “Ignore my partner,” Suit said. He knew how much Taylor enjoyed playing ‘bad cop’. “You do have some options. Let me spell them out for you.” Suit lifted his index finger and held it in the air. “I’m sure your shoulders hurt. I’ve been shot before, so I understand the fierce pain that’s courses through you. If you give us some information, we’ll give you some pain medication. I can assure you, we’ve got the good stuff.”

  Was he serious? “This is cruel and unusual punishment,” Hazeem screeched. “I demand some pain pills. This is torture!”

  Suit smiled. “Answers first.”

  Wooly realized it would be a long day. For an intelligent guy, Eric James, aka Hazeem Ali, was not thinking clearly. It appeared that he would make this as hard on himself as possible.

  3

  Cole Savage stood in the lobby of Savage Security and stared at the blood-stained carpet beside Bella’s desk. Blood droplets splattered the carpet in the hallway, and another puddle drenched a spot by the conference room table.

  He always knew the possibility of retaliation from jihadists was real, but he never expected Bella to be caught up in it. He’d done everything he could to keep his friends and family safe, but it hadn’t been enough. The only good thing that came out of this attack was Eric’s capture. Eric James, or Hazeem Ali as he called himself, was now with interrogators. Cole knew they’d get him to talk.

  Cole shook his head as he paced around the room. If Eric’s plan had succeeded, this section of the building would have been destroyed in the bombing and toppled the floors above it. The civilians who worked in the building would have been sucked into the vortex of vengeance as collateral damage. He didn’t think he could live with that. He had some serious decisions to make regarding Savage Security. It appeared he’d have to go hunting for a new headquarters.

  The cell phone vibrated on his hip. He checked the screen and saw Jack’s name. He tapped the screen and said, “Yeah.”

  Jack leaned back in Bella’s sofa and let his legs fall open in a relaxed position. “Hey, we’re at her place.”

  “She good?” Cole asked. He hated what had happened to Bella, but he was impressed by her will to live. He’d seen the video footage of the attack before Logan erased it. She was a fighter.

  Jack tilted his head and glanced down the hallway that led to her bedroom. “She’s sleeping. The drugs have knocked her out. I’m not sure how much of anything she’ll remember when she wakes up.”

  Cole wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse. If the police showed up, she needed to stick with the story they’d gone over. They didn’t need the police snooping around and learning about the bombs or Eric’s capture. Cole stared at the blood stain on the carpet. Earlier, they’d admitted to the police that Jack shot Eric in the shoulders, which was true, but they’d said that Eric fled and escaped while Jack tended to Bella,
which was not true.

  “I’ll come see her later,” Cole said. He wanted to see with his own eyes that she was okay. “Is there anything you need?”

  “No, I’ve got a bag in the truck. Any news on Eric?”

  “They’re interrogating him. We’ll see how long it takes. Hopefully they won’t cut us out of the loop.” Cole wanted in on this case. With their lives in the crosshairs, they deserved a chance to take part in any operation that would shut down the sleeper cell that hunted them. He hoped that Captain Wallace would agree.

  Jack nodded. He’d love to get his hands on Eric James. The bastard deserved to die for what he’d done to Bella, manipulating and using her to get at them. She was an innocent and didn’t deserve Eric’s vengeance. And who knew how many others he’d killed in his support of terrorism over the years. He was glad he’d put two bullets into the asshole. “How’s Logan?”

  Cole took in a deep breath. Logan had also suffered at the hands of Eric’s accomplice, Aditya Chopra. She’d manipulated Logan through a sexual relationship in order to destroy the men of Savage Security. Logan was unharmed, but his heart was broken. “He’s handling it,” Cole stated, thankful that he hadn’t lost another friend.

  Jack knew what that meant. Logan was forging his way through the shit storm that had rained down on him. He’d be fine, but it would take a while.

  “So, what’s the plan? At work?” Jack asked.

  “Mike’s on his way to Trellis for a quick meeting, and then he’ll head over to Logan’s to help clean up. Ryan and Tyson are on their way here. We’ll rip up the carpet and dispose of it.” Cole ran his hand through his shaggy brown hair. He knew it was a mess, probably sticking up and disheveled from all the times he’d raked his hand through the strands. He hadn’t slept at all since this happened. Adrenaline pumped through him and kept him going. Maybe he’d get to crash tonight by ten.

  “Let me know if you need anything,” Jack said. He glanced at the Christmas tree in the corner of the room. A few presents lay around it. He wondered what Bella’s plans for Christmas were. Did she need to get somewhere?

  “Will do,” Cole paused, “Oh, and Jack, Merry Christmas.”

  Jack snorted. This was par for the course. Christmas sucked. Had ever since his parent’s betrayal at Christmas all those years ago. They’d ripped the family apart and destroyed the happiest time of the year for him.

  “Thanks, you too,” Jack replied and disconnected the call. He stretched out and rested his head on the back of the sofa. He’d learned a long time ago to nap when he could.

  4

  Logan Murphy stood in the doorway of his home office. Blood and brain matter stained the carpet and splattered the wall. Even though he’d spent most of his time in the military behind a computer, he’d still seen his share of blood. But this, this was different. This was a personal attack that had nothing to do with war, at least not in his mind. He’d given his heart to Aditya. He’d trusted her and wanted to protect her, but she had other plans. She’d hunted them down and then focused on Logan. She was a vigilante murderess. What happened that turned her into a monster?

  He hadn’t seen it coming.

  He sighed, hating that a part of him was thankful to her. Instead of putting a bullet in his head, she’d put one in her own. He hadn’t had to make the decision to kill her, and he hadn’t had to die. He was alive.

  Staring at the blood, Logan knew he would have to rip up the carpet. There was no cleaning that mess. He’d have to wipe down the walls and repaint. Not something he wanted to do on his short Christmas break. The shooting was already on the news, so he needed to call his parents and let them know what happened and reassure them that he was safe. He’d also have to give them the disappointing news that he wouldn’t be spending Christmas with them. There was too much going on here, and he wouldn’t abandon his friends during this crisis.

  The police had been thorough in their questions. He hated talking about the intimate side of his relationship with Aditya. What was between them wasn’t anyone else’s business. And at this point, he didn’t know what had been between them. He’d been a fool to imagine that she cared about him when all she was doing was setting him up to die.

  He snorted a grunt and shook his head as he tried to pull himself out of the vortex of disbelief and self-flagellation that threatened to tear him to shreds. At least the police had ruled out murder. It was obvious that she’d killed herself. He was relieved that he didn’t have to worry about a murder trial. Thank God for lucky breaks.

  Mojo, Logan’s husky, brushed against Logan’s leg and licked his hand. Logan scratched the top of Mojo’s head. The familiar feel of Mojo’s course dog hair grounded him. “You’re a good boy,” Logan said. His voice sounded flat in his own ears, and he knew that Mojo could read his emotions.

  He was depressed. Sadness compressed his heart and left him feeling overwhelmed.

  Logan took a deep breath and decided to get something to drink from the kitchen. He was tired of looking at the bloody mess, the evidence of his failure. He should have realized who she was a lot sooner. Maybe he could have given her to Captain Wallace as an informant or turned her into a spy. Perhaps he could have saved her life.

  He needed to stop thinking about what could have been and how he could have changed things if he’d caught on sooner. She was dead, and he was alive. No amount of wishing things to be different changed the facts.

  He pulled open the refrigerator door and grabbed a water bottle. Unscrewing the cap, he downed half the bottle in a big chug. Leaning against the counter, he tapped on his cell screen and called his parents. Might as well get this over with.

  5

  9:00 AM

  Cole had never been so happy that the carpet in the office was pieced together in square sections. The cleanup job wouldn’t be so bad. At least he didn’t have to rip up all the carpet in the lobby, hallway, and conference room. But he did need to go to the local home supply store to get extra squares. While he was doing that, his guys would be able to remove the bloody sections and lay the extra squares they had in storage while he was out.

  Tapping on his cell, Cole found the supply store that had the same carpet pattern in stock. He looked up as the office door opened. “Hey,” he said with a head nod as Ryan Marks and Tyson Smith entered the office.

  Ryan returned the head nod and paced towards Cole to check out the damage. “Shit!” Ryan exclaimed when he came to a stop beside the desk and saw the blood stains on the carpet. He’d known it would be bad, but he hadn’t expected this. He hadn’t seen the recording of Bella’s attack before Logan destroyed it.

  Tyson followed Ryan across the room. Stalking around the corner of Bella’s desk, he noticed the splatter on the side of her desk. “Did you see this?” Tyson pointed to the dark brown splatter.

  Cole nodded. “It may look bad, but it’s not as bad as it could’ve been. I’m surprised Jack didn’t blow Eric’s head off.” He’d always been impressed by Jack’s professionalism, but the way he’d managed to control his fury when Bella’s life was on the line was staggering.

  Ryan scoffed. He settled his hands on his hips as he took in the scene. “As tempting as that must have been, Jack knew what he had to do.” He wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have blown off Eric’s head, but handing Eric over to the proper authorities would give them vital information and possibly save lives. It had been the smart thing to do.

  Tyson walked down the short hallway towards the conference room, careful not to step in the blood. “At least the blood splatter is limited in the hallway.” There was basically a thin, splotchy trail that would require minimal repair.

  When he got to the conference room, Tyson leaned against the doorjamb. With a sigh, he wiped his hand over his bald head. “This shouldn’t take too long.” The blood pooled beside the conference table leg, leaving most of the room free of splatter. “This where Jack held him?” He stepped into the room and knelt by the stained area.

  Cole leaned in the doorwa
y. “Yeah,” he nodded. He took in a deep breath as he replayed the evening’s events in his mind. He’d made the necessary call to Captain Wallace at the Department of Defense to hand Eric over to the right people. They’d also dealt with the bombs that Eric had brought into the building.

  Ryan stepped around Cole and entered the conference room, careful to avoid the blood. He squatted and eyed the carpet. “What’s with this blood splatter?” An arc of blood spray stained the carpet. It didn’t make sense. Drops of blood had soaked into the carpet in a different area than the one where Eric had been restrained.

  Cole smiled, “Bella got him. Pen to the throat.” He mimicked the action with his hand. He hadn’t known she had it in her, but she’d fought for her life and was willing to do what she had to do to save herself. He was proud of her, and he was thankful that he hadn’t had to say goodbye to another friend.

  Tyson stood and set his hands on his hips. “No shit,” he said and let out a low chuckle. “Way to go, Bella.”

  “Did she hit a vein?” Ryan asked, standing.

  “No, at least not the jugular,” Cole replied. “He’ll be hurting for a while though. Plus, those two shots through the shoulders will be a bitch.”

  “Still say the bastard’s lucky,” Ryan said.

  Tyson snorted, “He may not think so. He’s probably shitting his pants right now.” It would serve the bastard right.

  Cole tapped out his carpet order on the cell phone. “I’m going to pick up the carpet squares.” He quickly waved the cell in the air. “You two begin the cleanup here. There are extra carpet squares in the storage closet against the wall near the file cabinets.”

  “Will do,” Tyson said with a nod. “I’ll begin in the lobby.” He followed Cole out of the conference room and into the lobby. “Hey,” Tyson began. “Is there anything else we need to know?”

  “No,” Cole replied, stopping to look at Tyson. The black man looked tough as shit but had a heart of gold. “If something pops up, I’ll let you know.” With that, he left Tyson and Ryan in the office and headed over to the home supply store.