by Chloe Lang
“Sheriff, you surprised me when you pocketed Mr. Blue’s wallet. So unlike you. Fake identifications are so easy to get these days.” Lunceford laughed.
Jason’s pulse pounded hot. He’d been played by the fucker.
“Having my associate plant that billfold worked exactly as I thought it would. You thought Shane was the murderer. The photo of him and Mitrofanov got you to Chicago exactly when I wanted.” Kip’s face darkened. “Which brings me to Shane Blue. All of you judged him. Three years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.”
Kip’s words shocked and sliced him in two.
Phoebe’s eyes were wide. “What? You did that to my brother? He’s innocent of everything?”
“Actually, he isn’t, at least not to me. Shane and a Mr. Black teamed up, unbeknownst to any of you. The drug dealing charge was a ruse. The CIA wanted someone on the inside of the prison to get close to me. Fools. Shane was one of the best undercover agents I’ve ever run across, but I’m better. In fact, I’m the best.”
Shane was an undercover agent. Everything that had happened had been orchestrated by Mr. Black. Jason looked down at his friend, seeing him in a new light. Even what had gone down in the diner must’ve been to push him away. Shane had a mission to do. Three years in prison? My God, you’re a fucking hero. No wonder nothing made sense about what happened back then.
“Shane muddled many of my plans. Finally, I had a competitor that was worthy of my merit. But of course, I figured out who he really was. That’s why I made sure he made his parole. I’m certain Black, God rest his soul, and Shane were surprised by that outcome.”
“Jason,” Phoebe whispered in a panicky tone. “Shane’s breathing is shallow.”
He noticed it, too. The guys weren’t having any luck getting the door open. “Get on with it, Lunceford.”
“Anxious? Sheriff, you’re one man who is normally calm under pressure.” The bastard’s lips twisted into an evil grin. “The finale of my genius orchestration was this. I wanted the diamonds. I wanted to pay Shane back for what he’d done to me. I wanted to pay all of you back. After my escape, I needed you here to distract Niklaus. He was so paranoid, continually moving the diamonds from one location to another. Timing was critical. Making him think I was working with Shane to get the diamonds was my first move. Niklaus took the bait and sent his men to grab Shane. Besides these cameras, I have an insider in Mitrofanov’s organization that is my eyes and ears.”
“Niklaus’s other son.” Jason was putting all the pieces together in Lunceford’s horrific puzzle. “Anton Mitrofanov.”
“Excellent, Sheriff. You and Shane might be the best opponents I’ve ever faced. My second move was getting you to the house that Brown incorrectly thought was Mitrofanov’s headquarters. It was actually owned by another associate of mine. She left the laptop with the photo of Shane with the gun to his head. Accidentally…on purpose.” The psycho laughed. “Once I had all of you in place, all I had to do was pull the trigger. I sent a message to Niklaus. I was coming to get my friend Shane. I knew he would take him to his main base of operation, the warehouse you are in, and leave the diamonds with Anton. But I needed him to be distracted long enough for me to get the jewels and get away. That’s where all of you came in.” The maniac laughed again and held up his hand, which held a fistful of diamonds. “Check mate.”
They all heard a hissing sound.
“Now, open the damn doors, Lunceford.”
“I’m free. No more prisons for me. Now, I will burn down your town, but I’ll take my time. That’s all part of the joy of the game.” Kip smiled. “I will miss you, Sheriff. I will especially miss Shane. Good-bye, Destonians. It’s been fun.”
The screen went blank and Jason smelled the toxic fumes billowing into the room.
Chapter Sixteen
Jason put his arm around Phoebe. “Get low to the floor, baby.”
“What difference will that make? Lunceford won. It’s over.” She held Shane’s hand.
“We are not giving up. You’re strong, sweetheart.” He kept his tone steady, knowing she needed reassurance. “We will get through this.” We must.
“Yes, Sir. I hope you’re right. But just in case, I need to tell you something.”
He placed his finger on her lips. “I’m the one who needs to tell you something first. I’m sorry, baby. I love you so much. You were always right. I was so wrong. About everything.” The effect of the gas was making him lightheaded.
“I love you, too. I’m sorry. I was just as wrong.” She coughed several times. “Jason, it’s getting hard for me to breathe.”
“We need to get down right now.” He helped her to the floor and held her close.
“It’s hopeless, Jason. Lunceford has won. I know that now. We’re all going to die. I want Mitchell and Lucas with us. Please.”
He looked at his brothers, who were working frantically on one of the keypads. The pride and love he felt for Lucas and Mitchell had never faltered. “They are trying to save us, baby. They won’t give up. You and I both know that.”
“I know. Looks like Corey and Josh are trying, too.” Tears rolled from Phoebe’s eyes as she placed her hand over Shane’s unmoving lips to check on his breathing. “He’s still with us, Jason. Please God, let the doors open.”
“He’s strong, baby. Just like his sister.” I’m sorry, buddy. Shane had been a hero all along and Jason had never known it. But there was no time left to tell Shane how proud he was of him. There would be no more fishing trips. He would never have a chance to ask Shane to be his best man when he, Lucas, and Mitchell married his sister.
“I’m trying to have faith, Jason, but it’s so hard.”
He kissed her, knowing that they’d only just found each other again. But their lives were about to end. There would be no future, no family. These last few moments were the only ones he had left with the woman of his dreams. He didn’t want her to be scared. He was her Dom. It was his job to make her feel safe. I thank God she knows how much I love her. “It might take a miracle, baby, but I know you believe in them.”
“You came back to me. We’re together again. I do believe in miracles, Jason.”
They all heard banging from the other side of both doors.
“Make some noise,” he ordered. “We need to let whoever is out there know we are in here.”
All of them yelled.
Suddenly, both doors burst open, letting in fresh air, a medical team, CIA agents, and a person who he never expected to see again—Agent Black.
Am I hallucinating? I must’ve taken in more gas than I thought.
“Over here,” he called to a couple of the EMTs. They took over, caring for Shane.
“Take these two to the van,” Black commanded, pointing to the two Mitrofanov men still alive. “The rest are friendlies. Get them outside. We need to secure this location and find the source of the gas and shut it down.”
He and Phoebe followed the stretcher the EMTs had put Shane on.
Mitchell and Lucas came up beside him and Phoebe.
“You okay, baby?” Mitchell asked.
She nodded.
He and his brothers grabbed her, holding her between them.
She’s safe.
Agent Black walked up to them. “Sheriff.”
“Black, what the hell? You’re not dead?”
“Let me get this taken care of and I will fill you in on the details, Jason. I need to notify Jo Brown that all of you are okay.”
“Has she known you were alive all this time?”
“No, but I was keeping tabs on all she was doing.”
One of the agents ran up to Black. “Sir, command is on the horn and wants to talk to you.”
“I’ve got to go, but I will meet you at the hospital as soon as possible.”
Jason held out his hand. “I’m glad you’re alive, Easton.”
Black shook his hand. “Jason, the feeling is mutual.”
* * * *
Phoebe felt like she’d been holding her bre
ath since seeing the text from Shane. The waiting was killing her. Shane was still in surgery. Agent Smith’s surgery was over. He was doing fine.
Please God, let Shane be fine, too.
She sat between Jason and Lucas in the waiting room. Mitchell sat directly across from her talking to Ashley on his cell. Corey and Josh had just left to find all of them something to eat. Though it had been many hours since her last meal, she couldn’t imagine eating anything with her stomach tied up in knots.
Her parents were headed this way, but wouldn’t be here for at least a couple more hours. Hopefully, Shane would be out of surgery by then. She and Corey had called their parents with the news about Shane, but there wasn’t much to tell about his condition.
“That’s right, Ashley,” Mitchell said into his phone.
Her guys were taking charge, clearly realizing that she’d dealt with all she could tonight.
Mitchell ended the call. “Ashley will be here shortly, honey.”
She turned to Jason. “I’ve been such a fool. Will you ever forgive me?”
“Forgive you? I’m the one who needs to be forgiven. Look what I’ve done to you.”
“None of us knew what Shane was doing, but I was stubborn. He kept writing and calling me, telling me to go on with my life with you, Mitchell, and Lucas. But I just couldn’t. I blamed all three of you, but you most of all, Jason. Why wouldn’t you ever tell me what happened between you and Shane at the diner?”
“Baby, I thought I was protecting you. I was shocked at Shane’s behavior. I went to the diner to try to talk some sense into him. I wanted to take him right then to rehab. He laughed at me, saying he loved drugs and the money that came with them. He told me he would never stop no matter what.” Jason sighed. “Now I know it was only an act. When I said to him that he was going to ruin you, Corey, and your parents’ lives, he hauled off and hit me. That’s when I thought he was completely lost. I made up my mind that I needed to do whatever I could to get him away from you. I knew it would hurt you, but I believed it was the only choice I had.” Jason closed his eyes. “I was scared Shane would eventually overdose.”
She squeezed his hand. “I know you care about him as much as I do.”
“I love you, Phoebe,” Jason said, opening his eyes. “I’ve always loved you.”
She kissed him, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I never stopped loving you, Jason.”
“I love you, bro,” Mitchell said. “We all made mistakes.”
“That’s the truth,” Lucas added. “Jason, you know I love you, brother.”
“I love you, guys.” Jason smiled. “No one would guess we were big bad Doms, would they?”
They all laughed.
She leaned into Jason. “After coming so close to death, I think it’s okay if we go overboard a little with the ‘I love yous,’ don’t you agree?”
“I do, sweetheart.”
“The truth is, guys, I can’t hear you say it enough,” she confessed.
Lucas touched her cheek. “I love you, baby.”
She kissed his fingers. “I love you, too.”
Mitchell leaned forward and grabbed her hands. “God, I love you so much.”
She smiled. “I love you so much, too.”
Having her three men back in her life meant everything to her. But she still felt like her world was crumbling. Shane was in surgery. Please, God. Let him live.
She sat quietly for several minutes, her insides a complete jumble.
Agent Black walked into the waiting room. “Sorry it took so long for me to get here. How’s Shane doing?”
“Still in surgery,” Jason told him. “Have a seat.”
“Yes, Mr. Black. I have a ton of questions for you,” she told him.
“I’m sure you all do,” he said, sitting beside Mitchell.
“Maybe you should start with how you are still alive,” Jason said. “How did you get out of Mitrofanov’s house before it blew up?”
“Shane is how, Jason. He and I have been working together for a long time. I told him what was going down and he remained hidden but within striking distance. He and Dylan Strange are the best agents I’ve ever seen.”
“I still can’t believe Shane was working for the CIA the whole time he was in prison.” How had he kept that secret for so long from her and the rest of the family?
“He was, Phoebe. I met him through Dylan about five years ago. Dylan was getting out of the Agency and your brother wanted to get in.”
“I never knew that.”
Jason put his arm around her. “I didn’t know about the CIA, but since we were kids, Shane had always told me he wanted to be in law enforcement. We both did.” Jason turned to Agent Black. “Everything is starting to make sense. Go on.”
“Shane came on board and started training.”
Phoebe remembered the time Shane left Destiny for about six months. “That was when he said he was working for a technology company back east.”
“His cover, yes. A year later, I got intel that Lunceford was working with terrorist organizations even though he was incarcerated in the federal prison system. The bastard had proven again and again that he could get out any time he liked. Several murders later, including his own parents, I put a plan together to try to stop him. Since Shane was from Destiny, the home of TBK’s headquarters, the last place Kip had been employed, I went to him with my plan. Being a friend to the Knights, whose company had suffered so much because of Lunceford, Shane jumped at the idea and volunteered.”
Jason sighed. “So you sent him to prison to keep tabs on Kip. Did Dylan ever know about this?”
“No. He wasn’t with the Agency back then.”
“But he is now,” Jason said.
“He is?” she asked.
“You just blew Strange’s cover, Sheriff,” Black said with a laugh. “No worries. I think your girl can be trusted.”
“She can, but I’m not so sure about my brothers,” he teased.
“I know how to keep a secret,” Mitchell shot back, smiling.
“And of course I do,” Lucas added.
“That’s very good to know.” Black rubbed his chin. Was he thinking about recruiting them? “When Dylan sought me out after Kip’s ex, Megan, came to Destiny to try to locate the prison Kip was in, I gave Dylan the file but redacted Shane’s name from it. The CIA has a strict need-to-know practice, and I didn’t believe Dylan met the requirement at that time.”
“Why three years?” Phoebe felt the weight of all the time she’d lost with Shane and with the Wolfe brothers in the center of her chest.
“That was what Shane wanted. He was only supposed to stay undercover for six months. Your brother stopped a terrorist plot that would’ve taken out ten thousand or more innocent lives. Kip was involved, though we never were able to prove it.”
“He’s a slippery bastard,” Jason said.
“That he is, Sheriff. I was ready to extract Shane from the prison, but he had gotten wind of more things Kip was doing. Shane convinced me to leave him in. You have no idea how many lives have been saved because of Shane Blue.”
“He’s a fucking hero,” Jason said in a tone of awe.
“Yes, he is.” Black nodded. “Back then, Lunceford’s network was even more extensive than it is now.”
“With five million in diamonds, he’s going to be able to rebuild fast,” Mitchell said.
“Yes. And with Mitrofanov’s only living son on his team, it’s going to be hard to bring him down. Shane and I were trying to get to the diamonds, believing it would lead to Lunceford. Our plan didn’t work.”
Lucas leaned forward. “Shane wanted to be captured by Mitrofanov?”
“That’s right. He had one of the best tracking devices the Agency has in the heel of his boot. When I couldn’t locate him, I activated it. That’s how I found him and you.”
Carrying food, Corey and Josh walked into the room.
The doctor came in right behind them. “Everything went perfectly. Shane is goin
g to be fine.”
Chapter Seventeen
Phoebe saw Shane’s eyes open for the first time since the warehouse disaster. “Mom, wake up. Shane’s coming to.”
Her mom and her dads had arrived in Chicago late the night before. They’d all stayed by Shane’s beside, too worried to leave him alone.
Phoebe watched as her mom jumped from the recliner next to her and moved to Shane’s hospital bed. Her dads and Corey stood on the opposite side.
“You’re going to be okay, sweetheart,” her mom said. “Shane, the doctors say you are just fine.”
“Mom?” He blinked several times, clearly trying to focus his vision.
“I’m here.”
Dad Curtis touched him lightly on the shoulder. “Son, your brother and sister are here, too, and so are Dad Eddie and me.”
“What happened?” he asked.
Phoebe leaned in. “You were shot trying to protect Jason, Shane. Do you remember the warehouse and Mitrofanov and his men?”
“Yes, it’s coming to me now.”
“You’re a hero, baby.” Her mom kissed him on the cheek. “A CIA agent. I’m so proud of you. I always knew there was something fishy about your story. You never could lie to your mother.”
“You were the hardest one to convince, mom. And I guess I really didn’t succeed.”
“No, honey. You didn’t.”
“So my cover has been blown. How did you find out?”
“Black,” Corey told him. “You’re a fucking hero.”
“Corey Lee Blue, watch your mouth,” her mom scolded.
“Sorry, mom, but it’s true.”
She grinned. “Yes, it is.”
“Son, we are all so proud of you.” Dad smiled broadly. “You can’t imagine how happy we were to learn everything you’ve done.”
“I’m sorry for all I put you through. I just had to.”
“Yes, you did, Shane.” Phoebe was so honored to be his sister. “You saved so many lives.”
“Thanks, Phoebe. You suffered most of all though. I hated to see what happened between you and the Wolfes.” His eyebrows shot up. “They were at the warehouse, too, weren’t they? I remember.”
