I open my eyes and wince as the sunlight burns in. My head is throbbing harder now, plagued by a loss of the caffeinated fuel I love so much and a heavy intake of harsh chemicals.
“Take it easy now…”
I raise my head off the table and turn my neck to find him sitting on the other side of me.
Archer leans back with his feet up and a book in his hands. Another one of my tampons hangs from his bloody nose, the string dangling down over his swollen purple lip.
I try to sit up, but my hands catch beneath the table. I feel the long chain connected to my handcuffs and wound around the steel tab leg. The table itself is bolted down and solid as a rock.
I’m not getting out of this one.
Archer turns a page and doesn’t look up from his book. Calm and cool as one can be with a fucking tampon shoved up his nostril.
“You know what?” I say, sitting up as far as I can. “I’ve changed my mind.”
“About what?”
“I won’t make it quick. When I kill you, it is going to hurt.”
He laughs. “Is that right?”
“Oh, it’ll be excruciating. It’s going to hurt so badly, your own mother will feel it.”
“That will be awfully impressive considering she’s dead already.”
I fall silent, feeling a sudden stab of guilt out of nowhere.
“What?” he asks. “Don’t let my orphan status keep you from throwing down another witty retort.”
“When did she die?” I ask.
“While she was having me.” He sets the book down. “Lived in orphanages until I was sixteen, then I ran off. Never met my father, so he’s basically dead, too.”
I lay my head on the table again. “Where’s my phone?”
“I moved it last night while you were sleeping.”
“To where?”
“Somewhere else.”
I fill my eyes with emotion — any that I can muster. “Archer, please.”
He slides his feet off the table and rests his chin on his palm as he stares at me. “No.”
“If all you care about is money, I have plenty to spare.”
“Do you, though?” He raises a brow. “Running around and racking up debt on your dead granny’s credit card doesn’t scream fiscal responsibility to me.”
I pause. “What?”
“Mary Elizabeth Hart,” he says, making my chest cave in. “Your grandmother. You have a card in her name. Mostly, you use it for hotel rooms and gassing up your bikes, but I’ve caught you throwing away money at a boutique here and there—”
“How long have you known this?”
“For as long as I’ve been following you.”
“And how long has that been?”
He smiles. “Before LA, there was Boston. Before that, Iowa. Denver…”
I raise my head, more shocked than angry to be honest. “You’re kidding me.”
“You had no idea?”
“No.”
He sits back, smug as fuck. “One thing I can’t figure out, though, is why you have that card at all. As you’ve pointed out, you have plenty of money to spare but you’re also smart. There’s no way I outsmarted you in figuring this out — you know better. So, why have the card?” he asks. “Why leave a trail?”
My pride bleeds. I’ve had that card since I was a damn teenager. I never thought for a second that anyone would notice it and I sure as hell didn’t think about it leaving a trail for anyone to find.
Fuck.
I take a deep breath. “I’m begging you, Archer—”
“Beg all you like, Lilah,” he says, grabbing his book again. “I’ve waited a long time to get you in chains… and I won’t let you go.”
I seethe, feeling an overwhelming urge to crush his skull beneath my heel. “You look like a fucking idiot with that thing in your nose.”
He tugs the tampon out and looks at it. “By the way, what brand is this? I want to stock up.”
“Oh, fuck off.”
I turn away from him and lay my head back down.
Chapter 12
Archer
Nine o’clock comes quickly.
Lilah spent the entire evening with her head down on that table. She hasn’t said a word. She just stared off into the wall as if there was something staring right back at her. I wish I could say I felt nothing for her but the more time I spend with Lilah Hart, the more her human-like she seems. I almost feel sorry for her.
Almost.
I drive us to the silos just north of Chicago where Enzo plans to meet us. We arrive several minutes early. There’s no sign of Enzo or his people or even civilization. Just shadowed darkness amongst old rusted equipment on forgotten lands.
I fetch the handcuff key from my pocket and kneel beside her at the table. “Ready?” I ask.
She glares silently and shifts her wrists toward me.
I pause, suspecting a trick, but her eyes are as cold and dead as the earth outside. Did I really break her? Where’s the fighter I’ve heard so much about? The brutal and deadly Lilah Hart?
I slip one wrist free and stand her up. She moves with me, easing around to let me cuff her hands behind her back. No sudden moves. No snarky quips.
No Lilah Hart.
I open the trailer door and lead her outside.
Lilah shuffles her feet in the dirt. I peek behind her once more, just to be double sure her hands are empty. I’ve seen her pick and slip out of handcuffs in the blink of an eye — twice — and I’m determined not to make that mistake again with her.
The silos cast a deep shadow over us. This place was abandoned years ago, now covered with decayed wildlife. The light posts are broken, surrounded by shattered glass. It’s just dark enough that I can barely make out the stars above our heads.
I look at Lilah to see that she’s doing the same, gazing up into the sky. Her chest rises and falls, as calm as the moment I caught her. If she’s got a plan, then it’s a good one. If she doesn’t, then maybe I do feel sorry for her.
“How long have you been in Snake Eyes?” I ask, trying to kill the pang in my chest.
She blinks once but doesn’t move. “A while.”
“Give me a number.”
“What does it matter to you?”
“Personal curiosity.” I smirk. “Oh, come on. Who knows what Enzo’s gonna do to you? Might as well pass on your legacy now.”
Lilah wets her lips and presses them together for a moment of thought. “The day I was recruited, a man walked up to me in a parking garage,” she begins, softly sighing. “He told me his name was Mercer Black and that my big brother worked for him. I knew the name, but I also knew that I wasn’t supposed to know him, so I pretended like I didn’t. He pulled a knife on me and told me not to scream.” She pauses and laughs to herself. “I remember thinking that this was it. This was how I would die.”
“What happened?”
“My muscle memory kicked in before the thought even left my head. I disarmed him and stabbed him in the shoulder with his own knife.”
“How old were you?”
“Seventeen.”
I shift in her direction. “That’s young.”
She shrugs. “Dante was furious with Mercer, but he broke the rules. He was supposed to be dead to the world, but he stayed in contact with me and Elijah. Mercer found out and came to kill us, but when he saw what I did – what I could be trained to become – he gave us a second option. I made my first kill a week later.”
I shake my head. “That’s no way for a girl to grow up.”
“Oh, I grew up long before that…” A quiet breath escapes her lips as she stares straight into the black dirt. “I watched my parents die when I was five-years-old.”
A rush of emotion takes my nerves. I’m tempted to say something, but I wouldn’t know what to say even if I could.
“I still remember every detail,” she says, her voice just above a whisper. “From the moment the truck swerved into our lane to when the… to when the paramed
ics laid those sheets over their faces. I remember the smoke and the fire. I couldn’t breathe. There was blood on my hands and all I could do was scream.” Her eyes flick, daring to look at me but they don’t quite make it. “Dante pulled me from the car, then went back in for Elijah. When he laid him down beside me, he wasn’t moving. I could see Eli’s chest rising and falling. I knew that was a good thing, but I still couldn’t stop screaming. Dante threw his arms around me and said, ‘I’ve got you, little sister. I’ve got you.’” She pauses. “Since that moment, it’s been us. We knew we had to stick together. Snake Eyes was no different. A family of killers was better than no family at all. Nine years later and that’s still true.”
I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. I can hardly breathe, trapped in a box beneath six feet of dead earth.
“So, what do you think, Archer?” she asks, finally turning her head to look at me. Her eyes glisten behind a blanket of soft, unfallen tears. “Am I a monster?”
My lungs ache as I take a deep breath and the air burns inside. “No,” I answer.
Lilah nods as a bright beam of light covers her face. She squints and rolls her shoulders back, standing a little taller as her sad expression fades.
Three black cars pull into the empty lot, stopping all in a line about ten yards away from my trailer.
The driver steps out of the middle car and calmly walks to open the back door.
Enzo Zappia emerges from inside with a blissful grin crawling across his face, along with two armed men in black suits. He says nothing but his deep cackle grows louder with every step he takes toward us.
“Allen,” he says, clapping once, “I had my doubts. I honestly didn’t expect you to catch her so quickly.”
“Little bit of luck,” I say. “Little bit of skill.”
“And a lot of fun, I bet.” He sneers at Lilah, his eyes throbbing like a predator in heat.
I look at her to find her leering up at me. “A little,” I say.
Lilah keeps that blank expression but the edges of her mouth twitch slightly.
Enzo grabs her by the arm and pulls her toward him, breaking our eye contact as he twists her around. He stares her down, bearing his crooked teeth, and my guts churn inside. “It’s nice to see you again, Ms. Hart,” he says.
“Meh.” She shrugs.
He chuckles and pulls her closer to run his nose along her neck. “Don’t look so disappointed. You had this coming.”
She doesn’t blink. “So do you.”
Enzo digs his nails into her arm. “Take a good look around. This will be the last time you see the outside world.”
I take a step forward as he tugs her away from me. “We should discuss payment.”
He barely glances at me. “You’ll be paid once the job is done.”
“Hey…” I reach out and take hold of Lilah’s other arm. “I brought the girl. As we agreed.”
“I told you to take out the others, too,” he says, giving her a solid yank in his direction. “They’re still breathing, right?”
I tighten my grip on her. “I told you before. I don’t kill. I capture.”
“And I don’t pay good money for a half-assed job.”
“I never agreed to kill the Harts,” I say. “I agreed to deliver her. I did my job, so I get paid.”
“Let her go.”
“No.”
He tugs again. “Allen, knock it off.”
“No.”
Lilah rolls her eyes. “Am I moving in with my new daddy or not?”
“Shut your hole, bitch,” Enzo growls.
“Hey.” I frown. “Don’t call her that.”
Enzo’s eyes widen. Even Lilah’s face flashes with a bit of surprise.
“Oh, I’m sorry…” His voice drips with sarcasm. “I didn’t mean to offend the lady I’m about to hang upside down from a fucking bridge.”
Lilah tears her arm from his grasp. I take a step forward to stand between them.
“The contract is canceled,” I say, guiding her backward with one arm. “We’ll be leaving now.”
Enzo gawks at us, amused but annoyed. “You’re not going anywhere, Allen.” He waves his arm and his men step forward, each of them drawing their pistols to point at us as a few more come piling out of the other cars.
“Uh, Archer…” Lilah mutters behind me.
“I know.” I keep moving back, my eyes bouncing from each of the half-dozen men intent on slaughtering me to get to her.
“If you’ve got a plan, now would be a good time—”
“I know.”
She sighs as our backs touch the trailer. “Uncuff me and give me a gun.”
“Hell no.”
“I can help you.”
I meet those big, brown eyes and my resolve crumbles. As much as I’d hate to admit it… if there’s anyone with a reputation interesting enough to handle a situation like this, it’s Lilah Hart.
I grit my teeth as I reach for the key in my pocket. “Bloody hell…”
“Last chance, Allen,” Enzo barks at me. “Let her go and maybe I won’t leave you out here to die.”
Lilah shifts around and I drop the key into her palm. I instantly hear the clack of the cuff slipping open and she reaches for the gun stuffed in my belt.
She pauses. “This is my gun,” she says.
“Yes, it is,” I confirm.
“Why do you have my gun?”
“You dropped it in LA.”
“And you kept it?”
I peek back at her and smile. “I liked it.”
She squints at me. “Give me a boost and then roll under the trailer.”
“Wait—”
“Now.”
“Allen!” Enzo shouts. “You got nowhere to go…”
I ignore him and spin around, clasping my hands together as Lilah raises her foot. She steps up and I flex to push her into the air.
“Kill ‘em both!”
Lilah pulls herself onto the roof and I fall to my knees to roll under it as she told me to.
Bullets strike the dirt beside me.
“Shit, shit, shit.”
I shift to the other side to hide behind the wheels as dozens of rounds plow into the vehicle.
Enzo rushes to his car with his damn tail between his legs and jumps into the backseat to avoid the firefight. His driver follows, looking equally as pathetic as he fumbles for the keys.
I throw the door open and crawl inside the motor home, keeping my head down as I make my way toward the back for another pistol stashed beneath my mattress.
Windows shatter over my head. I shield my eyes as the glass falls, but I keep moving with my gun in hand. I raise my head to look outside, counting six men rushing in to surround us.
A bullet strikes one man from above, splattering his face with red as he topples to the ground. I cringe at the sight and the rest of them point their guns upward.
I hear her moving above me, rolling and shifting on the roof, bullets popping one after the other until only two men remain standing.
Lilah cries out and the gunfire stops.
A body drops above my head and the RV lurches as I hear her slip off and fall to the ground on the opposite side.
I rush out to find her rolling over onto her knees. She tries to stand as she cradles her right side. My chest tightens as she drops her hand, revealing her torn dress and crimson blood drips from her fingers.
“Lilah…”
“Archer, get down!”
A shot rings out from behind me. I prepare for pain, but I feel nothing as I drop to my knees. Lilah bolts forward and throws her gun over my head. The handle connects with the man’s nose. He falls back as Lilah jumps up and kicks him to the ground.
He flips onto his back and she raises her sharp heel over his neck.
I turn away before she stomps down, but I hear bones cracking beneath her foot.
The last remaining man sprints down the gravel road, racing toward Enzo’s speeding car.
Lilah grabs her g
un off the ground and raises it with her left hand, aiming for only a second before firing a single shot into the back of his head.
He falls beneath a red mist of blood, his limp body sliding a bit before coming to a hard stop.
She fires several more shots at Enzo’s car, shattering the back windows before it races out of sight around the dark corner.
I push myself up. “Damn…” I scan the circle of bodies left behind and the blood dripping down her right side. “Are you all right?” I ask.
“I’ve had worse,” she says, staring down the long street toward the city.
Fucking hell. The Zappia family isn’t exactly known for their honesty and integrity, but I sure as hell didn’t expect Enzo to refuse to pay up. Now, what the hell am I supposed to do with her?
I eye the handcuffs lying in the dirt at our feet. “Come on,” I say, gesturing to the trailer. “We should get out of here.”
She hesitates, glaring at me as she takes several long, uneasy breaths. Finally, she nods and steps up into the trailer it while I bend over to grab the handcuffs.
As soon as I’m close enough, I grab her wrist and twist it behind her.
“Hey—” she bites, wincing as the pistol drops from her grip. “What the hell are you doing?”
I pin her against the counter from behind. “I caught you,” I say, grabbing the open cuff, “and I’m going to get paid for it.”
She shoves me backward and slips free, twisting around the face me. “I saved your fucking ass just now!”
I ignore it, forcing my conscience away as I grab for her hands again. “There are plenty of people out there willing to pay good money for a Snake Eyes agent—”
“Oh, fuck this.”
Lilah lashes out, connecting a solid punch against my jaw. I move to wrap my arms around her, trapping her hands against her sides. She kicks the wall as hard as she can. The walls crack from the impact as I tumble backward into the window above the bench. Broken glass scratches my back. She slams her heeled foot down on mine and I cry out in pain.
“That’s enough!” I shout, trying to get a better grip on her.
“Let me go!”
“No!”
Lilah growls with frustration, squirming and kicking at everything she can. “I’m going to kill you so badly!”
Mad Love Page 7
