“I refused his offer, and he called me naïve. Said I should watch my back, and I left. I went home, and you know the rest.” She stared at the floor as she finished, hoping her mate would not make a scene over her behavior after her shower. To her relief he did not.
“So basically, he didn’t give you anything new, he merely wanted to see if they could recruit you; again.” Michael kept his tone even.
“Yes,” Tori agreed.
“Then I have a confession for you,” he half smiled, “Enrique and I met up with Eli the first day we were in LA.”
Tori’s eyes shot up to meet his. “What does ‘met up with’ mean exactly?” she demanded, unable to be as cool as her mate.
“We… had coffee,” he shrugged, recalling how they had badgered him. “He had been following us and we caught him in the coffee shop across the street from the studio. You and the guys were inside making the promos, so Enrique and I interrogated him. He claimed something had happened, and he was worried about you, and that’s why he was there. But, we didn’t buy it.”
“I thinks he knew the attack was coming,” Enrique interrupted, “From the way he was acting and what he said at the shop, about that guy Doug.”
“Yeah,” Michael agreed quickly, “He knew. And you were only saying that you trust him? You really don’t?”
Tori caught her breath, taking a seat on a bar stool, considering the games she had always played with people. “It’s complicated. You know, I’ve never tried to explain it to anyone; this vibe I get from people. I never thought anyone would take me seriously.”
“But, when I’m dealing with other people, I feel like I can tell… about them. If they are being honest, or what their motives are. I don’t always get it, but when I do, it’s always right.” She exhaled loudly, “And I get that nervous ache in my stomach before anything bad happens. No, sorry, that’s not true. When I get the feeling, something bad happens, but I don’t always get it.”
Brett laughed, and Tori glared at him. Shrugging, he tried to keep a straight face, “So you’re a witch after all.”
Her face wrinkled, her temper short, she snapped “After all?”
He and Enrique made eye contact, and Enrique took over, “It’s nothing,” he shrugged. “We talked about you once; about how I thought you’s a witch.”
“You’re making fun of me,” her lip puckered into a pout. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you.”
“Its fine, love,” Michael intervened. “Ignore these two,” he wafted his hand between them, “Tell me about Eli.”
Her blue orbs sullen, she complied, “Well, like I said, he’s complicated. When I’m around him, I get the feeling that he does care about me, at least most of the time. But then I get these odd, random vibes, like he’s manipulating me, or trying to.”
Enrique grew tense, his thoughts conflicted before he decided to divulge what he knew. “Wells, if you’re looking for dirt on the guy… I knows a thing or two.”
“Yeah,” Michael pointed a crooked finger at him haphazardly. “You said before that he gave you some grief.” Hearing an evil laugh from the dark haired man, the digit withdrew, “Well did he or didn’t he?”
“Oh, he did,” Enrique confirmed, “He sent me t’ kills you.”
“Sent you to kill him? When the fuck was this?” Tori bit in a fury.
“I dunno exactly,” he replied calmly, “I’s hanging around here and there, avoiding the Scorpions mostly, when I gets a call from him. I didn’t know his name then, but he was the guy who put me in the halfway house.” He could see her face grow more contorted, “Yeah, I left that part out before, didn’t I.”
“He put me there, and I was supposta meet up with the Scorpions and provides intel on them,” he pulled out the phone that he had carried with him since LA. “Guess I’m not any good at taking orders from scrawny Feds, cause I didn’t dos that, either. He gave me this at the time, then he calls me on it later to sends me after you.” He shifted his gaze to stare at the other man, who remained silent.
“Anyways,” he dropped his jaw, rolling his tongue for a moment. “His number’s in here.” Holding the device towards her, he waited for the girl to take it.
Her fingers trembling, she grasped it, and recalled having held it before. She had carried it while she repaired Geek’s bike, and had used it to contact the Scorpions when the two of them were ready to rally with the group in Vegas; she had never suspected what it contained.
“What a mess,” her voice deflated, “Can’t any of us be trusted?” Flipping the unit open, she scrolled through the short list of numbers, finding the one that belonged to Eli. Inhaling deeply, she gave her command, “I’m going to call them in the morning, and tell them join us, here in the house.”
“Jus’ like that?” Brett tossed out, his eyes darting around the group. “He don’ sound like anyone we need.”
“Yes,” Tori slapped the phone closed and shoved it in her pocket, “We’re all liars and manipulators. There isn’t a person among us who has been completely honest.” She clenched her jaw, preparing for a fight, “Tell me I’m wrong.”
She had grown stiff, her eyes darting from man to man. They each had their secrets and had done their share of coercion. At their failure to argue, she finished, “We convene this crew. Put our heads together and come up with a plan.”
Tori lifted her chin, her eyes squinting slightly, “If you have any doubts, now is the time to walk away.” Turning her back on them, she made her way to the kitchen to see about their dinner.
Time to Think
Eli stared at his phone in surprise, his hand trembling slightly as he lifted it with a crisp, “Hello?”
“Good morning!” Tori’s voice sounded upbeat, “We need you. I guess you know where we are?”
“Of course,” he replied evenly. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea. Like you said, we don’t want to have the Bureau interfering until it becomes necessary.” He cut his eyes over at the man next to him.
“It’s necessary,” her voice dropped. “How soon can you be here?”
“We’ll be inside in a few minutes,” he breathed, ending the call. “We’ve been requested to join them,” he informed the other man calmly.
“Have you decided that’s your move then?” Mason asked as he reached for the door handle.
“Yes,” Eli replied, exiting the vehicle himself. “I’m not sure how it’s going to play out, but I’m going to give it my best.” The pair made their way up the path, leaving their vehicle in its secluded location. Arriving at the entrance, Eli knocked briskly, and Enrique opened the door almost immediately.
Stepping into the living area, the agent admired the glass surfaces, his eyes making their way over to the tall ebony haired woman who stood gazing out across the lake. The three men in the room fell back away from them, hands clasped as if they were waiting to be instructed.
“That was fast,” the girl stated calmly.
“Yes, we arrived right behind you. We’ve been waiting outside for a few hours,” Mason spoke for them.
“You should stay out of this,” she cautioned the taller man, shifting so that her gaze fell on the floor slightly behind her twisted form.
Playing with his fingers, his mind raced, “What exactly is going on here?” he ignored the advice.
Turning to face them more fully, Tori’s eyes bore into the man she had once thought the world of. Her lips beginning to curl, her grin became anything but calming, “I’m glad you could join us, Eli.”
Sensing that something was wrong, her target shifted, taking half a step back as his gaze swept around the room. “I’m glad to be here,” he lied flatly.
Bursting into laughter, she sneered, “You know what Eli is when you rearrange the letters?” She reached over and slid the glass door open, clearing the path to the deck, “We need to come to an understanding, don’t we Eli. A real one.”
Enrique stepped up behind the smaller man, giving him a shove towards the open door.
“Let’s take this outside,” she said calmly, “No need to ruin the furnishings.” She ran her hand along the back of a white stuffed chair as he moved past her, Enrique close behind to continue the prodding.
“I think I warned you before,” Eli bit his words sharply, glaring at him over his shoulder, “Touching me is assault.”
Michael pounced, catching him with a right hook and knocking him through the open frame, “And we told you we aren’t scared of that.”
Eli fell onto the wooden beams, stumbling as he went down, the three of them filing out behind to encircle him.
“What the hell are you doing?” he cried out, looking around for his partner, who was standing next to Brett, both men observing the proceedings.
Skipping forward, Tori kicked him in the chin, causing blood to spew out of his mouth, “See? I told you I didn’t wanna mess up the furniture.” Her boot caught him in the ribs on the next swing, a stab of guilt wrenching her gut at the pleasure of punishing him. “You’re not much of a man, Eli,” she looked him in the eye, clenching her fists and glaring at him.
His fingers wiped at the blood on his face. He then rolled over on his back, half sitting up, “Would you like to tell me why you’re doing this?” His calm seemed out of place, and she held up her hand to signal the others to stop. Moving forward, she squatted down in front of him.
“Well, I can say one thing for you,” she didn’t smile, “You can take a beating. We’re tired of the games, Eli. That means it’s time to set things straight. We need to know that we can trust you. We need to be sure what team you’re really on.”
He frowned, “Are you kidding me? You’re the one who said you did, remember?” His eyes darted to his hand, then down at the red splotches on his shirt. She didn’t move while his chest began to heave more visibly. “What is it that you want from me?” he demanded a little more forcefully.
“I want the truth, Eli. Right here, right now, you start talking.”
“About what? Ask me, and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” his eyes watched without blinking as she removed the knife from her boot and flicked it open.
“HEY!” Mason took a step forward, and the back of Michael’s hand smacked him in the chest. Jerking his head over to glare at the sandy-haired man, he stood still, noticing the slow shake of his head.
“Don’ worry, hun; Eli’s gonna be fine. We need t’ get us a li’l understandin’, tha’s all,” Tori dipped into a southern drawl, toying with him by turning the knife so that the morning sun glinted off of it and into his eyes. Dropping the accent, she continued, “You start talking, and I’m going to listen. If you tell me anything I don’t like, I’m going to drop your body in the lake when we leave.”
Eli stared at her, pulse in his throat. “You’re not giving me much incentive,” he breathed after a lengthy pause.
“So I should stick you and be done with it?”
His jaw dropped, and the pain in his chest broke through to the surface, leaking into his voice, “I never imagined you would speak to me that way.”
“I’m a cold-hearted bitch, Eli. A murdering whore. I have been since you met me. The one thing that I have always tried to be, was honest, for as much as I could be.” She inhaled deeply, “I only wish you could have been the same for me.”
“You know I never had a choice,” he replied calmly, “Neither of us did. You had your role to play, and I had mine.” He glanced over at her husband, who had removed his arm from the shirt of his partner. “Even if we hadn’t, there really wasn’t much we had in common.” He looked back at her, to see that she was chewing her lip. “Shall I go on?”
“Of course,” she closed the knife with a snap.
“When you were in the hospital, and I was trying to get information, I said what I had to say to make that happen. What I didn’t say, was how I got what I wanted, but it left me empty. I wanted something I was never meant to have. I wanted you, and not for a one night stand.” He sat up straight, “I’m sorry I allowed things to go as far as they did.”
“I’m here to help you finish this. I know you don’t believe me, and you have every right to be angry,” he dropped his eyes to take in his shirt again. “And if you were to feed me to the fishes, I really wouldn’t blame you.” Tori snickered slightly at the phrase, and he smiled broadly, “Did I ever tell you that I loved you?”
“You have no right to say that!” her eyes flashed blue flames.
“I know,” his voice remained steady. “I didn’t mean it like that. What I meant was, I don’t remember if I ever put it into words. So much has happened, and I’m sure you’ve figured out much of what I’ve done; how far I was willing to go to get you to do… this job.” She squinted, and he held up a hand, “You have to know this is what I… I mean we, have been trying to get you to do all along.”
“Yes, I know that it is.”
“Then you answer a question for me. Why are you doing it?” He stared at her, listening to her silence for a full minute before he continued, “If you’re such a cold hearted bitch, why not go back to the life you were raised to live? You have to know that The Organization would be happy to have you, with your skill set.”
She still didn’t respond, and he couldn’t read anything on her placid features. “That’s all I can tell you, Tori,” his voice became quiet. “Until you tell me why you made this choice, that’s all I have to say to you.”
She drew in a deep breath and blew it out through her nostrils angrily, “Because I don’t have a choice,” she snapped. “They are attacking people I care about. There was a point, I thought I could run away; that I could hide, and that would protect them. But as time went on, I realized that Terry was right. There are always going to be people. That means I have to end this. I have to figure out how I’m supposed to do that, and I have to make sure that it’s done.”
He nodded, swallowing visibly, “The Organization didn’t set the fire.”
Tori fell back, sitting on her rear end, staring at him with her mouth wide open. “What the hell do you mean they didn’t set the fire? Who the fuck did?” She had previously questioned the act herself, but having him throw the information at her was like a slap in the face.
“I don’t know for sure. We have some other leads, and I’m fairly certain it wasn’t them. That doesn’t mean they weren’t going to come after you, but they hadn’t done it yet,” he leaned forward, hanging his head slightly.
“But you let me think that it was them,” her voice dripped with accusation.
“Yes, I did that. We have always wanted you to go after them, and this helped us reach that goal. I’m not proud of that. But I have news for you,” he paused, his gaze meeting hers once more. “You’re not as cold hearted as you think you are. You might be a bitch, but if you’re going after them for those you care about, that means you do have feelings.”
Tori chewed on her cheek for a moment, then stood, turning her back on him. “Why are you here?”
“To help you,” he raised his chin in defiance. “It’s not part of the plan, and Godfry is going to be pissed off when he finds out that Mason and I have chosen to join you. But it’s ok.” He glanced at the other men of her crew, “I made some bad choices where you were concerned, and I don’t want this to be another one. That’s why I wanted you to know you’re friends are safe, more or less. They aren’t being hunted as far as we know.”
“Thanks,” her voice had grown soft, her eyes on the water. She sighed, aware that they had taken the conversation as far as they could at that point. “Go inside and get yourself cleaned up. There’s only one bedroom left, so you two will have to share. And you can borrow some clothes out of Danny’s closet. I think they will more or less fit you, and he has a ton.”
Eli rose without argument, and Mason watched him go while grinding his teeth. “You believe him?” he asked quietly, when he was out of earshot.
Tori nodded, “Yeah,” and left it at that.
“He was right about Godfry. As soo
n as he learns about this, things are going to get ugly.”
“I know. And you told me that you think Godfry’s behind all of this. That things were happening that he had a hand in,” she waited for his affirmative gesture. “Do you think he’s actually working for them?”
“I have been unable to make any concrete connections,” he replied calmly. “But I don’t think he is providing them with information, at any rate. If he were, there wouldn’t have been anything to gain by torturing Doug.”
“Right,” Michael agreed. “We still have a lot of details to work out.”
“No, we don’t,” Brett countered evenly. “We need t’ keep our eye on th’ prize. If she wants t’ put an end t’ their reign, then that’s th’ only details we need; how t’ get t’ them.”
Tori pursed her lips, “I think so too; we need to narrow our objective. I say we find out where they hide and go straight for the heart.”
“After we eliminate the Spiders,” Brett half-heartedly agreed.
“The Spiders,” she repeated. “So they really do exist.”
“Oh yeah, they exist,” he offered, “After th’ Dragons had disappeared, they had us teaming up with them a few times. Right nasty bunch o’ guys, too. Suffice it t’ say, we take out them, then cut off the head o’ th’ snake, an’ eliminate as many o’ them as we can.” He glared at Mason, “Unless you was thinkin’ you’d arrest ‘em all.”
“No,” the tallest man in the group replied. “This is all off the books, and we will not be prosecuting any of these bastards if all goes well. And the only person who would be upset about that is Warren La Buff, not that I care what he thinks.”
“You have your other clothes with you?” Tori glanced up and down his tall frame. “You need to fit in with the group, you know.”
“Yeah,” he relaxed his stance. “I do, and I’ll change if you like.”
A New Life Series - Finisher Set Page 51
