Last Tailored Suit

by Pierce, Nicolette

  “I thought you said you didn’t want to go to his place. You said you didn’t know the layout and there were armed men.”

  “And now, we have no choice. Can I at least have the water now?” Remy held his hand out for the strangled hose.

  Greyson simmered. Was this a joke to them? Could they not see the danger? He shoved the hose over to Remy.

  David rested his hand on Greyson’s shoulder. Greyson shrugged it off. He had no experience in this and had to rely on two men who thought it was a joke. For once in his life, he felt completely out of control. He was lost.

  Jenna was slipping away.

  “You will do something. Now!” Greyson barked, feeling his body shake. “Or at least tell me what to do before I go insane!”

  Remy looked up from the water. David shook his head.

  “Greyson,” David started.

  “Tell me what to do!”

  “We’ll get her back,” David said. “I promise.”

  “Did you forget this is what we were trained for?” Remy asked.

  David nodded. “Remy can break into a POW prison blindfolded.”

  A flash ricocheted across Remy’s face. For a brief moment it was as if he had seen a ghost. If David had witnessed it, he didn’t let on. Greyson didn’t question it. He didn’t know what had happened to Remy, but he knew the man had a few scars that went beyond his skin.

  David rested his hand on Greyson’s shoulder. “We might seem like we don’t care, but we’re allowing ourselves a few moments to regroup. To be tense and alert constantly is draining. If we want to stay focused on our mission, then we have to have a moment of levity too. It keeps us sane.”

  Remy nodded and looked away.

  Greyson let his shoulders drop and reached for the hose, running water on his face before they could tell which tears were from the gas and which were from sheer relief that he wasn’t alone. They’d find Jenna and bring her home safely.

  They stood for a moment in silence, each taking turns with the hose.

  “We’ll have her back within the hour,” David said with a cocky smile, smacking Greyson’s back.

  Several sounds of clicking metal had them swirling around to find five men pointing guns.

  “Maybe two hours,” David amended.

  “Three if this gets ugly,” Remy said.

  Greyson swallowed. He really wished he would’ve taken David up on his offer all those years ago. Knowing how to shoot a gun would’ve been much more helpful than acquisitions right now.

  Chapter 22

  “It looks like your brother has a difficult choice to make,” Sergio said to Jenna.

  She had been allowed to leave the closet as long as she remained with Sergio and two armed men. They must think her a superhero to warrant this much muscle.

  “What do you mean?” Jenna asked, sipping a glass of water as she sat on the living room couch. It had seen better days, like the rest of the house. But everything was clean, and to her, that was more important. She’d rather sit on threadbare furniture than filthy furniture. She had enough filth in her life. There were a few times she had to stay at motels that didn’t even bother changing the sheets. It was all she could afford at the time.

  “It seems my cousin has Adam’s girlfriend. And I have you. Who do you think he’ll try to rescue?”

  Jenna’s stomach turned. “Ex-girlfriend. And I should hope neither.”

  “Neither?” Sergio questioned, his dark eyes assessing.

  “Why would I want to be the bait that allows his capture?”

  “I’d be rooting for yourself this time.”

  Jenna narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

  “Because if he goes to rescue his girlfriend, I doubt he’ll be able to rescue you.”

  Jenna didn’t want to ponder the reason. “I don’t need him to rescue me.”

  “Why not?”

  “You’ll let me go.”

  Sergio laughed. “Is this before or after the skies rain gold coins?”

  “You don’t want me. You just want my brother. I have no money, and you have nothing to gain by keeping me.”

  “Except for a headache. How long were you planning to scream?”

  “For as long as it took to get someone to open the door.”

  “I figured,” he sighed. “I could just gag you.”

  “Or you could let me stay here with your menacing guards.”

  Sergio glanced over at his two men who had more neck than brains. He stood and headed for the door. “I’ll be right back. I’d stay where you are,” he warned. “They tend to shoot first and ask questions later. The aftermath is never pleasant.”

  Jenna grimaced. “I’ll stay right here. But can you at least tell me where I am?”

  “An abandoned ranch on the outskirts of town. It suits my purposes for now.”

  “And then what?”

  “Revenge.”

  * * *

  Greyson was shoved to the ground with a hard barrel pressed against his skull. David and Remy were beside him on their knees.

  “Stay cool,” Remy whispered.

  Stay cool. Greyson nearly laughed. How could this possibly get worse? Jenna had been kidnapped, and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it because he was about to become target practice for these gunmen.

  Stay cool. He used to say it to his business partners right before high-tension takeovers. But this was nothing like that.

  Or was it?

  Greyson gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. If they wanted cool, that’s what he’d be, no matter how horribly it grated. He ran over possible scenarios while listening to the Spanish-speaking men. He didn’t have a clue what they were saying, but it seemed as if Remy did from the way his eyes flickered every once in awhile.

  Greyson would follow Remy’s lead.

  They were each held down by one man, the remaining two stood in front of them. He hoped Remy would do something soon.

  Five men against three. Five guns against two. Greyson normally liked odds, especially when it came to house odds at his casino, but this didn’t sit so well.

  “You only brought one vehicle, didn’t you?” David asked. He received a blow to his head in response.

  Greyson winced at the cracking sound. That had to hurt, but David was still kneeling upright with a smug expression. David must have hit the bull’s eye with his remark.

  Seems the odds had shifted in their favor, but only by a slight margin.

  * * *

  Sergio winced as he pulled off his shirt.

  “Still hurts, doesn’t it?” the feminine voice asked.

  He ignored the question and looked down at the bandage that slashed across his chest, stained with blood.

  “You need stitches.”

  “I don’t need anything,” Sergio hissed as he peeled off the bandage.

  “Fine. But when you’ve lost so much blood that you can’t stand, I’ll sew the stitches myself. A large, blunt needle should do nicely.”

  He looked over at his sister-in-law. “Why should you care if I’ll heal or not?”

  “I shouldn’t. You killed my husband.”

  “I’m also the only person standing between you and Alfonso’s gun.”

  “I don’t care about your cousin. Let him shoot me.”

  Sergio tossed the bandage in the garbage and took out a fresh one.

  “Here, let me,” she said, taking the bandage from his hands.

  “I can do it.”

  She rolled her dark eyes. Sergio remembered when he had first met Rosie. She was a frightened little girl of twelve, bought and paid for. She was to marry his brother, who was twice her age.

  At least she was spared that burden until she was fifteen.

  She was now twenty-two and looked as pretty and fresh as an average woman of that age. Only the pain in her eyes betrayed her.

  Sergio never asked. She never told.

  “I didn’t kill him,” Sergio said.

  “Mario said you did.”

  “Mario
is a fool.” In fact, all of his hired men were fools. It gave him little hope.

  “Then you should’ve killed him. Look at all the suffering he caused.” Her hand soothed the bandage over the wound, blood already seeping through. “Let me at least use glue.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Sergio said. Turning from her, he pulled a new shirt from a drawer. “It will be over soon enough.”

  * * *

  “We will never speak of this again,” Remy growled in Greyson’s ear. “Agreed?”

  “Agreed. Stop breathing on my neck!”

  “Where else do you suggest that I breathe?”

  Remy’s angry breath rushed over Greyson. They were going to end up killing each other before the thugs had a chance.

  “I was following your lead!” Greyson snarled. “I thought we were going to escape, not hop into the trunk.”

  “Do you think I’d be locked in here if I had any other choice?” Remy gritted. “Just be happy it’s a large trunk.”

  “Not as large as I would like,” Greyson snapped. “Why did David get the back seat?”

  “I doubt he’s comfortable up there. There’s bound to be a gun jabbing him on every side.”

  “So, now what’s the brilliant plan? It has to be better than your last. I’m all ears. Oof!” Greyson groaned as Remy nailed him from behind.

  “They were going to shoot us and leave us for dead since we didn’t have Adam or Jenna. I bought us time.”

  “You could have just said so instead of sucker-punching me.”

  “I consider it a win-win.”

  Greyson ignored Remy’s smug voice. “And now what happens?”

  “We’ll wait for them to lower their guard and attack.”

  Greyson smothered another groan. He was not cut out for this.

  But, that didn’t mean he was useless. It just meant he had to use the skills he had. Unfortunately, that might get them killed.

  * * *

  Jenna stared at the clock. It had been two hours, and she hadn’t heard a peep from anyone. She hoped Adam had more sense than to show up at an armed house, but now she wondered what was keeping him. Did he go to save Tania instead?

  And where was Greyson? He could have at least called the police.

  Jenna frowned. Something told her the cops wouldn’t be invited to this. She was so far in over her head, she had to look down to see the clouds.

  “I see you haven’t moved. Thank you.”

  Jenna glanced behind her to find Sergio had returned, wearing a different shirt.

  “I don’t think he’s coming,” Jenna said. “I had hoped he wouldn’t.”

  “But now you’re afraid he went to rescue the girlfriend instead?”

  “Ex-girlfriend. But, yes.”

  “Why are you so sure she’s an ex-girlfriend?” Sergio asked, sitting in a chair.

  Jenna shrugged. “They broke up many times, and she’s very manipulative. I really thought he’d finally had enough.”

  “Hearts can be blind.”

  Jenna eyed Sergio. “Is your heart blind?”

  “They all are.”

  Jenna nodded, thinking of Greyson. “I think you’re right.”

  Sergio paused. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”

  “No. I saw a picture of you and Nadia on the Internet. You seemed happy.”

  “You know Nadia?”

  “No. But I seem to be the only person who doesn’t.”

  He smiled. “It’s amazing how people’s paths cross. I’m sure you’ll meet her eventually.”

  Jenna didn’t know if that was a good thing.

  “She wasn’t afraid of me either,” Sergio said as he stood. “I’ll see if I can find anything out about Adam.”

  “Thank you,” Jenna said. Before Sergio could leave, she asked, “Can I use your computer?”

  “No.”

  “But I have work to do. I’m under a deadline.”

  “Think of this as a mandatory vacation.”

  Jenna wrinkled her nose.

  Sergio walked over to an end table and opened the drawer. He took out a pad of paper and pen, tossing them on the coffee table in front of Jenna.

  “Old-school style.”

  Jenna picked up the paper and pen with a sigh. It was better than nothing. If she was stuck here, at least she could get some work done. It’d help take her mind off of everything else.

  For now.

  * * *

  Greyson’s knees were beginning to bruise from the amount of times he had been shoved down onto them. He was currently kneeling in front of man sitting at a solid-oak table, eating from a platter heaped with meat.

  “You were supposed to kill them,” the man drawled, tossing down his napkin. He sat back and eyed the three men on their knees.

  Greyson leveled his gaze. There was nothing to gain by acting weak. He needed information that he could use. And just by surveying the man, he knew he loved gold. The multiple piercings on his ears, eyebrows, and lips were gold. It dripped from his neck in thick chains. Each finger wore a gaudy ring, one that spanned three fingers. He was encrusted with gold. Even a few of his teeth were capped with the precious metal.

  This man, who had to be in his late thirties, had a weakness. And Greyson was going to feed into it.

  The man stroked his short bead and smiled, flashing them with gold. “I’m sorry, gentlemen,” he said in a thick accent. He stood to walk around the table, nearing his men. “It seems they can’t follow a simple order. I told them to kill everyone. They need a refresher in obeying.” His tattooed arm launched, punching a man. The rings ripped across the man’s cheek, bloodying his face. The man winced but stood his ground, taking the abuse without protest.

  “I guess introductions are in order.” He walked to the table and picked up his napkin, wiping the blood off his hand. “I’m Alfonso Ortugas. I assume one of you pleaded with my men to save your necks. So, what was it? What pathetic bribery did you offer?”

  “I’ll pay off Adam’s debt,” Greyson blurted, realizing he should have done it right away. It would’ve saved them all from this. And what was a hundred thousand to him? He’d gladly give it away to help someone and keep his knees their normal color.

  “You’re going to pay off his debt?”

  Greyson nodded.

  “Why?”

  “To save a man. It’s worth a hundred thousand.”

  “A hundred thousand?” Alfonso laughed. “He owes ten million! The hundred grand was to buy time.”

  Greyson didn’t blink at the exorbitant amount, but he felt it as a punch to his gut. Ten million was a little different than a hundred grand. Still, it was only a small gouge to his account.

  “And it’s not just for one life,” Alfonso continued. “I count three in front of me, plus the boy, his sister, and his girlfriend. That’s six lives, no?”

  “Ten million for six lives, and the debt is cleared,” Greyson offered.

  Alfonso stroked his beard again. “And who will honor the blood debt?”

  “Blood debt?”

  Alfonso smiled, his gold teeth flashing once again. “No one leaves here unless the blood debt is paid. One bullet for one life.”

  * * *

  Sergio slammed the phone down. He should’ve never agreed to go to Greyson’s house. He just wanted the girl to lure Adam. He knew Alfonso would come for him.

  One bullet for one life was the latest information he’d received.

  By the time Sergio was through, Alfonso would have a dozen lodged in him. The final shot would be for his mother.

  Sergio pushed away the pain eating away at his insides. He would know revenge, but now it seemed as if he had to plan a rescue before Alfonso killed again. Sergio couldn’t have more deaths on his conscience. He had enough blood on his hands.

  Before he left, he checked on Jenna, who was scribbling frantically on the pad of paper, stress etched on her face. He turned to leave but was stopped by her voice.

  “Take me with you.”
<
br />   Sergio looked over. “I can’t.”

  “I heard what you said on the phone. The walls are thin,” she said, unshed tears brimming in her eyes. “Take me with you.”

  “I can’t.”

  Chapter 23

  “Don’t do this,” Remy said. “We’ll find another way.”

  “This scumbag will kill us as soon as he gets the money,” David added.

  Alfonso grinned. “I could just kill you now.”

  “No, we’ll do it my way this time,” Greyson said, then he looked to Alfonso. “Give them the keys to one of your cars. Release Tania into their care and let them leave. Then, I’ll transfer the money.”

  “Including another six million for the blood debt. One life, one million dollars.”

  “Yes.”

  He shrugged. “Sixteen million total. Who am I to squabble?” Alfonso nodded to one man and then leaned over to whisper to another. Both men took off in opposite directions.

  Greyson watched Alfonso with a wary eye. He knew Alfonso would try to double-cross him. But if Remy, David, and Tania were out of harm’s way, then he knew they’d go and fetch Jenna. She’d be safe.

  A laptop was brought to the table. “Go ahead and transfer,” Alfonso said.

  “Did you forget something?” Greyson asked.

  Alfonso waved his hand and a man came forward with car keys.

  “You will allow Remy to check it over,” Greyson said.

  Alfonso arched his brow. “Don’t trust me?”

  Greyson returned the arched brow.

  “Miguel!” Alfonso shouted.

  A man stepped forward to receive his instructions. Greyson looked over at Remy, who was listening to the Spanish-speaking men. At Remy’s nod, Greyson took a moment to breathe, watching as an armed man led Remy outside.

  Alfonso’s phone rang. He answered it and was quick to shout orders at the remaining men.

  “I don’t like this,” David whispered. “This has the makings of a trap.”