“In case you haven’t noticed, lady, I don’t work for you and I never did.”
She laughed. “Really? And who do you think Tom was getting his orders from? Your last three jobs came from me.”
“Prove it. I don’t believe you.”
“Samuel Chester. Charles Stanislaus. And finally Harrison Winslow.” She chuckled. “If you had dug just a little bit deeper, you would’ve seen that none of them were a threat to national security. But they were certainly a threat to my empire. From opium fields in Afghanistan to marijuana crops in the San Fernando Valley—it’s important for a lady to diversify her income stream. And each one of those men got in my way at some point or another.”
She rose and walked toward him. He swayed on his feet as his vision blurred from the sweat and blood dripping into his eye. Two thugs stood at the ready, their meat hooks clenched into fists. Her hungry gaze roamed his bare chest, clearly appreciating the hard ridge of muscle cording his abdomen. “It didn’t have to be this way you know. I’m a huge fan of your work and an even bigger fan of your physique.” She gave him a coy look. “I could ruin you for other women.”
Nathan didn’t hide his revulsion. “Lady, if you touch me, I’ll puke. Go ahead, I dare you. I had sardines and crackers for breakfast.”
“I like a man with fire. I could make you, you know.” She trailed a finger down his chest. “We manufacture a drug—under the radar, of course, because there’s no legal market for it—but it makes everything below the waist work and nothing above the waist. It’s like a date rape drug for women to use against men. Quite clever, actually. It’s my favorite.” Her smile brightened. “Should I show you? I would delight in riding your helpless body, forcing you to pleasure me.”
“Try it. The drug will wear off eventually and when it does, I will kill you the first chance I get. Doesn’t matter what you do to me, the time will come when I will exact my revenge. And not simply for what you’ve done to me but for what you did to Jaci.”
Penelope made a disgusted sound. “Ugh. Back to her? I should kill her and be done with it.” A different idea came to Penelope and her eyes lit up with promise. “Or I could make you work for me in exchange for her life. Isn’t that what you tried to do in the first place? Set her free so that she would be safe? I could make that happen. If you agree to work for me willingly, I would ensure that she was never touched.”
“The only problem? You’re a liar and I would never put my faith in you.”
“Such an angry man. So filled with manly passion. I find that highly alluring.” She inhaled a deep breath as if loving the scent of his battered body and said “I’ll give you some time to think about it. You have until this evening. If I don’t get an answer I’ll assume that you have declined my offer and before the night is through your girl will be bleeding on the street. You decide. Her life is in your hands.”
Nathan glared at the woman, hating her. She exited the room with tinkling laughter. Plan B was sounding really good right about now. The two thugs approached him with vicious smiles. He eyed them without fear. “Time to play, boys? I’m ready. I should warn you, I’m out of your league and if you tangle with me, you will die.”
The men both laughed at his warning. “We’ll take our chances.”
Nathan smiled, tasting blood on his tongue. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
The first crunch of bone beneath his booted foot felt like sweet vengeance.
Chapter 26
Jaci couldn’t help but steal a few glances at Jake, questions burning at the back of her brain as curiosity overrode her stern advice to herself to stay on task, but it was Jake who started asking questions first.
“How long have you known my brother?” he asked, as he methodically cleaned his gun.
“Not long. We dated for a few months.”
“You must’ve really made an impression on him,” Jake said, never taking his eyes from his cleaning. “I’ve never known Nathan to be so attached to any one person.” She didn’t know what to say to that. He seemed to realize his statement had fallen awkwardly between them and apologized. “That was uncalled for. I have some unresolved issues with my big brother,” he admitted, adding stiffly, “I’m glad he met someone.”
She nodded and tucked her lip beneath her front teeth, wondering how much Jake was willing to share. “Nathan told me a different story about your relationship. He said you lived in Florida. He never mentioned that you’re in the same line of work.”
Jake scowled, taking offense. “We are not in the same line of work,” he corrected her. “I’ve never approved of ID’s methods nor their shady, underground operations for the very mess Nathan is in now. There are no checks and balances, contrary to what they say, otherwise something like this never would’ve happened.”
“So what do you do, then?”
“I work for the U.S. Department of Defense in Washington,” he answered. “What?” he asked when he noticed Jaci’s frown.
“James told me you work for a secret branch of the government that’s pretty similar to ID,” she said, not seeing the big difference. “Both departments are branches of the government that do things under the radar so as not to draw attention. I don’t really see the difference.”
“Well, it is different,” Jake said, tucking his gun into his holster at his waist. “We have more paperwork.”
At that tiny attempt at a joke, Jaci smiled. Jake was a lot like Nathan. She could learn to like him if he stuck around long enough. “So, what happened between you two?” she ventured.
“Old history. Not worth dredging up right now.”
“I don’t know... Seems like a good enough time. You haven’t spoken in nine years. I don’t have any siblings but I always wanted one. Seems like having a brother would be like a built-in best friend.”
He cast her a derisive look. “Not in the Isaacs family. We’re not exactly the touchy-feely type. Growing up in our household was like sleeping in a war zone.”
“Nathan told me your father was a jerk,” she murmured. “But not much more than that.”
“That’s the highlight reel.” Jake waved off the conversation, seemingly done with it. “Forget it—it’s not really a great story. If Nathan didn’t share details, there’s no need for me to. Suffice it to say, it’s no surprise we both split as soon as we were able. The miserable sons of bitches who laid claim to our biology didn’t miss us when we split, either.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, hating how dismal their childhood sounded. “But at least you had each other. I would think that you would’ve clung to one another.”
“Yeah...well, we were close for a time but that ended. And then life happened.”
“Did you try to find him after you turned eighteen?” she asked.
“No,” he answered with a clip, telling her she’d hit a nerve with the simple question. She was willing to bet there was a mountain of pain residing in Jake Isaacs, probably more than Nathan knew. He looked at his watch abruptly and stood. “I’m going to check in with my team before we move out. Stay put. I’ll be back.”
Jaci nodded. When this was all over—if they all managed to survive—those brothers needed to sit down in a room and hash out the past. She’d just have to make sure there were no sharp objects around when they did.
* * *
Jake needed a moment to collect himself as he stalked out of the room to shake off the black mood that had clouded his focus. He hadn’t planned on sharing about Nathan but Jaci had a way of getting him to start talking, which was a total shock. Maybe that red hair gave her some secret mojo because Jake never talked about his past or his family.
When he’d received the call from Nathan after nine years of silence, he’d been tempted to tell him to find someone else to care because he sure as hell didn’t. But for reasons he didn’t understand, he hadn’t tol
d his older brother off and had grudgingly agreed to help.
To be fair, Nathan was in some serious hot water but more important, if Jake managed to bust open a corruption ring within ID, it would look mighty fine on his resume. So he couldn’t say that his interest in helping was entirely grounded in familial loyalty and concern. Nathan had walked away from him nine years ago after helping Jake get into officer training school and hadn’t looked back once. Not a phone call, not a letter. God, he’d begged Nathan to take him when he’d left home but Nathan had refused, saying he needed to finish high school. The memory still had the power to sting.
“You’re leaving?” Jake had exclaimed in a scared whisper as Nathan had stuffed all he could manage into a ratty duffel bag. Nathan had nodded and Jake had jumped from his bed to start grabbing clothes, too, but Nathan had stopped him.
“You’re not going,” he’d said, scowling. “You aren’t even old enough to drive yet. What am I supposed to do with you? You’d be listed as a runaway and everywhere we went you’d put a target on our backs. All it would take is one friggin phone call and the cops would be hauling our asses back to this hellhole. Sorry. Ain’t gonna happen.”
Panic had squeezed Jake’s chest but he’d tried not to let it show. “So you’re just gonna bail on me?”
“It’s not like I have a choice. The old man is going to kill me or I’m going to kill him and I sure don’t want to go to jail over him.”
“And what do you think he’s going to do to me when you’re gone?” Jake had asked. “You can’t leave me. If you do, you might as well just kiss my ass goodbye.”
At that, Nathan had seemed ashamed that he knew Jake was right but he didn’t change his mind. “Sorry. I can’t worry about you all the time or I’ll never get out of here. I’m joining the Marines as soon as I can, until then I’m going to lay low. Just do the same,” he’d said, trying to offer some advice but Jake hadn’t been interested in hearing it. He knew the score. As soon as their father learned of Nathan splitting, he’d take out his rage on his remaining son with no one to act as a buffer. His eyes had burned with childish tears; he was scared of losing his brother and being alone. Nathan had stopped at the window before climbing out, his expression grim. “Listen, I’ll try to come back for you but it won’t be right away, okay? Just stay strong and as soon as I’m able I’ll try to get you.”
Hope had blossomed in Jake’s chest and he’d nodded. “Promise?”
There was a beat of hesitation and then, “I promise.”
And then Nathan had slipped out the window and down the fire escape.
But Nathan had never returned and Jake had suffered unimaginable torture at the hands of his father until the day when Jake had thrown the old man up against the wall with murder in his soul and his father had realized the day had come when he could no longer bully his youngest son. Like Nathan before him, when Jake had walked out, he had never looked back again.
Until today.
Damn you, Nathan, for dredging up all those helpless, vulnerable feelings buried in the psyche of a young teenage boy. He wasn’t that scared kid any longer but seeing his older brother after all that time had somehow awakened the pain all over again.
But somehow, walking away when his brother needed him hadn’t been an option, even though Nathan had been able to walk quite easily.
Maybe if Nathan had known what Jake would suffer when he left, he would’ve taken Jake away with him. Maybe not. Hell, maybe it wouldn’t have changed a damn thing. Nathan had never been accused of being overly sentimental. Frankly it surprised Jake that a woman had managed to pierce that hard shell tucked around Nathan’s heart.
Lord knew he hadn’t learned yet how to let someone in.
And, honestly, he didn’t foresee that happening ever. Not with his line of work. What had Nathan been thinking to get cozy with a civilian? A civilian like Jaci, at that. He could understand perhaps the logic of hooking up with someone who was a solider or at the very least in the same type of work, but a graphic designer?
He drew a deep breath. Maybe he was jealous of what Nathan had, even if he didn’t understand it. Jaci was a gorgeous woman and he actually liked her spunky style—when she wasn’t driving him nuts—but he never would’ve picked her as a mate for his hard-nosed, no-nonsense brother.
But then who was he to judge? He’d never truly known his brother at all.
Chapter 27
Nathan sprang into the air, feet flying. His hands were bound but he didn’t need his hands to inflict damage. Part of his specialized training included the use of his feet as deadly weapons. And it was too bad for the hired thugs that he outmatched them in both speed and skill. Blood sprayed as bones broke and within moments, he had subdued both men—possibly killing them. He didn’t have time to care and simply worked to free his hands.
He removed a gun from one of the fallen thugs and then moved through the house with the stealth of a cat, his eyes and ears open for any sound. He needed that memory stick and he was willing to take his pound of flesh to get it. Preferably the flesh of that crazy bitch.
When he thought of Jaci’s broken finger and how much it must have hurt, he saw red. In all of his years as a hit man and all the missions he’d accomplished, he’d never felt such unbridled rage. Emotion got you killed, that’s what he always told rookies. But here he was, his thoughts consumed with one thought: find and destroy Penelope Winslow.
This was exactly what Jake had warned him about when they’d cooked up this plan.
“There’s too much room for emotion, for screwing up,” Jake had said, shaking his head, not liking the plan at all. “I think we should just call in some backup and hope for the best. Go the legal channel.”
Nathan had scoffed at that idea. “Surely you’re not that naive? You and I both know that a woman who has enough money and influence to do the things she’s done is not going to quail at the threat of a subpoena. Besides, her lawyers would find a way to get her off scot-free. And that woman doesn’t deserve anything less than a bullet or a life sentence. Preferably the bullet.”
“I know it’s hard for you to imagine, but there are rules for a reason. If she’s guilty, justice will find her.”
“I’m not taking that chance. I know she’s guilty and I will see that justice is served.”
“What, you think it’s cool to be a vigilante? It’s all about ‘Nathan, being the badass,’ isn’t it?”
“You can shut the hell up because you don’t know what you’re talking about. This woman is a menace. Do you realize how many lives she’s taken? She’s out of control and if you don’t have the balls to take her down, I will.”
“I never said I didn’t want to take her down. I just want to do it through legal channels.”
“While I’m all for a plan that will work.”
Jake’s face had flushed with anger. “So what’s going to happen if you lose your cool? Everything hinges on her admitting to her crimes. How do you suppose you’re going to get her to do that?”
“I guess that’s my problem, isn’t it. You just keep Jaci safe. That’s your job. And then when I’ve secured the memory stick, I will contact you and then you can ride in with your official team. I trust you can handle the legal part from there.”
“Well, it’s not going to help much if she’s dead. I need you to keep your cool.”
“I disagree.”
Jake had continued, irritated. “We need her to give up her network of corrupt people. We don’t know how far up the chain this goes so it’s crucial that you bring her in alive.”
Nathan had given Jake a hard look. Screw that. It wasn’t his job to clean house. But even as he’d thought the uncharitable thought, he’d known it was unreasonable. Jake was right. If they could get Penelope to roll over on her network of corrupt associates, it could be a major win for everyone involved. “
I’ll do what I can, but no promises,” he’d allowed grudgingly.
As Nathan rounded the corner he skidded as he nearly ran into another thug. He barely had enough time to react and block the hit before a meaty fist came barreling toward his face. Nathan ducked and countered with a hard uppercut, which knocked the man on his ass. Nathan didn’t hesitate and brought his booted heel down on the man’s windpipe, crushing it instantly. He didn’t have the luxury of remorse or of hesitating—they’d picked the wrong side and now they were paying for it. End of story.
He burst through the atrium door and a loud shot rang out as a bullet buried itself in his midsection. He doubled over and fell hard to the floor, clutching his gut. No! It couldn’t end like this. The pain was excruciating, radiating through his body like a sunburst of agony as the bullet ripped through something vital.
Penelope lowered the smoking gun and smirked. “You broke the cardinal rule, soldier. Never run blind into an open room.” She approached him, smug. “Sloppy work, Nathan. I expected more from you. Truly, this is a disappointment. I would have thought that with your experience you would have been far more of a challenge. However, time has made you soft. And I’m ready to be done with you and all of your annoying interference.”
She raised the gun and centered the shot at his forehead. “You know, I had thought of killing your girlfriend quickly for the sheer pleasure of snipping loose ends but then I realized I’d be cheating myself and so I want you to know, as you lie here dying, that when I kill your girlfriend, I will make sure that she suffers unimaginable pain before I finally snuff out her miserable, annoying life,” she said, almost conversationally. “I think I will keep her alive for days, perhaps even tending to her wounds just so I can start all over again. The anticipation of watching her die is simply delicious.”
The Sniper Page 19
