Wild Bastard: A Dark Sparrow Novel

by Kells, India

  “You can lie to me as much as you like, brother, but you can’t lie to yourself.”

  “How can you have so much faith in a woman you know nothing about?”

  “I seem to know more about her than you do, Kai.”

  He shook his head at Lazarus’ words. No way would he start digging up information about Isabel Osborne. Nothing good would come of it.

  Sarcasm was dripping from his voice when he finally found the words to answer. “You would trust a woman you don’t know, and who disappeared without a trace?”

  Something shifted in Lazarus, enough that Kai paused for an instant. None of the brothers were so inclined to share their private lives, but Kai could detect a kink in his armor. One he quickly hid.

  “I believe I would try to find out why she’d disappeared.”

  Kai wanted to snap at him, but he refrained. His older brother’s eyes were lost, a look he had seen in a mirror years ago before putting his fist through it.

  “I’m not going back down that road, Oz. I have a mission. We have a goal and I want it to succeed. And in the end, the only one who will be dead is fucking Finch.”

  Chapter Four

  Mornings sucked. Isabel always hated the moment she opened her eyes and knew deep in her bones that her alarm would go off in a few minutes. That suspended time when you couldn’t go back to sleep and didn’t want to wake up was awful. In this case, she’d hardly slept at all as her brain had other ideas, forcing her to go back to a time in her life where a young man with sunshine skin and laughing silver eyes had given her the gift of courage to take the next step in her journey. Even if it meant it would be the most heart-wrenching decision ever. Sometimes, a promise could be to the most arduous path to tread.

  Pushing the covers aside, Isabel decided that her wallowing was over. Fifteen years had passed since she’d last laid eyes on Kai Jones. He wasn’t the young boy she remembered. He was a man, honed by life and his own battles. The past couldn’t be changed, so the only way was to go forward.

  After a quick shower, she padded into her kitchen as the sun was rising to see Gabrielle sitting on the sofa, a coffee cup in her hand.

  “Still bright and early as shit, Thorne.”

  Her blond friend toasted her. “And still an annoying bitch in the morning I see, Osborne.”

  Snarling, Isabel went to the coffee machine, silently grateful that she didn’t have to brew that miracle juice herself. With her biggest mug full of steaming magic in hand, she went to sit on the sofa beside Gabrielle. After taking a few sips, she finally sighed in contentment.

  “I was waiting for that signal before opening my mouth again. I may be a secret agent, but I fear that you are a real threat without some caffeine in your system, my friend.”

  With the sweetest smile on her face, Isabel batted her eyelashes. “You know me so well, I’m touched.”

  “It’s called survival. Gulp what’s in your cup and we’ll talk about Finch.”

  If that was the subject, Isabel didn’t mind at all. “I’ve shared everything with you that the team has so far. I didn’t want them to continue all night long, because I knew too well they would start making mistakes or overlook fine details. I doubt that he’s as clean as he appears, but we need a thread to pull. Without one we’re stuck. However, I’m not worried. I have a damn good research team. If there’s something there, they will find it.”

  Gabrielle nodded. “Yes, and you know that Finch has probably done the same thing with you.”

  Something flipped in her chest, but Isabel dismissed it. “Well, with your help I have an ironclad past. Isn’t it grand?”

  “I think that if you have that kick-ass team of yours digging, they will eventually find some interesting threads to pull. Nothing can be completely hidden, Izzy. Even with the best intentions and skills.”

  “I’m not ashamed of my past, Gab. It’s just that I wanted… hoped, I could prove myself first before it came back and bit me in the ass. So my hard work and talent couldn’t be denied.”

  Gabrielle touched her hand. “And with what I’ve seen, they may try, and it may be difficult, but in the end, I think the true Isabel Osborne will get through.”

  The steady and unwavering faith of her friend steadied her. “I guess that if Lazarus King and his brothers want to work with me even though they know who I was, it means something.”

  Her friend’s eyes twinkled a bit, and she drank more of her coffee before speaking. “If that’s a convoluted way of asking me if a certain Kai Jones knows, he doesn’t. Apart from me and Oz, nobody has a clue. Oz only found out because I told him, and from what I hear, Mr. Jones doesn’t want to know anything more. He’s only focused on the end goal of Finch dead, and you far, far away.”

  Isabel looked out the windows at her words. It meant that Kai hated her because of the way she’d left, and not what she had done. Maybe it was better that way. Easier to manage.

  “You know, Izzy, I’ve seen the way he looks at you…”

  Isabel cut her off. She may still have strong feelings for the man but rekindling what had been was out of the question. “Thank you for caring, Gab, but you’re not helping. There is no way what you are suggesting will ever happen. I would rather talk about our plan for my meeting with Finch in a few hours.”

  Gabrielle frowned slightly before shrugging. “As you wish, even if I don’t agree with the tendency you have of brushing inconvenient matters under the rug.”

  Isabel closed her eyes and hissed. “Damn it! You are stubborn, gnawing into something that doesn’t exist!” Trying to dampen the pain with fury seemed like a good idea. “We are talking about something that happened fifteen years ago. I never thought I would see him again. I have no intention of rekindling whatever may remain of that time with him, Gabrielle. And you know why!”

  Immediately, her friend’s face softened. “Yes, I know. But will you use that excuse to close yourself off from ever sharing your life with anyone?”

  Defeated, Isabel closed her eyes. She didn’t want to ponder her feelings. On what she might or might not have.

  “I’ll admit seeing Kai was hard, Gab. But don’t forget that I ditched him when he probably least expected it. I saw resentment on his face, and it’s probably for the best. He was a good man, and I’m sure he still is. I want him to be happy, so I intend to play on that resentment until all this is over, so when he leaves, he’ll be convinced that moving on is the best choice he ever made.”

  “Izzy...”

  “Now, can we talk about Finch? I’m begging you, let’s talk about Finch.”

  Gabrielle acquiesced. “Very well. So what else did your team dig up last night?”

  Isabel let out a relieved sigh as her thoughts reverted to the matter at hand. “It’s amazing how his public image is so different from the man you describe. A businessman who has become more and more involved in the political sphere. He appeared to have the perfect marriage, perfect family. He’s charitable, religious…if you ask me, it’s freaky. Of course, there are countless mistresses in the portrait, but that’s not a surprise, especially knowing the brothers. What surprised me was that he doesn’t have more children, illegitimate or not. The man ought to have used a condom after all.”

  “Oz was diligent in that matter, he’s studied the man and his life, inside and out.”

  “And there was nothing he could use to bring him down?”

  Gabrielle groaned. “Every bit of information we use must be backed by hard facts. That’s the problem with pure intelligence. You often have the proof, but it’s linked to either politics or sensitive information. It would be possible to convict him of conspiracy to overtake Chicago’s underground, but I fear that none of the mob bosses involved would be willing to give an interview or be summoned to court to tell how they worked with the guy. Criminal activities are a given. We tried to be ironclad, but he’s careful. All his actions convince us he’s after power, legally or not. Since we countered his plan last year, Finch has been scarcer on the
criminal side of things, investing more time and energy on the political side. Elections are in two years, and if he gets elected, it will be the beginning of the end. We need to nip his ambition in the bud. That’s where you come in. You have connections and resources. And by that I mean your research team and your contact with journalists. We need something that can be exposed in a big way. Finch is talked about a lot in the media, presenting himself as some sort of knight in shining armor when we know he’s not. By going to see you, he’s probably planning to enhance and strengthen his image with the public with your help. You need to lead him on, accept his offer, and keep digging. As soon as you find something solid, we’ll bring him down.”

  Quite a big order. Isabel was not afraid to tackle an impossible task, but she was also a pragmatist. “What if there is nothing to pull?”

  Gabrielle angled her head, but it was clear she wasn’t considering that option. “There is something. There is always something. We have to be certain it can be made public and is backed up with facts. Something that could be passed on to journalists discreetly in a way that won’t incriminate you or put you or your business and associates in danger.”

  “You know that this thread you are pulling may not offer us that luxury.” Isabel pondered the words she had just said. She never put the world she had built with sheer will on the line. On the other hand, she had never had the woman who’d saved her life and the first and only man she’d ever loved asking for her help before.

  The initial panic and fear were quickly dimmed with the certainty that she could go through it all again if needed. Nothing was permanent in this world, that was one of the first rules of life, and there was no way she would ever be able to look at herself in the mirror if she backed off again. “But that’s part of life, isn’t it, Thorne?”

  Both women tapped their cups together in agreement before Isabel forced herself to move. “I’ll get ready before I become too sentimental.”

  As she expected, that made Gabrielle laugh. “Need any help getting your battle gear on, Izzy?”

  It was her turn to smile. “So, I look like I need help? It’s not the first time I’ve gone straight into the line of fire. There’s nothing a great suit and carefully applied makeup can’t get through. I may not have a gun, but I have my own set of weapons and I intend to bring Finch down for you.”

  Gabrielle got to her feet and whipped out her phone. “Only for me?”

  Isabel was proud of the way she turned and ignored the question from her friend. A little hidden redemption may help her finally dampen the swirl of emotions she felt each time Kai Jones’s face was conjured in her mind.

  Chapter Five

  It took most of Kai’s finely honed skills and experience not to take the screen and throw it against the wall when he saw Isabel get out the taxi. The way her business suit’s skirt slightly split over her thigh was simply indecent.

  “It’s not indecent, the hem touches her knees.”

  Kai turned to Lazarus who was typing on his phone. When he felt his brother’s glare, he looked at his face arching an eyebrow. “You spoke out loud, I only answered. You may not know a lot about the business world, but I can assure you that her outfit is very professional. It’s even on the demure side.”

  Demure? The deep blue skirt hugged her hips before flowing away to her knees. The fabric of her white blouse looked so fine and delicate, he feared it would disintegrate with a single touch. With the long sleeves and the fine ruching at the neck, it covered her, but nothing about that woman was demure. He knew that for a fact. Sex and seduction, that was what her entire being was made of.

  Kai followed her via the many cameras they were linked to as she entered the elevator and took time to rearrange her pale blond hair that was in a complex knot at the back of her head and checked her makeup. When the door opened, she walked into the lobby of her company on sky-high heels matching her skirt. At that moment, he asked himself if that girl on the beach with her wrinkled cotton dress, hair flying in the wind, and warm smile, ever existed.

  He didn’t have sound, but Kai saw her stop at different cubicles and offices, all smiles, until a younger woman, cute, blond and spectacled, came and whisked her away.

  Kai didn’t have to look at the employee’s list to know who it was. Lana had been her PA for the last three years, working for Isabel while finishing her degree in marketing, which was paid for by Isabel. Why had she done that? What was in it for her?

  He had gone through each of her employees, one by one. It was a small team and quite successful but with two things in common: none of them had come from the communication world at all and she had paid for the education of many of them over the years. The vast majority had stayed by her side ever since. Another mystery and one he didn’t intend to dig into.

  As her PA preceded Isabel into her office, they now had access to sound. Everything had been prepared the day before including the planting of bugs to make sure they had audio and visual when Finch arrived.

  “Where is Gabrielle? Wasn’t she supposed to come here after leaving Isabel’s apartment?”

  Lazarus pocketed his phone and sat in front of a computer. “Said she had an errand to do first and would join us afterward. Calm down. Finch is still five minutes away. And everything is going according to plan.”

  Kai turned to his brother. “Since when can we trust any plan when it comes to that man?”

  It amazed him how unfazed his brother appeared, it was one trait he definitely shared with their father. Was there anything that disturbed his calm?

  “We have tried many things except open war. I’m not against that option, but I would like a less bloody one if you don’t mind. One where innocents are not caught in the middle. That’s why Gabrielle suggested Isabel. The woman has contacts, brains, and is offering us Finch on a platter. It was unexpected good luck that Finch contacted her.”

  “Luck or a sneaky coincidence?”

  And there was another point to add to Kai’s list. As a soldier, he didn’t believe in coincidences. Meaning that Finch’s interest in Isabel’s business was hiding something else. As a grandson of a Hawaiian healer, he’d always had great instincts and feared what that meant for the mission. Or for him.

  There was no more time for doubts as Aleksei signaled Finch’s arrival as his car parked at the curb.

  Seeing the man who broke his mother’s heart, as he’d broken many others, made him want to hurl.

  “Breathe, Kai. I need you with a clear head. We all do.”

  A difficult task to accomplish, especially when he realized that this dangerous monster, the human he despised and wanted dead, was about to come face to face with Isabel.

  Now having Isabel on one screen and Finch’s progress on another, Lazarus buzzed Aleksei to be on standby.

  “Where is Gabrielle? Dammit! She isn’t answering and she’s supposed to have taken a position on Isabel’s floor.”

  Kai didn’t have time to answer as Finch was greeted by one of Isabel’s team members and escorted to her office.

  “Driver is a bodyguard. Same as the man who stayed just outside the door. I’m running their identities. None are the same ones that protected him last year. I think he might have ditched the run-of-the-mill protection to go mercenary. Which makes them even more dangerous to the public.”

  For anyone still breathing, Kai thought, even as he kept his opinion to himself. Lazarus was far from stupid. Having been part of MI6 and taken part in countless ghost operations, his brother knew the potential repercussions.

  Kai had faced those types of men himself as part of Delta Force, and they were the worst kind of scum, and hell to kill. Even if he had no illusion, Kai hoped his brother was wrong. But the bodyguards weren’t an immediate threat.

  And it was showtime as Isabel greeted her guest.

  “Mr. Finch. I’m happy to finally make your acquaintance.”

  Finch was elegant and dapper as ever in his tailored three-piece suit and his graying slick hair. That’s
how he liked to present himself; in control of himself and of the world he ruled over.

  He took Isabel’s hand and brought it to his lips in a show of old-world charm. “A real treat to be in your presence, Ms. Osborne.”

  Kai’s eye went to a second camera, to her face, and he wasn’t sure he understood her expression. It was obviously flirty, assessing, but there was something off about it. Something he couldn’t pinpoint yet.

  “I fear that flattery won’t get you everywhere, Mr. Finch. Not in this cut-throat business world.”

  Another smile as he released her hand and took his cell phone from his pocket as if to quickly check something.

  “Are your bugs detection proof?”

  Lazarus was also glued to the screens. “Yeah. Nothing is wireless, so they are completely invisible. Or almost. It’s one of the reasons we couldn’t put one on Izzy, too dangerous.”

  There was a risk he was scanning for bugs, but further analysis of the tapes would tell them.

  “Why don’t you take a seat, Mr. Finch?”

  “Jamieson, please. And I was about to suggest an early lunch. What do you think, Isabel? May I call you Isabel?”

  “No, no. Stay in the office.” Kai knew Isabel couldn’t hear him, but the words snapped nonetheless in the room a floor down.

  “And here I thought we were talking business.”

  “But we are, my dear. All the time.”

  Isabel smiled and grabbed her bag. “A man after my own heart. Let’s go.”

  Kai heard Lazarus scrambling behind him, calling Aleksei. He watched as they went to the entrance of the building.

  “Calm down, gentlemen. Everything is under control.”

  Kai cursed as he hadn’t noticed Gabrielle entering the room while removing a black cap and shaking out her blond hair.

  “They were supposed to remain in the office. How can this be described as being in control?”

  Instead of answering, she pointed to the screen. Both men turned to see the receptionist catching up with Isabel to give her an envelope.