In the Shadow of the Tiger (The Fighter Series Book 2)

by Kolleen Bookey

  Internally, she was preparing for battle. Riley looked at the nylons and then at the stitches on her leg. She pushed them away and pulled out the brush and blow-dryer. Riley was so used to getting ready on the fly and without a mirror, she didn't need one. Careful not to let the lace underwear catch on her wound, she was ready within ten minutes of prep. Pulling the dress over her head, Dragon for the first time stepped in towards her. His fingers slid to the zipper, and as it went up, his fingers grazed her skin accidentally, making her shiver. Riley wanted to hurry now, eager to see Eric. She wanted to make this party into Mark's celebration of death. There was a line of people waiting to kill him and one waiting to see his corpse rotting in a deep grave.

  Bending down to buckle her shoe, she slipped the knife Dragon left in the makeup bag into her bra nonchalantly. It was small, and she would have to be quick to get it opened.

  Dragon looked down at his watch again. She could tell he was getting anxious. Unknown to her, his life depended on making Mark's deadline as well. He moved to the door. The muscle on the other sidestepped aside. He gestured her through, and as she passed, muscle took a good long look at her. Dragon cleared his throat, and the man looked away.

  “Stop at the elevator.” He said.

  She said nothing and stopped at the elevator. They got in, and Dragon pressed the button to the top floor. "Where are we going?" She asked.

  "Mr. Raeburn wants to see you before dinner." He said. Riley could feel the warmth coming off his body, and she knew he too was keenly awaiting the main event.

  “Wonderful.” She said shifting in the high-heeled shoes. They were already hurting her feet.

  Dragon tapped on the door with his fingers stealing a quick glance her way. Riley nodded ever so slightly. The door opened, and another muscle let them in. There in the biggest suite in the Hyatt was her long lost husband, Mark Raeburn. Looking tan and fit, Mark was leaning casually against the bar with a glass of red wine in his hand. He watched her enter and then looked at Dragon.

  “You can gather the others.” He said setting his glass down on the bar. Riley saw the annoyance on his face, which made her smile.

  Without looking at Riley, Dragon left the room. She and Mark stood there for a moment in silence. She wasn't glad to see him, and he appeared not all that excited to see her either, but then this was after all just a game. She had been a player in his game from the moment she met him. He wanted the crowning title of a champion even though it meant nothing to anyone.

  “The dress looks good.” He said.

  Riley sighed. "Where are the others, Mark?" She asked. He motioned her to come in closer. She did but kept her safe place open and far enough from him, so she didn't have to breathe the same air or connect with his energy.

  "He'll be joining us for dinner," Mark said picking up the wine and pouring another glass. He handed it to her, and she took it. Riley accepted the wine because Dragon's voice was inside her head telling her to behave.

  Riley couldn’t help but wonder what she had ever seen in this person. His arrogance seeped out of his pores with an ugly aroma. He seemed even darker than he had been and much more concise in his emotion. She felt darkness in his soul that she’d never known before. Riley knew something had changed in him something unknown to her.

  "So you survived the shift," Mark said lifting his glass. "Crazy!" He said making a cheer's motion towards her. Her arms felt like steel weights, but she raised the glass in a half-hearted motion wrapping her fingers around the bottom.

  “And you Mark, you survived the shift. How?” She asked overriding his degrading words and striking right back at him. She forced herself to loosen the hold on the wineglass wanting nothing more than to shove it straight through his black heart. “I mean for someone so greedy and self-centered, deceitful and mean, I would’ve guessed you’d be the first to connect with the violence of it all.”

  "Yes and yes." He said smiling. "For some people, it was the end. For me, it was only the beginning. I can't tell you how many people I killed. I just picked and chose my fights."

  "You hid!" Riley said guessing, and it was a good guess. "That's not brave of you." She said. His face turned a shade of red. "No women with you? I always wondered if your infidelity wasn’t because you were gay.”

  He straightened up and puffed his chest outward. He'd be coming at her soon, and she braced herself for it. Or maybe he had other plans she didn't know about yet. Mark had fought, but fairness wasn't part of his game. She fought her battles fair always, and she owned her scars, every one of them.

  "Ah, Riley! It's good to have you here with me now. I've missed your tenacious personality. I just need to remember how to control it."

  “You don’t have that choice any more Mark. I’m not your wife anymore.” She said.

  “Have you forgotten? I have your brother?” He said sipping his wine all the while keeping his eyes on her.

  “No Mark, I haven’t forgotten.” But then you don't know my brother! Riley said with a slight grin.

  “Good. Good.” He said.

  He stepped closer to her. She could smell everything he had put on his body. He smelled of creamy lotions and expensive cologne. Just the right aroma and applied at just the right strength. However, he looked soft to her. He was living the good life. A generous life. Even his hands were smooth and not callused. Mark was not feeling the affects of the change in the world. He was benefiting from them. Everything about his clothes was faultlessly clean and pressed. There was nothing on him or in him that wasn't all about money and power right down to the expensive suit he was wearing. His good looks were like a false door. You never knew what was behind it.

  “I can give you anything in the world.” He said. “Don’t you want to be filthy rich?”

  “I already am," Riley said. "I loved you once. Not anymore. You lied to me and made a promise to me that you broke. I'm no longer the person you once knew. You haven't changed one bit." She stepped in closer to him and lowered her voice, "You have everything you want now. Why bother with me? Now let's get on with this so I can go home."

  He let out a long laugh holding his stomach with his hands as he did. Riley wasn't laughing, and when his hand snaked out and caught her in the cheek, unsurprised. The impact sent her back, but she found her feet even in the thin spike heels she wore. Riley tasted the blood long before he saw it. Once she regained her stance, she let her fingers slide over her lip to stop the blood from rolling down her chin. Oh, Jack and Eric are going to kill you.

  Mark smoothed his tie rolling his head from side to side. “We’ll discuss it over dinner. I’m starved.” He said. “I just need to freshen up a bit.”

  Riley watched him walk away. His ego overinflated. There were no longer any boundaries for Mark. No rules to follow and no laws to help Riley. They were all in grave danger. Left unchecked, Mark would develop a much bigger plan. People like Mark was what the fight was all about.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

  Dragon entered through the kitchen. "He told me to shut down the security cameras, but the ones on the building are still running. I told Sam." He said to Blake pretending to be making demands. "He has a man at every entry except the kitchen." He paused for a minute looking at the food. "There are people out there, but I believe they are just there for show."

  "How's Riley?" Blake asked fumbling around with a salad. He looked out of place. He paused and then took on the part.

  “Tenacious. Did you see a woman with long blonde hair here?” Dragon asked. “Raeburn calls her Candy.”

  "No. But we were both out when those bastards brought us here." Blake said. "Some asshole hit us with a stun gun. Came out of the dark."

  “Just stay away from her!” Dragon warned. “She’s bad news.”

  Eric pulled on the jacket given to him and looked at Dragon. “What’s his plan for Riley?”

  “I don’t know.” Dragon said. “He’s with her now.”

  "Jack won't like that," Blake said trying to lighten the mood.
Eric grinned slightly.

  "I saw a military helicopter atop the next building when we came in," Eric said. "Is that his?"

  “More than likely.” Dragon said. “He’s not in charge, there is someone else.”

  “Can he fly?” Blake asked.

  "If he can't, I'm sure one of his muscle can," Dragon muttered.

  “Did you say the next building? Shit!” Dragon said.

  “This building is wired.” Blake finished Dragon’s thoughts. He glanced down at the pistol Dragon had slid him. “If that’s the case this won’t be good. Where’s Jack when we need him.”

  “The detonator?” Dragon said.

  "Could be anything from a cell phone to a human. Depends on his knowledge of explosives." Blake said tossing tomatoes onto the salad.

  "Jack, your leader?" Dragon asked. "Riley was asking for him."

  "Yes. Riley is…." Blake started, but Eric cut in.

  "Stubborn," Eric said. Dragon glanced over at Eric.

  "Now's not the time to be playing, I can't trust Raeburn’s shit. Your men are out there, but I'm the only one supposed to be here. I can help you." Dragon said looking at Eric. “Understand.”

  "Blake's right," Eric said. "I'm betting on explosives. He's planning to let us go up with the building. That'd be his style?

  “Look for a detonator?” Dragon said. “I didn’t think Raeburn is all that bright. Maybe I was wrong. I do know, he’s not playing these games alone. Someone else is watching.”

  “Jack’s here, in the building somewhere.”

  "Knowing Mark, there's more kid's here too. We need to get them out." Dragon said.

  Eric stepped in next to Blake. Both of them were a bit roughed up in the face from Mark's thugs and yet still striking in their suits. "Let the games begin," Eric said taking a swallow out of the bottle of wine intended for Mark's table.

  The walk was a short one. Dragon moved the two men forward, and as they crossed through the door of the dining area, Dragon frowned. He knew Mark was off his rocker, but this was almost to the point of insanity. Sitting and filling all the tables but two were people. Even with theatrics, Dragon knew how dangerous Mark had become.

  “Where did all these people come from?” Dragon whispered.

  With the helicopter nearby, he doubted Mark would be staying for the entire evening. If these were his guests, were they to become a dangerous part of the explosion? Or was this just a game they were all playing? Dragon had a feeling they were here to die.

  He didn’t underestimate Mark who Dragon guaranteed would be switching plates with Riley making poisoning questionable. Dragon fingered the baggy of candy in his pocket. With Mark’s muscle positioned at the doors, Dragon would be dead before he got one shot off. All good thoughts but he wanted to see tomorrow.

  The dining room glowed with flickering candles placed at each of the tables creating a soft glow throughout the room, but it was not welcoming. The tables covered with fine linen, fine china and silverware adorned the tables, with secluded booths that lined the walls.

  Dragon felt an uneasy awkwardness as he led Eric and Blake to their table. Their third team member, Sam was dressing for the evening after spending a generous amount of time in the kitchen cooking. Mark Raeburn, skilled at nothing was an expert at delegating work to those around him. His best quality was telling people what to do and how to do it.

  Eric and Blake sat hating the man who held the ace in his hold waiting for their chance to be the one to rip the devil's heart out. The room felt electrical.

  A knot was growing in Dragon's stomach, and a voice was whispering in his head as he went to fetch Mark's main course. His inner voice was telling him that this was a bad idea.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  Riley jumped when Dragon came through the door. She was expectant especially after seeing Mark in person. Her palms were wet. She kept wiping them on the towel in the bathroom but as soon as they dried, they were damp again. Sitting was difficult because the dress wrapped tight around her legs and standing wasn't much better because of the heels. When Dragon stepped through the door, relief made her forget for a moment the battle of emotion within her. She’d hidden her fear well as it lingered deep inside her.

  “It’s time.” He said.

  Riley didn't say anything. He stepped closer to her and looked at her intently. "How did you land on the right side of the fence?" He asked.

  "You mean because Mark was my husband. Why aren't I ruling the world with him?" She grinned. "No thanks. Unbelievably when I married him, he acted like someone all together different. Until I saw him for what he was."

  He slipped a clear baggy into her hand. “Slip this into his food.”

  She took the baggy and placed it between her skin and bra. “What is it?”

  "I don't know. I don't do drugs. I do believe it's potent as hell. It might throw him off enough to get your brother and the others out." He said. "What I do know about Mark is, he doesn't use. I hope it’ll give us all the advantage."

  “The monitor’s,” she said suddenly.

  "They're all off. Mark is on his way down. You ready?" He asked her. "Ignore the others down there. They're just part of the show."

  “Okay.”

  Dragon moved her through the door. The muscle fell in behind them. She could hear his breathing over hers. The elevator doors slid slowly open, and they stepped in. Dragon squeezed her arm as she rushed to get out of the elevator excited to see Eric, Sam, and Blake. Pulled back, Riley fell into stride next to Dragon.

  A handful of people occupied most of the tables. They were casually sitting, talking and drinking wine oblivious to the world outside. It was neither promising nor faltering. It was clear they were wealthy people by the way they dressed. She saw Eric and Blake and felt her heart skip a beat. Sam was nowhere in sight.

  Eric and Blake watched her. Feeling responsible for allowing skeletons to creep out of the closet, Riley tried to push it to the back of her mind knowing control might save the teams lives. The first act Mark would want to see is her being melodramatic. He wasn’t going to get it, not from her. Never had she been before and it wasn’t going to start today. Riley gave Eric a slight nod and sat down in her seat.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  Hidden in the recess, where most the lighting had once been, an upper walkway masked by shadows had a perfect view. Jack looked down from that balcony. From there he could see below hidden by long thin curtains and thick rope. Mark was a ticking time bomb; include all the firepower in the room might become explosive. With Mark having placed his dinner guests strategically throughout the dining area to encase the spot where he and Riley would sit. The scene below was like a movie drama Mark planned to control.

  Jack wanted nothing more than to confront Mark. He could easily shoot the son of a bitch and let him explode into tiny bits with the rest of the building. However, the other people in the room were all strangers to him. He didn’t know their purpose. Just as important, Jack wasn't about to risk any of his team members. He had many skills, but patience earlier in his life hadn't been one of them. Over the years, countless conflicts tested Jack’s patience. Patience, at times, he couldn’t afford. With practice and wisdom, he’d grown to be the expert on it.

  Adam wasn’t far from him. The boy had his gun ready holding it like an extension of his body. The others were all close by unseen and unheard. The silence of the room ended as instrumental music filtered from the overhead speakers muffling movement and allowing them a little room to adjust their positions. They needed to find the explosives, if there were any, or get the hell out before Mark set them off. The hotel was huge and time was critical. Jack counted on being able to get his team out before Mark detonated. As long as Raeburn was in the building, they were safe from any explosions. Now they just needed a break.

  "Sam is coming in now," Ryan said through the mic.

  "Copy," Jack said.

  “Who’re the others? There are a dozen people down there I don’t recognize.” R
yan asked.

  "Don't know but assume them to be hostages until we see otherwise," Jack replied glancing at the strangers filling the room.

  "Copy," Ryan said.

  Sam, dressed in black pants and a button up white blouse, appeared at the door. With her hair up and away from her face and a white apron tied around her waist, she played the part of their server. Exhausted and discoloration was beginning to form on her cheeks and eyes. One of the muscles commanded her to move to the side. Jack took a sigh of relief. With his team present, he felt some relief.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

  Riley sat at the table., She wanted to toss her cookies for the second time today, but thankfully Dragon's dose of pain meds was starting to numb the soreness and aches throughout her body, especially her head. More disturbing, this was a direct reflection of her vision right down to place settings. Knowing this, she felt confidence creep up and then she crossed her arms and waited for the jerk of the hour. It reminded her of a wrestling event, though not a fan, but when Mark stepped through the door; his entrance reminded her of just that. With head held high and chest pressed out like a rooster, Mark lifted his nose. She wanted to laugh picturing lights and fireworks. Riley wasn't there for the show. She wasn't even there for him. She was there for her team. More than anything, Riley was there to kill him.