Team Zero Series 1-3 Boxed Set

by Rina Kent

  “She’s currently watching Aaron. Only there’s just Dylan here.” I enunciate.

  Celeste’s whole attention is still on the restaurant. Something tells me Aaron won’t even show up to this meeting, but she’ll keep watching anyway.

  “We’re returning to England for the mission Hades assigned us.” Ghost’s tone becomes rigid.

  “What about Eloise?”

  “The Rhodes’ men are here. They will keep an eye on her.”

  My spine jerks. I would rather it Ghost or my Team Zero mates, but he doesn’t have a choice. This mafia business is big enough that Hades is ready to stop Team Zero killing usual contracts to take care of it. He’s not suspicious of Ghost, for what I know, he’s keeping the others hostages because he knows we work best under pressure.

  However, if Hades doubts Ghost, it will be game fucking over for all of us.

  “How are things at your end?” Ghost asks.

  “Nothing special. Tristan, however, is either eliminating his fellow second generation assassins or offering them a way out. With Team Zero either locked up or on this mission and the second generation defecting, The Pit won’t have many assassins left.”

  “That’s good news for us.” There’s silence before he continues, “I have managed to convince Team Zero to rebel against Hades. At least, the ones who are dispatching for this mission with me.”

  My heart expands and air comes into my lungs with a freshness I haven’t felt in months. Hades will go down. I might get a chance to reunite with Eloise.

  “I know you want to go back to France,” Ghost says as if he’s reading my mind – again. “But it’s not safe now. He’s Hades after all and will always have loyal demons like Storm. Our mates are locked up, too, and they’re on Omega, Crow.”

  “I will wait.” But I know that the time to go back to Eloise isn’t far away.

  At least I fucking hope not.

  Because I can’t stay away from her anymore.

  20

  Eloise

  Two gunshots slice through the can dangling from the tree. The loud sound echoes in the forest, but no one except for me hears it.

  Actually, whoever’s hiding on the hill and who’s been watching me for more than four months might.

  Charlotte barks, her tail wiggling left and right. I pat her head and kiss her on the nose.

  I place my handgun and the magazine in the leather briefcase and close it. I’ve made a decent practice space here. A little table from a tree trunk – brought down by lightning – and some dangling cans from the branches.

  Shooting is a good sport. I feel safer and more reliant on myself instead of other people’s protection.

  I started taking lessons at the shooting range as soon as I found out about my pregnancy. I know that Ghost – or whoever he sent – is out there. I don’t catch glimpses of them, but I can sense them watching. It’s reassuring to know they’re there. However, I won’t sit back waiting for danger to come to me and my baby.

  Since I’m part of a shooting range, I get to own a handgun. I practise on my own at the hill overlooking the cliff. But like every time, whenever I finish, a dark halo looms over my head.

  I stand on the cliff’s edge and stare at the sparkling water below. It’s unfair how much it’s still beautiful even after swallowing Crow.

  Sometimes, I block that day from memory and just recall when he brought me here on the back of his scary motorcycle. I never opened up to anyone as much as I did to him. Not even with my shrink. And it was so easy, like I was always meant to do that.

  Those memories, the good ones, the ones where he showed me what I could be, are my encouragement during my dark days. When it gets too hard, I just close my eyes and remember his words.

  But other times, as I stare at the rocks with the waves crashing onto them, I only replay that horrifying moment when he threw himself over the edge.

  When he was gone forever.

  All I have left is memories, haunting me, filling me with regrets and what-ifs. The thought that life goes on without him deepens the hollowness inside me. There’s an emptiness, a shard of nothingness that will always stay with me.

  Even if no one else remembers him, I will. Everything about him is engraved in me.

  I place a hand on my stomach. There is a bump, a glimmer of a miracle, growing inside me. Although Crow left, a part of him will always exist. This baby is my reason to live. My reason to fight on.

  My baby and I deserve to live.

  I wish Crow were here. No idea if he would’ve made a good father, but I’m sure he would’ve loved and protected us. Because that’s exactly what he did with me.

  My lips tremble and my legs shake. Unable to remain standing, I crouch, hiding my face in my palms. Silent coping doesn’t work sometimes.

  I’ve been focusing on becoming a mother and trying to forget all the heartache from four months ago. But sometimes, like now, I can’t keep the tears at bay. I can’t pretend I’m completely all right.

  My shrink – that I’ve been visiting regularly – calls my shooting sessions a coping mechanism, but she doesn’t know the whole story. I’ve been shooting not to forget about Crow, but to pretend to be him. To be able to protect myself and our baby like he would have protected us.

  I’m no longer the woman who welcomes death with open arms. I became someone who will fight death until the last breath I have.

  On my way back, Charlotte keeps barking and wiggling her tail. She comes to a screeching halt when an orange fur ball saunters out of the house.

  I guess she would never get used to him, especially since he’s a bit of a bastard.

  “Hey, Orange,” I greet him.

  The cat doesn’t even acknowledge my existence and continues sauntering away.

  As I said – a bastard.

  But when I found him two months ago, tiny and shivering in the rain, I couldn’t just leave him. Since he’s so conveniently orange, I named him that. Somehow, I saw Crow’s little cat in him.

  When I go into the house, however, Orange dashes inside. He starts meowing the “I’m starving, human, give me food,” meow. I smile and reach for the cupboard for his favourite tuna. Charlotte watches from a distance as he eats, ignoring her own food. She’s cautious about the cat, but sometimes I catch her snuggling next to him.

  After dinner, the sky grows dark. I write three notes.

  ‘I visited Maman and Papa’s graves today and talked to them for an hour.’

  ‘I forgive my dad. I know he chose a wrong path, but I can finally stop blaming him for disappearing on us. After all, his name was what Maman whispered when she had a fever.’

  ‘I bought more baby clothes and started decorating the room.’

  With a smile, I put the notes in the jar.

  My phone vibrates with an unknown number. I answer with a frown. “C’est qui?”

  “Hey, my little girl.”

  My heart stops beating for a fraction of a second at the deep gravel of the familiar voice. “D-Dad?”

  “Did you miss me?”

  “Oh my God.” My weight falls against the chair as a million thought race through my head. I want to blurt a thousand retort to him, but only grateful tears fall down my cheeks and I’m back to being Daddy’s little girl. “Where have you been for whole five years, Dad? I thought you died! And Mum… she’s…” A sob tears from my throat. “You didn’t even get to tell her goodbye.”

  “Cam and I will never say goodbye.” There’s a smile to his voice. “The day she dies, I follow.”

  “But she’s already dead! And you weren’t there for either of us. Where are you, anyway?”

  “A faraway island you don’t need to know about for now and no, Cam isn’t dead. She’s recovering.”

  Buzzes whoosh in my ears. “R-recovering?”

  “She never died that day, my little girl. The surgery was successful but she was in a coma. I helped fake her death and took her with me. I wanted to take you, too, but that would’ve drawn Ha
des’ attention.”

  “D-dad…”

  “…I was coming back to you, but Team Zero beat me to it. My contact says you’re watched by them. I need you to find an opening and escape the guards tomorrow at midnight and meet my contact –”

  “Dad!” I shout, my hands gripping the chair tight. “Did you just say that Maman is alive?”

  “Yes.” There’s a smile in his voice. “It hasn’t been long since she regained consciousness and we’re working on rehab, but you know your mother’s bone, she’ll recover in no time. She’s been asking about you for weeks.”

  My chest squeezes as another sob tears from my throat. Not only Dad is alive, but my mother is, too.

  My life regained some of its colour.

  “Why did you make me believe she died?” I cried.

  “If you didn’t show a believable reaction, my plan would’ve failed and I planned to get you sooner. Besides, comas like hers are usually impossible to come back from. I didn’t want to give you empty hope. I’m sorry, my little girl. Hang on.”

  “Mon trésor?” Maman’s soft voice drifts from the phone.

  “Maman!” I shriek, breaking into a fit of laughter and tears. “Oh, mon Dieu. You’re alive.”

  “Do you honestly think your dad will let me die?” she chuckles.

  “No,” I laugh, wiping the tears with the back of my hand. “That he wouldn’t.”

  “We’ll finally be together again, Eloise. Your dad left everything behind.”

  Thank God for that.

  We spend hours talking. My parents are on speaker and I pinch myself now and then to make sure this is reality.

  We talk about the private island and Dad escaping Hades and I tell them all about what happened here, including Crow. I skip the baby part until I meet with them in person.

  After Dad gives me all the information I need to join them tomorrow, I hang up with bewilderment and giddiness digging at my chest. For some reason, I always thought Dad was alive, but I never thought Maman is, too.

  Now, I have a family again.

  I take my hot chocolate and head upstairs. Charlotte and Orange join me as I push the door to the bedroom. His bedroom.

  Ever since Crow left, I haven’t been able to sleep anywhere but in his bed. Sometimes, I hug the clothes he left behind and pretend he’s here with me.

  Not healthy. I know. My shrink doesn’t need to hear about this.

  All his weapons, the leather bag, and his bike disappeared when I returned from the hospital, but whoever packed his things forgot his clothes.

  I retrieve his T-shirt and put it on as a sleeping robe. Time has been washing away his leather scent. The more I can’t smell it, the more it feels like losing him all over again.

  I sniffle back tears and slip underneath the soft covers. The season changed from summer to autumn, and winter will soon start. Sometimes, I wish all year long would be summer.

  Orange and Charlotte snuggle beside me as I retrieve a baby care book from the drawer.

  I stopped working the night shifts because I need the normal sleeping hours for my baby’s health. Since I’m not drowning in debts anymore, I only work the day shift. The money Crow left me would last me for a lifetime, but I like taking care of people.

  I’ll keep that money for our child’s future.

  My guilty pleasure these days is reading books about babies. The bookstore will get rich due to my endless purchases.

  At times, I imagine Crow sitting beside me and reading with me. Again, I know it’s unhealthy, but I can’t help it. I don’t think the pain of losing him will ever settle in.

  Somewhere in reading about the second trimester, I fall asleep. I barely register the book falling from my hand to the floor.

  At that moment between wakefulness and sleep, Charlotte barks and Orange hisses. I release a soft moan. They’re bickering in the middle of the night again.

  Strong arms surround me, and the scent of leather isn’t so washed-up any more.

  It’s one of those dreams. I want to cry joyful tears. Those dreams were beginning to fade away. I was scared I would never see him again even in my sleep.

  I stay still in his embrace. If I attempt to touch him or turn to see him, he will disappear. That’s what he did before. So this time, I’ll just remain cocooned in his hold.

  His strong arms encircle my waist. His leg wraps around mine and his hot breath tickles my neck.

  The leather scent is a lot stronger than in the previous dreams. His long, lean fingers glide into my hair. They seem so real this time. The caress soothes and lulls me to sleep.

  Tears prickle under my closed lids. If I turn around, he will disappear. Again and again, he just disappears. All I’m left with is a bottomless void that refuses to be filled.

  “Are you asleep, Eloise?” he asks in a low, shiver-inducing voice.

  My eyes snap open and my entire body turns rigid. This… can’t be happening. Crow never speaks in my dreams. He just exists. I don’t even see him.

  I slowly turn. God, I must be going insane. I’m starting to hear things.

  I’ll just make sure he’s not real. Tomorrow, I need to find a new shrink.

  My heart thunders in my ears as I make out the most intense, blue eyes I have ever seen. He’s staring at me with raw, deep longing that almost matches mine.

  Crow.

  It’s Crow.

  That hooded gaze. These strong, thick arms caging me. Those bird tattoos peeking from the collar of his T-shirt.

  He’s here and hasn’t disappeared.

  I reach out a trembling hand to touch him. He will really vanish this time, but I can’t push away the need to touch him.

  Just once. I want to touch him one more time.

  My fingers connect with a slight stubble on his cheek.

  It’s… real.

  I gasp, bolting to the sitting position. “C-Crow? Please tell me I’m not going insane.”

  His smile, eyes glinting with playfulness. “The one and only.”

  Oh. Mon. Dieu.

  It’s really him. It’s Crow.

  I’m shaking. A shiver takes hold of my entire body.

  He’s alive. Like my parents, he’s alive.

  Wait. He’s alive. He’s been alive ever since that day he fell from the cliff and yet he made me believe he was dead. All those months of grief and counselling and working so hard to be fine has been for nothing.

  I jump to my feet, anger shoots down my spine, almost on par with relief. I point a finger at him. “You were alive all this time but didn’t think about telling me?”

  He stands, too. Now that he’s at his full, mesmerising height, that leather jacket stretching over his broad shoulders and those black trousers hugging his thighs, the reality that he’s alive strikes home. I almost fall to the floor crying, but the anger keeps me standing.

  Mon Dieu. The intensity of the emotions is already crippling. Add the hormonal changes and I’m a mess.

  “I can explain,” he says.

  “Explain what? Explain that I mourned and I’m still mourning you?” Tears soak my cheeks and I wipe them with jerky hands. “How could you do this to me? How could you make me believe that you’re dead?”

  “Do you think I wanted to leave you?” Veins throb in his neck as he advances. “I was dead without you all this time. It took everything in me not to blow my plans in the air and run back to you. But I couldn’t. Not before I made sure that you wouldn’t be in danger anymore. Hades isn’t dead yet, but he will be soon. Most of his assassins have defected, so he doesn’t have the luxury to go after you or me.” His hands cage my face, wiping my tears with the pads of his thumbs. “You never left my mind or heart during all this time.”

  “I thought you were dead…” I choke on my words, hitting his chest with everything in my might. “And I’ve been trying all this time to move on.”

  He clutches both my wrists in his hand and leans close until his scent is all I breathe. “Did it work?”

  �
�Not in the least.” I stare at him through wet lashes. My fingers clutch his T-shirt tight to make sure he’s real and not a nasty dream.

  His lips claim mine. The kiss isn’t gentle. It’s deep and passionate and matches the furious longing I have for him. His tongue swirls against mine. There’s no denying that he’s here.

  Crow is alive.

  I’m a crying mess now. Kissing him and sobbing. I cling to him, but my unsteady legs make me waver.

  Crow takes me in his arms. He sits on the edge of the bed and keeps me cocooned in his lap. My arms circle his neck and my face buries in the crook of his shoulder as I cry my eyes out. Happy, but also wretched tears.

  Crow holds me like a safety line. An anchor. He whispers soothing words in my ear and rubs my back.

  I don’t know how long we remain that way, but it’s enough that no more tears come out. I start drawing those stuttering breaths that come after so much crying. My eyes turn puffy and the inside of my mouth is sticky.

  Certainly not how I wanted to welcome Crow.

  I want to tell him about my parents. I want to confide everything in him.

  “Have you gotten a cat?” Crow asks when Orange jumps on the bed and sniffs his leg. Charlotte, on the other hand, is watching from afar. She’s probably, like me, trying to soak all this in.

  “His name is Orange.” I smile, still wrapping my arms around Crow’s neck.

  Crow grins so wide like I’ve never seen him before. “That name lacks an awful lot of imagination.” He kisses my forehead. “Thank you.”

  My toes curl. “He’s a bit annoying, but you’re welcome.”

  Orange hops down and knocks a book to the floor. Crow picks it up and places it on the nightstand. Then, when he reads the title, he freezes.

  I freeze, too. Ever since I found out I was pregnant, the whole decision was between me and myself. Now, it’s different. How do I broach the subject?

  “Is this….” Crow stares between me and the book with confusion. Then, his fingers slide over my bump and his eyes widen.

  This is it. Now or never.

  “I’m pregnant,” I blurt.