“God damn. You stay here where it’s safe,” Lucas commanded as he rushed up the stairs, and a moment later, he was back carrying his rifle. “Oh, hell. Are you going to shoot Alec?” Bailey questioned, but Lucas had already disappeared through the sliding doors.
Bailey sighed; he didn’t know what to do; should he go after Lucas and help? Or, should he stay at the house? Was Marc really in danger? Or would he forgive Alec and? No! He wouldn’t go there. The thought was too painful; after all, Alec was one of the people responsible for Brendan’s death. Surely Marc wouldn’t buy anything that Alec said? Bailey shook his head because he wasn’t entirely convinced.
Bailey decided to go after Lucas because he needed to know if Marc would choose Alec’s side again. His stomach was in knots, but Bailey ignored the nauseousness, and ran through the sliding doors onto the back deck, through the garden, turned to the left, and skidded to a halt when the pool house came into sight.
Bailey looked around, but he didn’t see Byron, nor did he see Lucas. He crept toward the open window, hoping to hear Marc and Alec talk. There was no movement inside the pool house. Bailey didn’t hear voices either. Were they gone? Surely Marc wouldn’t have left with Alec? Would he?
Suddenly Lucas stood behind Bailey, making him jump. “What are you doing here? I told you to stay home where you’re safe,” Lucas admonished. Both men turned around when they heard footsteps; someone was running toward them. Lucas immediately put Bailey behind him, gun at the ready.
To Bailey’s relief, he saw Marc coming toward them. Lucas secured the gun and stowed it away again. “He got away,” Marc panted. “Who got away?” Lucas questioned. “Alec, got away, who else,” Byron said from behind Marc. “How could he escape?” Bailey snapped. Or did you let him escape? He kept that thought to himself.
Marc eyed Bailey strangely. “Well, he had a gun, and I didn’t,” Marc softly said, not breaking eye contact with Bailey, who tried to read Marc but failed miserably. “Alec breached security, and I want to know how he did that,” Marc addressed Lucas.
“I’ll look into it,” a grim-looking Lucas replied. Bailey knew that the man wasn’t happy with the fact that Alec had reached the pool house without so much as triggering at least one alarm. Had Marc helped Alec access the premises without being noticed because he wanted to talk to the man, alone? Marc would have done so only if he still had strong feelings for Alec.
Bailey was confused. It was hard to comprehend that Alec was back in Marc’s life again. Why hadn’t Alec just stayed dead? It would have been better for everyone. The moment the thought occurred, Bailey felt guilty. Just because he was jealous of Alec didn’t mean that he wished him dead. On the other hand, the man was complicit in the death of Brendan.
“Can I talk to you in private?” Marc said. Bailey didn’t know if he wanted to hear what Marc had to say. “Please?” Marc softly added. Bailey reluctantly agreed. They went into the orchard because Marc knew that Bailey would feel comfortable between the fruit trees.
Bailey stopped in front of the pear tree and turned to face Marc, who was shocked by the hurt he saw in Bailey’s beautiful big green eyes. Eyes so innocent and so sad. “Speak,” Bailey whispered. Marc wanted to come closer, but Bailey kept his distance, so Marc stayed where he was. “Bailey, baby, you must have so many questions,” Marc said.
Bailey decided then and there that he wouldn’t beat around the bush. “Do you still love Alec?” “No, not anymore. I mourned him for a long time, that’s true. And when he stood in front of me in that barn, I was convinced that I still had feelings for the man. I had a lot of time to think things through, and at the end, all I wanted was to be with you,” Marc said. The former assassin wasn’t convinced; if he could have shot Alec right then and there, and that thought had worried him. Now, after he had time to think and put things into perspective, Marc knew that if push came to shove, he would shoot Alec to protect Bailey.
“What are you going to do if he comes after you, or me for that matter. Alec took part in placing the car bomb that killed my brother,” Bailey said in a choked-up voice. Marc rubbed his face because he had expected this question. Would he be able to shoot Alec? The answer was yes, but he wouldn’t be able to kill him.
Marc considered Bailey for a couple of minutes, then he spoke in a soft yet firm voice. “I will protect you from everyone who wants to hurt you. If that means that I have to shoot Alec, then so be it.” “Would you kill him?” Bailey questioned. Marc sighed; he finally said in a determined voice, “I would, yes. But only if I don’t have another choice. If it’s up to me, then Alec will spend the rest of his life behind bars.” And that was the truth.
“There’s something else that you need to know.” Marc paused, then he said while observing Bailey intently, “My sister, Shauna, she was released on bail.” Bailey paled because he knew how dangerous Shauna was.
“So,” he said finally, “Did you help Alec enter the premises and how to avoid the alarm systems?” Was it fair to ask Marc? Bailey didn’t know, and right now, he didn’t care. All he knew was that he doubted Marc’s feelings for him, and he wasn’t sure about Marc’s feelings for Alec.
“No, I did not help Alec with anything. I was stunned to all of a sudden see him standing in the pool house. The man is unstable and delusional, and that makes him very dangerous,” Marc said. “Plus, he isn’t the Alec that I knew and loved anymore. It could have been a stranger standing in the pool house,” he added.
Chapter Forty Two
Both men looked up at hearing footsteps, signaling that several persons came their way. Marc moved in front of Bailey, but then, a familiar voice said, “Bailey, my son.” It was Mario Delossantos. With him were Dan, Dennis, and Brad. Before Bailey knew what he was doing, he flew into his father’s arms.
“Thank God that you’re okay, my son,” Mario whispered. Marc greeted the three bodyguards, and then he shook hands with the mob boss. “I thought that you had to stay in the hospital for at least another day,” Marc said. Mario smiled. “When I want to leave, no one can stop me,” he replied. “I suppose so,” Marc chuckled.
“So, Alec is still at large, and your lunatic sister is out on bail. I wonder how good old Marcus pulled that off,” Mario said. “What do you mean?” Bailey questioned because, as of now, he wanted to know everything that concerned his safety and Brendan’s murderers.
“No, I’m not too fragile to hear all the details of God knows what, so don’t start to patronize me,” Bailey said. Mario nodded his approval. Bailey could tell that Marc didn’t like it, well, tough luck this was about him, and it was time to step up and do his part. “I don’t want to be afraid anymore, all the time. It’s not healthy.” Bailey said. “I’m proud of you, my son,” Mario said as he squeezed Bailey’s shoulder.
“I have to make a few phone calls so, I’ll see you later,” Mario said. Bailey noticed that Brad and Dan didn’t follow their boss. “They stay here for protection,” Mario explained at seeing Bailey’s questioning look. “Thank you,” Bailey said politely. Mario waved his hand in acknowledgment as he walked toward the house.
Bailey eyed Marc; he said, “I know that you don’t like it, but this is my call and no one else’s.” Marc pressed his lips together; he said, “You are perfectly right. And I think that you can defend yourself, but I will worry about you all the time because I love you so much.”
Bailey was happy to hear the words, but he still had trouble believing that Marc was done with Alec. After all, they’d been together for so many years. A thought hit Bailey; he frowned. “What was it that Alec wanted from you? I’m sure that he didn’t come to the pool house to chat about the good ol’ days,” Bailey said.
“No, he didn’t want to talk about our past. He came to tell me why he hated me so much,” Marc paused. Bailey waited patiently for Marc to continue, which the man finally did after several minutes. “He said that he hated me because I had shot and killed his brother,” Marc whispered. Bailey saw the pain in the man’s eyes, and he
knew why. Marc had shot and killed Fabian, Bailey’s brother. Bailey had been angry about that until Marc had told him how rotten the man had been.
They sat side by side for a long time without talking, lost in their thoughts. “Thank you for sharing that with me. I can imagine how difficult it must be for you to tell me this,” Bailey spoke in a soft, soothing voice. He knew that Marc was afraid that Bailey would question him again about killing Fabian. Well, Bailey didn’t want to talk about him. His twin brother had been rotten to the core, and at least, now, he couldn’t hurt anyone anymore.
Marc filled Brad and Dan in on what had happened the previous hours. “Lucas is checking the cameras, and he will put more security into place,” Marc said. Both bodyguards nodded and told Marc that they were ready to assist Lucas.
Marc’s phone rang, and he frowned when he saw Byron’s number. “What’s up?” Marc said as he answered the call. “A lot of things. For starters, Robert and Arnulfo somehow got released on bail. Don’t ask me how they pull that stunt; I’m just the messenger. I want you and Bailey in the house,” Byron said. Marc agreed and rose to his feet; then, he informed Bailey and Brad, and Dan.
“Did you find out how Alec could reach the pool house without triggering so much as one alarm because that shouldn’t have been possible,” Marc questioned Lucas, who just had joined them in the living room. “No, not yet; I can’t find anything wrong with the cameras or the motion sensors. I did, however, discover some spots that aren’t covered by either cameras or motion sensors,” Lucas said.
Then Lucas explained about the weak spots and that he would fix them. Dan offered his help because he knew a lot about installing cameras and motion sensors. And, what was more important, to avoid dead spots, if there was enough equipment to work with. In this case, there was more than enough equipment to work with.
Bailey sighed; he wanted it to end so that he could resume his everyday life again. The construction company that Bailey had hired to rebuild the shop and his apartment was doing a very good job. A few more weeks, and Bailey could reopen the Flower Hut again. He only hoped that he still had customers left; if not, well, he would cross that bridge when he came to it—no need to worry now because he had other things to worry about.
Bailey turned to Marc. “What are you going to do now that Shauna, Arnulfo, and my dear brother Robert, are out on bail?” “We will hunt and kill them, of course,” said Mario before Marc could answer. Marc nodded in agreement. “I agree because we need to get to them before they get to us,” the former assassin replied coolie.
Bailey didn’t say anything; he had his answer, even though he didn’t like it. Well, he shouldn’t have asked if he didn’t want to hear the answer. He knew that his father, Marc, and the rest didn’t have another choice than to hunt for the insane four. It was them or them.
Bailey turned to Mario, his father. Even though he didn’t know the man that long, he already felt the connection between them. “I’m sorry that Robert spun out of control,” he softly said as he took the seat beside Mario.
The mob boss sighed and said, “I’m sorry too.” It looked like Mario wanted to add something, but he didn’t. Bailey saw the pain in the man’s eyes. “I know that Robert is important to you.” “Was,” said Mario. “He was important, not anymore. He tried to kill you, his own brother, and that’s not allowed. We don’t go after family to murder them. We punish, sure, but we don’t kill family,” Mario said.
Bailey didn’t respond because what could he say? Could he say that he understood that his brother wanted him dead? Surely not. Mario had told them that it wasn’t him who had post bail for Robert and Arnulfo. And Bailey wondered who had paid such a tremendous amount of money.
“We need to find out who it was that post bail for Robert and Arnulfo,” said Bailey. “Byron is already on it,” Marc said, and Bailey heard the pride in Marc’s voice. Yes, the man definitely was very proud of his younger sibling.
“Well, that was easy,” said Byron as he walked into the living room. “Speak of the devil,” Mario chuckled. Byron looked at everyone in the room when he said, “It was Marcus Blake who posted bail for Robert and Arnulfo.” “That damn bastard,” Marc growled.
“Your father posted bail for Robert and that psychopath Arnulfo? But, why?” Bailey didn’t understand. “Well, my father hates me, obviously, and he adores Shauna,” Marc said, and Bailey noticed that Marc wasn’t emotional about it. “My father and I, well, we don’t see eye-to-eye. He hates me because I’m gay. He hates me even more because he can’t prevent me from taking over Blake Industries when he dies,” Marc explained.
“How is that?” Bailey questioned. Marc smiled ruefully; he said, “It’s complicated, but it comes down to this, that the moment my father disinherits me, he loses control over Blake Industries, and everything will become mine. The estate, the company, and so on. It’s a special clause that my grandfather put into his will. At that time, no one understood; now they do.”
“So, your father is bound to the clause that’s in your grandfather’s will?” Bailey said. Marc nodded and smiled. “There’s only one problem,” Marc paused, then he said, “I don’t want the company.” “Why not?” “Because I’m not a businessman, plus I like the way things are now,” Marc answered.
“Everything alright here?” Marc asked his brother, who was sitting behind his computer. It was almost midnight, and Marc wanted to know if his brother was okay. “Everything is fine,” Byron replied without looking up. “Don’t work too long; you need to be at Captain Jack’s tomorrow,” Marc informed Byron. “I won’t. Just another hour or so, then I’m off to bed too,” Byron assured Marc.
Chapter Forty Three
They had breakfast, and Marc told Bailey that he would work in his study for a while. Bailey didn’t mind because he wanted to relax in the orchard without anyone watching him. So, he didn’t tell Marc what he was planning on doing.
“Did you see Bailey?” Marc asked Keith when he had set the table for lunch. Marc felt panic rising when no one had seen Bailey. “I guess that he is in the orchard,” said Lucas, who walked into the room. “Why would he go there without telling anyone?” Marc questioned.
“Maybe he was tired of being guarded all the time. I mean, the man doesn’t have a minute to himself, ever since the three idiots are out on bail, and let’s not forget Alec,” said Keith. The former FBI agent tried to sound relaxed, but Marc saw the tension in Keith’s body posture. “I’ll go and get him,” Marc said.
******
“What the hell?” Bailey said, but he didn’t get the chance to finish what he wanted to say. It happened so fast that Bailey didn’t even see the fist coming his way. He felt a sharp pain as he fell to the ground. Bailey felt the first two or three kicks into his stomach; then, he felt nothing.
******
Marc began to worry when he didn’t see Bailey in his usual spot, under the pear tree. He called and called but got no response. Marc took his phone and his speed dial. “What’s up?” Keith asked, and Marc noticed the panic in the man’s tone. “Bailey isn’t here. He should be sitting under the pear tree, but he’s not here,” Marc nearly yelled.
“We’re on our way,” Keith said and rang off. A moment later, Keith, Mario, Dan, Brad, Dennis, and Lucas arrived at the orchard. The three bodyguards immediately started investigating their surroundings. “Shit. Marc?” It was Dan; he had found a small pool of blood not far from the pear tree. “I don’t get it. What the hell happened with Bailey? God dammed, he should be safe on the premises,” Marc cursed.
Marc felt so many emotions that it hit him hard. He needed to get Bailey back, alive and in one piece. “The pool house. They must be in the pool house,” Marc growled. The former assassin was stopped by Lucas when he was about to run to the pool house to get Bailey.
“Keith? Would you go to the pool house and see if Bailey is there? And how many persons are with him?” Keith nodded. “We need a plan because we don’t even know if Bailey is at the pool house or how ma
ny people are with him,” Lucas urged Marc.
“You’re not clear-headed right now because it’s very personal for you. But you need to keep your cool, buddy,” Lucas softly said. Marc knew that his friend was right, so he nodded, but he didn’t like it.
Assassins the Florist Book One Part One Page 24
