Bad Men

by Stone, Piper

  After all, the glorious surgeon was prepared to show his gratitude by striking a check personally.

  We waited for a full five minutes before Silas walked into the foyer, eyeing both of us as if we were old friends.

  “I’m so glad to be able to meet with the two of you. I hope it’s all right if I call you Jack and Diego. I almost feel like you’re both family after what you’ve done,” Silas said as he showed us into his library, walking immediately toward a massive bar in the corner. “Would you care for a drink? It’s certainly a day to celebrate. You’ve brought my daughter home.”

  Family. What a crock of shit.

  “No, thank you, Dr. Walters. We won’t be taking much of your time,” I answered.

  He shot me a look before smiling as he poured himself a scotch. “I’m glad to see you’re on the mend, son. I know my daughter was very concerned. And please, call me Silas.”

  “Your daughter should be concerned but not because of a bullet wound,” Diego murmured.

  Silas walked closer, obviously uncertain of what Diego was getting at. “I’m sorry?”

  “She should be concerned that her father made the mistake of getting involved with the Mancini crime syndicate when he was fresh out of medical school. While I believe there was a true friendship between you and the patriarch, Joseph Mancini, going all the way back to your days in college, you were already aware of the type of work the family was into and had been for generations.” I allowed the words to sink in before continuing, even enjoying the warm flush as it crept up along the doctor’s cheeks.

  “What?” he finally mumbled.

  “You’ve certainly done an excellent job keeping your connection as far off the grid as possible,” Diego added.

  I walked closer to him, enjoying the way he squirmed. “Very successful both financially and in the ability to keep your secret buried. Sadly, there comes a price to pay when getting in bed with a notorious mafia family. You were blackmailed after making a single yet horrific mistake.”

  “I… don’t know what you’re talking about,” he insisted.

  “I think you do,” I continued. “Christopher Mancini was hurt in a horrific shoot-out just a few months ago, prompting your services. Something went wrong during the surgery, didn’t it?”

  Silas exhaled, his body slumping. He walked toward one of the oversized leather chairs, easing down into it, suddenly unable to look either one of us in the eyes. “I never intended on harming that boy, although he was a monster in the eyes of God and the law. I thought I could save him, but the bullet had entered a portion of his brain that made retrieving the bullet difficult. I thought I’d been successful until his brain started to swell. There was little I could do but try and keep him alive.”

  “Which he still is, although with limited brain function.” Diego kept his tone even. “The fact you had a relationship with the Mancini family meant you remained alive; however, they wanted something in return. Your daughter.”

  Tears formed in his eyes, his voice cracking as he answered, “They’d been close as children, even in college. Michael seemed different, wanting nothing to do with the family’s business. I thought it was a decent price to pay, but I learned that Michael was just as monstrous as his brother, in later years coming close to abusing my daughter. That’s why she ran away from me and her job, her life, and everything she loved. At first, I thought she’d be safe being so far away, and I could figure out another way to pay the debt, but when she was kidnapped, I knew they had something to do with it. I know I should have told Dante everything, but I was honestly terrified.”

  “You were right. Michael gave her a beautiful necklace just before she left, somehow managing to convince her that he only wanted the best for her. Even saying goodbye. She wore that necklace on a regular basis because it reminded her how strong she was and that she was prepared to live her life as she saw fit. Unfortunately, it held a tracking device, one that allowed the Serpent’s men to find her easily.” While I found the story incredulous, I did believe every word Dante had told us.

  “What? Why?” he asked, his hand shaking as he attempted to bring the glass to his lips. “Why would Michael do that?”

  “Because you reneged on your entire deal with the Mancini family after you found out about how Michael had treated her, even threatening her that she couldn’t leave to join Doctors Without Borders. On that day you went to see his father, Michael set a plan in motion,” Diego commented.

  “You see from what we understand, Michael has been much more involved with the family’s business than you were originally led to believe. That included making a deal with the Serpent in order to bring drugs into the country, even undercutting the Miami Cartel that they’d used for fifteen years. However, the Serpent is a difficult businessman, requiring alternative types of payment. The day that you barged into Joseph Mancini’s office, telling him in no uncertain terms that you were finished with being the family’s doctor, Michael knew that he could have everything he wanted. He gave Lindsey to the Serpent in exchange for sealing his deal.” I could tell by every word I was saying that Silas hadn’t known just how far the Mancini family would go to exact retaliation for their son’s botched surgery.

  As the glass slipped out of his hand, he dropped his head into both, sobbing uncontrollably. “I didn’t mean for her to be hurt. I never though Joseph would stoop so low. I didn’t mean to hurt his son. At least the poor boy is at peace.”

  Diego and I looked at each other. “What are you talking about?” Diego asked.

  “Christopher died last night. His heart just gave out. I did everything. I really did do everything.”

  Jesus Christ. The Mancini family would likely exact an entirely different type of revenge. I didn’t like this at all. Diego could tell what I was thinking and nodded. We needed to get the fuck out of here now. Even if Michael was out of the country, it was likely he wouldn’t stay there given the recent news. We had to protect Lindsey.

  “Well, I will tell you that the Serpent never touched her. I honestly believed that either Michael used her as collateral or that the Serpent couldn’t bring himself to touch her until a certain point. That we may never know. However, she is fine, although I’m not certain how enthused she will be at rekindling your relationship. That will be entirely up to her,” I stated without any emotion. In truth, I’d come to his house with the thought of crushing him like a bug. I knew the weight of what he’d done would do that on its own. The Walters family had suffered enough.

  However, there was the question of how to handle Michael once he arrived. This was getting messy.

  “I could kill Michael for what he’s done.” Silas slammed his fist against the chair, his face beet red.

  “I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about that, Dr. Walters. He will be handled in our way whether he is out of the country or not.” Diego seemed giddy in his announcement.

  Silas narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about? Michael hasn’t left the country. The asshole was here today acting like he loved her, begging me to tell him where she was. I almost fell for the bullshit, but I was afraid. For her. For my family.”

  “Dr. Walters, I’m going to give you a piece of advice that you need to heed to. Take your wife and get out of town. Do not tell anyone where you are going. Dante will make contact with you when it’s considered safe.” As I backed away, I heard a distinct sound, one that I knew far too well.

  Lindsey’s moan, although it had nothing to do with pleasure.

  Weapons in our hands, we swung around to see Michael as he dragged Lindsey into the room, a gun pointed at her head.

  “Well, well. It would appear that you have company, Silas. I thought you knew better than to bring two fucking mercenaries into the picture.”

  Silas jerked to a standing position. “Michael. What the fuck are you doing? Let her go.”

  Lindsey darted her eyes from one of us to the other, trying to keep calm.

  Diego and I moved in formation,
still keeping our distance. The asshole wasn’t going to get off a single shot.

  “Should I guess that you are the two assholes who were sent to rescue you, my beautiful fiancée? The heroes you mentioned so highly during our discussion?” Michael asked as he nuzzled against her neck, his eyes flashing the kind of anger that I so well understood. “They don’t seem that dangerous to me. Then again, you always were a bad judge of character.”

  “You’re a sick fuck, Michael. They are heroes, men who risked their lives to save me. You only wanted to capture me, keeping me in a gilded cage. A possession,” Lindsey spouted, her eyes dancing with venom.

  Michael growled into her ear. “Because you have always belonged to me long before you father made a deal with my family. Did dear Daddy ever tell you why?”

  My hackles were raised as I inched closer, keeping both hands on my Glock. “I suggest you let her go, Mancini.”

  “That’s not going to happen. She belongs to me. A debt owed. Isn’t that right, Silas?” Michael laughed after saying the words, even daring to press kisses against Lindsey’s cheek.

  She tugged on his arm, struggling to get away. “Leave my father alone.”

  “Oh, but as I already told you, he has to pay for what he did to my family. To my brother. Your father killed him.” Michael glanced from Diego back to me, a grin on his face. The bastard thought he’d won. “You must think I’m stupid, Lindsey. I knew the moment you were back in town. I watched you at that hospital, caring for a fucking bastard.”

  I snarled as I watched Michael stroking her lovingly. The asshole had been within arm’s reach all along. My rage was ready to erupt.

  Michael snorted before continuing. “At least you were stupid enough to leave their ridiculous methods of protection, making dragging you here easy so your father could experience the ultimate punishment. Your death.”

  “You fucking asshole,” Diego hissed.

  The bastard shot a quick look in Diego’s direction, his lip curling. “A clever asshole. I was looking forward to seeing Silas’ face as he watched his precious daughter die. That’s exactly what he deserves because of his betrayal.”

  “My father would never intentionally hurt anyone. He’s a good man, an excellent doctor,” she insisted, digging her fingers into his arm.

  This was getting out of hand. My entire body was on fire, fueled by hatred from the past, retaliation for everything I’d been through.

  And the love that burned deep within me.

  “Just stop, Michael. I don’t care about me, but you can’t have my daughter. She has done nothing to you.” Silas walked closer, lifting his arms and showing his palms as if giving up. “I made a mistake, but I refuse to allow her to pay for it.”

  “I assure you, old man, there’s a bullet with your name on it as well,” Michael stated, laughing as if this was all a game.

  “You didn’t make any mistakes, Father.” Lindsey had pride in her voice. While I might not understand her ability to forgive her father, I understood more than most what true loyalty meant.

  And blood was thicker than water.

  At that moment I realized just how important sharing a life with her, even with Diego truly meant. Dante’s job offer, pushing both Diego and me into higher ranking positions with the Specialists wouldn’t come without a price. Both he and I had walked away, tearing up the offers without lamenting over our decisions. I admired Diego for his fervent need to change his life.

  In truth, I was ready to do the same, but only with Lindsey by our side.

  “Stop,” Diego directed, moving in front of him. “We’re not going to play any games. Drop your weapon, Michael, and we might allow you to live.”

  He laughed. “That’s not going to happen. If you try and stop me, I will kill her. And before you can get off a single shot, I’ll finish my job, ending Silas’ life. While she’s a tasty morsel and I certainly wouldn’t mind having her as my bitch, blood is much thicker than water. You should have realized that when I allowed a pig like Fernando to touch her.”

  Hearing him say the words pushed me into an entirely different level. His threat also forced memories from the past to surface, playing out like a wretched DVD only in real time.

  My rage continued to increase, visions encroaching on my field of vision, the images horrific. Teresa’s assassination had been well planned, although she’d fought for her life, requiring more than one shot to take her down. I would never forget finding her on the cold stone floor, her vacant eyes staring in horror at what she’d had to face.

  Then I’d held her in my arms, cradling her lifeless body for almost thirty minutes while I’d planned my act of revenge, one that had taken me almost a full year to enact. I’d enjoyed killing the man in cold blood. I wasn’t going to lose Lindsey. I refused to allow another asshole to claim the woman I loved.

  And so, I did what I had to do, the only thing that would silence the beasts inside. The only thing that might relieve the terrible guilt I’d carried with me for years.

  I pulled the trigger.

  Chapter 17

  Lindsey

  Two Weeks Later

  Family.

  Loyalty.

  Honor.

  The three words had been ones I’d been thinking about for the last couple of weeks, all in an attempt to accept not only things about my family, but also about myself. I’d pretended to be something I wasn’t for far too long. I’d allowed my world to be swallowed up in finding a sense of purpose instead of living.

  I almost laughed at the thought, especially since I’d given the same advice to a man who’d awakened my very soul. I hadn’t been able to get either Diego or Jack out of my mind even while learning how to deal with my father once again.

  While I wasn’t certain I would ever be able to respect him again, he was my father and I loved him. He’d also been trying to protect me in his own crazy way. At least we’d had a long talk over a couple of glasses of scotch.

  The nightmares had ceased the moment Michael had made good on his threat, tossing me into the trunk of his expensive Mercedes. I’d known who he was hunting for, the men who’d protected me against monsters like himself. While I’d found it difficult to believe that he’d gone to such great lengths to destroy my life, I’d at least been able to come to terms with it. He’d been a great pretender for years, acting as if he’d cared about me all those years from our past.

  He’d traded the smidgen of goodness I believed he had one time in his life for power. Since his brother had been gunned down, he’d been required to become a part of the family’s operations on a more permanent basis. The promise? That he would be the one to take over as head of the Mancini crime syndicate after the death of his father.

  The decision obviously hadn’t been difficult for him to make.

  I stood on the corner, glancing up and down the street, hoping that the decisions I’d made were the right ones. So much had changed in my life, including the fact I’d accepted a position at a hospital in a city I never believed I would call home. It was funny how things could change when you least expected them.

  My palm remained sweaty, my nerves rattled. I wanted this to be perfect, a chance at a new life, but it could certainly backfire on me.

  I held my breath as I checked my watch for the fifth time, struggling with the intense anxiety. As the hairs stood up on the back of my neck, I bit my lip, my entire body trembling. They’d arrived. I felt the touch of fingers brushing down my arms, another hand easing my hair over my shoulders and tracing a line down my neck. My mouth was suddenly dry, my pulse racing.

  And as always, my entire body ached for more.

  Their kisses.

  Their rough hands.

  Their dominating ways.

  Their hard fucking.

  “Who’s the sexy blonde?” Jack asked, whistling for effect.

  I couldn’t help but grin. While I’d actually enjoyed being a redhead for a few weeks, I wanted the real girl to stand here in front of the two men I loved
on this special day.

  “Nobody special,” I answered.

  “Wrong again, lady,” Jack growled.

  “Now why would we find our woman on a sidewalk in the middle of downtown Charleston?” Diego asked in his usual sensual voice, the sound floating around me, soothing yet arousing.

  “Good question. I think she needs a lesson in who she belongs to,” Jack added before smacking my bottom.

  Belong.

  The word had never been in my vocabulary. I’d never wanted to or attempted to belong to anything or anyone.

  Until now.

  The last two weeks had been difficult, yet they’d remained by my side, both in their protective mode, concerned that the Mancini family would exact another form of revenge. I’d learned just how persuasive the Specialists could be in their… creative threats. I doubted the Mancinis would dare risk an attempt on my life after the pointed warnings.

  Although Diego refused to tell me in detail how the meeting was handled. Maybe I didn’t want to know.

  What I had learned was the entire story about Teresa, the guilt that had almost killed Jack. He’d also told me more about how he’d been blamed for a death in Iraq, accepting the harsh punishment doled out by rogue military members. As always, he’d remained protective of those he cared about, even though he’d been betrayed by his own sergeant. The two acts had shaped him.

  But he still had a heart of gold, a man who loved the beach, the freedom watching the ocean waves had given him. Coming to live in South Carolina had been the best decision for all of us.

  This decision on the other hand… Ugh.

  Only time would tell.

  “What does our girl have up her sleeve?” Jack asked as he kissed the top of my forehead.

  Shuddering, I turned around to face him, giving them both a sly look as I swished my hips back and forth.

  “Uh-oh. I’m not certain we’re going to like this,” Diego huffed.

  “Or her bottom isn’t going to like it later,” Jack added, a grin on his face. Since turning down some job opportunity that both he and Diego had been offered by their handler, he’d been an entirely different person. Light. Happy. Smiling.