MERCILESS

by Christy Reece

  “You do not get to call me by my given name. That privilege is given only to people who don’t deceive me.”

  “In your line of work, I don’t imagine you get called Omar very often, then.”

  “Trust doesn’t come easy for me. Considering what you and your partner perpetrated, you’re fortunate I’m willing to negotiate your release.”

  “Negotiate?”

  “Your freedom for the money Mr. Drake made off my auction.”

  That confirmed her suspicions. No way did this man realize the hurt that would come down on him if he didn’t release her.

  “Listen, Omar, I don’t know how you found out about Drake or me.” Although she had an inkling it involved Turner, there was no point in asking. There was only a limited amount of time before Ash arrived. And knowing him, he’d be bringing the team and a whole lot of firepower. “But you need to understand he’s not going to be in the mood to talk.”

  “There will be no need to talk for long. I may, in fact, wait for several days. By the time I contact him, he’ll be desperate and will give me what he owes me.”

  “And if he refuses? What then, Omar? Are you going to kill me?”

  “It won’t come to that. I saw how he looked at you. He’ll do whatever is necessary to get you back.”

  Yes, he would. Unfortunately, that would involve a lot of blood and possibly a few deaths. While she couldn’t say she was fond of Omar, watching him get killed out of sheer stupidity didn’t sit right with her.

  The flight had been a long one. Jules had somehow fallen asleep and had woken to a pounding headache and an all-over body ache. Though her hands and legs were still tied, she’d realized she was too angry to worry about having a flashback. The anger had increased when she’d been hauled out of the plane and tossed into a cargo van. No one spoke, and she didn’t bother asking questions. They obviously had an agenda.

  When the van had stopped, the door had slid open, and Omar had been standing in the drive in front of his mansion. The instant she’d seen him, she’d started yelling.

  Looking somewhat startled at her anger, Omar had given a few quick orders to his men. Jules had been untied and allowed to use the bathroom. A guard had then led her to a living room. The same one where she had ended Renee Kirkson’s life. The memory of that night might have made an impact, but seeing Omar sitting on the sofa with a grin of triumph on his face had erased the worry.

  She glanced at the window, noting the darkness. “What time is it?”

  “Almost nine.” He gave her an almost kind smile. “I don’t want to hurt you, Ms. Stone. The man who hit you has been reprimanded. Once I have the money owed to me, you’ll be released. In the meantime, I really do wish you would accept my offer of a meal. It’s been hours since you’ve eaten and you’re looking a bit peaked. My chef can make you any dish you desire.”

  More exasperated by the minute, Jules snapped, “Make the call, Omar. Let’s get this done with.”

  “Very well.” He took a phone from his pocket, pressed a few keys, and then placed the phone on the table in front of them. “I put it on speaker so we can both discuss the terms with him.”

  As Jules figured, the call went to voice mail, and Omar frowned in confusion at the phone. “I’m sure that’s the number I’ve always used to reach him. He’s never not answered.”

  That was because Ash was not in the mood to talk. Before she could explain that to the idiot across from her, Jules heard a loud thump…thump…thump.

  “What is that noise?” Omar asked.

  A month or so ago, she had pretended to hear a helicopter to cause havoc. There was no need for pretense this time. Havoc in the form of Asher Drake had arrived.

  “That is the sound of an actual helicopter, Omar. Your time has run out.”

  “How is that possible? Your phone was dismantled within seconds of your abduction. There’s no way to trace your location.”

  She didn’t bother to explain the tracker to him. It wasn’t his business. She needed to spend the next few moments, or however long they had, convincing Omar to stand down.

  “Listen, we don’t have much time. You need to understand something. Asher Drake is not like other men. You took something of his, and he will not come in to talk to you about getting it back. He’ll be extremely pissed.”

  “My men will stop him.”

  “Your men will be killed. And so will you.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. He—” The sound of a gunshot stopped him in midsentence.

  “Omar, listen to me. Let me walk out of here. That’s the only way to save your life.”

  She thought she had him convinced. His face was three shades whiter since the sound of the gunshot, and there was the slightest sheen of sweat on his brow.

  But then pride reared its ugly head. “I have several men surrounding the mansion. There’s no way he can get inside.”

  “Is that what you want, Omar? Do you want to hurt him because he lied to you?”

  “I just want what’s owed to me.”

  The sound of the front door crashing open had both of them standing. Less than ten seconds later, Ash stood at the entrance of the room. An M16 rifle hung from his shoulder, a SIG Sauer P320 was holstered at his thigh, and a sheath with a KA-BAR knife was attached to the belt at his waist. Wearing camo pants, a long-sleeved black T-shirt, and a Kevlar vest, Asher Drake was dressed like the warrior he was.

  To Jules, he was the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen. To the man standing a few feet away from her, he was Omar Schrader’s worst nightmare.

  His beautiful eyes roamed over Jules, and she felt the heat to her soul. Only Asher Drake could melt her into a puddle of goo in the middle of a hostage negotiation.

  “You okay, Jules?”

  “I’m fine.” Recognizing the fury behind his mild-sounding question, she added, “He’s not worth killing, Ash.”

  “We’ll see about that.” Fury on his face, Ash stalked toward Omar, not stopping until he was right in his face. “You went too far, Schrader.”

  The bewilderment on Omar’s face was almost comical. “You look nothing like Humphrey.”

  “That’s the point.”

  Omar backed away slightly, and Ash followed, keeping him close.

  “Listen, I can see you’re angry, but you must see this from my perspective. You took—”

  “Shut up and listen to me. I’m going to give you a chance. An offer few people get. If you don’t take it, you’re going to spend the rest of your life in prison.”

  “I don’t know what you mean. You have no authority. How can you—”

  “Just know that I can.”

  A noise at the door had Omar’s gaze shifting away from Ash. What he saw caused his eyes to go considerably larger. The OZ team stood at the door. Every one of them was armed to the teeth, their expressions ranging from deadly cold to lethal. Even Jazz, who when dressed in street clothes, looked as dangerous as a kitten, looked like she could take on an army and win.

  Omar swallowed audibly and asked in a wavering voice, “Where are my men?”

  “Tied up and piled up,” Liam answered. “We’re ready for the last one, boss. You want me to take care of him for you?”

  Omar’s eyes zoomed back to Ash’s. “What kind of deal are we talking about?”

  * * *

  Though anger continued to pound through Ash, just seeing Jules and knowing she was okay had gone a long way in cooling his fury. The offer he was about to make to Schrader was given to only a select few. He had come here ready to take the bastard and his men down. The minute the helicopter had touched down, Ash had begun to think of a new plan.

  Omar had no idea what he had stepped into. Two men had been in front of the house, smoking. When they’d spotted the helicopter, they’d stared for a full minute before they’d pulled their weapons. Xavier had been the first out of the chopper. He’d fired one shot into the air, and both men had dropped their guns and held up their hands. No one else had even approached t
hem.

  “You will not go to prison…you won’t even be arrested. What you will do is retire.”

  “What? Why would I—”

  “Stay quiet till I finish. You have contacts inside the illegal-weapons world. You hear things. When you do, you will call me.”

  “What kinds of things?”

  “That’s a stupid question, and I’m about at the end of my very limited patience with you, Omar.”

  “But I—”

  Ash held up his hand. “I’m going to leave a couple of people here with you. They’ll help you understand what is expected of you. If you at any time divulge Humphrey’s or Elsa’s identity or try to make a profit from any illegal deals, you will be arrested, and you will never see freedom again.”

  “Who are you, Drake?”

  “I’m a man who can make your life miserable. Remember that.”

  Turning away, he held out his hand to Jules, who ran into his arms. Holding her close, he whispered, “You gave me a scare.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  “You’re really okay? You weren’t hurt?”

  “I’m really okay.”

  Lifting her chin, he growled, “You have a bruise on your cheek.”

  “It’ll heal.”

  Still holding her, he turned to Omar. “You ever hurt anyone I care about again, prison will be the least of your concerns. Understand?”

  “I didn’t intend for anyone to get hurt.”

  Jules had said that Omar had a deep need to impress Humphrey. Learning that he had been hoodwinked had apparently scrambled the man’s brain.

  Ash looked down at Jules. “Ready to get out of here?”

  “Yes.”

  Not bothering to speak to Schrader again, he ushered Jules out the door. On the way, he gave Gideon and Eve a look. They would stay behind, explain Schrader’s new responsibilities, and describe in vivid detail what would happen to him if he did not follow the rules.

  Stopping in the foyer, Ash asked again, “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine. Really.”

  “No bad moments?”

  He knew she’d been tied up, possibly drugged. Not only that, she had been returned to the place where she’d killed someone. If those things hadn’t triggered a panic attack, how had she prevented one?

  “Believe it or not, I was too angry to panic. And…” She glanced over her shoulder. “He really didn’t know what he was getting into, Ash. I figure Turner spilled the beans, but she must not have told him much.”

  “You’re right. He wasn’t remotely prepared to handle us.”

  His hand swept through her hair, caressing the silkiness. “I don’t want to ever go through that again.” Cupping her head in his hands, he continued, “Tomorrow doesn’t come with guarantees, and the lives we live make tomorrow even less likely.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying, promise me that we are forever. No matter what happens…no matter what comes…this is it. This is us.”

  Grabbing his wrists, she held them tight. “Nothing and no one will ever come between us. This is us. Ash and Jules forever. I promise.”

  Ash kissed her then, with all the fervent and pent-up need he’d been feeling since she’d been taken. No, there were no guarantees, but knowing she’d be with him every step of the way made the journey much more bearable.

  A throat cleared behind them. Slowing releasing her lips, Ash glanced over his shoulder.

  Jazz was grinning at them. “I would tell you to get a room, but you might want to find a better place than this.” She walked in a small circle, looking up at the enormous mansion. “Bet there’s a camera in every bedroom in this place.”

  Jules smiled at Ash. “And the bathrooms, too.”

  Remembering the hot, steamy kiss they’d shared, he whispered against her lips, “But there are plenty of ways to avoid cameras. You just have to get creative.”

  Another throat was cleared, and Ash reluctantly released Jules. “Let’s get out of here.”

  With Jules’s hand in his, they walked out the door together.

  Hours later, they were sitting in the back of the plane, holding hands. Except for a trip to the bathroom to shower and change clothes, Ash had not let her out of his sight. That was quite all right with her. This had been a disquieting reminder to them both that anything could happen at any time.

  Other than hugs from Serena and Jazz and welcome-back pats on the back from Xavier and Sean, the team had made themselves scarce. Jules could hear them in the front of the plane, talking, but behind this curtain, she and Ash were in their own little world.

  “Is there any way to trace the people who hacked us?”

  Settling her closer to his side, Ash shrugged. “Serena’s team is working on it, but if they’re good enough to hack us, they’re good enough to hide their tracks.”

  “And you’re sure Turner had nothing to do with it?”

  “She may have instigated it, but the hack came after her death. And whoever it was knew what to do with the intel.”

  “But how—”

  Ash’s phone chimed. He pulled it from his pocket, and they both noted it was Gideon. Putting the call on speaker, Ash asked, “What do you know?”

  “Not much more than we did before. Schrader says someone with an androgynous voice called and told him Humphrey’s real identity, as well as Elsa Olsen’s real name. Nothing more. His people did some quick research for him. They didn’t find that much.”

  “Which is why he wasn’t prepared for the OZ team,” Jules said.

  “Yeah, he believed Humphrey and Elsa were doing this all on their own.”

  Jules shook her head in wonder. How on earth Omar Schrader had been dealing with some of the most dangerous people in the world for almost a decade and was still alive was a mystery. He might know weapons, but he was incredibly naïve about the people who purchased and used them.

  “What about our location in Tahiti?” Ash said. “How’d he get that?”

  “A bike messenger delivered a note to him a couple of days ago. I’ve got it right here. Just says, ‘Asher Drake and Juliet Stone are at the Zanzibar Resort in Tahiti.’”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yeah. We can try to get prints off it or the envelope, but I doubt we’ll find anything other than Schrader’s.”

  “What about the messenger?”

  “I watched the surveillance footage of the delivery. Can’t even tell if it’s male or female. Whoever it was knew exactly where the cameras are.”

  “Yeah, they’re not going to make it easy for us.”

  “Question is, who are they?”

  “Hell if I know. What about Schrader? He behaving?”

  “Remarkably so. He’s a bit incensed about not being able to make more money, but when I described to him the accommodations given to a convicted terrorist, he changed his tune. He’s quite fond of his house and his lifestyle.”

  “You tell him about the tracker?”

  “Yes. Didn’t seem to bother him, but my guess is he’s a little overwhelmed. We’ll let him get a good night’s sleep, and over breakfast we’ll reinforce our message.”

  “Sounds good. Keep me posted.”

  “Will do.”

  Ash pocketed his phone and then drew Jules back into his arms. He held her for several moments without saying a word. There was no need. She felt the same way. What could have been a disaster had turned out much better than they could have imagined.

  “Who’s behind all this, Ash?”

  “I don’t know. Every time I think we have a lead, it evaporates into thin air.”

  “Turner’s death didn’t end it.”

  “No, I think Turner was a pawn. There’s someone else out there—someone with a whole lot more money and influence—calling the shots.”

  “But what’s their endgame?”

  “I don’t know that either, but we won’t stop until we find them.”

  Jules let that settle in her mind.
This was what OZ did on a daily basis. Fighting against evil, corruption, and injustice. They wouldn’t stop until they’d tracked down and exposed everyone involved.

  “This arrangement with Omar. That’s how you get some of your intel, isn’t it?”

  “If you mean using him as an asset, then yeah. Putting Omar behind bars would solve almost nothing. There are always going to be brokers connecting evil with evil. Keeping Omar in play will yield us a lot more intel than putting him behind bars ever would.”

  “How many assets does OZ have?”

  “Hard to say. Maybe a hundred. They’re not always reliable. And keeping them in play means they’re still dealing with dangerous people. If we can, we protect them.”

  “Do they ever go rogue?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “Which is the reason for the tracker.”

  “Yeah.”

  “You never sent anyone to remove mine.”

  “Couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

  “I’m glad.” Turning in his arms, she cupped his face with her palm. “Seems weird, but that’s a connection I don’t mind anymore.”

  “Speaking of connections.” He lowered his head and put his mouth to hers in a sweet promise. Pulling away, he looked down at her. “So, that forever we were talking about.”

  “Yes?”

  “When you came to OZ, you only planned to stay until we brought Turner down. You have a life and a business back in Arizona. And OZ…” He blew out an explosive sigh. “It doesn’t get any less dangerous.”

  “Hey, I hunt serial killers. I eat danger for breakfast.”

  “I’m serious, Jules. We’re targets all over the world. We’re—”

  Jules put her finger on Ash’s lips. “Are you trying to fire me, Mr. Drake?”

  “Hell no. I’m trying in an ass-awkward way to ask you to stay on permanently with OZ…and with me.”

  “We belong to each other now, Ash. That’s what forever means. And as for OZ, they’re my people now.”

  “I love you, Jules.”

  She would never get tired of hearing him say those words. “And I love you, Ash. More than I ever thought possible.”