Satisfaction Delivered: A Triggerman Inc. Story

by Marie Harte

  Her brain hurt, and she decided to enjoy what little time she had left before she should go. Her heart felt heavy, as if she mourned the loss of fragile trust between her and Hammer with a greater weight than she should feel.

  Vi wandered down to the spa, still pondering Big Joe’s revelations. Hammer hadn’t known her designation as Phantom. That she believed, because his upset hadn’t been faked. But why had Joe let slip he was Big Joe? She could understand Hammer keeping his uncle’s identity a secret. But why tell Vi? Everyone joked about Big Joe and his “Be good” signoff.

  His reveal made no sense.

  She had a feeling she was missing something important.

  But drained from trying to figure it out, she let herself into the spa and stopped when the lights went on. As did the sounds of water and a humidity soon filling the air.

  “Huh. An automated spa. Man, these people have money.”

  The spa building was separated from the main house by a long, glass-enclosed walkway that led to another glass enclosed structure. Inside, a smooth, gray cement courtyard was littered with clusters of tropical plants, trees, and manmade waterfalls in and around several smaller enclosed rooms. Nearby, a small pool with jets swirled and glowed with a soft rose light when she waved a hand over a sensor.

  Around her, steam vents and a humidifier gave the area a warm, wet feel, and she could easily imagine herself on an island, basking in warmth from the overhead heat lamps pretending at a sunnier climate.

  Two smaller pools, one with cold water, another with warm, sat before an area with raised stones on the ground—to alleviate foot stress she read on a placard before it.

  All the pools and conveniences had descriptions, the area in the direct middle of the spa filled with showerheads of different sizes and angles. A hydrotherapy garden.

  Vi felt as if she’d stepped into another world altogether, but she welcomed the relief. After going into a women’s cabana—the men’s on the other side of the spa—she changed out of her clothes into a short, white terrycloth robe. She kept her knives close, not willing to part with that small security, and grabbed a fresh towel.

  One thing she knew about her handler. He did his best to keep his people safe. So, while she felt better being armed, she didn’t worry about being carted off by the enemy at Big Joe’s residence.

  “But who the hell takes care of all this?” she asked out loud, still shocked she hadn’t paid big money for a spa day but was instead enjoying what her handler had at hand twenty-four seven.

  A good thing I don’t live here. I’d never leave.

  After hanging up her robe and towel and going through the hydrotherapy garden, relaxed by varying pelts of water pressure, she headed for the steam room. Both it and the sauna had doors that could not be locked from the outside. Once again hanging up her robe and towel, she entered the steam room with her knives and let the hot, moist air relax her.

  A hint of eucalyptus soothed, and she let her mind wander while she eased her aches and pains. Running her fingers over her body, she felt where she’d been shot, stabbed, and once bitten by a massive guard dog.

  Fun times.

  Her mind wandered, her senses on overload. The scent of eucalyptus. The feel of water over her skin, the heat from the steam, a warmth in her lungs. The sounds of water misting, steaming, pouring. And underlying the noise of water, soft music piped through hidden speakers.

  She closed her eyes and reveled in the peace of darkness, needing to not think for a while.

  She didn’t know how much time had passed before she blinked and stared at water dripping down the glass door of the steam room.

  A clear thought came to her. I don’t want to be done with Hammer yet. I don’t know what we have, if anything, but I feel more alive with him than I’ve been without him. She decided to talk to him after they’d both had a chance to cool down.

  He tracked her down sooner than she’d hoped. A few minutes later, standing naked and proud in the doorway, he waited until she invited him inside. “You’re letting all the hot air out. Come in.”

  He closed the door behind him and sat where she pointed. Then she stood and moved to the door.

  “You’re not staying?” Hammer asked.

  For once, she didn’t want to have sex with him. She saw him ready and raring to go, but Vi needed more time. “No. Enjoy the rest. I’m going to hit the sauna and cold pool then head back to my room. When you’re ready to listen, to talk and tell the truth, I’ll be waiting.”

  THIRTEEN

  Hammer didn’t know how to feel. He and Vi had been having a lot of sex, and that seemed easier than talking. God knew his cock never stopped wanting her. Then again, neither did the rest of him.

  But she had a point about getting himself in a state to really hear her.

  He tried to ease his mind. But he wondered what the hell his uncle was really up to, why he’d allowed Vi to know his real identity, and if Hammer should tell her all of it.

  Could he trust her? That was the ultimate question. The logical side of him said no. She lied for a living, was a lethal threat, and should never be trusted. But by that rationale, he shouldn’t be friends with Noel or Deacon, and he’d trust them with his life no question. Then again, they’d proven themselves. But so had Violet, hadn’t she?

  On the other hand, disregarding logic, a deep, unfamiliar need inside him begged him to let her in.

  Violet—the Phantom.

  “Fuck.” He ran a hand through his slicked-back hair and let his muscles ease into the hot steam. Vi being Phantom made a lot of sense when he thought about it. She had moves, and even though he worried about her being hurt, when he allowed himself to remember exactly who she was, his anxiety lessened.

  He’d seen her fight, and she could more than hold her own. Smart, fast, and deadly, the Phantom had been known to have unlimited sources of information. Getting on “his” bad side brought death. But if Phantom promised something, the guy—gal—stuck to her word.

  He didn’t like himself for having felt hurt that she might have lied. Christ, she’d pretended to be a nurse a few months ago. He pretended all the time. It was the nature of the job.

  The nature of her job too.

  What the hell am I doing mooning over a woman when I have more important things on my plate? Like a hit on my ass and a baby?

  But try as he might, he couldn’t shake thoughts of Vi.

  Frustrated, Hammer left the steamer and made use of the hydrotherapy garden and cooling pools, but he felt less calm and more agitated. He dried off and dressed then left the spa, heading for the secret study, the area off-limits to anyone not a Montgomery.

  He’d been introduced to the room at just twelve years of age, and it brought him an odd kind of peace. Comforted by the familiar, he settled into his uncle’s chair and stared at the various monitors mounted to the wall, each highlighting a new target, area of interest, or hot zone.

  To no surprise, a visual of Noel’s and Solene’s homes sat side by side. Good. Joe would make sure to be apprised of any change in their situation. Hammer thought his uncle would watch over the guys, not just because they happened to be Hammer’s new friends, but because he was loyal to the end.

  Looking past several scenes, Hammer’s gaze centered on a visual of a woman he hadn’t seen in some time. An old sub-contractor for the Business who’d left years ago. Sue Ahn, he remembered, had worked for Meridia, another handler for the company. Meridia had died unexpectedly a few years ago, and he remembered his uncle being concerned at the time.

  But busy on other ops, Hammer hadn’t paid it much mind.

  Now looking at Sue Ahn on one of his uncle’s monitors, he saw the woman spending time in a warehouse with half a dozen nondescript individuals who moved like they knew how to handle a bad situation. Mercs, if he’d had to guess, and good ones. He saw some top-of-the-line field gear being stashed into the backs of trucks. Nothing stood out, from the men to the vehicles, and that had Hammer’s sense of danger tingli
ng.

  Hmm. Deacon had run into Sue Ahn a few months ago, back when the woman and a few of Burleigh’s men—they’d assumed at the time—had tried to kidnap Solene.

  Burleigh was dead; Sue Ahn was still on his uncle’s radar.

  This all tied into Angel. He knew it. Just as he knew Jonas Hood had to be involved.

  Doing what he’d been forbidden to do unless in an extreme emergency, Hammer logged into a backup server and started digging.

  He found a large file on the Prince and downloaded it to a zip drive. Then he erased evidence of being in the system, something Deacon would appreciate. Hammer had picked up a thing or two. His enemies thought him less than sophisticated because he liked using his fists and feet over guns and knives. But he had no problem utilizing the best tools to get the job done.

  He left the room with the intent to seek Vi out. It was time they decided what to do next. Because as pissed off as he’d been earlier, he’d still recognized the need to work together. They had a common enemy. Only fools would let small matters of inconsequence tear them apart—another of Big Joe’s famous quotes.

  See, Joe? I listen.

  But more important than any mission was just what Hammer and Vi meant to each other. Hell, maybe she could figure it out. He sure the fuck had no clue what to do about her. He only knew that not being with her made everything wrong.

  After a knock on her door, he waited.

  “Come in.”

  He entered to find her sitting and staring out the window at Puget Sound.

  She turned when he entered, and he saw her looking soft and relaxed at the same time he noticed her moving a small throwing star over her knuckles, her dexterity mesmerizing to watch.

  “Keeps my fingers from getting stiff,” she explained, noting his attention.

  He closed the door behind them and crossed to the chair next to her. “Mind if I sit?”

  “Sure.” She wore a robe they kept for the odd, extremely rare, guest—a long, silky piece in a deep maroon, which made her lips look even redder. Richer.

  He sighed. “I’m sorry I went off earlier. You really threw me for a loop.”

  “Back at ya.” The throwing star continued to move, like a big fat quarter with spikes disappearing over a magician’s fingers.

  “How are you not cutting yourself with that?”

  “The tips are blunted. This is just for training, for balancing weight and keeping my fingers loose.”

  “Cool.” He looked into her eyes, not surprised to find her studying him. “Vi…” They needed to go over the thumb drive he’d brought with him. He should lead with that. “What are we doing, you and me?” Not at all how he’d meant to start the discussion, but hell if he could take it back now.

  “You mean about Angel and the baby? Or…?”

  “Yeah. Or.”

  She sighed and tucked the throwing star in her pocket. “Hell if I know.”

  “Good. Because I thought I was the only one feeling clueless.” He decided to go all in. She wanted the truth? She’d get it. “I don’t do love or romance. I’m not into relationships.”

  She nodded.

  “But for a while now, something’s been missing. I don’t mean sex.”

  “Okay.”

  “Sex is easy. It’s a physical release and it means nothing.” He wished that were true. “It used to mean nothing.” She sat still, like a raptor perched to attack, her gaze unblinking. “At first, I found it kind of annoying with Noel and Deacon acting like idiots over women. I mean, we had work to do. Everyone knows relationships and the job don’t mesh.”

  “At all,” she agreed. “If you can’t focus one hundred percent on the task at hand, you’re asking to get fucked. And not in a good way.”

  “Exactly.” Man, she got it. “I couldn’t understand how the guys could just ditch the job to play house. Don’t get me wrong. I really like Addy and Solene. The baby is just too cute. But it’s not real.”

  “It is for them.”

  “Yeah.” He cleared his throat, not usually afraid to jump headfirst into anything. But with Vi, he felt nervous. “Then you came. I was attracted to you, no question. You’re sexy.”

  She frowned, trying to appear unaffected, but her fingers bunched her robe.

  “But you’re so much more than that. I was hooked. At first, I kept telling myself it was about tracking you down, getting answers. But I watched the way you move. It’s like a brutal kind of poetry, and it turns me on.”

  “You think about sex a lot.”

  “You have no idea.” He sighed, thinking about it with her right now. “But I never used to. I have an appetite, but nothing gets in the way of a job. Except you do, and you’re not going away.”

  “Huh?”

  “I mean, being with you. Talking with you. You’re different from anyone I’ve ever met.” God, now he felt super sappy. “I like you. You make me laugh. I guess… I want to get to know you. Like, as a person. Have a relationship.” Did she look sick to her stomach? Interested? He couldn’t read her face. “I’m not asking to get married and have kids or anything. I know my uncle kept going on about babies, but I’m not there yet. I like what I do. I like my life.”

  “Me too.” She gave him a shy smile, and his heart thundered in his chest.

  “But I’d like to do what I do with you, if that makes sense. Fuck, I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m not trying to weird you out or anything. I’m being honest. You’re the first woman who’s ever made me really want. The job doesn’t seem like enough anymore.” He’d said his piece and stood. “I had to get that out. I’m not bullshitting you. If you walked away tomorrow, I’d leave you alone. We’d keep it professional, on the level. I’m just… I wanted you to know I want you. I wasn’t fucking around before. You mean something to me. I’m not doing a great job of explaining it, mostly because I don’t understand it myself. But I wanted you to know.”

  He took a step back. “I’m not pressuring you. Your life is your own, and I trust you won’t mention my relationship with Big Joe to anyone. I won’t tell a soul about Phantom. We both have too much to lose, and I know you understand that.” He blew out a breath. “That’s part of why I like you so much. You and I, we get each other. I think…” He stopped himself before he said something he couldn’t take back. The big old I love you after having been hunting the woman for months made no sense. Instead, he ended with a lame, “I’ll leave you to it. Get a good night’s sleep and we can look over some stuff I found tonight.”

  He left before she said anything, feeling lighter for having been honest and anxious for having laid his heart on the line. Well, almost on the line. She could do with that what she would.

  He started toward his room and swore. “Fuck this. I need a drink.”

  * * *

  VI STARED at the closed door, at a loss to put into words how elated, nervous, and confused she felt. All at the same time.

  Hammer had actually told her he wanted to date. As in, do that thing normal couples did. At least, that’s what she presumed his explanation of his feelings meant. She still didn’t know what to do with the whole “want more” spiel he’d given her. On the one hand, he’d apologized first, told her how much he liked her and wanted to get to know her. And on the other, he pretty much said he wasn’t into relationships.

  Except he’d been so chatty and rushed and unlike himself. Nervous.

  Hammer didn’t do nervous. He destroyed obstacles that got in his way; he didn’t worry about them.

  Yet he was unsure about her.

  She’d been doing so much soul searching, and it appeared he had as well. It was as if they’d been made for each other with so much in common. But, like him, she didn’t do relationships. She never had. Could she share with another person like that? Did she want to try?

  Thinking about him, about the passion they’d shared, led her to thoughts of Angel. Her poor sister had been driven by a need to be loved. And she’d died alone, her body found in an unmarked dug grave,
a bullet between her eyes. If Angel had never come to collect Violet so many years ago, would Violet have turned out like Addy or Solene? Or would she have become hard like her father? Could Violet do normal?

  Then again, Hammer wasn’t conventional by any standard.

  That thought perked her up.

  He’d left without demanding a response, giving her time to think. But she’d been thinking since Joe revealed their secrets. Instead of dwelling on what Joe’s revelations meant in regard to the job, she pieced together what it all meant in connection to her and Hammer.

  But maybe instead of chastising herself for being unprofessional and neurotic, she’d allow herself some slack and bask in feeling cared for. Loved? She didn’t know if what he felt went that deep, but she knew she’d started along the path toward that emotion herself.

  Vi had only ever loved her sister, and that had been a young girl’s affection for family. Growing up had taught her not to trust and given her a hard shell from which to protect herself from hurt and heartache.

  It took courage to reach for something new.

  Hammer had taken that first step, coming to her when he didn’t have to. He’d been honest.

  She could do no less than the same.

  But she didn’t find him in his room.

  She searched and finally located him down in the pool, swimming laps, a bottle of Scotch and a half-filled glass by the side of the pool.

  “You should never mix swimming and alcohol,” she said, her voice echoing in the large lap room. The pool looked to be over thirty feet long and two thirds as wide. At one end its steps led up and out then back into an inground hot tub. A light blue and white checked tile bordered the pool and tub, and the tile continued up the walls, ending in a slightly darker blue wall paint. More plants softened the area, with a dim overhead light providing a calming effect. Lighting along the pool floor also helped illuminate the space…and showed her Hammer wasn’t wearing trunks.