My body tenses when he gets in close proximity to me.
“I’m going to fuck up your pretty face,” Vance warns me.
“Promise?” Fish jokes, putting himself between us. “I like it rough, baby.”
“Listen, I don’t want to fight with you,” I say calmly.
“Did you forget to save him a muffin and that’s why he’s upset?” Mane asks jokingly, standing right beside me.
“You need your friends to defend you?”
I shrug. “They’re more likely trying to protect you. You want a go, try it. Just know that once you throw the first punch, I’ll reciprocate and won’t stop.”
Fish nods. “It’s hard to stop him once he throws the first jab. I like you, but I wouldn’t stop him. Grace is the only one who can do it.”
Vance points at me. “How the fuck did your girlfriend get a password and fingerprint access to my security room?”
San rolls his eyes. Mane flinches. They caught us. I don’t react, but fuck! I forgot about the CCTV. He could see everything that happened yesterday.
“What?” I feign ignorance.
“Your girlfriend,” he repeats, pulling a piece of tape out of his pocket. Then he shows me a second one. “I have her fingerprint from the scanner. The second is from a glass of water she drank last night. She’s the last person who opened the security room.”
Then he pulls out a USB. “Who the fuck are you?”
“The Beacon,” Fish jokes.
“The recording inside the security room has audio too.” He throws the USB to the ground.
“Aw, Beacon’s first sex tape,” Fish continues. If he’s hoping to distract either one of us, he’s failing miserably.
“I thought you trusted me. Who the fuck are you? What organization do you work for? Most importantly, I’m telling Henry. You’re using his hotels to feed a terrorist organization.”
San huffs. “That’s rich coming from you.”
Vance’s scowl is now directed to him. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“San, shut up,” I warn him.
“No, I need to know because, since yesterday, you’ve been insinuating that I’m disloyal to the family.” He points at the USB on the ground. “I have proof that it’s the other way around.”
“Your fucking buddies currently work for a Mexican cartel. A year ago, you were in the Indian Ocean escorting a cargo ship with dozens of kidnapped women,” Fish growls at him.
Vance steps closer, grabs me by the front of my jacket, and pulls me closer to him. We’re eye to eye. He’s about to lose his shit. I could easily knock him with my forehead and then strike him in the jaw. I wait. Whatever happens between us, I’m not going to be the one swinging the first punch.
“Did you run a fucking background check on me?” His raging voice booms through the barn.
“Yes, I did, asshole. The Organization has the pesky tendency to run a background check when they are interested in an asset. We invited you to join us,” I respond. “It was for the best that you refused. What we learned is alarming. So far, I’ve given you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Join you?”
He looks at each one of us and releases me. “I fucking knew there’s something wrong about you. You don’t look like fucking musicians.”
“We are the best fucking musicians in the world,” Fisher corrects him. “I could rock your world if you wanted me to—”
“Fish, are you fucking serious?” Mane chides him.
“What can I say? I like my men flustered.” He shrugs.
Vance takes this moment to connect his fist to my jaw. I squat, extend my leg, gyrate my body, and kick him in the legs. He loses his balance and falls on the ground. I pin him and threaten him. “That’s the first and only time I let you hit me.”
“Look at you, kicking the ass of our scary brother.” I hear Mills speak. When I turn toward the door, he’s not alone. Pierce and Henry are with him.
“This is where we say goodbye,” Mane says, walking toward the door. “Call if they don’t ground you. If they do, see you in a couple of weeks.”
“Let me go,” Vance warns me.
“No, you wanted to play rough. We’re playing rough,” I say.
“I just want a fucking explanation about what I saw and heard. You have to come clean to Henry. The equipment will be returned next week. Who are you mixed up with?”
“What equipment?” Henry asks.
Pierce grins, walking toward us. “So, we finally get to see you practicing some of your ninja moves. You ready to tell us what the fuck it is that you do when you’re not playing music?”
“He’d have to kill us,” Mills jokes.
I glare at him. “You want to take his place?”
“Dude, I like you more when you play buffoon.” Mills lifts his hands.
“Release me,” Vance orders.
“Not until you calm the fuck down. I can be here all day.”
“What equipment?” Henry asks again, picking up the USB.
“He sold—”
“Shut up, Vance.”
“Beacon.” Pierce says my name with authority. “I’ve been cool about your secrets, but your time is up.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Beacon
Trust begins with giving my brothers a warning before I tell them.
“You can’t tell anyone about this. You put me and yourselves in danger,” I forewarn them, looking at each one of my brothers.
“Why is Beacon staring at you with a murderous glare?” Hayes says when he enters the living room where everyone is sitting, except me.
“He’s explaining to us why he had Vance pinned to the ground.”
Hayes raises an eyebrow. Mills brings him up to date. My brother nods and looks at Vance and then me.
“That’s a nice change of pace,” Hayes says, taking a seat. “So, after this you’re killing us?”
“It’s not about killing anyone for knowing the truth. This is a serious matter. I’m trusting you to keep my secret.”
“I can’t promise I won’t kill you,” Vance warns me.
“You try to hit me, and I won’t stop this time.”
His nostrils flare, but he says, “Just don’t give me a reason.”
“H-I-B was formed long ago. It has a few subdivisions, and I work for one of them…”
They listen without interruptions. When I finish, Henry chuckles. “You work for them.”
I nod and grin. His bodyguards are part of H-I-B. Even though he pays them, since they arrived in Baker’s Creek, they’ve been working for me in a capacity.
“Do I at least get a family discount?” he asks.
I snort. “No.”
“I don’t care who they are. They can’t use our equipment for their gain,” Vance protests.
“How so?” Henry asks. “I am confused about that part. Why didn’t I know it was a H-I-B product?”
“Listen, I can strip our credentials from it,” I say, avoiding Henry’s question.
Henry shakes his head. “If you need them, I guess they can stay. So, you can take this one down?”
“Focus, Henry,” Vance insists.
“He’s starstruck,” Pierce tells him. “His baby brother can take you down. Let’s remember he’s scared shitless of you.”
“Bear in mind that this has to stay between us,” I remind them.
“Are you telling the wives?” Hayes asks.
I stare at them and shrug. “I trust them, but the less they know, the better for everyone.”
“The equipment,” Vance insists. “I’m not comfortable having other people accessing it.”
“Because then you can’t access it for your people?” Henry is the one who asks. “Listen, I’ve been speculating why we have the new set up. It’s great, but do I really need that much for my hotel? I swear I thought you were handling some operations from there.”
“I’m not,” Vance growls. “I told you, once I quit, that was it. We set up everything bec
ause the company who sold us that shit recommended it. It sounded like a good idea at the time.”
“It is a good idea. Even if we can’t use it, you get to see what’s happening all over the world,” I remind him. “Well, within the premises of the hotels. That’s something that as the chief of security you should be proud of doing.”
Henry points at me. “Are you running an operation from there?”
“It’s an asset, but there’s nothing running from there,” I explain. “I can take it down if you prefer.”
“No. As long as you’re using it to help, I’m cool with it. I trust you,” he says, and all of us stare at him.
I’m not sure what confuses me the most. His cool demeanor or the fact that he said, “I trust you.” Two days ago he was chiding me because I asked to borrow one of his cars—I’m not responsible enough to drive them.
“What?” he asks. “I can be reasonable. As I said, I know the company. They’re the best in the business. Now, tell me what you know about Vance.”
I scratch the back of my neck and go to my small office where I have a copy of his file. Instead of handing it to Henry, I give it to Vance.
“The guys you work with aren’t particular about the cases they take,” I state, staring at him. “Who scores the jobs?”
He grins. “Classified.”
“Vance, this is serious,” I say. “Do you have any idea who you worked for?”
He opens the folder and starts scanning the documents inside. He frowns and shakes his head. “This is wrong.”
“I didn’t make up that shit,” I argue, pointing at the folder. “You can read the report. What did you use to do for them?”
“Once they secured the contract, I’d gather the necessary information to do the job. I scouted the places, created a plan, and made sure it was executed properly.”
He was the brains. How are they handling the new contracts without having him in charge?
“You planned the missions, but you didn’t know who you were helping.”
He nods, cringing as he continues reading the file.
“Are you a hockey player, Mills?” Pierce questions.
He nods and looks at me. “So, this is the shit you couldn’t tell me.”
“Yeah.”
Vance stands up, fans the folder, and says, “This is bullshit. I’m going to prove you wrong.”
He storms out of my place.
“Do you think he’s going to leave?” Henry stares at the empty space, scared.
I nod because if it was me, I would be figuring out a way to reach my people and demand an explanation.
“Should we stop him?”
“On it,” I say, texting the guys. They can intercept him if he tries to leave.
Since I used The Organization’s server and used my team’s chat, Grace responds.
Grace: What happened?
Beac: I’ll tell you when you’re back.
Mane: They caught him.
Fucking, Mane. Does he have to disclose everything all the time?
Grace: Who caught who?
Fisher: Vance has a recording from the security room—of the two of you. I didn’t know you like it so dirty, Lady G.
Grace: Fuck off, Fish.
Fisher: It’s okay, everyone has a sex tape. It’s the rite of passage to celebredom.
Grace: That’s not even a word.
Fisher: Just imagine your future. #Gracon
Grace: What happened, Beac?
Beac: I got into a fight with Vance. He genuinely didn’t know what he was doing while working for his pals.
Lang: I knew he wasn’t dirty. So why are we watching the town exits and your house?
Beac: He doesn’t believe that what we gathered from his team is true. He might want to leave the state in order to get some answers.
Grace: Do you need me to head back?
San: We’re all in position.
Beac: G, stay in Portland. You might be the one stopping him there if he gets through all of us.
Lang: Don’t break his nose.
Grace: I’ll try not to, but I can’t promise anything.
“Everything okay?” Henry asks.
I nod.
“Do you think I should follow Vance?” Mills asks.
“Vance has a lot to deal with. Give him time.”
“Anything else we should know?” Pierce asks.
I shake my head. “Everything is under control.”
“Who knew Mr. Chaos would have everything under control?” Henry says. “I said it once, and I’ll say it again: This place is like the twilight zone.”
“You never said that, but whatever, Henry.” Mills rolls his eyes.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Beacon
A couple of hours later, Vance finally comes out of his room.
“Can I have a word with you?” he asks, tilting his head toward the door.
I grab my jacket and nod. We head to the fire pit. While I’m turning on the fire so we don’t freeze our asses, he asks, “Why didn’t you tell me you were part of this H-I-B group?”
“I was going to do it, but decided to wait until we recruited you. You said no and with all that crap they found on your guys…” I shake my head. “I couldn’t risk it.”
He runs a hand through his hair. “What am I supposed to do with that? I believed that what we were doing was helping people. I did a lot of good deeds during the time I spent with them.”
“How do you know they were good?”
“Because I was the one who would come up with the assignments. Those were called pro bono missions. I funded them—and paid the salaries of the guys who worked during those assignments. It wasn’t all mercenary shit,” he argues. “Why would they do that?”
“I don’t know what you can do,” I answer. There are a few options. Things that can’t be done while we’re here. Once we’re out we can help him, but it’s up to him. “As for why they were doing that, we’ve been thinking about it.”
He glares at me. “We?”
“My team and I,” I clarify.
“Your band?”
“They are part of it, but I have more people working under me,” I explain further. I’m slightly uncomfortable giving him more information. “We tried to see it from their points of view. Working as a mercenary is an easy job. You go in and out, no questions asked. It pays better than the retirement plan from the government.”
“I care,” he protests. “They should’ve told me.”
“Why weren’t you part of the decision making?” I ask, because this guy is too dominating to let others choose his destiny.
He shrugs.
“It didn’t matter to me,” he answers. “I wasn’t doing it for the money. Fuck, they were my brothers. I trusted them.”
“It’s different, Vance. You have a fucking trust. You quit West Point to join the army so you could be a Delta Force,” I remind him. “If you hadn’t done it that way, you’d be on your way to becoming a General, like your grandfather.”
“You know that?”
I grin. “Do you think we let just anyone in?”
“Why did you want me to join you?”
“Because I can see that you miss it,” I explain. “I could use my brother by my side, not that I’m working with them anymore.”
“Did you have to quit too?”
“No. I’m taking a sabbatical,” I lie, because really I have no idea what my status is with The Organization. For all I know, I’m out since this time I chose her over the job. “As you know, I’m stuck in this forsaken town, like you.”
“I miss the action. That’s why I accepted to join them when they offered,” he answers. “I thought I was doing something good, like when I rescued Blaire, or I set up a security detail for her because she traveled to places where she was in danger.”
“Why do they have the rule of once you’re out you can’t go back in?”
“I never asked,” he answers. “I know this might sound stupid, but wh
ile I was a Delta Force, I belonged somewhere. I had my people. Some of these guys were part of that unit. I thought it’d be the same. It was in some ways, but not all ways.”
“No. I understand you perfectly. I’ve been the odd person everywhere,” I say. “G’s family accepts me, and I fit in well, but they aren’t mine. I always wished we had this.” I tilt my head toward the house.
“Every time we had to go home, I wanted to take you guys with me. That’s what brothers do, you know, but I couldn’t, and I never heard from any of you until the next year.”
“William fucked us,” he concludes.
“Adults suck, and now we’re adults fucking up our own lives,” I agree with him.
“I’m so fucking upset at myself, at them. I have this anger I can’t release. Calling and leaving a message saying, ‘Fuck you, I need an explanation’ doesn’t do anything. I have no fucking idea on what to do. If I could, I’d jump on a plane and search for them and kill them one by one.”
“Not a good choice.” I grin. “I can help you once we’re out of here.”
He shrugs one shoulder. “As I said, I called Bennett, but I doubt he’ll call me back.”
“Were you two together?”
“It’s complicated,” he answers.
I arch an eyebrow. “It’s a yes or a no. I’m not asking if you had a title.”
“Listen, because of the General, I can’t be with anyone. We fucked often, but that was the extent of it.”
“Dude, you’re in your thirties,” I argue.
“I left West Point. I retired early. The General calls me a fucking loser. I’m the black sheep of the family. He reminds Mom over and over again that I’m a fucking failure. She pays for my mistakes. He hasn’t forgotten about her affair with William. If I had a male partner, he’d disown Mom, my stepfather, and my siblings.”
“That’s why you and Bennett fought?”
He nods.
We stay quiet for several minutes until he says, “For a guy who likes to control everything, I fucked up pretty bad, didn’t I?”
“You trusted them.”
“Do you trust your team?”
“Always,” I answer immediately. “Maybe the difference between what we do and what you do is that we all have to agree on which cases we take, who we’re working for, and if it’s a good cause.”
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