Chapter Twenty-Two
Wesley
ANDRE WAS RIGHT. THE compound was massive. Several guards were posted at the gates, the lights from the mansion and driveway lighting up the dark sky. Jarrett and I drove by to survey the area, then parked a few miles back and jogged back up to observe from the bushes.
“I thought you called for backup,” he questioned. “From the looks of this place, it seems like we might need it.”
I drew my gun from the holster on my hip. “The backup is coming. I just delayed them for another hour.”
“Then why are we here, Wesley? What do you plan to do?”
I ignored Jarrett’s comment and pushed up, sprinting to some trees closer to the gates. He quickly followed.
“From where I stand, I see four men. Two at the gate. Two more a few feet back.” I gave him a warning look. “You handle the two in back, and I’ll deal with the ones in front.”
He shook his head. “This is crazy, Wes. If we go in there alone, we’re not going to come out. Look at all those SUV’s lined up. Those guards are ready for an ambush.”
I hesitated, going over my plans in my head. “I know that, which is why I’m going in alone. I just need you to make a few distractions so I can slip inside.”
“You won’t make it to the front door. They’ll take you out before you reach the steps. We should wait.”
I swallowed, unfazed by is warning. “I’m going to sneak through the gates and discreetly make my way to the house. They have plenty of balconies and side doors. I can get through. I’ve timed it. It shouldn’t take me long.”
Jarrett paused, studying me. “You’re doing this for her, aren’t you? You plan on sneaking in there and taking her. Do you really think she’s worth it? Do you honestly plan on risking your life to see her again?”
I thought about his questions. The unspoken way he warned me about the consequences. The risk I was about to take. The uncertainty of surviving it. I then thought about all the lives I took. There were too many for me to count.
“If I don’t go in there, Mia isn’t coming out. This place is going to be a war zone in less than an hour. I need to do this. I need to try and save her.”
Jarrett nodded, blowing out a breath and pulling his gun from its holster. “Okay. I’ll stand by you on this and take out as many as I can.”
We sprinted even closer, taking cover in the bushes.
He took aim and fired, the silencer on his gun making it sound like a little pop. One of the guards crumpled to the ground, then Jarrett expertly took down the other, giving me my opening.
***
Seeing the last remaining guard trying to figure out where the shots were coming from, I snuck up behind him and jabbed the gun into his back, demanding his clothes. His radio crackled to life.
“Is everything okay?” a man on the radio asked. “Someone said they heard some commotion outside.”
The guard swallowed as he stripped down to his underwear and handed me his uniform. I held his radio out to him, nodding at it.
He took it, still looking at me. “Everything’s fine on my end. It must have been a false alarm.”
“Okay. Just checking in.”
When he finished, I motioned for him to grasp his holster off the ground and hand it to me. As he handed it over, I kept my gun pointed at him.
“What’s the code to the gate?” I pressed.
He took a few steps back. “You’re digging your own grave.” He shook his head. “You don’t look like one of us. They’ll spot you the moment you walk through.”
“The code,” I repeated. When he remained silent, I cocked the hammer of the gun. “I’m not going to ask you again.” I moved closer, my finger itching to pull the trigger.
He noticed my patience waning and raised his hands in defeat. “5449.”
I stepped back, angry at how much time we had just wasted. I pulled the trigger without warning, the sound of the small pop satisfying.
As he slowly slumped to the ground, I quickly pulled on his uniform…luckily, we were the same size…then drew his holster across my chest. I adjusted his cap, pulling it low to disguise my face. I looked over as Jarrett walked up.
“Be safe,” he said as I punched in the code and the gate buzzed open. I nodded as I entered, making my way down the driveway.
One of the guards stopped me. I thought I was made, but instead of questioning me, he clued me in.
“The boss wants to meet up to discuss tomorrow’s plans. It seems like we have a hell of a fight to prepare for.”
I didn’t turn around as I responded. “Yes, it seems serious, but I need to get to my post. I’m replacing one of the men guarding his daughter.”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. I slowly turned around, praying he didn’t recognize me.
“If that’s the case, you’re going the wrong way, man. His daughter is housed on the other side. The balcony to the left.” He laughed. “Fine piece of ass, isn’t she?”
I had to force myself not to kill him with my bare hands. I knew those actions would attract unwanted attention, so I let his comment slide.
“Yes. A fine piece of ass indeed. I appreciate your help.”
“Anytime, man. Get over there quick, before Mr. Hall realizes she’s down a guard. His crazy about his daughter.”
I casually walked the rest of the way, relieved when I made it to her room, which was positioned in the corner of the mansion. As I strode up the outside steps, one look at the guards’ faces let me know they recognized me. Quickly taking them out, I dragged them down the steps and positioned them around the corner of the house so they wouldn’t raise suspicion. I felt no remorse. They would have died when my men arrived anyway.
I quickly sprinted up the stairs and onto the balcony, pausing to catch my breath. I hesitated, unsure how she would greet me. I pushed those thoughts aside, turning the handle. Our time was limited.
When I slowly walked inside, I saw her through the darkness. Those green eyes shone like emeralds as I made my way to her. She jumped up, the bedside lamp cascading light over her beautiful face.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her expression unwelcoming.
Judging from her strained features, she had learned a lot more about me since the last time we had seen each other. The light had started to shine on everything I tried to conceal. She was no longer naïve. What would she do now?
I should’ve been wary, but I needed to touch her. I needed her to look at me like she did the last time we’d been together.
“I’ve missed you, Mia,” I whispered cautiously as I made my way to the side of the bed she had risen from. “I’ve missed every fucking part of you.”
My heart dropped when she scrambled across the bed, pulling her knees to her chest. It broke when she looked at me, her gaze accusing me of everything I was. Everything I tried not to be. My actions tonight proved I was a man of habit. Killing without remorse. Claiming it was for her, but knowing it was more. I enjoyed the feeling of the gun in my hand. The cold metal waking up the tainted part of me. The part that refused to give up and fought me constantly.
I will change for her, I promised myself. The innocence pouring out of her made me crave it. If I did, I might eventually deserve her. Even though the stubborn part of me planned on keeping her anyway.
I stepped closer, but she slowly looked away. When she spoke, her voice sounded angry, yet weak. The pain in it proved not looking at me or touching me was a struggle. That gave me hope.
“What do you want from me, Wesley? What reason do you have to be here? Our relationship ended the moment I found out the truth. The moment I realized your feelings for me where just an illusion. A lie for you to mask who you really are.”
I didn’t have time to respond before I heard gunshots from outside, then throughout the house.
I rushed to explain. “I’m here to save you, Mia. I know you probably don’t want to be around me, but with what’s about to happen, you know coming with me is t
he best choice.”
Her eyes widened and her delicate hand shook as she reached for mine. “Just get me out of here,” she whispered. “Get me away from all of it.”
I nodded, pulling her up and against me. The silk nightgown she wore showed every curve of her body, but there was no time for her to put something else on. I pushed my desire down.
“I want to go out the balcony, but it might be blocked with guards. In that case, we’d have to go through the house.”
“You can’t be serious. There are too many of them.”
“I’ll get us out of here, Mia. I promise.”
“Who are these people, Wesley? Why are they here?”
“They’re my men,” I informed her. “They’re here to kill your father…and you.”
***
Mia and I didn’t speak as we heard more gunshots. Her grip tightened on my hand, allowing me to feel her tension. I noticed her pulling away mentally, even though she didn’t want to. I couldn’t blame her. I had lied to her, hiding the reason behind our attraction. The depth of the pull between us was electric, dangerous, but it was real. She now knew the reason I couldn’t walk away from her.
“I’m going to open the balcony door, Mia. Stay behind me. I know your father now knows I’m here, and I’m positive there are guards right below us. It wouldn’t have taken him long to guess my destination.”
I quietly cracked it open, cursing when I saw guards below, several heading up the stairs. I shut the door and locked it, buying us some time.
“Why don’t you say it?” She stepped up to me. “Why don’t you say the name you’ve known all along? The name of the girl you spared that night. The name your family and Alek took from me.”
I hesitated, knowing I couldn’t defend the words spilling from her mouth. They were true. Every single accusation. We had taken her name. Her family.
“Mia…,” I whispered, looking toward the door.
“No.” She shook her head. “Say it. Look me in the eyes and say my name, Wesley.”
“Alyssa,” I whispered, looking back at her. “Don’t do this.”
“That’s it,” she replied, her eyes glossing over. “You know, it’s crazy. Even after all you’ve done, my knees grow weak from the sound of you saying it.”
I pulled her close. My lips brushing over hers. “Alyssa, baby, I’m sorry—”
She cut me off, her voice weak. “No, Wesley. Don’t ever say that name again. It can burn to the ground, just like this toxic world I was born into. It’s tainted. I haven’t been that girl in a long time, and trying to be her again for my father is starting to break me all over again.”
I looked at her. Really looked at her. This woman had hidden her need for revenge. She didn’t admit it, but she wanted it, just like her father. However, she didn’t know how close she was. She didn’t know the world she had put herself back into was calling her name, leaving her hints. She didn’t know her father had pushed her into a role that would ultimately give her the power to ruin Alek. Ruin me. Fredrick was unfair. He had left her in the dark, and it only made all the secrets yet to be revealed harder on her. It only made her resent everybody more.
“You’re not broken, Mia. You never were. This life has been unfair to you. I plan to do everything in my power to get you out of it.”
I thought she would refuse. Tell me to go to hell. Instead, she nodded, her eyes pleading.
“If you do that, Wesley,” she replied slowly, “I might be able to get past the fact that you were involved. You’re the one who saved me, but you were still in my house that night. You played your part.”
I kissed her again, holding my tongue. She gave me hope that maybe our story could have a happy ending.
When I heard voices outside, somebody trying to kick in the balcony door, I pulled her toward the bedroom door. My heart raced as our reality settled in on me. I pulled the door open, keeping her behind me. I stilled when Justin came into view.
***
I stepped back, shielding Mia with my body. Justin’s tall frame challenged my own, the look on his face making me wonder where his thoughts were.
“I never thought we would be here, Wesley. Where we were forced to go against each other,” he said regretfully, looking in both directions, firing a few gunshots. “Stinson won. We were able to take down some, but in the end, I knew who the weak link was. I warned Fredrick.”
“You didn’t have to run, Justin. You didn’t have to turn away from us.”
“It was bound to happen, Wes. Stinson had been battling with the burden of me for a long time, and it was only a matter of time before he snapped. Fredrick contacting me just pushed things along.”
“You’re still my brother, Justin. You’re still part of this family.”
“No, Wesley. I’ve never been part of this family. Now that you know the truth, you can see why.”
“What do you plan to do?” I pressed. “Kill me? Us? It won’t fix or change anything. And if you attempt to take her from me, there will be a fight. Fredrick doesn’t have her best interests in mind. You know that. There’s already been enough bloodshed. Let’s not add any more, Justin.”
He studied me, slowly shaking his head. “No. I’m going to lead you both out of here because you’re my brother…” He glanced around me to Mia, “and I don’t need to reveal the rest.”
Mia’s hand gripped mine as I nodded. Justin motioned us out of the room and down the steps. We took in the destruction around us. Bullet holes peppered the walls. Bodies littered the steps. I pulled Mia closer as we walked around them. My heart broke for her when I spotted Fredrick lying in a pool of blood in one of the hallways. I made sure she didn’t see, pulling her closer to me. Justin gave me a hard stare, shrugging. He opened the side door.
“Go around the gate. It should lead you to the gravel road.”
I looked at him one last time, curious as to why he was helping us.
“You can come back home,” I said. “I can talk to him.”
“No,” he said sharply. “I think we both should accept that the next time we meet, it won’t be like this, Wesley. It won’t be this pleasant.”
I swallowed as I pulled Mia out the door, knowing I had just lost a brother and gained an enemy.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Mia
LIFE WAS UNPREDICTABLE.
This man had saved me again. He had picked me up and carried me from the house like I weighed nothing, gunshots continuously sounding around us. When I found the courage to glance toward the house, I could see the war was almost over. My father had already lost. The mansion and grounds were littered with wreckage, fallen men, destruction, which proved his plan for revenge would never come.
I found myself leaning into Wesley’s chest as we made it to the gravel road a few miles before the entrance to the compound, a car already waiting.
Wesley placed me into the back seat, nudging me to slide over as he climbed in. He looked up at the man behind the wheel, shutting the door.
“We have to get out of the city, Jarrett,” he instructed, pulling me against him. “Drive us to the airport. I have the jet waiting.”
I swallowed, sinking into him.
We were leaving. He was taking me away from everything, just like my father had planned. I realized no matter which way I turned, my outcome was inevitable. I couldn’t stay. I had to run. I had to disappear.
***
The drive to the airport didn’t take long. The man sped, switching lanes like a madman. When the vehicle finally stopped, I felt my whole body unclench.
I didn’t think about my father. I didn’t think about Alek. I focused on the large private jet sitting in front of me, awaiting my arrival, and the delectable man who helped me out of the car.
“You’re shaking,” Wesley said.
He wrapped his arm around me and led me to the plane, helping me up the steps. The jet was massive, and I felt like I was walking into someone’s living room. A large sofa with a sleek, wooden coffee tabl
e decorated the space, several comfortable looking chairs sitting near the windows. When I moved farther inside, his large hands found their way around my waist and he led me to the window. He helped me into my chair and buckled me in, then draped a blanket over my practically bare body.
“Now I can finally focus,” he said, taking his seat and strapping himself in. “That flimsy nightgown you have on has been testing my strength the whole time.”
I leaned back, my head resting against the headrest, slowly turning toward him. “I didn’t really have time to change, with you sneaking into my room and the gunshots. I think a change of clothes slipped my mind.” I gave him a soft smile. “I’m sorry your attraction to me is that strong, Mr. Black, but I haven’t quite figured out if I would consider that an issue.”
His eyes darkened. “You always did love to tease me, shy girl. If you keep saying things like that, I’m going to be forced to tease you back.”
I shifted in my seat. My panties growing wetter by the second, his gray eyes burning into me. I looked away, my face growing hot. Eventually, that heat spread throughout my entire body. I let my flimsy slippers fall to the floor, and his eyes roamed over me, a hunger in his gaze. He began to reach for me when we heard the clearing of a voice.
“I’m going to stay here, Wesley,” Jarrett said firmly. “I need to get back and check out the damage. I’ll be in touch.”
Wesley nodded. Not long after, the door closed. There was a short wait before I felt the jet start to move. I considered Jarrett’s reference to damage, my stomach sinking. I knew the odds of my father surviving, but decided I couldn’t do anything about it. He didn’t reach out to me for love. He reached out because he needed my help in a battle he placed me in the middle of.
I reached for Wesley’s hand. The one person who saved me. The one person who, regardless of his track record, actually cared for me. I could see it in his eyes when he looked at me. I could feel it when our hands touched. He was genuine. He was real.
The Illicit Revealed (The Illicit Series Book 2) Page 18