His breath stilled as his mind created a connection. Oh, shit. Isaac stood quickly, nearly colliding with a cook hurrying behind him.
Isaac whirled and ran out of the kitchen, doors slamming into the wall. Guests and staff alike jumped and stared as he dashed down the hallway, cell already in hand. He punched in Emma’s contact. Pick up, pick up, pick up.
Bursting into the manager’s office, Isaac said, “We have a problem, sir.”
Grant shot to his feet, eyes hard.
Each unanswered ring tightened Isaac’s chest further.
"Call if you think of anything else." Grant handed his card to the manager before following Isaac out of the office, through the restaurant, and out the back door.
Emma's voicemail picked up, and Isaac disconnected the call and tried again. "If this was Grim, he might know we'd all meet if Vance went down, meaning—"
"Fuck." Grant turned on his heel and bustled to his unmarked squad car, dark skin and black hair illuminated by the back lights of the Blue Marlin. Isaac followed close behind, phone still pressed to his ear. He tried to ignore his thudding heart as Grant's vehicle lurched forward, matching the churn of his stomach.
—-
Alex fidgeted as he stood off to one side of the rear entrance at Paving 4 U. The warm night air trailed invisible fingers along his face and through his hair. He watched the few remaining Vance employees arrive and enter the building with a stern look, receiving nods of respect from each until he was alone outside. He frowned. Where is she? He checked his watch again, which showed him Emma was three minutes late, and he tugged at the cuffs of his suit coat.
He knew his place was inside, addressing the lesser staff members on Vance's payroll, but still, he waited. His mind turned back to her closeness at the Blue Marlin, and his eyes narrowed. She's never come on to me before. Why now? What does she gain by using her talents against me?
Bright headlights splashed across him as a dark SUV screeched to a halt near other cars. Alex watched as Emma carefully exited the vehicle.
"You're late," he stated as she approached, hips swaying. She didn't answer. Instead, she stared at a cell phone, fingers speeding across its screen. Her heels made muted taps as she walked past him toward the open door Alex guarded.
"Emma."
She looked up from her message and stopped, throwing him a curious glance. "I had just gotten home, I'm sorry. Won't happen again." She tried to enter the building once more, but Alex blocked her path.
"I wanted to apologize for how curt I was with you earlier.” His mind jumped back to the feel of her fingers on his hand, and he forced himself to keep his eyes locked on her face.
"What? You? Apologize?" She looked baffled.
"I didn't mean to sound as if I was ignoring you, or your successful collection of Will's payment."
"Oh." Emma stared at him, her light blue eyes holding an unasked question.
They stood in an awkward silence for a moment, then Alex cleared his throat and spoke again.
"Both Vance and I appreciate your work."
"I know. You said that before. Thank you."
"I understand you want better jobs. Vance is struggling to survive at Good Sam right now, placing me in charge of the business."
Emma simply stared at him, uncomprehending. Her phone emitted a long vibration from her hand, but she ignored it.
"I've sent our Head of Finance to the hospital to keep an eye on Vance, along with a handful of guards. From what I've heard, our employer is still in critical condition, but is expected to live."
"What does this have to do with me?" Emma asked.
"You want a chance to prove yourself. I'm giving it to you."
She raised her eyebrows, and slid her phone into her purse, still ignoring the call that was buzzing furiously.
"The people we used to handle the food for tonight's gathering were from a trusted company, yet something still slipped by them. Or," Alex gave her a pointed look, "someone on the inside poisoned Vance. I have staff investigating the scene, but I have a feeling I'll be needing your infiltration expertise."
Understanding filled her eyes, and Emma looked away. "You want me to do what I always do, then. How is that any different from—"
"I want you to lead the investigation. Look into each employee we have that served anyone at the Blue Marlin. Isaac and Grant are at your disposal should you need them." Alex watched her expression grow eager. "Once you discover who was behind the attack," he continued, "I want you to infiltrate them and attempt to extract as much information as possible. We need to know who organized this, who is working with the individual, and how best to hit them back."
A wide grin played across her face. "Yes, sir. Thank you, Alex. Thank you so much." She stepped forward as she spoke. A light scent of lavender filled his nostrils, and desire for her stirred in his stomach.
"Report directly to me or Vance, once he has recovered, no one else. Outside of Isaac and Grant, I do not want you to speak of this work to any other employee unless I give you direct permission. Your regular income will be tripled for this job, and this one alone, unless you impress our employer. Then we’ll talk.”
He let his gaze slip to her purse, where her phone began buzzing yet again. "We should get inside.”
Before he could turn, Emma moved closer to him, looking up into his eyes with an unreadable expression. Alex shied back, the movement barely perceivable.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked in a soft tone, pale pink lips curled upward. He didn't respond, and she stepped closer still, her chest brushing against his in the barest touch.
Alex's stomach flipped, and he felt his heart rate increase at her closeness. I can't, he told himself. She’s the business’ whore. Who knows how many men have been between her legs? He dropped his eyes along her figure. Still...
"Well, if there is, you know where to find me." Emma stepped away from him and turned. Alex's hand shot forward before he could stop himself, and he gripped her wrist lightly.
“I want—" he began, but was cut short by a yell from inside the building, and they both jumped. Another cry sounded, but before Alex could run toward the commotion, Grant's car peeled into the parking lot, tires squealing. Gunfire erupted inside, and Alex pulled Emma into his arms, against his chest, turning his back toward the open door.
He looked up to see Isaac jump from the vehicle, Grant following suit. Both men had their pistols drawn. Alex pushed Emma toward the arriving men, drawing his own weapon as he did.
"Get inside," he yelled at the cop, one arm still around Emma, body shielding her from whatever danger was behind them. Grant obliged and disappeared inside the building. Alex turned toward Isaac. "Take Emma somewhere safe. Stay there until you hear directly from me." He looked at her, and for a moment, hesitated, then reluctantly let her go. Isaac gestured to her SUV, and together they left in a flurry of loose gravel.
Glock in hand, Alex turned toward the establishment and made his way inside. The gunfire had stopped, but he could still hear shouts. His heart stuttered and leapt. He had nearly reached the main room of the building when the power was cut, plunging everything into darkness.
Chapter Two
Shawn’s plan unfolded perfectly. The charge Jaxon had given him to plant went off the moment he pressed the detonation button, severing the building’s power. Instant cries rose from a few of the men on the floor beneath his perch, their weapons drawn, heads swiveling back and forth. Shawn switched his mask to night vision as soon as the darkness fell, and in the bright green view he watched as his enemies looked everywhere but the ceiling. He grinned and counted. Twenty-nine. Twenty-nine of Vance’s top employees, gathered below, to be picked off one by one. This is going to be fun. He released his hold on a piece of scaffolding, dropping silently through the air and landing with a thump in the middle of the crowd.
Bodies whirled, and Shawn ducked, sidestepped, then reached out and snapped the neck of the man closest to him. His victim dropped witho
ut a cry, but the attack didn’t go unnoticed.
“What was that?” someone shouted. Shawn swiped the high carbon blades of his suit’s forearms across first one, then a second throat. Blood sprayed along his arms and studded gloves, spilling onto the floor, dark green in the night vision. Panicked voices began to flow through the crowd, and more than one gun was fired. A man cried out and dropped to the concrete. Shawn maneuvered to his right until he was clear of the group, taking two more men out along the way. People began tripping over bodies, and mutterings turned to yells.
“Everyone stay calm,” a cold, clear voice elevated over the fearful chatter. Shawn glanced around and grinned. Vance’s right-hand man stood near the entrance to the large room. Weston Alexander. You fucking piece of shit. I’m going to enjoy killing you.
“Follow my voice,” Alex was saying. “Stay in a tight formation.” No one listened to him.
Shawn rolled his eyes and lunged forward, hopping over the fallen with ease. He reached out and grabbed a man’s extended arm and snapped it with one hand. Ignoring the screams, he whirled and lashed out with a closed fist. It connected with someone’s jaw, and Shawn felt bone snap. Using his superior strength, he clutched another man’s neck and squeezed, easily crushing the throat in his fingers.
The screaming started. The crowd began to separate and scatter. A few more guns fired, the bullets flying wildly in different directions.
“Stop fucking shooting!” a gruff voice cried out. Shawn considered his options and decided to close the distance across the large open room toward Alex, who had begun to back down the hallway from which he came, fear in his eyes.
Shawn lowered his head, charging toward Alex with an inhuman snarl. This is for Julie, you fuck.
A hot flash of pain flared in his left arm, and Shawn stumbled and twirled. Shit. He flexed his bicep, but ignored the wound. Turning, he noticed Alex had disappeared. With a roar, he ran along the short hallway and burst outside, but the man had already jumped into a car. Shawn clenched his fists.
“I’m going to be the one to kill you,” he muttered at the receding taillights, his breathing barely elevated. He turned back toward the building. Men had begun to exit through an open door, guns pointed haphazardly. Without thinking, Shawn sprinted forward, intent on using the element of surprise to avoid being shot again. He swiped his blades, each sharpened to a deadly point, along the neck of the closest man, then spun, bringing another to his knees with a single punch to the nose before the first body hit the ground. He was reaching for the third when a loud report sounded from behind his victim, who shuddered. Shawn threw the injured man toward the entrance with one hand, the body slicing through the night air and colliding with the men standing in the door.
Shawn turned, gravel crunching beneath his heavy boots, and staggered as a heavy metal pipe connected with the left side of his head. His night vision flickered and suddenly turned bright orange as his mask switched to infrared. Another hit from the pipe swapped his view back to normal, and he reached up to block a third blow. He grabbed the pipe from the dark-skinned man who had snuck up behind him and wrenched it away. Turning, he brought the weapon across the face of an incoming attacker, who stumbled and fell in a squirt of blood. Men stood behind him, weapons rising toward him. Shawn turned, backhanded the man who had hit him before he could shoot his pistol, and sprinted into the darkness behind the building. He passed abandoned paving trucks, still and silent on large wheels. Gunshots popped behind him, but all Shawn did was bark out a laugh.
“Just try to catch me, fuckers.”
—-
Isaac took a small sip of his gin and tonic, eyes following Emma as she paced around his living room. He stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, cold drink in hand.
“Getting a good workout?” he joked, grinning.
Emma glanced at him and let out a nervous laugh. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He straightened and walked toward her. “Longest two hours of my life.”
“We can keep watching the movie. I just got worried. Do you think there’s any survivors?”
Isaac put a gentle hand on her arm. “Grim may be tough, but he’s not invincible. There’s no way he killed everyone.”
“Shouldn’t we be worried? What if he comes here?”
“How would he know where I live?”
“What if he saw your face?”
“I was outside. So were you. We’re fine, Emma.” He reached up and cupped her cheek, adrenaline spiking in his stomach the moment her blue eyes locked with his. He tried to ignore how he felt with her standing so close to him.
“I know, but Alex...”
Isaac scoffed. “Alex? Who cares about Alex?” He dropped his hand and moved toward his couch, plopping down on its soft cushions. The television remote was on the coffee table next to a small framed sketch of an octopus Emma had done a few years ago, dubbing it “Frankensteve.” Intent on resuming The Descent, he waved her over, eyes locked on the screen.
“I care,” Emma said from behind him.
“Why? He can take care of himself. Plus he’s an asshole. Come over here so we can finally see what’s in this cave.”
“You don’t have to be such a dick.” She made her way to the couch and sat next to him.
“I’m sorry, m’lady,” Isaac said in his best awful British accent. “Di’int mean ta upset ye.”
Emma rolled her eyes, but a smile played on her lips. She raised a glass of red wine and took a sip.
“I swear I di’int.” He grinned. “If I’m annoying you, just smack me.”
Emma smacked him, then giggled, tossing her head slightly. Isaac’s heart skipped, and he looked away. He loved making her laugh, but sometimes he could only take so much pining.
Instead of playing the film, Isaac toyed with the remote. “Why did he do that, anyway? Tell me to get you to safety, instead of us helping inside? We’re both good with guns.”
Emma shrugged.
“Wait, are you two...?”
“No!” She pulled her legs onto the couch, then stretched them across Isaac’s lap and leaned back. “I mean, I think he might want to, but we’re not.”
His heart stilled. He rested his glass on the thigh of the light blue sweatpants he’d lent her, causing a dark ring of condensation to appear in the fabric.
“I can’t believe someone attacked Vance,” Emma said, her eyes unfocused, delicate hand swirling her glass in small, lazy circles.
“I can’t believe it was someone on our side. I mean, no one else was there, other than the kitchen staff, and Vance has used the Blue Marlin for years. Same with Lotus Catering.”
“It would be easier if we could have gone right into the investigation instead of hiding out.”
“Well, with Grim on the loose, it’s smarter to stay alive and do our job later. Don’t worry. You’ll find out who it was.”
“Damn right I will.” Emma grinned and sat up.
“All hail the almighty Emma.”
She laughed. “Start this movie already.”
Within ten minutes of the film, she was curled into his side, trying to avoid watching as the horrific events unfolded on the screen. Isaac put an arm around her shoulders. He closed his eyes and gently inhaled her scent, completely ignoring the screams coming from the television. Just tell her, you idiot. He thought back to all of the other horror movies they’d watched together over the years, Emma always cowering against him. Isaac had loved her for as long as he could remember, but the fear of losing what they had stilled his tongue. If that’s what it takes to have her in my life, then so be it. He rested his cheek against the top of her head and drew his eyes back to the television.
A vibration in his pocket began moments later. He straightened and pulled his phone out with his free hand. It was Alex.
“Hello?”
“All clear. Is Emma with you?”
Isaac felt apprehension before he answered. “She is. What happened?”
“Grim took
out eleven of us before running off. Jack is dead, along with some of those who oversaw narcotics and weapons. It’s a blow, but nothing we can’t recover from.”
Isaac grunted and looked at Emma, who gazed at him with a questioning stare.
“Let Emma know she can begin her work immediately. I assume she’s already discussed her assignment with you?”
“She has.”
“Good.” Alex paused. “Put her on.”
Isaac hesitated, then handed Emma his cell. She took the phone and pressed it to one ear.
“Yes?” She listened, then said, “Of course. I can meet you after I pick up the other half of Will’s payment.” She glanced up at Isaac, smiled, then winked. “Certainly. See you then.”
Jealousy gnawed at Isaac’s chest as Emma disconnected the call and handed the phone back.
“Well.” Emma took a sip of wine. “It’s obvious Grim is working with the person who attacked Vance tonight.”
Isaac nodded as he sipped his drink.
“So I get to infiltrate the vigilante himself.” A wicked glitter danced in her eyes.
—-
Shawn peeled his left arm out of the dark grey suit, wincing slightly at a spike of hot pain in his bicep.
“I don’t know what you were thinking,” came Jaxon’s voice. “The plan was to kill Vance, not his entire staff singlehandedly.”
“I saw the opportunity to take as many out as possible.” A cold wetness touched Shawn’s injured arm, followed by a sharp, stinging sensation, and he sucked air through clenched teeth. “I wasn’t going to pass that up. Besides, you gave me a bomb. There’s no way I wasn’t going to use it.”
“That was for the backup plan, in case Vance didn’t eat the poison. You know that.”
“But I had a bomb. What, you wanted me to just bring it back home?”
“A mini-bomb. And tracking them down wasn’t part of the plan. You just went in blind. Again."
"Jaxon, I am blind. I can't go in any other way." Shawn grinned. He ignored the small waves of pain he felt as his adoptive brother cleaned the bullet graze.
Grim Ambition Page 2