“Okay, so he was harsh. You still had the best of everything.”
“And you have money, so why live like a damn vagrant?”
“I don’t care about fancy suits or overpriced coffee. I had nothing growing up, and if I change that now I’m selling out.”
“How? You’re just moving up in the world. People grow. People change. You should be proud to rise in the ranks.”
“I don’t want to become dependent. Look at you, right now. You miss all your posh shit. Me, I can survive anywhere. Take it all away, and I’m no worse off.”
“How about I take away your smokes? You’re still a slave, one way or another.”
Cayden cursed under his breath and snuffed out his smoke in an overflowing ashtray. “This is just a choice. Not an addiction. I could give it up if I had to. I’d do it for—”
He stopped himself, but Hawk could fill in the blanks. He’d do it for Sophia. How could such a slip of a woman get under both their skins? Hawk could have any woman he wanted, and by the looks of it, so could Cayden.
It was hard to hate a man who loved what he loved. It didn’t make sense when he’d also kill to keep her. He had no one to turn to for advice. Even Vlad was gone. How would he know if his thoughts were normal or dark, healthy or twisted?
“Is that why you pushed Sophia away? Scared to lose her?”
Cayden narrowed his eyes. “What’s up your ass? I gave you the girl, so stop rubbing it in my face. Move on and keep her off-topic.”
“I wasn’t trying to be a prick. Just trying to understand.”
“Well, keep that social worker bullshit to yourself. The only reason you’re here is so we can team up and get Sophia back.”
“Okay, fine,” said Hawk. He took one of the coffees and sipped on it. “My guy sent me the specs of Antonio’s house.” He dropped his cell on the table with the display open.
“If she’s there.”
“She’s there. One of the maids sells us information. Sophia’s being kept in one of the guest rooms. There’re two guards outside the room,” said Hawk.
“Locked away in an ivory tower. She’s really playing the fairy tale card,” said Cayden. “You get to be her knight in shining armor.”
“She gets two heroes.”
“Spoiled little princess. She always get what she wants?” asked Cayden.
“Pretty much.”
Cayden sat on his computer chair and the monitors came to life. “I’ll pull up everything I can. We’ll have to wait for nightfall.”
“Why? That’s when they’ll expect something. Daylight could give us an edge.”
“I always work in the dark,” said Cayden.
“Then I’ll go myself.”
“Don’t be stupid. Two of us have a better chance. Remember, we’re not there to wipe out the family, just get Sophia out in one piece.”
“You saw the blood,” said Hawk.
“And he can’t marry a corpse. We have to use our heads.”
Cayden was right. Rushing in with guns blazing wasn’t the answer.
They went over everything they had from the layouts of the house and property to how many men they could be dealing with. The security system, the firepower, the cops, and their escape route. They went through Cayden’s stockpile of ammo, organized their weapons side by side in silence, and packed up a small arsenal. Hand grenades for good measure.
It was war, and they didn’t plan to lose.
Chapter Sixteen
“I hear you’re refusing to eat.” Antonio closed the bedroom door behind him, and she inwardly tensed. She knew better than to show weakness. These types of men thrived on instilling fear. And she had experience in dealing with them.
Sophia crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re keeping me prisoner. I’m not going to eat.”
Antonio Jr. walked back and forth, his hands clasped behind him. She remembered him from a few fundraisers her father made her attend years ago. “You know, my father thinks this is a match made in heaven. He believes there was some kind of divine intervention that brought us together to unite our houses. I understand his vision. Sounds perfect on paper.”
“What’s the truth?”
“You’re smarter than that.” He smirked. “I guess we should keep the ruse going at least a month after the wedding. It would be too suspicious if you got knocked off in the first couple weeks. I think a suicide note explaining how you couldn’t deal with losing your father would be a nice touch. What do think?”
“Fuck you.”
“You’re lucky this weekend is important, or I’d have that pretty little face black and blue. You killed one of my favorite drivers, too.”
Hawk had told her to pull the trigger if she needed to use her gun. She did. As soon as the group of men rushed her in the parked car, she’d unloaded the clip on them. It wasn’t enough. The other men shoved her into the back of a van, put a cloth bag over her head, and brought her here.
She didn’t even know if Hawk and Cayden were alive.
“I wish my father was here just so he could torture you, nice and slow. Maybe I’d watch.”
“But he’s dead, isn’t he? It’s just you, and soon the Morenov Empire will be gone for good.”
“I won’t marry you, so whatever you’re planning is going to backfire.”
He chuckled, a wicked, sleezy sound. “Test me, little bitch. I live for this shit, so be my guest.”
She swallowed hard.
“I’m not afraid to die, asshole.”
“Good, because it won’t be long now,” he said.
When he left the room, she exhaled, feeling weak and very, very alone. She looked down at the lawns far below and wondered if she could jump without breaking her legs.
If Hawk survived the raid on Oscar’s house, how on earth would he figure out where she was? Antonio was supposed to be helping him. The contract on Cayden’s head was called off, but apparently the Baretti family had their own wicked plans all along.
She just wanted to be a normal girl—with dreams, freedom, and two hitmen.
Sophia paced as she wrung her hands together. She’d only gotten a few hours’ sleep last night, and she was surprised she managed that much. It was much better being Cayden’s captive.
Her wedding day was fast approaching. More than an arranged marriage, but a forced sham of a wedding. She wouldn’t do it. When she married, it would be for love.
She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, envisioning what love looked like. She saw Cayden and Hawk. But how could she have one without the other?
The thought kept nagging her to the point of obsession. Why did love have to be so complicated?
Hawk had committed to her, given her everything. Cayden pushed her away, but the connection they had was real, pure, perfect. She wanted to heal him, show him that family could be a good thing. God, they all needed a redo from their fucked-up lives.
Sophia wasn’t sure how many hours passed, but she jerked when the door opened again. She’d collected a few items to use as weapons and had them hidden around the room. It was another maid bringing her food. Her stomach rumbled when she smelled the offering, but she wouldn’t give Antonio Jr. the satisfaction.
“Ms. Morenov, your food.” The woman set the tray on the top of the dresser.
Sophia ignored her.
“I have a message for you,” she whispered.
This caught her attention, and Sophia turned to look at the woman. She was Russian. Sophia could detect the accent. “What is it?”
She put a finger to her lips to signal her to be silent. “They’re coming for you.”
Tears instantly came to her eyes, and she slid down the wall and hugged her knees, crying as silently as she could. The woman left the room but had given her a gift. She didn’t realize how much she needed that message. Lack of sleep, food, and safety … none of it compared to going on without hope.
She wasn’t forgotten.
They֫. She hoped that meant Hawk and Cayden. Des
pite the danger and her breakdown, she felt something sensual travel through her body imagining them together.
Both saving her.
Both claiming her.
What if they made her choose? How the hell would she do it? It would destroy her. Destroy one of them.
No, Cayden would run before that happened. She clenched her fists together, anger taking over her desires. She wanted something she couldn’t have.
It would be so simple if she hated Cayden. If the bad guy stayed the bad guy.
She’d end up hurting both the men she loved because of her twisted desires. And she hated herself because of it.
But was it so wrong?
Was she a monster like her father?
A whore like her mother?
She lay down on the floor, remembering her father, her childhood, her first kisses, and losing her heart twice. Part of her wished she could wake up in her own bed, nothing changed. But that wasn’t the answer. Her life had seen sad and lonely, and despite some of the most trying events of her life in the past few weeks, she’d also experienced her most memorable.
****
Cayden wasn’t a fan of doing his work in the light of day. Too visible. Too many witnesses. Dark deeds were meant to be committed after midnight. He came alive at night, felt at home with the outcasts.
But waiting wasn’t an option. And Hawk was on his back to go forward with Sophia’s rescue. Lover boy was thirsting to be the hero.
The entire Morenov revenge assassination had been about Vasily. An eye for an eye. Cayden had nothing personal against Sophia or Hawk. But once his feelings for Sophia changed into something much more complicated than murder, his resentment for Hawk grew each day.
By the time he saw Hawk in the flesh yesterday, his only wish was to wipe him off the face of the earth. The only reason he refrained was for her. Sophia loved Hawk, and he could give her the stable future she deserved. Cayden didn’t know anything about family or women.
He’d fuck everything up.
But he wouldn’t deny the temptation, the lure to just give in and make her his. It kept creeping into his thoughts, especially after dropping her off at the hotel after spending a week with her at the trailer. It had been one of the best weeks of his life.
She’d already ruined him for others.
He’d never loved a woman before Sophia.
But she’d choose Hawk. She said herself that she loved the other hitman. He’d avoid the disappointment and steer clear of the Russian princess.
“Ready?” asked Hawk.
Cayden patted himself down and grabbed his keys. “Yeah. I’m starving.”
They took his car to an area diner to fuel up.
Last night they’d done a lot of talking, but the past couple hours they’d kept to themselves. Hawk used the pull up bars in the doorway of his bedroom, cranking out reps like a beast. They both had their own coping mechanisms.
“This place?” asked Hawk.
“We’ve been through this,” said Cayden. “You’re in a different world now. Nothing will be up to your standards. Play along for another day.”
Normally he couldn’t stand pretty boys. Hawk was an odd contradiction. A brutal killer wearing a Rolex and trained in the social graces. Cayden couldn’t give a fuck about brand names, high priced trinkets, or kissing ass.
Sophia was part of that world of privilege.
Nausea hit him like a punch to the gut, so he stopped thinking about the happy couple. They were too perfect together. It wasn’t resentment he felt, but raw jealousy.
He wished he could be a better man, be what she needed—like Hawk.
They took a booth, and he grabbed a laminated menu from the end of the table, even though he already knew what he was ordering.
“Did you know Sophia hates coffee?” asked Hawk.
Cayden glared at him over the top of his menu.
“And she hates cigarette smoke.”
He tensed. “I thought I told you I could quit if I wanted to. I’m not a slave.”
Hawk toyed with the sugar packets. “So, you do love her. You’re ready to change to be what she wants.”
Cayden slapped his hand on the table. The people at a neighboring booth looked their way. “Again, she’s supposed to be off-topic. Stop playing games.”
“How can she be off-topic? You care, or why would you be doing this? She’s not your fucking problem. You can walk and forget about everything.”
“And you can handle this rescue yourself?”
Hawk stared at him. “If I have to, sure. I’d go to hell for her.”
So would I.
The tension grew thick, and it was because of the woman between them. The waitress came up and took their orders. He welcomed the distraction. She flirted with both of them, plumping up her cleavage and trying to be cute. Unlike most men, he didn’t think with his dick, and was rarely impressed.
When she left, he leaned over on his forearms. “She likes you, Hawk. You should give her your number. I’ll bet she puts out on the first date.”
“You’re funny.”
Cayden leaned back and shrugged.
“I think she’s more your type. Like you said, this is your neighborhood. Perfect fit.”
“Fuck that. My dick is clean. Just because I live here doesn’t mean I’m ready to go dumpster diving. I happen to be very particular when it comes to women.”
“So am I. There’s only one for me.”
He took a breath, trying to behave like a normal human being and push down the monster growing inside. “I know. Sophia. You enjoy mentioning it.”
They faced off, having some kind of staring contest fit for grade school.
“It was her birthday last week.” Hawk smirked, an evil fucking smirk.
Cayden leapt up, one knee on the table as he reached for Hawk’s throat. Cutlery fell to the ground, and people gasped and screamed. As fast as his rage took over, it faded, and he sat back down realizing he’d made a scene.
Calm the fuck down, Cayden. You’re walking away once she’s free.
The waitress came up to them, keeping farther back this time. “My manager says you should probably leave.”
“Yeah, we’re not fucking leaving. I was defending your honor, sweetheart,” said Cayden. My buddy told me he wanted your lips wrapped around his cock.”
She blushed.
“My apologies,” said Hawk, giving him a sideways scowl.
They ordered.
They ate in silence.
****
The closer they got to rescuing Sophia, the more her love for Cayden tormented Hawk. Why couldn’t he hate the other man? Why hadn’t he put a bullet in his head?
In a way they were alike, too alike.
They connected on a level he rarely reached with other men. This was only a couple days in the making.
And he knew more about Cayden, knew he’d been through a lot of hardcore shit. He felt guilty because if it wasn’t for his past, he’d probably put up a decent fight for Sophia. But he was damaged to the point he wouldn’t challenge him, and good enough that he wanted her happy.
Why didn’t he feel relieved that Cayden would be out of the picture at the final scene? He shouldn’t be reflecting on a stranger’s feelings.
Hawk was already going soft without Vasily’s influence.
“You will only speak Russian in front of me,” Vasily said. “If I hear one word of English, you’ll get the belt.” He held up the thick leather loop as a reminder.
He’d only been eleven, not yet fluent in the new language.
He learned fast.
“You’re going on a neighborhood run with Vladimir tonight. You need to learn how we run business in this house. You need to become a man.”
Runs consisted of beatings and breaking bones. Forcing poor shop owners to pay money they didn’t have. If he didn’t do what Vlad said, he had to take their punishment in return. There had been numerous times he willingly took the beating for an old man or a woman who rem
inded him of his mother.
He had no choice. His life was fear. Control. Morenov demanded unwavering loyalty.
They drove out to Antonio Baretti’s mansion, parking a couple blocks away. They’d talked over their plan all night, going over the details again at the diner. The property was vast, no close neighbors.
“Okay, keep your head down. I don’t want them recognizing us before we even get in the front doors,” said Hawk.
They dressed as city hydro workers, occasionally marking up the sidewalk with orange spray paint as they neared the house. One man sat on the porch, and he could see the barrel of a rifle hidden under the chair legs. If this was late at night, there would be a lot more heat at the front of the house with a hostage being kept inside.
“Top floor,” said Hawk. “Whoever gets there first, gets Sophia out. No mistakes.”
They’d gone over the layout of the house and their plans over and over. He knew the house like the back of his hand.
“Let’s do this,” said Cayden.
He took a breath as they approached the guard on the porch. “Afternoon,” said Hawk. “Do you know where your meter is located?”
Cayden leaned close and knocked him out with one short, hard punch to the face, not giving him time to answer. They arranged his body so it looked like he was asleep.
Once they entered the grand foyer, they fanned out, dropping off their fake uniform jackets to reveal the arsenals strapped to their bodies. They used their silencers and knives to take out the men on the main floor, hoping to get in and out with as little drama as possible.
There were only two of them, so shit could get ugly quick if they weren’t on their game every second.
Cayden pointed to the library as he ascended the staircase, his Glock in his outstretched arm. Hawk pushed open the double doors and did a quick sweep, not finding anyone. He went to join Cayden on the staircase.
This was way too easy.
There were three stories, so they had to get up another flight of narrower stairs after this. They’d just set foot on the second level when some bitch downstairs screamed, probably finding one of the bodies. All hell broke loose.
Doors opened and closed, and Baretti’s men came at them from both directions. Hawk pulled out a second handgun, Cayden at his back covering the other direction. The gunfire rang in his ears, deafening, drywall flying at him from every direction. They inched their way toward the second staircase, taking cover in the stairwell.
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