Vengeance On the Run

by Wylder Stone

  “I like it here,” she admitted, her gaze locked on the city lights in the distance with the sound of the ocean waves breaking on the beach. It was the best of two worlds in one place.

  “Los Angeles? Yeah, it’s a cool city with a little bit of everything.” He shrugged.

  “Yeah, but I mean here. Santa Monica.” She waved her fingers around to indicate the space they were in. “The Elite building, out here with you. It feels…safe. I’ve been able to relax for the first time since our first night of running. I guess I didn’t realize that until we got here. Even when I thought I was safe, I didn’t really feel it, not like this.”

  Owen pulled her closer, so Trista leaned with her back against his chest, and she pulled her legs up under her. “Nothing can get to us here. Nothing. That’s why I brought you here.”

  “I know. To keep us safe, and you have,” she said while he kissed the top of her head. “I like your mom. I’m also a little afraid of her.”

  He laughed. “As you should be. Maddy likes it that way. Nah, she really liked you, too. I could tell. Mason was the one who really won her over, though.”

  “How do you know she liked me?”

  “She didn’t size you up and already expects you at Sunday dinners.” Owen laughed.

  “Would you mind if Mason and I went?” Trista asked shyly.

  “I already planned on taking you,” he insisted.

  “Well, isn’t that presumptuous?” she teased.

  “Didn’t you just say that you wanted to go?” Owen paused, waiting for Trista to answer. She nodded, and Owen finished. “So not very presumptuous on my part then.”

  “Touché,” Trista conceded. “And if Mark is still out there?”

  Owen grunted, a sound she hadn’t heard in ages but one that brought a smile to her face, nonetheless. “It’s a few weeks away still, so we’ll have him by then. And if not? God help him if he steps foot in Maddy Force’s bar and grill and interrupts her Sunday dinner.”

  “You mean brewery.”

  “Brewery. Right.”

  They both laughed at the idea. Trista didn’t doubt that for a minute. Maddy Force was a force to be reckoned with.

  Taking a serious tone, Owen took the opportunity to tell her what he needed her to hear. He promised to repeat himself as often as needed, and this was one of those moments. “I told you I know what I want, especially after yesterday. You were only missing for a few minutes, and my heart sank. This is it for me, Trista.”

  “I feel the same way…” She smiled, looking up to him, happy to accept the kiss he was offering.

  “I knew you still wanted this…us.”

  He pulled her up and kissed her again, deeper this time and with more passion. The words Owen had been waiting to hear just fell on his ears, and he couldn’t be happier. Trista wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  The emotion he felt was overwhelming, more than Owen imagined. It was like everything was suddenly falling into place despite the danger closing in on them. He had the girl, a family, really, and even a dog. All he had to do to keep them was get a step ahead of Mark Thomas.

  Despite the chilled air and light rain drizzling down, feeling her against his body, in his hands, her mouth to his…he was sweltering, the heat nearly unbearable.

  The rain came down harder, hail in its mix, unusual for Santa Monica. A massive roar in the clouds shook the space as the sky lit around them as if it were a representation of the circumstances they were living. It was stormy, unpredictable, and out of character. And once the storm passed, the sun would shine again, and the troubles of their past would be nothing but a memory.

  Their journey together had been as unpredictable and raw as the storm. It was provocative. It was sensual. It was threatening. It was passionate. It was earth-shaking.

  Owen swept her up and carried her back inside, where they finished their evening together and became reacquainted like they never had before while listening to the sound of the now heavy rain while the rumble and light of the storm moved on, leaving just the light of the fire dancing around them.

  13

  All five Force brothers were in Santa Monica, sitting in Owen’s living room. They’d scoured the city and spent hours searching surveillance video. James even wrote a program to scan the footage for him, searching for specific markers to make it go faster. Nothing. Not a trace. Not a clue.

  Another program was designed to search hotel and rental car databases, searching for keywords associated with Mark Thomas, looking for an alias or any clue that would give them something to work with. Multiple alarms sounded, but none led to Mark. Not even the facial recognition imaging software got a hit, and it searched feeds from all over the city and all the way to the mountain and surrounding areas. It was thorough. It was efficient. It was smart and would do the work of many in a matter of seconds.

  They were very high tech, had every resource imaginable, and turned up nothing. Mark simply was not there.

  Tayler was conferenced in from Bear Springs to brief them about a lead he followed up on. James’s software had picked up Mark’s face in Crooked Creek, just one town over from Bear Springs. By the time they got there and turned the town inside out, he was gone. In the wind again.

  “Dammit!” Owen shouted, hitting his fist on the table. “Why can’t we get this guy? How is he always a step ahead when he’s out there, gone rogue, with no connections or resources, and we have everything we could possibly need at our fingertips and turn up nothing.”

  Jackson was angry for his brother and wanted the asshole as much as he did. “Owen, you trained him. We’ve talked about this, and I sound like a broken record saying it. He works like we do. He’s smart, calculated, and always thinking ahead. He doesn’t need the fancy tech shit. He has real skills, instinctive ones at that. This shit is second nature to him. Catching him is like trying to catch one of us.”

  “Yeah. Remember when you and Trista went off the grid a few years ago?” Troy offered. “We couldn’t find you guys. You didn’t have any fancy tech shit. You just disappeared. You were smart, with instincts like Jackson said. You were always a step ahead. We need to think like that. Then we catch him. And to play devil’s advocate here, we don’t know what resources he does or doesn’t have, to be fair.”

  “That’s how Mark can be in two places at once and play these games. When one trick is exposed, he’s long gone and already putting the next in motion,” Derek agreed. “Let’s not forget that he knows how we operate. He has an advantage. He sees us coming before we even make a move.”

  Owen shrugged and bobbed his head in agreement. “We need him to make a mistake. Or draw him out somehow.”

  “How do we do that? Our usual bag of tricks is dragging this thing out. We sit and wait until our mark gets tired and screws up?” Troy said. “We don’t have that kind of time. We have clients who need us and lives to live, and Mark is pulling all of our resources.”

  “Simple,” Owen announced, “we need to think like a psychopath.”

  Trista was in the kitchen, grabbing beers for the guys, listening to every word. Her gut was reeling because she wanted this guy, too. If the past few days had taught her anything, it was that she was stronger than she once was, and with the Force family around, her confidence was endless. She had a plan. This started so many years ago because of her. It was going to end on her terms. She needed closure, and she got it by putting an end to it all herself.

  Hands occupied by a tray of beers, Trista entered the room and voiced her opinion as she set the drinks on the table. “Then let’s flush him out. Use me.”

  Owen gave her a stern look. “Excuse me?”

  Feeling brazen with her newfound confidence, she dropped her hands on her hips and fired back, “Did I stutter? Use me. I’ll draw him out. He said it wasn’t over, so let’s let him try to finish it.”

  “Not a chance. It’s too risky. It’s dangerous. It’s a no. Let’s get a decoy.”

  “A decoy?” Now Trista wore the stern l
ook and scanned the brothers’ faces. “Is he serious?”

  Troy was the only one brave enough to step in the middle of their heated battle of wills. “Well, we’ve done it before. Maybe she’s on to something.”

  Rolling her head in disbelief, she sighed. “You said it yourself. This guy thinks like you and knows all your tricks. He’ll see the decoy coming. He knows how you operate.”

  Owen couldn’t believe what he was hearing or what he was seeing. When he glanced around the room, his brothers were each bobbing their heads in agreement, seeming to take her side.

  “No, Trista. I’m not gambling with your life. It’s exactly what he wants! Too risky. We’ll wait him out,” Owen decided.

  “Well, sometimes it takes risks to reap the reward.” She sat on the coffee table in front of him. “I want to do this, Owen. Put me out there, let him think we tripped up and made the mistake. Isn’t that what he’s waiting for? Just like you, he’s waiting for a mistake and almost got it when I stepped outside unprotected. He thought he had his chance.”

  There was a long pause while Owen deliberated, weighing the risk and reward. When she raised her eyebrows at him, awaiting his response, Owen sat taller and puffed out his chest with a sense of pride. Trista had come such a long way, and he was proud of her.

  Sealing the deal, she added, “You guys will get him long before Mark gets me.”

  Troy kicked back with crossed arms and a tilted head while stretching out his legs and crossing his ankles. “Well, well, well…what do we have here?”

  “Sounds like a new member of the team,” Derek answered, matching the pride among the brothers.

  “I’ve been listening to you guys for weeks now, and let’s not forget all of those months on the run. I might have picked up a thing or two. I learned from the best, just like Mark Thomas did.” She leaned forward, resting her hands on Owen’s knees, winning him over.

  “Okay then. Let’s get back to Bear Springs, business as usual. It’ll be a more controlled environment to work in and fewer people to worry about on the sidelines. We’ll draw him out and put him away, once and for all.”

  The group was satisfied with their plan and ready to organize and execute.

  “My only condition…” Trista tossed out, just when they thought it was decided.

  “Oh shit, here it comes,” Derek laughed. “Get everyone on board, then start tossing out conditions.”

  “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, Derek. My condition is we keep Mason out of this as much as possible. He’s not involved. I won’t take risks with him.”

  Jackson nodded in agreement. “Easy. Just let him be seen a time or two so Mark knows he’s back too, and make all of this believable. Mason will be protected, Tris.”

  “Mark knows where you go, we go, by now. And we know he’s watching. So seeing a few of us with you and Mason won’t be a surprise to him,” Jackson added. “It can be as simple as seeing you guys get home and make a slow entrance into the house to make sure he sees him.”

  Trista nodded. “After that, back in the shadows. Mason is done. Even if it means getting him out of there altogether – if stuff turns bad.”

  “You got it, sis,” Troy said. Using the endearing term made Trista’s heart swell. “Even if Mason is the target, it should be enough to get him to move on you, to get to him. Either way, we got him.”

  Trista shuddered at the idea of Mason being the target but knew they were right. It was a possibility. If she wanted a safe, quiet life with Owen and Mason, then Trista had to fight for it. This was her fighting.

  “I’ll go pack.”

  It was their last night in Santa Monica. The brothers had gone back to Bear Springs ahead of them to get set up and to avoid looking like the cavalry. However, Cade and Connor, the Force cousins, were in Santa Monica to escort them back in the early morning. Since Cade and Connor were still in the background, Mark wouldn’t be watching for them. It made more sense to operate this way.

  Tayler called to let them know Billie’s brakes went out on her car. They had been tampered with. It was clear that Mark was around in Bear Springs. It was good to know he was still at it, trying to claim one of his prey, but they were equally glad to know he hadn’t succeeded. He’d be hungry for a win, eager, and make a mistake eventually. Patience only went so far for his type. He was only claiming small victories and being road blocked everywhere. He had to be fuming, and that was what they wanted.

  Tayler was furious that Mark had been successful yet again, even if it ended in their favor. He was one hundred percent on board with the plan. He, too, was more than ready to take the guy down, whatever the cost. He was ready – his team was ready.

  Maddy stopped by with dinner from the bar again. Trista adored her, admired her really. Maddy knew what her sons did, and it couldn’t be easy to know they were walking into danger every day they went to work. They became fast friends, and Trista felt connected to her somehow. Maddy was nurturing and sincere – something Trista never had in her own mother. She even offered to keep Mason in Santa Monica with her until they were done with whatever needed to be done. Trista appreciated the gesture but ultimately turned it down, to which Maddy told her the offer stands, should she change her mind.

  “My boys will keep you safe. They’ll fix this. They always do. And if you begin to worry for your boy, have one of my boys put him on the helicopter and send him to me. I’ll wait on the rooftop for him.” Maddy left on that note, offering her hugs and affection before heading for the door.

  Trista looked forward to coming back to Santa Monica, spending more time with Maddy and getting to know her. Somehow, that woman had already made Trista feel like she belonged. Like she was a Force, too. Santa Monica was starting to feel more and more like home.

  Mason was staying one more night with Genevieve and Ruby. When James was out of town, Ruby usually stayed with Genevieve. It was part of her job but also something she loved. Since the two kids had become fast friends, Genevieve offered a final night of sleepover time. Trista wanted him to have one last night of fun before going home. There was no telling what was there waiting for them, and a night being a carefree kid was needed.

  “If you want to leave Mason here with Ruby and me, I’m more than happy to keep him. We won’t leave the Elite building,” Genevieve offered.

  “I do appreciate it, but I just… I don’t know. It wouldn’t feel right with him so far away. I would worry even though he is safer here than there,” Trista admitted.

  Genevieve smiled. “I understand. Just know that I’m here if you need me.”

  “Please don’t think that it’s because I don’t trust you,” Trista corrected, fearful she was sending the wrong message, “because I do. I just need him nearby and don’t want to bring any unnecessary harm to you or Ruby if Mark were to try to come for Mason.”

  “I completely understand, Trista. No need to explain.” She leaned in and hugged her new friend before heading out the door with the children. “Just remember, I’m only a phone call away.”

  Ruby was several years older than Mason and doted on him like he was her own little brother. The two walked out the door behind Genevieve, holding hands and giggling. It warmed Trista’s heart to see their immediate bond so strong and loving. Mason was going to miss her. Trista was going to miss all of them. That was the second person who offered to help with her son, to offer shelter and support. To keep him safe. They all knew the stakes were high, even without knowing the details of the case, simply because they knew what business the Force brothers were in. And they were still willing to step up and offer a helping hand knowing the danger surrounding Trista and Mason.

  Owen was sitting at the edge of the dining room table, which a perfect view of the front door, arms crossed, and he began to chuckle. “Those two certainly hit it off.”

  “I know. Mason adores Ruby – Vivi too. He’s hardly said two words to me since we’ve been here. I suppose that’s a good thing, though, given the circumstances surrounding our st
ay here.”

  “I’m glad he’s having a good time, and he’s distracted,” Owen said.

  “Me, too. Last time, he was too young to understand what was going on. This time, he still wouldn’t understand, but he would definitely pick up the fear.”

  Owen looked at her, his demeanor changing from amused to something Trista didn’t recognize. “I’m not going to lie, Tris. I’m not excited about using you this way, but I am damn proud of you.”

  He pulled her against him, leaving her standing between his legs, resting his arms around her waist with hers around his neck.

  “We want this behind us. All of us do. This is how we get it, right?” she asked with confidence.

  “It is. I’m so proud of who you’ve become. You keep impressing me.”

  “Thanks?” she gave an awkward grin, uncomfortable with the compliment for some reason.

  “I’m going to marry you,” Owen said matter-of-factly with a deep rumble to his voice.

  “Marry me?” she guffawed. “Are you telling me or asking me?”

  “I don’t think it matters. You’ll show up. I think you want this too.” His confidence was running over as he exceeded self-assurance and landed somewhere around bursting ego.

  “I think you’re being a bit presumptuous.”

  “Or, you’re being stubborn.”

  “And when is this supposed to happen.” She had a cocked brow, amused by what once would have left her annoyed and less than impressed.

  “As soon as we get Mark Thomas in custody.”

  14

  Everyone was on edge in Bear Springs. It was to be expected. None of this was easy and they were dealing with an elusive psychopath with a score to settle, and everyone had something on the line that they were fighting for. Trista was out there front and center for Mark to see from wherever he was hiding in town or in the woods near her property. Life was back to a certain level of normal, whatever that was. A normal they didn’t want to adopt long term for obvious reasons.