Dead No More

by L. R. Nicolello

Derek’s shoulders tensed. Fire raced through his bones. He spoke through clenched teeth. “Is that why I’m here?” he repeated. “To babysit an asset that should’ve been neutralized? Not to mention protect the agent—your agent—who unknowingly moved to the same location where her potential killer lives? With all due respect, sir, are you crazy?”

  “Moretti, that’s enough.”

  Derek sagged against the counter. He’d pushed too far, but it wasn’t just his life in danger. It was his family’s. It was Lily’s. “Do we have control of our asset or not?”

  “I don’t know. I’m still hoping.”

  Derek was losing his internal battle to keep the steel out of his voice. Hoping? “Jackson scared the shit out of Lily, sir. He gave her a forty-eight-hour ultimatum. There’s no way that bastard is under control. It’s time to take him out.”

  “I can’t authorize that, Derek,” the director said quietly.

  “Why the hell not?”

  “If Jackson paid Lily a visit and she’s still alive, we haven’t lost him yet, no matter how bizarre or intense his behavior may be. Jackson can still be saved.”

  Derek recognized that tone. Director Kennedy believed there was hope, end of story.

  “Sir...”

  “Let it go, Moretti.”

  And the director was gone. Son of a bitch.

  Derek walked to the bedroom door and cracked it open. Lily hadn’t moved. The world shifted under his feet as he watched the slow rise and fall of her chest.

  They may not have lost Jackson, but Derek was pretty sure he’d just lost her. He couldn’t compete with whatever love she may still have for Jackson. How could Derek expect Lily to love him when her fiancé wasn’t rogue—but was likely still one of them?

  Derek shut the door and leaned his head against it. His throat tightened. He’d given Marcus so much shit when Evelyn blew into his life and turned his little brother into a teddy bear.

  Derek got it now.

  Lily had done the same to him—rocked his world and turned it upside down.

  Only unlike his brother, Derek’s world wouldn’t end like the fairy tales they’d given their little sister shit about growing up. He wasn’t sure how a human could experience such ecstasy in one moment and such shattering grief in the next.

  If Jackson was truly still undercover, then all his actions were part of the game, most likely cloaking his true intentions. Derek knew all too well about doing one thing, but feeling the polar opposite.

  Derek blinked back tears.

  Lily wasn’t his to have.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Tuesday, September 30, 9:00 a.m.

  LILY STOPPED IN FRONT of Keystone Café, hesitated. The door to the left of the café’s entrance led to Ben’s upstairs apartment, the door to the right opened into Keystone’s inviting café. All she wanted was to push Keystone’s door open and enjoy a nice latte, forgetting about the current shit storm they were in. But she’d woken up to a nice shiner, compliments of Jackson and the corner of her dresser, and didn’t think Ben would appreciate her scaring his customers.

  She squared her shoulders. “Might as well get this over with. I don’t know which will be worse—telling them about Jackson’s ultimatum, or hearing Ben’s tongue-lashing about getting hurt again.”

  Derek didn’t respond. He pushed Ben’s door open and walked up the steps toward Ben’s second-floor apartment.

  Lily stared after Derek, a lump forming her throat. He’d said all of three sentences to her since she woke up. She hadn’t expected the about-face after last night, but here they were. A strange emptiness settled over her.

  There were bigger issues to deal with than the man she’d fallen for being a jackass.

  She was two for two now. How fabulous.

  Lily knew Derek had already filled them in on her late-night visitor. That was one of the three sentences he’d spoken to her. Had he told them he’d also stayed the night? Doubtful.

  Plastering on a casual expression, she followed up the stairs behind him. Pushing open the top door, three concerned faces greeted them. Evelyn’s eyes widened and Marcus shot Derek a disapproving look, the muscle in his jaw clenching.

  “What the hell, Lil?” Ben gently touched her face.

  “It looks worse than it feels, promise.” Lily shrugged. “Besides, you should’ve seen Jackson.”

  Ben’s eyebrows arched and he crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not finding any humor in this situation.”

  Yeah, well, neither did she.

  But she needed something to defend herself from the advancing emotions threatening to take her out. She couldn’t believe how many times she’d failed in the past year. And every single one of them was directly tied to Jackson. What the hell was her problem? She’d underestimated him every step of the way, and now she couldn’t find her footing to move forward.

  All she had was her bad humor. It was a shield. Nothing more.

  Lily glanced at Derek and got caught in the intensity of his gaze. He saw through her smokescreen. She could feel it...or at least, she thought she had. She glanced away, her cheeks flushed. Her mind tumbled over itself. He was giving her emotional whiplash with his freaking mixed signals.

  She didn’t have time for this shit. Whatever they’d had last night—and it was beyond amazing—was apparently in the past, merely a sexy memory. If he couldn’t figure out what he wanted from her, then she’d decide for him. And he wouldn’t like it.

  Neither of them would.

  Evelyn pushed back a strand of Lily’s hair and touched the angry-looking black eye. “What are you going to tell Rowland tomorrow?”

  Evelyn’s touch, warm and safe, melted the hardness around Lily’s heart, and her chin quivered. Damn, she was going to miss Evelyn when this case wrapped. Lily had never known what female friendship was like, never even wanted it...until Evelyn.

  “Nothing a little cover-up can’t conceal.” Lily stepped back. “Right?”

  Evelyn’s head tilted to one side, then the other. Pursing her lips, she tapped her fingers against them. Lily frowned. What was going on in that brain of hers? Then, almost as if in answer to Lily’s silent query, Evelyn’s eyes lit up.

  “This is actually perfect. Jackson just gave us our ace card.”

  “He did?”

  “He did.” Evelyn smiled wickedly and pointed at Marcus. “You tell Rowland you don’t tolerate business and pleasure mixing, and that you’ve disposed of the problem.”

  “Love it.” Marcus grinned and threw Evelyn a sexy look. “Care to be my new eye candy?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Evelyn went to stand next to Marcus, grinning up at Lily. “Problem solved.”

  Marcus wrapped his arm around Evelyn’s waist. She leaned closer and draped her arm over his shoulders. A dull ache throbbed in Lily’s chest as she watched Evelyn melt into her husband’s side.

  “We take a few mocked-up photos of you to prove his point to Rowland. And that gets you—” Evelyn pointed to Lily “—out of the picture, and solidifies Marcus’s position of power in Rowland’s mind.”

  Derek double-tapped the table with his knuckles. “You’re a freaking genius, Ev.”

  Evelyn rolled her eyes as a rosy sheen covered her cheeks. “Not really. I’ve just worked around my share of psychotic, narcissistic killers. Deep in their bones, they’re all the same. They want power. They only respond to power. It’s the only thing they respect.”

  Lily strummed her fingers against her leg and chewed on her lips. Evelyn was spot-on in her discernment of Rowland’s ego. It would definitely work. And it gave Lily the out she wanted but refused to voice. She needed space to refocus and reengage.

  Jackson hadn’t taken her out after throwing her from a building. He wouldn’t do it now with an ultimatum.
/>
  Lily nodded and smiled. “I like it.”

  * * *

  LATE THAT NIGHT, Derek walked into Ben’s home. He’d stuck to John Elsworth’s side like a tick on a dog and gotten nothing. Rowland was mysteriously absent, and John had been quiet all day. Derek kicked the door closed, pulled out his .45, checked the safety and put it on the foyer table.

  His firearm was the fourth in a neat row.

  He glanced over his shoulder. Lily and Evelyn huddled over files spread across the dining table. Marcus stood at the stove, playing Julia Child again. The smell wafting from the pot lured a growl from Derek’s stomach.

  Lily looked up. Sadness washed over her face, and his throat tightened. The pain she tried to mask flickered just behind her veiled eyes, and he wanted to punch the wall.

  He’d done that.

  Instead of manning up and just telling Lily about Jackson, Derek had gone and taken the cowardly road.

  He’d tucked tail and ran.

  Without a word, he walked into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he pulled out a Guinness and popped it open, took a deep swig. He peered over at Lily. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her face lit up at something Evelyn said, and Lily laughed.

  Derek’s heart sank.

  Lily fit perfectly here. With them. With him.

  Or at least she would have.

  “Fuck me,” he muttered and turned his back.

  Marcus threw Derek a sideways glance. “You going to tell her about Jackson?”

  “Can’t.” Derek shook his head. “There’s a gag order on this now. Direct from the big man himself.”

  Marcus stopped stirring and put the ladle down. “No shit?”

  Neither one of them spoke for several minutes. Which was perfectly fine with Derek. He should’ve kept the line drawn with Lily. If he hadn’t gotten emotionally involved, this whole thing would’ve been easier. For both of them.

  In. Out. Done.

  Only problem? He had gotten emotionally involved. It was inevitable with Lily. The moment he’d spied her in Arlington, he’d known he was in trouble.

  Lily was everything he wanted.

  In a woman, a lover, a wife.

  In. Out. Done? Yeah, no way. Derek was all in.

  And now he was drowning.

  “You okay?”

  Derek rubbed the back of his neck. He’d expected his little brother to do his psychological thing on him and, at some point, address the elephant in the room. But he hadn’t expected Marcus’s simple question to shoot him through the heart.

  Hanging his head, Derek leaned against the counter. “She was it, man. I’d met my match.”

  Marcus whistled softly. “Sorry, brother. What are you going to do?”

  Derek took another swig of his beer. He shrugged. “The only thing I can do. Shut it down. Keep her safe, finish the mission and get the hell out of dodge, then go somewhere to lick my wounds.”

  A surprised expression flickered on Marcus’s face. “That bad?”

  Derek glanced over at the two women, huddled together, their heads bent over the files. The knot returned to his throat.

  “She was my Evelyn, man.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Wednesday, October 1, 11:00 a.m.

  ROOFTOP COVER WAS ESSENTIAL. Lily pressed herself against the hot roof and breathed softly, slowing her heart rate with each calculated breath. Her incision pulled, but she zoned it out. Excitement zipped through her veins. Eager tension pulled her muscles tight. She peered through her sniper scope, saw Rowland’s Bentley turn the corner.

  Lily reached up, pressed the button on her radio link. “Rowland’s car is approaching. He appears to be with his bodyguard and driver.”

  “Got him.” Derek’s voice crackled in her ear. “Other than that gorgeous car, it’s quiet on my end.”

  She couldn’t have agreed more. The Bentley was exquisite. Lily smiled and glanced across to Derek. He was crouched behind the large HVAC system one hundred feet away.

  Ass or not, he was sexy as hell and, despite her best efforts, still made her heart race.

  What had happened? Why was he suddenly treating her as if they hadn’t shared something mind-blowing, as if she were merely one of his male counterparts? Warmth spread through her at the memory of his body pressed against hers. There was nothing platonic about what they had shared the other night. So what was his freaking problem?

  She shook her head, peered back through the scope and locked her sights on Marcus and Evelyn. “Copy that.”

  “Three to two aren’t bad odds.” Marcus winked at Evelyn.

  “Make that four to two.” Lily looped her finger inside the trigger and rested her finger on it. “Poor, cocky bastard. He has no idea that the odds are squarely in our favor.”

  Evelyn wrapped her arm around Marcus and nestled close. She looked every bit the supermodel she’d once been in her tight black pencil shirt and short jacket. And Marcus...well, he was a Moretti. Lily tapped the talk button again. “Rowland’s not even going to remember me, Evelyn. I wish I had your genes.”

  Marcus patted Evelyn on the ass, and she smirked. Lily bit her lip to keep the smile off her face. She was going to miss those two once this mission wrapped.

  “Step lightly, folks,” Derek said, all business. “It’s game time.”

  All joking ceased, and game faces went on. Lily settled into her spot on the roof behind the second HVAC and peeked through her scope again.

  Rowland’s car pulled up and stopped. JB came around, scanned the area and opened the door. Rowland stepped out and straightened his jacket. He looked over at Marcus and frowned.

  “Where’s Addison?”

  “I don’t take lightly to my people disobeying orders. She’s no longer of importance,” Marcus retorted in a sharp, biting tone. “Or any of your concern.”

  Lily smiled smugly. Damn, he was good. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he was a mean SOB. Pile it on, Marcus. She smirked and peered through the eyepiece again.

  Rowland didn’t move. Lily tensed, glanced between the two men. Come on, Rowland. Take the bait. Take the bait.

  Marcus snatched his sunglasses off his face and glared at Rowland, his eyes hard. “I’m sensing hesitation, Mr. James. I’d hoped you’d take me at my word, but I refuse to let the incompetence of my hired help jeopardize this deal. If you must see proof...”

  Rowland held up a hand. “No, that’s not necessary.”

  “Very well.” Marcus nodded. “Shall we proceed?”

  Rowland glanced past Marcus, taking in Evelyn. Lily’s skin crawled. “While I certainly enjoyed Addison’s company, it certainly appears you don’t lack companionship.”

  Marcus’s jaw tightened. Evelyn, ever the professional, smiled.

  “Are we here to discuss my companions or my business proposition?”

  Rowland glanced between Marcus and Evelyn. His lips pressed together in a fine line, and his face darkened. “Before we proceed, I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

  He nodded to JB, who took out his phone and spoke into it.

  Lily increased the pressure on her trigger. She scanned the area. Nothing. She steadied her breath, slowed her heartbeat and focused. “Derek, what do you see?”

  “I’ve got nothing.”

  Marcus scowled at JB. “I never agreed to discuss anything with a third party.”

  “Yes, well.” Rowland took off his sunglasses and cut his gaze to Marcus. Murder danced on his face. “I never agreed to having your whore sent after me, did I? If you want to do business with me, it’s on my terms, not yours. And it would be in your best interest to recognize that. Quickly.”

  “I don’t take kindly to threats, Mr. James.” Marcus moved toward Rowland, his words cold, hard. Evelyn reached o
ut, grabbed Marcus’s arm.

  “And I don’t take kindly to being blindsided. No matter how much money is involved.”

  Evelyn let go of Marcus, stepped to the side and clasped her hands in front of her. Lily caught the slight twitch in Evelyn’s trigger finger and smiled. Was the urge to reach for the thigh holster surging through her? If the roles were reversed, Lily sure as hell would have felt it.

  “Nice restraint, Davis.”

  The two men squared off. Marcus fascinated Lily. Every time she thought she’d figured him out, a new aspect of his genius emerged. Did Derek have similar characteristics? Deep facets she’d yet to uncover? Sadness fell over her. The way things were looking, she might never find out.

  Rein it in, Andrews.

  “This is the last time you switch things up on me, Rowland. Do it again, and you won’t like the consequences.”

  Rowland blinked hard. The vein in his neck bulged.

  Time stood still.

  Lily held her breath. Raw unease bombarded her nerves. Every muscle in her body tensed. The same brutal look she’d seen in Rowland’s eyes before he’d stabbed her flashed in his eyes now. She had no doubt that he wanted to reach out and kill Marcus.

  “Derek...”

  “I see it, Lil. Marcus, I don’t like this—”

  Evelyn stepped close to Marcus, put her hand on his arm. “Gentlemen, I do believe we’re here for a business discussion, not a measuring contest.”

  Rowland’s eyebrows arched with a hint of amusement.

  Evelyn threw him a sensual smile. “So can we all tuck it back in and continue?”

  Rowland nodded and put his sunglasses back on. JB pocketed his phone. Another Bentley pulled to a stop behind Rowland’s. Its windows were tinted a deep black.

  Blood pounded in Lily’s ear. With each frantic beat of her heart, the deep throb kicked against her eardrum. “You see this, Derek?”

  “I got it. But I can’t see shit. Repositioning now. Need a better angle.”

  Marcus reached his arm around Evelyn, his fingers sliding under her jacket, reaching for the gun. JB’s face darkened. He reached for his sidearm.