Shane

by Linzi Basset

  His smile was filled with benevolence.

  “Know this, I will never abuse you, Alexa.” He brushed his finger over her cheek in a tender gesture. “I’ll hurt you sexually as part of a scene because it’s who I am, but I won’t ever ignore signs of distress from you and I’ll always stop whenever you use your safeword.” He leaned in to kiss her tenderly. “Don’t ever push past your breaking point because you wish to please me. I’ll know, and let me warn you now, the day you do that, is the day it’s over between us.”

  “Thank you, Master Fox.”

  “For what?”

  “For your assurance—not that I needed it. You singlehandedly unlocked the shackles that had kept me chained and turned me into a shell. A masochistic sub who couldn’t accept the pain for what it was. For that, I am forever grateful.” She smiled brightly. “And for the scene. Even though you pushed my limits in a ruthless and cruel way, I never once felt threatened or afraid for my safety. For that … you have no idea what it meant to me.”

  She pressed closer and tilted her head closer to kiss him, hungrily, demandingly, and in true sassy Alexa fashion, she took charge.

  And he, the Master that many of the subs of Castle Sin feared, let her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Moore’s beach house bordering the Mangrove Resort, Sittee Point, Belize ...

  “I suggest you calm down. There is no reason for concern. I assure you we have everything under control.”

  Miceli Randazzo didn’t appreciate the candor of the woman lounging on the sofa. It was demeaning to be ordered about by a female. It wasn’t how things were done in Italy, especially not in his domain, as the head of the Sicilian Mafia—feared by everyone involved in crime across the globe. In equal measures by those for and against him.

  “I hope so … per il tuo bene.”

  “For my own good? Is that a veiled threat, Randazzo?”

  “I’m not an imbecile, woman. Hai paura, I can smell it.” He smirked as her shoulders squared irritably.

  “I’m not scared but I’m rapidly becoming fucking annoyed. Understand this, Randazzo, I’m not one of your underlings and I don’t …” her eyes narrowed, “react favorably to being threatened.”

  He shrugged as he sat down opposite her. His movements were checked but cloaked in aggression as he crossed his legs. “Threatened?” He glanced at the Chinese man sipping on a drink with his gaze sharp as it moved between the two sparring people. “Remind me, how exactly did I threaten her?”

  “He’s right, Rebecca. He never voiced any threat to you or anyone in this room.”

  “We’re wasting time and it’s something we don’t have a lot of at present. Let’s get on with why we’re here.” Keith Hastings proved why he was known for his iron control exercising his powers and responsibilities as the Head of State in Canada. He was a no-nonsense man and hated procrastination. SPEONUS’ plans for world domination had come to a standstill and with the upcoming prime minister election in Canada, it was the one thing he couldn’t allow. It worried him that Rebecca suddenly seemed insecure in the decisions and plans they were making. Perhaps they had all been under a misconception of who was really in charge. Without David Yale by her side, she was floundering.

  “The truth is, our plans are in jeopardy, Rebecca, and it’s time you faced up to that as well. If we don’t take action and get back on track, we’ll be right back where we were eight years ago,” George Muller said as he walked into the room, having overheard Keith as he arrived.

  “You’re exaggerating,” she snapped.

  “Then why are we here?” Randazzo sneered as he puffed on a thick Gurkha Royal Courtesan cigar. Even his taste in smokes reflected his love for all things luxurious and expensive. It irritated Rebecca but having him committed to their cause was crucial, so she curbed her desire to cut him down.

  Why the fuck did David have to get caught? Everything would’ve been so much easier had he been here.

  Exerting herself in a position of power as a woman had always been an uphill battle. A challenge she’d overcome with the board of SPEONUS by going about masked. It had given her the additional fear factor that David had felt was needed to keep everyone bowing to her commands. Except with the top leaders and associates involved in their operation. Approaching them in a masked countenance would’ve curbed their ability to trust in her abilities.

  It seemed it never mattered. She felt betrayed and her searing glower at Keith and George carried that message across with acrid clarity. They had made a mistake by openly questioning her power as the Lionheart leader of SPEONUS.

  The time had come to assert herself. To show this prick she had the kind of backbone he should take note of … for all four of them to start treating her with the respect she deserved.

  She gracefully rose from the chair and walked toward Randazzo with a confident stride. His eyes narrowed as he watched her slender fingers open the flat box containing the precious remainder of his cigars. Rebecca refused to be intimidated as she picked one and deftly used the cutter to expertly cut a Dickman’s cut just above the cap line. David had taught her that. It had become a weekly treat, sitting on the outside patio on Sunday evenings, puffing away on a Corona cigar. At first, she hadn’t liked the strong flavors but had developed a taste for it over the years. She flicked open the gold plated lighter to lightly toast the tobacco leaves to prepare them to light. Her gaze remained on Randazzo the entire time she lit it until the thin line of smoke distorted her view when she gently puffed in the decadent aroma.

  It was a ballsy move to take a man’s prized cigar without asking—especially one that came at the hefty cost of over a thousand dollars—but the flash of respect in his eyes as she returned to her chair was worth the risk.

  “As you know, Sheila Maddern and David Yale were taken into custody, along with the working operation teams on the day of the sting operation by the FBI and Be Secure Enterprises. David is key in achieving our goal.” She glanced between the men as she puffed on the cigar, using the time to gather her thoughts. “We have just obtained information about a possible location where he might be interrogated.”

  “Only him? What about Maddern?” Keith leaned forward eagerly.

  “We assume they’re both there.”

  “And where is there?” Randazzo snapped. “Spit it out, woman, I don’t have time to play riddles.”

  “It’s a farmhouse on the outskirts of Tampa that belongs to Stone and Parker Sinclair.”

  “A working farm?” George prodded.

  “Yes, they’re producing and selling dairy products to the local community.”

  “It doesn’t make sense that they’ll endanger the lives of their farm workers by using it as a safehouse,” Keith mused out loud.

  “Actually, it makes sense and it’s the perfect cover.” Rebecca crossed her legs with feminine grace.

  “Who is your source? How sure are you that it's the correct location?”

  “Evans recruited a very reliable CI in the Secret Service.” She smirked. “He had fallen on some hard times with his wife requiring specialized surgery which their insurance didn’t cover. He was an easy switch. Believe me, Keith, they’re there.”

  Her gaze captured Randazzo and the slitted eyes of the new Dragon Master of Sun Lee Fong Triads. “I need you to extract David as soon as possible.”

  “What about Sheila Maddern?” George had to force himself not to bear back as Rebecca’s cold eyes cut to him.

  “She has become a burden, even before the raid. We don’t need her. David is our only priority.”

  “And leave her there to blabber everything she knows? I don’t think so,” Randazzo sneered. “Not a wise decision for a supposed leader to make, now is it?”

  Rebecca simmered as her knuckles turned white from clenching her fist too hard. She gritted her teeth in an effort not to explode. Her hunched form exuded an animosity that was like acid—burning, slicing, potent. Her face bloomed red with rage but she managed to suppress it with diffi
culty.

  “What exactly do you think she can tell them? She doesn’t know about any of you, or who and what I am. She has no idea how involved David is. Believe me, Randazzo, nothing she can tell them will place any of us in danger of being exposed.”

  “I’m not prepared to take that chance.”

  Rebecca leaned forward and said in a sharp and authoritative voice, “Let me make myself perfectly clear. David Yale is the priority for extraction from that safehouse. I don’t give a fuck what you do with Sheila Maddern, but if you don’t bring me David, let’s just say ... threats can work both ways.”

  Randazzo guffawed but he regarded her with a little more respect. “Just like you, I don’t react well to threats. I suggest you think very carefully before you attempt it again.” His face turned evil. “You have no idea the manpower I have at my disposal, Miss Lomas. I’ll destroy you and every one of your followers with a snap of my fingers. I suggest you tread lightly from this point forward.” He got up and gestured at the Triad leader. His voice floated back to her as he walked toward the door. “We’ll be leaving in thirty minutes. Make sure all the information I require to find that property is in my hands before I do.” He glanced at her over his shoulder. “Or you can do your fucking dirty work yourself.”

  Rebecca knew she’d taken a chance ordering them to do the extraction but it had been a strategic decision. If their assassins got caught, no one would be any the wiser about their involvement. All fingers would point directly at the Sicilian Mafia and Triads. SPEONUS needed to disappear from the radar again and do things the way it had always been done. Covert, like phantoms in the night. If it meant they had to recoup and build rapport with different branches of the Italian Mafia, then so be it.

  Provided they got David back home first.

  “I’m telling you, sir, they’re not here. We’ve combed every building on this fucking farm. There is no sign of our targets. Only the farm manager and some staff members at the house.”

  Rock Valiant kept his voice even. He’d been the assassin for the American Mafia long enough to know never to show irritation to the mighty Diabolik. It had been an honor that he had been handpicked by the feared Don for the job. He was furious that he was going to fail because they had been given the wrong location.

  “Then I suggest you start again. This time don’t limit your effort to what is visible to the naked eye.” The hesitation was brief. “I had been assured you’re the best assassin to lead the team and believed you were competent enough to do your homework before you left. The Sinclairs own a company that operates covert, in the shadows. Think outside the box, Valiant. There’s fucking six of you. Do what you’re getting paid to do. Find Yale and don’t think of returning without him … that would be the wrong decision to make.”

  The connection was cut abruptly. Rock cursed viciously. The threat hadn’t gone unnoticed. Miceli Randazzo had only one reward for failure—death. It didn’t matter that they were on American soil. His power reached far and wide. No one would think twice about jumping to execute an order of their demise. If they didn’t return with Yale, they all became targets.

  “We move again.” Rock gestured at the three Chinese assassins from the Triads. “You three start from the South. We’ll take North.” He snorted as they started toward the barn. “The South fence. Look for any sign of a hidden entrance or paths leading into thick bushes. We’re not going to find them in these buildings. Keep your comms open and report any findings. Move. Dawn isn’t going to wait on us. We need to be gone long before then.”

  Rock pushed the two men with him in a grueling search at a pace that had them panting heavily within thirty minutes. They stayed on his heels, never complaining, their eyes sharp and searching. The Triads might not realize the danger of failure, but they did.

  Rock hunched down with his fist raised as a movement at the bank of the river snaking through the valley caught his eyes. He pointed in that direction, peering through the night vision goggles covering his eyes. He tapped the comms in his ear to open the channel.

  “We’ve got two bodies. My guess, they’re part of the Secret Service team appointed to guard our targets,” he said in a low voice. “I’m sending you our coordinates. Get here fast.”

  He glanced over his shoulders at his men. “Keep your eyes on them. Do. Not. Lose. Them.”

  “No fucking chance. I’m not keen to become shark bait anytime soon,” the older of the two muttered as he moved to the side for a better view.

  “They’re moving towards the tree line. “Reed, you’re with me. You stay put, Luke, and make sure our backs are covered. Once the others get here, follow us down.” Rock moved stealthily in line with the two shadowy figures with Reed on his heels.

  “Fuck me,” he rumbled as they watched one of the men press his palm against the trunk of a tree that opened a hidden entry behind a curtain of ivy. “We’ve got to move. Once that hatch closes, we’re fucked. On my six,” he snapped. Disregarding the need to move silently, they ran through the thick bushes to catch the door before it locked them out.

  “We’ve been breached! Press that fucking alarm,” one of the men shouted as he turned at the sound of their pounding footsteps. He was reaching for the gun in the holster at his side when his mouth gaped open, his eyes widened in a stare of disbelief as the rapier-style knife catapulted through the air and embedded itself in his throat, severing the carotid artery. His knees buckled as he toppled to the ground. He bled out within seconds.

  The second man screamed and clutched his hand, wailing as he stared in disbelief at his four amputated fingers, sliced off as he reached for the alarm. He hadn’t seen the man reach for a second knife. Desperate to survive, he sped down the hallway, pushing his legs in a desperate attempt to reach the safety of the inner door. If he made it, he’d be safe. At least there he had a chance at—

  The gunshot echoed in his ears before he realized he’d been shot. The high velocity bullet tore through his skull and carried brain matter and pieces of bone fragments with it, splattering it against the wall in front of him. There was no last thought, no belaboring the loss of never meeting his unborn child, of being the father he had been dreaming about for the past nine months, of not being there in two days when his son was scheduled to be born. He was dead before his body followed the bullet and slammed into the wall, crumbling to the floor like a broken doll. His eyes were glassy, the white sclera slowly turning red as blood flowed freely from the garish open hole in the middle of his forehead.

  Rock and Reed stood at the ready, watching the door. All remained quiet.

  “This hallway must be soundproof,” he muttered but flashed a warning look at the rest of the team arriving. “You made good time,” he said. He held up three fingers. “We move in three. Stay in tight formation. Shoot to kill and leave no survivors. We go in hard and fast. Clear?” He looked at the men who nodded, eager anticipation on their faces. It was the one thing all assassins thrived on—even those who worked for the government—the excitement of the hunt and the thrill of the kill. They hadn't been happy that their targets weren’t meant to be killed but had to be rescued. The chance to feed their bloodlust was a bonus they had been looking forward to.

  Reed and Luke hauled up the dead man and pressed his hand against the scanner. The click of the door sounded harsh in the quiet night.

  “Three, two, one … Move!” Rock’s voice echoed through the tight confines of the hallway. They moved as one. He stopped a few steps inside the underground bunker with his fist in the air to listen and look around. It was quiet. “He didn’t have time to send the alarm,” he said as he pointed sideways. The Triads silently moved off. Seconds later two popping sounds floated in their wake, as they executed two men sleeping soundly.

  It took less than five minutes to secure the entire bunker. The four men had been the only ones in attendance. It was evident that they hadn’t expected their location to be discovered.

  “If I had known it’d be this easy, I’d have left t
he Triads behind,” Rock muttered as he and his men approached a steel door at the end of a hallway.

  Reed used the key hanging on a hook by the door to unlock it. He flicked on the light.

  “For fuck’s sake. Can’t you allow me to sleep just for one fucking night?” David Yale growled as he buried his face in the pillow.

  “Mr. Yale, we’re here to take you home.”

  Yale turned his head and stared at the three men.

  “You look like shit, sir.”

  “I feel like fucking shit,” Yale grunted. He winced as he struggled to sit upright. It was clear he had broken ribs and was in a whole lot of pain. “Get these things off, will you?”

  Luke made quick work of picking the lock of the cuffs holding Yale captive to the bed.

  “Where is Sheila Maddern, Mr. Yale?”

  “The bitch has got it easy. She must’ve made a deal with them. They moved her to the farmhouse. Made her all comfy with a room and soft linen. She enjoyed bragging about it last night.”

  Rock frowned. “I thought you said there was no one in the house, Reed.”

  “I said Yale wasn’t there,” Reed muttered, angry at himself for not checking the identity of the woman getting fucked when he’d entered the room. He’d assumed it was the manager and his wife, which hadn’t been their target, so he’d left them alone. “How the fuck was I supposed to know she had sexual privileges while in captivity.”

  “Fucked or raped?” Yale sneered as he got up.

  “Oh, she was into it one hundred percent, sir. In fact, I’d say she was the one in charge.”

  “Probably thought she’d be able to lead the poor bastard around by his cock.” Yale struggled into the pair of sneakers. “Let’s get the fuck out of here. Shift change is usually just before dawn.”

  “Bunker is clear,” the Chinese leader reported as they met up at the exit.