by Addison Jane
“Lily doesn’t even know these guys,” I protest.
“But they’re still her brothers, her family.”
Luca scoffs. “Yeah, that tried to kill us.”
“Because they think their sister is dead, and that you’re responsible. Doesn’t that show you something about what kind of men they are?” Ruin replies.
I want to hear what he’s saying but there’s a red haze clouding my head and my judgment. He’s right. I haven’t considered Lily and how she feels about all this. Or even how she feels about finding out that she has these brothers, let alone having them come after us. She’s already carrying enough weight on her shoulders and I didn’t want to burden her with more bullshit that would just drag her down. I need to do what I promised I would do, protect her.
Turning to Noah, I flare my nostrils. “Do you think you could get into The Agency database without being detected?”
Noah shrugs. “They might be able to see that there’s someone inside it looking, but as long as I cover my tracks they won’t know who. They might be able to shut me down once they realize, though. So I’d need to be quick. Although, I do have multiple tricks up my sleeve. After all, I helped secure that program, and I sure as shit put in enough back doors to ensure I could never be shut out of it.”
“I hope you’re good at covering your tracks then,” Luca jabs.
Noah smirks and chuckles slightly. “Remember when you got suspended for having all that male porn on your computer?”
Luca throws his hands in the air exasperatedly. “Dude, I told you that wasn’t me.”
Noah laughs. “Oh… I know.”
It takes Luca a moment to click, you can see him processing it in his head and the instant he realizes his eyes bulge out of his head as I smirk and he glares at Noah. “You… fucking shit head! Did you see the way the girls around The Agency looked at me after that?”
I glance at Falc and Ruin who are attempting to hide their laughter.
“Yeah, that’s why I did it. Your ego was getting a little too damn big,” Noah quips with a giant grin.
Shaking my head, I chuckle to myself. Sometimes being in charge of this team is like trying to herd cats. “All right, will you two shut the hell up and get on with it. I need information now.”
“What do you want to know?” Noah asks.
“I want the names of anyone who’s associated with the Sinclair Syndicate. Then we’ll pay them a little visit and hope like fuck our powers of persuasion gets us some details, or even better an address.”
Noah snaps a salute and leaves the room on a mission.
“You know we’ll back you up if you need us,” Falc tells me.
“Thank you, but I’d rather not bring my bullshit down on the club.”
A knock on the door surprises us so we look toward the door.
“Come in,” Falc calls out. The door opens slightly as a prospect peers his head through the gap and nods toward me.
“Your crew is here… Eli and Tanner, I think.”
I stand up with a curt nod and step quickly toward the door eager to find out how Blair is doing. I rush past, through the door and out into the main clubroom. Only having a moment to prepare myself before Daisy launches herself at me, her weight throwing me off balance, but I retain my footing and catch her in my arms. She’s obviously over-excited as her tongue darts out slobbering up the side of my face.
“Hey girl, it’s good to see you, too,” I say holding on and basically hugging her close to my chest. She’s just as I remembered. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her, but not long enough that I don’t remember how much she weighs. I glare at Molly while she smirks at me and I shake my head. “What the fuck have you been feeding her?” I ask as she has obviously gained weight, a lot of it.
Molly shrugs. “I dunno, the usual. She loves donuts, did you know that? ‘Specially the chocolate ones.”
My eyes widen dramatically. “Dogs can’t eat chocolate.”
She laughs evilly. “Just kidding, special agent man. I’m not a fucking idiot.”
“The jury is still out on that one,” Luca mutters, and I don’t miss the evil glare that Noah shoots from across the room at Luca. I certainly haven’t missed the chemistry between Noah and Molly when they’re together. I’m not sure if something’s going on there or not, but I know there’s definitely an attraction between them. I’ll need to keep an eye on that.
With Daisy still in my arms, I bend down and place her gently on the floor then move over to a seat.
“Lily,” I call out for her to join me. Seeing as I might be about to head out to do something horrid, I want to be as close to her as I can be for now. She comes over and sits on my lap and I wrap my arms around her as Tanner moves over toward me. I can see the worried look in her eyes as she sits down next to me. I take a deep breath and ask, “What’s happening with Blair?”
“The tree branch punctured the skin and muscle tissue but didn’t hit any vital organs. He has a broken rib and the others are bruised. Also he got a pretty good hit to the head, but they did a scan and it appears like it’s just a concussion. The blood in the ear was a cut inside the actual ear and it will heal itself. Nothing vital,” she explains.
Sighing with relief I’m glad that Blair will be okay and that the recovery time won’t be too long.
“He’s refusing the damn painkillers,” Tanner says, frustration clearly evident in her voice. “He’s in so much pain, but he’s so fucking stubborn.”
“You know why he’s like that,” I tell her, understanding Blair’s reasoning. Addiction is never pretty, but having it forced on you would fuck with anyone’s head. Blair is very cautious about taking any drugs from people he doesn’t trust because of his history. Blair was drugged to make him stronger and more aggressive by a guard from juvie, who turned out to be an underground fighting coach. Blair’s detox was brutal and now any kind of medication he won’t take a chance on, in case of relapse. I understand his hesitation. He doesn’t want to be that man again. But Tanner watching him suffer in pain is hard too. It’s a tough situation.
I glance to Noah who’s typing frantically on his laptop, he’s making satisfied grunting noises, piquing my interest when he looks up with a great big smile and announces, “Found them!”
I place Lily next to me and rush over to where he’s sitting, slipping into the seat beside him and focussing on the laptop screen.
“We’ve gotta do this quickly before they realize someone’s inside and kick me the hell out before we get what we need,” Noah explains. “Once they know I’m in here it’s easier for them to set up defenses to keep me out.”
“I thought you could get through anything?” I comment.
“I can, but we’re sort of on a time crunch here.”
Nodding, I look back to the screen as I scroll down the list of associates.
Axel stands behind us and points at one in particular. “Locust Grove isn’t far from here, little over an hour.” I examine the mug shot of the guy in Locust Grove. Jimmy Lowe. A man with gray hair, bug eyes, pale skin and a weasel complex. He looks like a douche. Nodding my head, I clench my jaw from side to side.
“What do you wanna do?” Luca asks.
I glance across to Lily who’s watching me intently, her eyes filled with worry. But I know what has to be done and this means slipping back into the darkness, even if only for a brief moment. That’s where I work best when there’s no feelings or emotions present within me. But will Lily be able to understand that?
“I want to find him, and I want every piece of information he can give me.” Standing up, I walk over to Lily cupping her face in my hands. “But first, I need a minute. Get all those details in order,” I direct and then grab Lily’s hand and lead her toward our bedroom.
Her hand is trembling in mine slightly and even though she’s completely silent her silence speaks volumes. She is terrified. Lily has no idea what’s happening, but I know she’s petrified right now at the seriousness of the momen
t. Leading her to our bed, I sit her down on the edge. Her eyes are glistening as I bring my hand up and caress her face. Her cheek leans into my palm and I caress her a little more.
“I love you. That above everything else you should know…”
She nods and weakly smiles. “I know.”
“I’m doing this for us. I’ve been trained this way, and there’s a chance I’m going to need to do some shitty things tonight.”
She exhales licking her bottom lip. “I understand. I don’t want any more people to get hurt. But I realize that in order for good to prevail that sometimes it needs to sink into the level of bad.”
“It does…” I give her a half-smile, “… but I want you to know that even though I might do some bad stuff tonight, it’s all to make things safe. To make it safe for you… for us.”
She nods weakly as her eyes twinkle with unshed tears. “Is there a chance you could get hurt?”
Shaking my head adamantly, I look into her glistening eyes. “I don’t think so, baby. It’s a simple dash and grab. He will be there either alone or with a couple of others. I’ll have my team with me and we can take them. We need a simple information exchange. I won’t be in any danger. I promise.”
She sniffs looking down to her hands in her lap. “Kace, if I ever lost you…” she pauses and my chest tightens.
“That’s not gonna happen, Lily. You and me… we’re forever, okay? We’re gonna grow old on a farm with a cabin, it’s gonna have a little stream out the back with a big barn where you can have a vet practice. It’s gonna happen, you just have to believe.”
She looks back up at me and nods. “I believe you. I just don’t know how many people have to get hurt in the process. Are you going out to find my brothers?”
Swallowing hard, I take a deep breath. “No, we don’t know how to find them, but we’ve found someone who might. We’re going to find him.”
“And you’re going to hurt him?”
Wincing slightly, I tilt my head. “Maybe it’s best if you don’t know.”
A single tear falls down her cheek and I quickly wipe it away. “Hey, I’ll try my best. But we need to know where Ares and Ezra are. We don’t want them surprising us again. I… I need to know you’re safe, Lily.”
She nods and takes my hand in hers. “It’s fine, I understand. I just hope that once we do find my brothers we can talk to them rather than… sort them out.”
Nodding, I lean in kissing her forehead and pull her to me embracing her tightly. “That’s what I’m aiming for.” I pull back and move my hand to her chin forcing her eyes up to look at me. “I will do anything… anything to protect you.”
She nods. “Just don’t lose yourself completely in the process,” she whispers another tear falling down her cheek.
I nod, wiping it away and lean in to press my lips to hers forcefully. In all honesty, I have no idea what I’m going to be heading into tonight. Jimmy’s house could be surrounded by goons and we could be massively outnumbered. But it’s a chance I have to take. Lily just doesn’t have to know that. My tongue moves with hers as I kiss her like it could be our last time. Let’s face it, it very well could be. I pull back looking into her glistening eyes. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Be safe.”
“Always.” I press my forehead to hers, kissing her nose softly, then stand up and walk out of our room not looking back. I know she’s crying but I can’t watch her fall apart right now. I have to have my game face on and do the job that needs doing. Jimmy Lowe is my prime target, so my energy is now focused solely on getting to him.
Walking out to the main room I see Tanner and Noah suited up.
“You guys ready to head?” I ask and they both nod.
Taking a deep breath, I swing my backpack over my shoulder as Noah throws a rifle at me. I look over at the two man team going with me and simply nod. “Let’s go!”
We make the journey in the SUV, none of us really saying anything. We all have something to gain from this little outing. Tanner needs an outlet to blow off steam for Blair, me the obvious, and Noah hasn’t gotten his hands dirty in a while. I know he’s itching to get his groove back. He can be more lethal than any of us when he’s in a mood. Which he seems to be in one right now.
“What’s up your ass?” I ask Noah who’s driving slightly erratically.
“Nothing.” His clipped harsh tone tells me something’s definitely wrong.
“Noah!”
“I mean what the fuck are those bikers doing hitting on Molly anyway?” he bursts out and I raise my eyebrow in surprise.
“She’s hot as fuck, Noah… and single… and a freaking wildcat. Of course, they’re gonna try and tap that,” Tanner replies.
Noah grunts turning harshly around a corner so forcefully the tires screech.
“Hey… calm the fuck down! We’re trying to be inconspicuous here, douche,” I yell at him while he grips the steering wheel harder and nods with a huff.
“Sorry… just on edge. I need a release, Kace. Let me bang this guy up a little, yeah?” he asks and I let out a negligible chuckle.
“We might be able to get through this by simply talking to him.”
Tanner lets out a laugh while Noah shakes his head. “You think an informant of the Syndicate is gonna be happy to just have a little chat with us? Kace, you’re going soft, old man,” Noah teases.
“Enough of the old. And no, I doubt it will go down that way, but we have to try it that way first.”
Noah grunts and Tanner lets out a bemused laugh. “Lily’s getting to you, Kace. Don’t let her softness effect you when you need to be Kace fucking Colt. Sure, be a pussy when you’re around her, but when you’re on the team we need the leader of the SO7… not this guy…” She waves her hands around. “We need the guy who took out eight of the Hillana men in Baghdad when the rest of us were under fire. We need the guy who snapped the neck of the Israeli guards while they slept, so we could sneak in and gather the Intel to stop the assassination of the Princess. We need the guy who’s so fixated on taking down his own mother that he would take her out to save the woman he loves. We need that guy. We need Kace Colt... remember him?” Tanner asks, and my chest tightens as I think back to those days.
I think of the Hillana men, but were they really the bad guys? Or were they just naive and my mother sent me to kill the innocents to protect the evil? Same with the Israeli guards, I killed them all, but the Princess died two weeks later, more than likely from the intel we stole.
Everything I’ve done in the past is a lie.
Kace fucking Colt is a lie!
That guy? That hero? He’s nothing but a murderer. Killing innocent civilians.
But right now we’re heading into the den of a truly evil person. We know Jimmy works for the wrong side. The Syndicate are not the good guys, not at all. This time if things go bad, his blood won’t be innocent. This time the kill will be worth something. Maybe my name can start a fresh, maybe with Jimmy Lowe, the name Kace Colt can stand for something bigger, something better. A world where fighting for the truth, fighting for honor, is above all else.
Well, for tonight, right here, the name Kace Colt is liberated and means something new. No longer will it be tarnished by the deaths of the innocent. No, the only blood spilled now will be that of pure evil. No more innocents die by my hands. I’m liberated and tonight is the beginning of a new me.
We pull down the street knowing Jimmy’s house is right at the end. Noah pulls the SUV to a stop and we all slide out onto the street that’s lined with a park and is opposite the housing estate. There’s a collection of bushes lining the path along this side of the street, so we can be covered as we make our way up to Jimmy’s house. It unsettles me that we’re in the middle of suburbia and that in the house I’m staring at right now, kid’s bikes litter the yard. It’s a friendly neighborhood and what I hadn’t planned for is that Jimmy could be home with a family.
Noah looks to me and then in the direction I’m looking and huffs.
“You thinking he has a family with him?” he whispers as he pulls his bag of tricks from the back of the SUV and we wander into the bushes.
“I fucking hope not. Not sure if I’m prepared for that.”
“I’ll deal with the wife and kids if they’re there,” Tanner says and I nod. Tanner is a hard ass but she wouldn’t hurt innocent women or children. She’ll just take them somewhere where they won’t see the carnage we’re going to wreak.
We all pull our balaclavas down and stealthily move through the bushes toward the end of the street. Jimmy’s house comes into view. It looks modern and well-kept just like all the others. No kids toys in the yard, which is a good sign, but we still can’t discount the possibility.
I signal for the others to head forward. We duck down and rush forward hiding in the shadows, avoiding the street lights as we dart across the road into the bushes that line his fence. I raise my hand into a fist and we all stop running pulling up into the drive of his home as the front porch lights up. We’re far enough around the side of the house that we’re shrouded in darkness, but I don’t want to take any risks.
I raise my right hand to point my finger, circle it and turn my hand showing the back of it saying circle round the back. They both nod as we all race around the house keeping to the bushes. We run out and move along the porch ducking along the wooden paneling for shelter. I need to go and scope the place, see what we’re in for. So I signal hold for the others to wait for me as I slowly step out from behind the porch and make my way quietly up the back stairs. The wood creaks beneath my heavy feet, but I move slowly as I step up and into the back veranda area. There’s a rickety old table, the wood splintering off like it’s been well worn, or has been eaten away by the weather. I’m not sure. But it’s what’s on top of the table that confuses me.
Bunsen burners, test tubes, mortar and pestles, tongs, safety goggles, emulsifying flasks and a heap of other scientific shit litter the table top. The hairs on my neck stand up immediately, and I shake my head not liking where this is headed. I tap the rail lightly twice letting them know to come up. They both slowly step up and I look to Noah who squishes his eyebrows and quickly opens his backpack pulling out three gas masks and hands them to us. We apply them immediately to our faces. It’s better to be safe than sorry. We can still hear and talk normally, it’s just now if there’s any chemical spills or gasses we should be okay.