Love Divided (Fortis Security Series Book 3)

by Maddie Wade

  Lucy did feel a pang that she wouldn’t meet with her. She missed her friends in Zenobi, but she knew it had been the right thing for her to leave. She still woke in a cold sweat, her face drenched in tears, remembering the innocent man she had killed. She’d made peace with it though. It was either that or go mad. Today she and Zin were chasing down a lead pertaining to Felicity Lockwood and her connections to Usov Denisovitch.

  The info that Will had traced showed that they had met sometime in the late seventies. From what they could tell Usov had been a young foot soldier in his father’s mob operation. The Intel suggested that the Russian mob had done some work with the London mob on a drug deal. It looked like that was when Felicity and Usov had crossed paths.

  They were now on their way to London to meet with an old enforcer of the London mob. Zin was driving the three-hour journey, and she had provided coffee and muffins. He would deny it, but Zin had a sweet tooth. They had taken his Ford Ranger; realistically Zin would struggle to sit in her car for three minutes let alone three hours.

  Moreover, she liked being a passenger; it allowed her to study the Intel more and get a better feel for what they would encounter when they arrived. The man they were visiting was in a nursing home and well into his eighties so Lucy wasn’t sure how much he would be able to tell them or even if he could.

  Placing the Ipad back in the glovebox she picked up her coffee and nibbled on a blueberry and lemon muffin. They were good, but not coffee doughnut good. Turning to Zin, she studied him for a few minutes before he turned to her, “What?”

  “You seem different,” she said. He looked back to the road as he indicated and changed lanes overtaking a HGV lorry carrying furniture. He looked back to her for a second,

  “How?” he asked quizzically. She tilted her head as she watched him trying to decide what was different.

  “I’m not sure. More relaxed maybe, no not relaxed but chirpier. I almost saw you smile on Tuesday when Celeste brought chocolate brownies in for you.” She watched as a small blush crept up his face and laughed. “Ahha, I knew something was going on,” she said pumping her fist in the air.

  “Nothing is going on with anyone,” he said swiftly and then paused before continuing, “I’m just teaching her how to ride that’s all,” he muttered and checking his rear view mirror signalled their junction.

  “Ride what?” she said with a leer

  “Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m teaching her to ride a motorbike that’s all.”

  “Uh huh,” said Lucy laughing.

  Zin shot her a glare. “Fuck Luce it is. She is too innocent for my tastes and anyway she’s hiding something,” he finished.

  Lucy sat up suddenly serious. “What like?” she asked him.

  “I don’t know, but have you noticed how she never touches anyone and always hides behind that damn dog?”

  Lucy thought about it for a minute, “I guess so, but she could just be shy. It must be hard coming into such a close-knit crew and trying to fit in.”

  Zin shook his head, “It’s more than that, I just can’t figure it out.”

  “Is that why you agreed to teach her to ride?” Lucy inquired.

  Zin snorted, “No, I was manipulated by Reg.” Lucy shot him a look of disbelief

  “I was. It was either me, or he was going to get the biggest womaniser at the MC to teach her. He would have had her on her back not on a bike.” He answered angrily.

  Lucy smiled with understanding, “You like her.” She stated.

  “I don’t!” he returned.

  “Yes you do, you just don’t want to. You can lie to me all you like but don’t lie to yourself,” she finished with a grin.

  “Fuck!” Zin swore and banged the heel of his hand on the steering wheel. Lucy decided to drop the subject, but she would definitely talk to Jace and see if he had any thoughts on Celeste having secrets and if they endangered the team. Her gut said they didn’t and it had only been wrong once.

  She stayed silent as he drove through Hackney towards the nursing home where Billy Gates lived. The file they had on him read like a who’s who of the London mob. This guy had been a real badass in his day. A stroke three years ago had put him a nursing home. He still had some speech and some function in his left arm. Lucy was hoping he would be willing to talk about his hay day. Billy had been quite the ladies’ man; they had agreed that Lucy would handle this and Zin would step back.

  Zin pulled the truck into the car park of a red brick building that had seen better days. It looked like a typical government building. Angular, with square windows no visual points of interest and no obvious effort put into making it look nice.

  It depressed Lucy immensely, and she hoped like fuck she never ended up in one of those. She would rather go out fighting than end up with this dour existence.

  Exiting the vehicle, she rounded the front of the bonnet and met Zin.

  “It’s so fucking depressing,” Zin said as they stood and looked at the place.

  “I know if I ever end up in one of these you have permission to shoot me,” she said.

  “Amen,” he said.

  “Let’s do this,” she said and headed for the door.

  Thirty minutes later, they walked back out the same door.

  “Well that was a waste of fucking time,” said Lucy in frustration. The care manager had forgotten to mention the advanced Alzheimer’s that Billy Gates suffered from. The poor guy hadn’t had a clue what they were talking about. It broke her heart to see someone so vulnerable and scared. He had been convinced that Zin was there to kill him and had gotten so agitated that they had had to sedate him.

  “Yes, so back to Hereford then,” he said with a shrug of his massive shoulders. They both crossed to the car and Lucy took a second to admire the way Zin scoped out his surroundings without even knowing he was doing it. He was an amazing operator and having worked with him the last few years she could see how he had gotten the name Viper.

  His coiled strength and stillness were a complete contrast to what was going on underneath. She knew he could strike so fast and be so deadly you would never see it coming. She thanked God that he was on their side.

  Opening the car door, she slid in quickly. It had started to rain, and the temperature had dropped in the short time they had been in the care home. The forecast was for more snow, and she hoped it held off until they got home.

  Pulling out her phone she checked for a message from Jace as Zin drove them towards the motorway. She smiled to herself as she saw she did indeed have a message from him.

  Hey baby, let me

  know when you

  leave. The roads

  are gonna be bad

  tonight. Tell Zin to

  drive careful.

  She smiled, he was sweet and had been showing it more and more. She wasn’t, however, going to tell Zin how to drive.

  She hit reply and sent one back,

  Hey, just leaving now.

  Will text you when we

  are ten minutes out.

  Yours or mine tonight?

  She hit send and waited. It pinged back a minute later,

  Okay. Mine I’m cooking

  Thai green curry hope

  that’s okay?

  Uh yes, that was okay! She replied and sent him some kissing emoji. She leaned back, her head on the headrest, a smile on her face.

  Today had been shit, and they were no further forward, but she just couldn’t be down about it. It ended with her cuddled into Jace's body so it couldn’t be that bad. The feeling she had had about everything going wrong had disappeared. Was her life finally going right, was she really going to get the happy ending she so wanted?

  Lucy must have dozed off because the next thing she knew her phone was vibrating a text alert in her hand. Quickly unlocking the phone, she opened the message app, it was from a number she didn’t recognise. Clicking on it, she read.

  ‘Someone or Someone’s at

  Fortis are a defined target


  of DW. Not sure who.

  Will contact when I know

  more. Following a lead R.

  Verify.’

  “Shit!” Lucy exclaimed.

  Zin turned to her his face a mask of concern and alertness. “What’s up?” he asked sharply.

  Lucy held up her phone, “That was Roz, she is saying someone at Fortis is a direct target of the Divine Watchers.”

  Zin went visibly still for a second, and a look of pain passed his features, but it was so fleeting Lucy thought it was probably a shadow.

  “Did she indicate who?” he asked in a business-like tone.

  “No. Just that she would get back to me as soon as she could and was following a lead.” Lucy opened her phone to call Zack.

  It rang twice before Zack answered with a terse, “Yes.”

  “Zack, it’s me,”

  “Yes, I know it’s you, Lucy.”

  “Oh yeah, well keep your wig on, it was only an expression,” she said huffily and heard him sigh.

  “Fine, go on,” he said with no less irritation.

  “I got a text from an unknown number. It said that someone at Fortis is a direct target of the Divine Watchers. It was signed Roz. I will verify it through our normal protocol, but I’m certain it’s her.”

  “Okay, I will arrange a meeting with the whole team first thing and in the meantime put everyone on alert. Nobody associated with Fortis goes unprotected from now on. I’ll sort that with Daniel. Let me know as soon as you have verified the text and if you hear any more.” He demanded in his overbearing way.

  “Yep no problem,” Lucy disconnected when the car swerved violently. She grabbed the handle by her head as her hand went for her weapon. The familiar pop pop of an automatic weapon rang out in the quiet of the country roads.

  Checking her surroundings, she saw a 4x4 bearing down on them from behind. She looked at Zin who was cool and calm. He turned to her, “You got this?” he asked.

  Lucy nodded and said, “You drive, and I’ll shoot,” and she couldn’t help the tug of a smile as the adrenalin hit her.

  “Right you are,” he replied and started to take a drive in a crazy zigzag as the rear window was pelted with gunfire.

  Lucy unclipped her seatbelt and turning to the window slid it down and angled her body out enough that she had a good sight but not enough to get her head blown off. Deciding a headshot was too risky in this situation, as it needed more precision, she shot at the tyres, hitting one with her first shot.

  She watched the split second as the vehicle swerved. They knew what they were dong though and managed to remain on the road. She pulled back as a series of bullets flew past her ear. Climbing over the front seat into the back she undid the right rear window and quickly popped out and shot the other front tyre out adding a couple of shots to the engine block which hit and disabled the vehicle.

  Zin slowed the vehicle and Lucy got two shots off at the driver. The 4x4 instantly went sideways confirming the driver was dead. Zin pulled their car to a stop 200 metres up the road. Lucy and Zin both exited their vehicle and used the doors as cover.

  They watched as three men got out and did the same from the hostile vehicle.

  “We need to leave one breathing,” Zin said with a smile at Lucy. In that second, she hardly recognised the man she knew. In less than a minute, he had become the Viper again.

  “If you say so,” she said with a smile. “I can wound him though right?” Lucy asked.

  “Oh yeah, you can wound him as much as you like as long as I have something left to get some information out of.” Zin grinned. He then held his hand out, “Ladies first,” he said. Lucy laughed, “Thank you, kind Sir,” she laughed and exploded out from behind the car door.

  She took out the first man with a head shot before anyone had even realised she had moved. She watched as Zin took out the other man with a shot to the heart. Lucy noticed the other man dart for the field beside them.

  “Oh, no you don’t!” she said and gave chase, just a Zin noticed the man on the move. Lucy ran at full pelt down the road knowing that Zin had her covered. The man was just about to jump the hedge when Lucy launched herself at his legs. The momentum knocked his weapon out of his hand. They landed with a grunt.

  Lucy was rolled by the landing and ended up beneath the man. He immediately went for her throat, using his weight to pin her. Which made her laugh, the fucking idiot was an amateur.

  Grabbing his ears, she wrenched the appendages and flipped her weight as she did and threw him behind her. Deftly jumping to her feet, she watched as the man circled her. She knew Zin was to her left just out of eyesight. She also knew that he wouldn’t intervene unless she wanted him too.

  The man rushed her and grabbed her hair. Mother fucker what man grabs a woman’s hair. Lucy trapped his right arm with her left palm, bringing his body in close and used the finger dart technique to strike him in the eyes.

  He instantly let go and started screaming, “Bitch, bitch you’ve blinded me,” he screeched as he went to his knees, his hands now covering his bleeding eyes. Lucy grabbed him by his hair and shoved him forward.

  Zin stepped forward, and he had a big grin on his face. “Poetry in motion,” he laughed and pulled some zip ties out of his pocket. Putting a knee into the crying man’s back, he thrust his arms behind his back and secured them.

  “Knob head grabbed my hair,” Lucy said with outrage, “What man grabs a woman’s hair in a fight.” She snarled.

  She watched Zin laugh and pulled the man to his feet. The man shot Lucy a look of hatred, and she was tempted to punch his teeth out and moved towards him. He shrank back towards Zin, which almost made her pee herself laughing. Zin was openly laughing now.

  “Come on slugger, let’s secure this piece of shit and get him back to Zack to deal with.

  The man snarled when she laughed and started hurling abuse at her, calling her fucking slag, and telling her what he would do when he got a chance. Evidently, Zin had heard enough because with hardly a movement he twisted his hands on the man’s neck and he went slack. Zin threw him over his shoulder and walked to the car. When they reached the car Lucy called Zack while Zin secured the man in the back, tying his feet and gagging him.

  Zack told her Eidolon would send a clean-up crew and they were to bring the man directly to Fortis. They were only thirty minutes out from Fortis and as the roads were quiet they made it in twenty. While they drove, Lucy finished what she had been doing previously and went to the website Zenobi used to leave coded messages. It was for a dog grooming company, and they would leave a message based on the type of dog and what they wanted doing. It was so mundane nobody ever thought it was for a deadly group of assassins to leave messages.

  ~~~

  When Lucy and Zin arrived at Fortis, Zack and Dane were waiting for them. Dane dragged the piece of shit hair grabber from the vehicle and threw him in the holding room. Zin quickly explained what had gone down and told them why Hair Grabber was now struggling to see.

  Dane barked out a laugh and grabbed her round the neck, pulling her in for a hug by her neck. “Nice one Bratfink,” he said with a massive grin. Lucy dug him in the ribs playfully and pulled away.

  “Asshole grabbed my hair, and he got my jacket all muddy when he landed on me.” She watched as Dane’s face went serious.

  “Did that motherfucker hurt you?” he asked and turned his body towards the holding room.

  Lucy knew if she said the wrong thing then her big brother was going to go in there and finish that dickhead off. She snorted, “As if,” she laughed, “he just messed my jacket and pulled my hair like a girl.

  “Fine, as long as you’re okay,” he said.

  Zack came out of his office with his phone to his ear. “Yes, yes of course, yeah I’ll tell them,” he said nodding to no one in particular. He hung up the phone. “Jack said can you leave them alive next time,” he addressed Lucy and Zin.

  “Um let me think,” she said and put her finger to her lip as if sh
e was considering his request. She shook her head, “No that’s a negative.” Zack rolled his eyes at her then.

  “Right you get off home,” he said to Lucy and Dane, “Zin and I will interrogate the witness and see you all at 8 am sharp.”

  “Fine by me,” Lucy said and turned to leave. Her man was cooking, and she wanted to spend her evening with him, not Sweeney Todd in there.

  ~~~

  Luce and Jace spent a nice evening eating Thai green curry and then watching back to back episodes of DIY SOS. She loved the show, and it made her cry every time, something about watching a family that had been through hell finally get the home of their dreams just got to her. After, they had gone upstairs where Jace had rocked her world again. He was like a drug; she couldn’t get enough of him. It wasn’t just the sex either although that was mind-blowingly good. It was just him.

  He made her laugh; he made her feel protected even though she didn’t need it, he made her feel necessary like he couldn’t breathe without her. Yet that morning when she woke the feeling of foreboding was back with a vengeance.

  She had tried to shake it all morning, and she knew Jace had sensed her shift in mood and was worried, but she just couldn’t let it go. It was like a siren going off in her head. She was now showered, dressed and making coffee while she waited for Jace to come down, which in itself was a sign that something wasn’t right.

  Every other morning, they had showered together and got ready together, but today she had wanted the space to think. She felt him come in and walk up behind her. She took a second to inhale his scent before he slid his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. She tilted her head to the side unable and unwilling to deny him or herself. She loved the feel of his lips on her skin and felt herself relax back into his strength.

  “What’s going on Luce?” he whispered, “And don’t say nothing. I might not be able to read your mind but I can read your body, and you’re as tense as a wire.” Twisting Lucy slipped her arms around his trim waist and leaned her head back to look at him. His one arm came around her the other lifted to brush a strand of hair from her face gently. “Come on Luce, you think I don’t know when something is wrong? He said as she hesitated.