“And possibly get her sent off to jail,” Cap added, slapping Hunter upside the head.
“All you need to do is trick her into thinking she’s making up the rules,” Derek cut in. “That’s when you set your trap and pull her in.”
I shoved my chair back from the table as I stood. “How the fuck did any of you end up married? Seriously, you all belong in jail. Or a mental institution.” I turned to Cap, jabbing my finger at him. “I want a fucking job, and I need to leave by tomorrow. Make it happen or someone’s gonna end up in the ground.”
I stormed out of the room, but heard Derek shout from behind. “Dude, you can’t live together for all eternity if you fucking kill her!”
✯✯✯✯✯
“You know, I’d like to not die before I actually become a father,” Derek shouted over the gunfire.
I jerked the wheel, sending everyone, including our client, into the right side of the SUV.
“I don’t want to die,” the man on the ground sniffled. He was a fucking pain in the ass. It was just a little car chase and I had it completely under control. Well, besides for the huge fucking dent that was now in the side of our SUV. But it wasn’t my fucking fault. If the guy hadn’t fucking pointed himself out on the fucking TV in the gas station, no one would have known where we were. But he was a fucking idiot, and now we had a fucking mob boss after us, ready to kill all of us just to get at Richie Patterson.
He was an accountant for the Irish mob, only he suddenly had a guilty conscience and decided to turn himself in to the FBI in exchange for immunity. The problem was, the mob caught onto him before he could actually make it to the FBI, so he called us to save his ass and get him safely to New York. If he had done things the right way, the FBI would have come for him, but now it was all FUBAR. We had just barely gotten him from his hideout before the mob was hot on our trail. Now, we were trying to lose a tail and not get shot in the process.
“Would you just fucking throw a grenade in their car?” I shouted.
Derek turned to me incredulously. “We’re on the fucking freeway!”
“They don’t seem to give a shit where we are. Just take them the fuck out!”
I glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see a fucking semi coming right at us. The fucking mob had rammed the semi and the driver reacted, moving over to avoid an accident. But now he was heading right for us, and we were on a fucking bridge.
“Brace for impact!” I shouted.
I saw Hunter grab Richie off the floor and wrap the seatbelt around him just as the semi slammed into the rear driver’s side corner of the SUV. I tried to control the spin, but the impact was too strong. We hit the guardrail and the SUV went airborne, flying over the side of the bridge and spinning out of control. I braced for the impact that came just seconds later, but felt like minutes. My body jerked forward, but the seatbelt held and kept me from flying through the windshield. But the impact from the water set off the airbags and smashed up my face. I felt the crunch of my nose and the inevitable blood that started flowing after, but I didn’t have time to worry about a broken nose right now.
“Everyone alright?” Derek asked from beside me.
“Yeah, we’re good, but I think Richie shit his pants,” Hunter said.
“Fucking perfect,” I grumbled, pulling my knife and slashing through the airbag. The cold water started to seep into the SUV, slowly filling around our feet. I looked around us, seeing the back window was smashed out.
“Let’s move!” Hunter said, pulling Richie up out of his seat and for the back window.
Derek pulled out his phone, calling Cap before the SUV went fully under. “Yeah, we got problems. We’re currently sinking in the river….Yeah, the SUV is fucked. Sorry about that….Well, it’s not like we aimed for the river. We were on the fucking bridge and they pushed the semi into us…Well, we’ll swim to shore and get to safety. I’ll call back when I get the chance….Fuck you too, Cap.”
I stared at him incredulously. The man was a calm motherfucker, not even panicking as he talked on the phone to our boss as we were sinking in the fucking river. I popped the seatbelt and started to head for the back when Derek spoke.
“We’ve got a problem.”
“Yeah, the SUV is sinking and you’re just fucking sitting there.”
“My leg is stuck.”
I sighed and moved back to the front. “Maybe instead of calling Cap, you should have been fucking worrying about getting out of the SUV.”
“Well, if I hadn’t called Cap, how the fuck would he know we were about to drown in the fucking river?”
“Where are you stuck?”
“Right leg. It’s wedged against the door.”
I moved around him, only to find that his leg was wedged between the seat and the door. “Fuck, the seat must have moved when we crashed. How the fuck are you so calm right now?”
He shrugged. “Adrenaline? Fuck if I know.”
“Your leg is probably broken.”
“Not broken. I think I’d know if my leg was fucking broken.”
“Alright, I’m gonna try and move the seat back. Just yell if I need to stop.”
I climbed in front of him, trying to access the seat lever, but both of us were fucking huge and it was cramped as fuck. I grasped around his leg, trying to find the fucking lever, but I just couldn’t reach it from this angle.
“I just want you to know that if I drown in here, I’m coming back to haunt you,” he said nonchalantly.
“I hate to break it to you,” I said as I tried a different angle, “but if you go down with the SUV, I’m going with you. We can haunt Hunter.”
He snorted. “Just who I’d pick to die with. It could be my wife or hell, even Maggie, but no, I’ll die here with you and have to deal with you in the afterlife.”
I finally reached the lever and pulled, but the seat only slid forward, wedging his leg further. He hissed in a breath, but didn’t make another sound.
“Alright, we’re gonna try that again. We need more leverage, so put your other foot on the dash and when I say, push back.” He nodded, a small bead of sweat dripping down his face. “Hey,” I said, grabbing his attention. “I got this. We’re not dying here today.”
“That’s fucking beautiful. Now get me the fuck out of here.”
I grinned and reached down one more time, finding the lever. “Alright, on three. One. Two. Three.” We both pushed and finally got the seat to move back. He yanked, but nothing happened. I saw the first signs of panic from him, but he didn’t lose his shit. He took a deep breath and tried to yank his leg out again, but still nothing happened.
“Okay, I’m gonna have to lay across your lap and get down there to see what you’re stuck on.”
“We should just wait, equalize the pressure and then we can push the door open.”
“And what if the fucking door won’t open? Just let me see what I can do.”
I climbed back through to the backseat and then climbed over his body on my belly so that my head was by his legs. The water was already at waist level, so I needed to hurry the fuck up and figure out how to get him out of here. Taking a deep breath, I plunged my head in the icy water and got a closer look at his leg. It was his fucking foot that was trapped, but he probably couldn’t feel it because of the cold water. Part of the door was punched in and trapping his foot. I came up for air, gasping as the cold water settled in my bones.
“Now, that’s not something I had anticipated seeing,” Hunter said from behind me. I turned and jerked my head.
“His foot is wedged. The door is banged in and trapping his foot.”
“So, chop it off and let’s move,” Hunter shrugged. I glared at him. “Fine, if you want to try and save his foot, I can help with that.”
“Gee, thanks,” Derek muttered.
“Alright, let’s see what we have to work with.” Hunter went under water in the backseat and checked it out from there. I went under in the front so I could see what he was seeing. He motioned
for me to try and push his foot back, so I tried that, but it wouldn’t give. I unlaced his boot and tried to yank his leg up, but no matter how much we pulled, it wouldn’t budge. Hunter pointed up and we both resurfaced. The water was chest high now and Derek was shaking in his seat. With not being able to move, he couldn’t generate any body heat.
“Any luck?”
“We need your laser eyes to cut through metal right now,” I joked.
“Yeah,” he snorted. “Claire would be so disappointed if she was here.”
The SUV shifted suddenly and we were plunged into the river. Derek barely sucked in air before he was plunged under the water. Hunter and I were able to shift upward and drag in lungfuls of air before we went under. Hunter pushed out the backdoor and started yanking on the front door, and I tried from the inside, but nothing was happening. I motioned him to step back and started kicking at the door. My oxygen was running out fast from the exertion. I couldn’t look at Derek. I couldn’t see what he was thinking or it would kill me. But I would not let him fucking drown in this river. I kicked harder at the door, but it still wouldn’t give. Derek grabbed onto my arm and shook his head. Fuck that. I wasn’t leaving him down here. I needed to get him in a better position to get out of that seat. I motioned for him to move to the right and then I started kicking at the seat.
Spots started dancing in front of me and my lungs burned for oxygen. Derek was starting to drift off to the side and his eyes were shutting. Hunter was suddenly back on the outside, slamming a crowbar into the door frame and yanking the door open. Derek’s foot slipped free and together, Hunter and I yanked Derek out of the SUV and pushed for the surface. I sucked in a lungful of water and started spasming. I could feel myself being pulled up alongside Derek, who still wasn’t breathing. Richie was leaning over me while Hunter started doing chest compressions on Derek. Just seconds later, Derek was spitting up water and gasping for air.
“How the fuck are you breathing okay?” I asked Hunter.
He shot me a you’re a dumbass look. “I went up for air so I could drag your ass out.”
That made sense. I hadn’t seen him once I started going all kung fu on the door until he got back with the crowbar. I glanced at our client, who didn’t look any worse for wear. He was barely wet, but then, Hunter had gotten him out before the SUV filled with water.
“How’s the leg?” Hunter asked Derek as he started checking his ankle.
“Fuck if I know,” he said around shivers. “It’s fucking frozen.”
I nodded jerkily. “Let’s get out of here before they come back to finish the job.”
The ice was solid the further away from the SUV we got. When we were sure it was stable, we stood and started walking for the embankment. Hunter was guarding Richie and I was supporting Derek as he walked. He was limping bad, but Derek wasn’t showing any signs of being in pain. Not yet, anyway. It wasn’t long before EMTs and firemen were working their way to us. One of the paramedics took my place, wrapping an arm around Derek’s waist, using his own shoulder for support. When we finally made it to shore, I was shaking so bad that I had to sit down. Hunter and Derek were in pretty much the same position. We tucked Richie into the ambulance, the three of us sitting on end to keep an eye out for any threats.
Blankets were wrapped around us quickly and the paramedics fussed over us, but I slapped them away, not wanting anyone checking me over right now. I was fine. Derek had to let them help since his ankle was swelling up, and Hunter just glared at the first person that came near him. In fact, the only person that actually got checked over was Richie.
The worst was when the police came over and we had to explain to them what the fuck happened and that we were on a security detail. I saw Derek on the phone and I assumed he was talking with Cap. The paramedic was strapping some kind of splint onto his foot, but as soon as he was off the phone, he was shoving away from the paramedic.
“Let’s move,” Derek barked out, yanking Richie up from where he sat behind us.
“Where are we going?” Richie asked.
“Safe house.”
Hunter and I flanked Richie and Derek, watching out for anybody that looked suspicious. We made it to a waiting SUV, but I was wary to get in, not knowing who it belonged to.
Derek nodded to the man in the front seat and slid inside after Richie. I took the front seat, leaving Hunter to look after Derek in the back. He swore he was fine, but I could tell he was in pain, and nearly drowning would take it out of anyone. I glanced at the man next to me and did a double take.
“Parker?”
He nodded.
“Parker who?” Hunter asked.
“This is the guy from the lodge. Remember? The one that Derek captured and Cap turned?”
Hunter leaned forward, looking over the seat at him. “Yeah, it is you. What have you been up to?”
“Well, I was going about my life and pretending that I never met any of you fuckers, but it seems your boss is trying to drag me back in.”
“Why would he do that?” I asked curiously. Cap wasn’t usually one to go after someone unless he thought he was a major asset. This guy hadn’t even shown up when Cap called him in for training with Knight, something that really pissed Knight off since he had been ordered to deal with him.
“Fuck if I know.”
“What’s the matter?” Derek asked. “Not interested in joining a winning team?”
“Not interested in being on a team at all. The last one didn’t work out so well for me.”
“Yeah, well, you also weren’t on a team that you could trust. I’m guessing that Adams just threw together a black ops team and hoped that you’d all work together well.”
“Something like that,” he said cryptically.
“So, what are you gonna do then?”
He shrugged. “Head someplace warm. It fucking sucks around here. I can guarantee that if I went into the water in a place like California, I wouldn’t come up like a popsicle.”
“Pussy,” Derek muttered under his breath.
We drove the rest of the way in silence. I kept dozing off, my body exhausted from our earlier excursion. I tried like hell to stay awake, but in the end, I fell asleep against the window.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Rocco
I woke to a slap on the shoulder. “Wake up, fucker.”
I cringed at the bright light and blinked rapidly to try and remember what the fuck was going on. My whole body ached and the cold was bone-deep. It didn’t feel like I would ever be warm again. It took a few seconds, but I remembered that we were on a protection detail.
I glared at Parker in the seat next to me. The fucker looked way too chipper for what was going on. I glanced in the backseat. Derek was passed out against the window, much in the same position I had just been in, and Hunter was studiously ignoring Richie as he rambled on about something.
“What’s going on?” I asked, realizing that we were all driving around with Parker, but none of us knew where we were going. At least, I was pretty sure that’s what was going on.
“We’re meeting up with Cap. He’s working on getting in contact with the FBI.”
“Are we being followed?”
“Yep.”
I rubbed at my eyes and looked out of the side mirror. “Why the fuck didn’t you say anything?”
“Because they haven’t made a move. They’re just waiting for us to stop driving.”
“Still, we should have lost them. Don’t you know anything about security?”
He turned and glared at me. “I know that when the team is all passed out in the back and all I have is an accountant to have my back, I shouldn’t engage the enemy.”
Well, he had a point. I pulled out my phone and dialed Cap. I needed to know what was going on.
“Still alive, I see,” Cap said over the phone.
“What’s the plan?”
“We’re coordinating with the FBI to drop off Richie. It looks like you’re gonna meet up in an enclosed parking gar
age. They’re going to have vehicles waiting, and you’ll drop Richie off and be on your way.”
“Just like that.”
“Yep. Once he’s in their hands, he’s no longer our problem.”
“The mob is gonna know that we pulled a switch. They’re not fucking stupid.”
“The FBI is gonna have like fifteen vehicles waiting. They’re gonna lead them on a wild goose chase.”
I grunted in response. As long as he was off our hands, that’s all I cared about at this point.
“As soon as I have the final location, I’ll send you a text. For now, just keep your ass covered.”
I glanced over at Parker. “And our new friend is completely vetted?”
Parker glared at me, his hand tightening on the steering wheel.
“Don’t worry about him.”
Cap hung up without another word, just as he always did. He was definitely not one for goodbyes.
I tossed my phone on the dash and sulked back in my seat.
“So, what made you decide to help us?” I asked, hoping to get a better response than last time.
Parker heaved out a sigh. “Your boss didn’t give me much of a choice. Let’s just say that he has some information on me and he wasn’t afraid to use it.”
“What kind of information?” Hunter asked from the back.
“Evidence of me working with Adams.”
I snorted. “Not your brightest move.”
“Hey, it’s not like I fucking knew who he was. I needed a job and he seemed legit. Well, up until the point that Derek caught me,” he sneered. “Talk about a clusterfuck.”
“Why didn’t you look for a legit company to work for?”
He gave me a side-eye. “Are you fucking serious? Do you know how hard it is to find work fresh out of the military?”
“Uh, yeah. We’ve all been there. Did you think that I was hired on by Reed Security right out of the gate?”
He swallowed hard, his hand practically strangling the wheel. “It’s not the same for me.”
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