To Fool an Assassin (Women of Purgatory Book 1)
Page 18
“Like who?”
The nun nodded. “You don’t trust me. Nor the whole situation for that matter. I guess the life you lead makes you this way. Rest assured, I’m not offended. Even Beatrice has a definite tendency to hold back on me.”
“You know Beatrice?” What a weird thing to ask this woman who looked just like her friend.
“Of course, she’s my sister.”
Sully snorted. “That, I could have guessed. Twins I suppose.”
The nun turned glittering eyes in his direction. “Not quite. Although it isn’t a lie.”
Gabrielle turned to Sully. “Obviously, they share a common trait, which is to not answer any question directly.”
“You haven’t asked a straight question either, child.”
Frowning, Gabrielle directed her gaze at the nun. She didn’t want to play games, not now, not when so much was at stake. Her impatience must have shown because Sully squeezed her hand before clearing his throat.
“May we know your name first?”
“My name is Abbess Brigit. I’m in charge of this priory.”
“Well, ma’am, you seem to know us, more than we know you. And you look so very much like Beatrice Dante, almost identical. Would it be possible to explain it to us?”
“When I told you I was Beatrice’s sister, it’s a truth, but we share different paths and lived extremely different lives. Mine led me to this one, dedicating my soul to the Lord, offering my prayers and help to the unfortunate of this world. Beatrice dedicated hers at saving it.”
“You wouldn’t be so serene if you knew what your sister’s capable of.” Sully’s voice was tainted with humor and sarcasm.
The abbess didn’t even react—peace radiated from her every pore. “Son, I know perfectly well what she has done, and what she does. She’s not a saint, none of us are. We’re led by our purpose, our destiny.”
Gabrielle grimaced. “Beatrice never talked about having a sister.”
“Sisters … we’re more than one. We’re several. And we learned of each other’s existence only quite recently.”
“More than one? What do you mean?”
Abbess Brigit shook her head. “It’s not for me to reveal.”
“How many? You were triplets, quadruplets?” He wasn’t about the C word yet, he needed her to admit it first.
Abbess Brigit smiled kindly. “We’re clones, my dear.”
Her revelation confirmed what Simon had revealed, making it even more real.
“Experiments have been conducted throughout the world for years now. Even if a few were not successful, some were. It’s Beatrice, who linked us all. When she started searching her own origins, her birth parents, she opened a Pandora’s Box I suspect she regretted opening. Her first decision was to find us. Her second was to make the people who created us pay for their crimes. That is the reason why she founded Purgatory. The organization had the dual goal of helping hopeless people find a purpose again and by each of her missions, ensuring the people who created us would never be able to repeat their deeds. Well, it was a quest that took years in the making. And the whole mission collapsed as it was coming to an end. I don’t know how. My last contact with dear Beatrice was quite a long time ago. She always kept me updated about possible people turning up here as a refuge. You were one of them, Gabrielle. Beatrice is fond of you, you know that.”
Gabrielle ignored the pang of despair as her mind computed all those facts as fast as she could. She turned to Sully. “So by trusting James Feander, Bea opened the door to traitors through Simon. He must have learned about this cloning thing that way. One of the reasons why the admiral asked you to search for potential laboratories was to protect Simon, although his son already had known ties with the very people he was trying to catch.”
“But why would Simon want to help the same organization his father was desperate to shut down? How could he think any good would come out of it?”
“Money, fame, and power are his main reasons. We have seen the proof.” Sully frowned.
Gabrielle sighed. “Yeah, he wouldn’t be the first son backstabbing his father for glory. Apart from the fact he looked like a true psychopath earlier, I don’t know much about Simon. What I fear is the real size and impact of his unknown organization. Maybe everything he said, all we saw was smoke and mirrors, but what if it isn’t? If the organization and the project he talked about was even bigger than what he said? What if the woman in the body bag is who I think she is? We need to unveil it completely so we can shut it down.”
“Psychopath or not, we’re still at square one. No Intel, no backup, no weapon. We cannot even save Beatrice and James; so how can we bring down a monstrous ghost?” Sully shook his head, his frown deep.
“In that matter, I may be of assistance, my child.”
Gabrielle looked back at Abbess Brigit, who decidedly had a mischievous air about her. She retrieved a folded piece of paper from her robe and handed it to Gabrielle. Sully tried to sit upright to see what was on it. To avoid him any more pain, Gabrielle sat back down.
When she opened it, she didn’t know if she should gape or smile at the woman before her.
“This is a satellite photo of the building where Bea and the admiral are prisoners. How did you get it?”
“I wasn’t always a nun, my dear.”
“How did you know it was where we were held?”
The abbess shook her head. “Not important. What is important is to know the layout, people, security. That is information I can provide.”
Sully leaned back on his pillows again, exhausted. “The more we know, the better we can outwit that bastard. Sorry, Mother.”
Rising to her feet, Abbess Brigit giggled at his apology. “I will have more clarifications for you soon. I sent a couple of sisters to check it out.”
“Wow, undercover nuns, that’s something. Are you sure you’re running a priory and not a secret agency?”
“Quite sure, my dear. We lead a calm life, but we’re not averse to helping out for the greater good of humanity. Now, rest. I will come with some food later. And clean clothes for both of you.”
“Thank you.”
Abbess Brigit smiled before closing the door.
Gabrielle rubbed her eyes. Her body was undeniably shutting down on her. There was so much to consider, so much information to process.
“Honey, stop.”
She turned to Sully. “What?”
“Stop fighting it and sleep. I’m pretty sure you didn’t have any sufficient shut-eye since the attack.”
He was right, she couldn’t deny it. However, her mind couldn’t allow her to rest since there was now a possibility of saving Beatrice and James. Could she take a whole building all by herself? Sully couldn’t come with her. It would take days, if not weeks before he was operational again. She couldn’t risk him. The idea chilled her to the bone. Instead of focusing on those lingering thoughts, she helped Sully get comfortable again, very careful not to look at his face. She knew the man, his gaze was focused on her and it may not be a good idea to let him know what she was thinking.
“Lie with me, Gabrielle.”
His voice was raspy with fatigue, but when she glanced at him, there was much more than fatigue in his eyes. She frowned, ready to admonish him when he winked at her.
“Baby, I can’t even sit straight, no need to protect your virtue.” Sully sighed.
Gabrielle laughed. “Am I that transparent?”
“Only to me, I hope. Even if I would like to do more wicked things to your incredible body, I think we need sleep more than sex at the moment. Come, lay with me.”
Mindful of his wound, she slid on his good side of the narrow cot, her head cradled on his shoulder. This setup was not comfortable, but utterly perfect. She hadn’t thought much about it because she knew it wouldn’t help her, but she had been scared to death of losing him. The sight of Simon shooting him would haunt her for years to come.
“Easy, baby, I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m glad, too, honey. Even though you’re thinking of being dead sooner than I by planning a suicide attack on that fortified Hungarian warehouse.”
Shit! She hated when he could read her so easily, or guess with such accuracy.
“Do you have another solution? Can you live knowing we failed Bea and the admiral? That we couldn’t stop Simon and whoever is working for him?”
“I know I can’t live with you dead trying to save them and the whole world.”
Gabrielle’s heart constricted painfully in her chest. She felt torn between her duties and him—between her loyalty and her love for the stubborn sailor. Love. Damn, she loved him, even if the words never crossed her lips. Yet. Maybe never, if luck deserted her.
She twisted in his arms. He looked pale and his eyelids were drooping from exhaustion, but his green eyes were bright on her.
“Don’t freak out, okay?”
His eyebrow shot up. “About what?”
Gabrielle swallowed hard. “About what I’m about to say.”
She swallowed again, trying to dislodge the ball of nerves stuck in her throat. But in this moment, their connection, their past, and the uncertainty of the future made difficult words so much easier to say.
“I love you, Sullivan Thorne. I never thought I’d say that to anybody ever. Yet I can’t do anything but say them to you.”
The man’s face stayed impassible for an instant before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Gabrielle’s heart galloped and she immediately regretted them. They were the truth, but if they meant cracking a breach between them because he didn’t feel the same way, she wouldn’t forgive herself.
Opening his eyes, Sully smiled. “Oh, honey, I thought you would never tell me.”
Oh the man! He was teasing her again. She didn’t know if she wanted to slap him or kiss him. She decided to pinch his arm in retaliation instead.
“Ouch! Baby! Before you hurt me more, don’t you want to know my reply?”
“Not if it isn’t what you want to say.”
“It’s exactly the words I want to say to you, because I think I fell for you the moment you barged in my cell, my southern pregnant bombshell.”
Gabrielle’s mood lifted a little and she smirked. “Liar.”
“Maybe not full smack in the face, but something took root. Strong. Undeniable.” His gaze softened and he covered her hand, which was softly lying on his chest, with his. “I love you, Gabrielle, whatever your last name, whatever your past. My warrior goddess.”
Without even thinking, she reached up and kissed him. And that’s when she felt it—the incredible emotion inside of her. She was full of it and dizzy with it. She deepened the kiss as he cupped her neck, but when her arm brushed his dressing, she was reminded of their reality. She broke the kiss and pulled back, but Sully tangled his fingers in his hair to hold her in place. For a long moment he looked at her.
“You can’t stop now, baby.”
“You’re wounded, Sully, and too pale. We cannot possibly …”
Sully smiled and humor twinkled wickedly in his green irises. “There’s definitely something you can do to make my day complete.”
Now, Gabrielle laughed. He was incorrigible.
“I don’t want to hurt you, love.” The word sounded so natural between them now.
“Then say yes to what I want.”
Gabrielle couldn’t help but laugh, adoring him even more. “You, kinky sailor … What do you want?”
“Marry me.”
***
Gabrielle leaned her head back to rinse out her hair and enjoy the pounding hot water against her skin. She was desperate to get her bearings back, to think straight again, even though the clock was ticking, even though there was so much on the line. Especially Sully. What was he thinking? It was one thing to declare her love and receive his in return, but marriage? It must be the blood loss … that had to be the reason for his sudden declaration.
There was so much to think about now. It was a blessing Abbess Brigit came into the room to bring some food at that moment as she didn’t know what she would have answered. Was it the coward’s way? Certainly. She would have preferred facing a death squad than answering his question, which would have required analyzing her own heart and future. Do a former assassin and current mercenary have a future? Particularly to an honorable man like Sullivan Thorne?
In frustration, she shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. As she grabbed a towel, she saw clean clothing neatly folded on the side of the sink. Abbess Brigit thought of everything. The pale blue shirt was soft to the touch and the dark blue jeans fit her perfectly.
Now refreshed, her brain started to work again, as she closed the bathroom door behind her. The shower was close to Sully’s room. But she wasn’t returning there yet. Not until she could figure out what her next move to rescue Bea and the admiral was, and what answer she would give Sully. The stubborn man would require one.
Hesitating in the hallway, she spotted a little nun coming at her—small and young with an incredible smile.
“You must be Gabrielle. Abbess Brigit asked me to bring you to her study.”
Gabrielle nodded and followed her. The office was one floor up in what seemed like a maze of corridors and hallways. When she entered the room, the curtains were drawn and a desk lamp was the only light in the room. The little nun lit up two other floor lamps and came around the desk to open a folder.
“Abbess Brigit has gathered information about the warehouse you’re looking for. All the details found by the sisters are in this file.”
Gabrielle sat and started reading. She was surprised to see this much information: details about the possible number of guards, rounds, where lights were seen, and power supply sources … even photographs. Incredible. It took her a while to memorize the information, and when she was done, the chirpy nun was still there, smiling.
“Please follow me. There is another thing Abbess Brigit wanted you to look at.”
Gabrielle turned toward the door, but the nun walked toward a tapestry on a side wall, and disappeared behind it. This nunnery was full of surprises, and unexpected passageways. Behind the tapestry was a small room, filled with the latest technology she had only found at Purgatory. The nun crouched beside a desk to retrieve a case and handed it to Gabrielle. Big and heavy, she laid it down at the end of the desk and opened it, displaying a sight to make her smile.
Oh goody, weapons. Exactly what she needed. As she checked them out and made an inventory of the ammunitions, the little nun chuckled.
“You’re handling those things as I’ve seen many nuns use spindles.”
Gabrielle smiled. “They’re my tools. I guess if I handled spindles all day long, they would become the extension of my arms, too.” She replaced the tools of her trade in the case. “Can I keep them in here until I need them?”
“Of course. You know where to find everything and Abbess Brigit never locks her door.”
“Thank you.” Gabrielle put back the case beside the desk. The more time that passed, the more a plan formed in her head … and less she knew what to say to Sully. And inevitably, she would need to talk to him, tell him he was left behind for this dance and maybe he should have thought more about wanting to marry a woman like her. And that didn’t take into account the fact that she was about to lie to him and run straight into a suicide mission.
“Can you bring me back to the room, please?”
The nun smiled. It must be her constant state of cheeriness. “The abbess wants to see you first. She asked me to bring you to her when you would be ready.”
Gabrielle nodded. It was a good thing. She needed to make arrangement with Sully until she came back, or if she didn’t. Also, she had come up with an idea if Sully was too stubborn to stay in bed. After seeing what Abbess Brigit was capable of, she wouldn’t be surprised if she could offer help o
n that one, too.
The little nun took more detours and Gabrielle wondered how she could find her way half of the time. They went down several flights of stairs until they arrived in front of a wooden door.
“I’m leaving you here, now. Abbess Brigit’s waiting in there. Good luck.” The little nun scurried away, almost sauntering. This was a woman in a constant state of happiness, in her perfect job for sure.
Opening the door, Gabrielle entered a small chapel. She was in awe when she stepped in the ornate room illuminated with myriads of candles, making the polished wood of the pew gleam and the stained glass glitter like fiery stars. The glow made the entire room seemed like something out of a different time—as if she had returned to the medieval era simply by pushing the door open. In front of the altar stood a nun, her back at her. Silently, Gabrielle approached to stand beside Abbess Brigit at prayer, her hands joined and her eyes closed. Gabrielle took a moment to gather her thoughts and center herself. Not that she prayed. Not quite. It was more like aligning her mind, focusing on what she wanted to accomplish and visualizing all the steps she needed to do to get there. Once so easy to do, it was a little bit more difficult with Sully lurking in her every thought. Unknowingly, he opened a door inside of her and allowed her to hope again. It was a hopeless hope; one hope you knew couldn’t come to fruition. Now, what she knew was only a dream in her head …