Instead of dropping it, Peter raised his gun and pointed it right at Gatt’s head. Stood only a few feet away and looked ready to fire. “I could shoot you now.”
“And my men would eliminate all of you, storm the building, and others would step up in my place to take over Pentasus. Others of my choosing. You would still lose. There isn’t a scenario in which you win.”
Hunter believed him. The identities of the “others” weren’t clear, but Gatt showed no telltale signs of panic. He didn’t fidget, didn’t break eye contact. If he was sweating or nervous, he hid it well. The man was pure ice despite the very real possibility he was about to die.
“You made alternative plans,” Will said in a firm voice.
“One must always have a contingency.” Gatt held up both hands. “This is the last time I’ll warn you before I give the signal. Lower your weapons, and that includes you, Mr. Cain.”
That was not fucking happening. “No.”
Will’s knees bent as he set his weapon on the floor. His gaze shot to Hunter. “Do it now.”
Fine. He had others, so he’d put this one down. It killed him to do it, but he did.
He only hoped Gatt skipped a pat-down. He had to know there were more weapons than what he saw. But having all those guns ready to fire for him outside, and probably in the hall, might make him cocky. That’s how these things tended to work. People got too comfortable.
“Listen to your boss.” Gatt barely spared Hunter a second glance before he turned his attention back to the Rivers brothers. He pushed Peter’s gun so it aimed at the wall. Then Gatt took it, which required some wrestling because Peter wasn’t going down easily. “Now let me explain how this is going to work.”
Peter shook his head. “You aren’t in charge.”
“I actually am.” Gatt was fully in control now. His voice rang out through the room, sure and confident. “As planned, your brother will step up as the new Pentasus figurehead, but that’s all he will be. I will run Pentasus. And so long as Will doesn’t disappoint me, he can remain alive and enjoy a portion of the money that rolls in.”
Which would make Will Gatt’s prisoner, and Hunter would not let that happen. But those red lights hadn’t disappeared. Men still waited for Gatt’s command. Seth’s people, wherever they were, hadn’t gotten to the right spots and handled them yet.
The choreography of this had to be dead perfect, despite the lack of planning. So, Hunter continued to play his role. He could reach for the second gun behind his back or the one by his ankle. Duck and grab and get a shot off without trouble. But for now he bided his time.
“And Peter?” Hunter asked, trying to draw the attention back to him.
“Good question, Mr. Cain.” Gatt reached inside his suit jacket. He pocketed Peter’s weapon and took out one of his own. It was the first time he’d held a gun since he walked in. “There is no scenario under which he leaves this room breathing.”
A stark silence filled the room. Hunter’s heartbeat pounded in his ears. He was pretty sure he could hear the others breathing. Will kept looking around, and for the first time Hunter worried he might bolt or do something else really dangerous.
After scanning the room, Gatt’s gaze settled on Will. “Would you like to do the honors?”
Hunter couldn’t believe Gatt would hand Will a weapon, but he sure as hell hoped so.
Then Will lifted his hand. “One problem.”
Gatt frowned, clearly not happy his big scene had been interrupted and no one was cowering. “What’s that?”
“You’re not the only one with men stationed outside.”
The lights on their chests blinked off, almost as if on command. It took a second for Hunter to react. One second too long. Gatt got off a shot.
Hunter lunged. “Will, get down.”
Will was moving, but his arm jerked back. His other hand went to his shoulder and blood seeped through his fingers. Instead of seeking cover, he stumbled. The back of his legs hit the bed and he went down on the mattress.
Gatt aimed again, firing as he ran toward the back of the couch. The first shots went wide, but that didn’t stop him.
Hunter heard gunfire from every direction now. It echoed around him as the familiar rumbling sound of the secret door snuck underneath the noise. The pinging of bullets and shattering of a lamp had him dropping lower. He crawled toward the opposite end of the couch. Shoot Gatt in the back of the head to take him down. That was the new plan.
But Hunter couldn’t get there in time to stop another round of shooting. He aimed for Gatt’s arm, hoping to break his shot. But Gatt was ready to fire again, and Will had no cover. Will rolled, but with his injured arm hanging to his side, he seemed to move in slow motion. It looked like he might be able to drop off the edge of the mattress in time. Then Peter was there, right by Will’s side, tugging on his good arm.
Footsteps thundered in the background and the sound of male voices shouting rose above the firefight. Hunter ignored it all and focused on his prey. He dove, hitting Gatt in the side just as he fired off another shot. Hunter slammed Gatt into the floor and their bodies bounced against the hardwood.
Sirens started to wail and Hunter could hear screaming. Another anguished yell sounded from the bedroom area as the stuffing in the furniture kicked up around them and a table tipped over.
Hunter’s mind flashed to Will and he frantically tried to remember where he’d last stood and if Gatt could have gotten him. Then the barrel of Gatt’s gun whipped around. Hunter didn’t hesitate. He fired one shot straight into Gatt’s temple, taking him out for good.
Then he was up and moving. He could see Seth was there, bent over someone. Bodies on the floor. Legs not moving. Blood pooling as Fisher and another man Hunter didn’t recognize scrambled inside through the hidden entrance and Zach stormed in the front door with even more men.
Chaos reigned and Hunter’s mind splintered. He couldn’t get his legs to work as a stark terror hit him. Will wasn’t on the bed. At least two of the tangled legs on the floor belonged to him.
Hunter moved then. On hands and knees, he raced over to Seth and shoved him out of the way. Ignored the paleness of his face and worried frown. Then Hunter saw everything. Will sat there holding his brother, cradling him, almost rocking back and forth.
Blood streamed down Will’s arm but he didn’t seem to notice. All of his focus was on Peter, who was sprawled on Will’s lap with his chest moving in short staccato breaths as he fought for air. The bullet had clipped him in the chest and the blood was everywhere. It had soaked through his clothes and through whatever Seth had pressed to his chest.
“I need medical.” Seth was shouting into a microphone. “Now.”
He’s alive.
The thought kept running through Hunter’s head. Gatt’s last shot had hit Peter, not Will. Hunter couldn’t feel anything but relief. It soared through him, making him dizzy.
His arms almost gave out, sending his upper body crashing to the floor. But somehow he managed to lock his muscles. He kept moving, rushed right up to Will’s side and touched his leg. Anything to form a connection and feel the warmth of his body. Hunter’s hand shook and his chest ached, but they’d made it. Somehow.
He didn’t understand what had happened. The last few minutes blurred in his head. People filled the room, moving in and out. Hunter searched for the right words to say to Will but his brain wasn’t functioning at optimal speed. All he could do was celebrate as Will’s hand tightened on Peter’s.
Two men swooped in. Hunter reached for his weapon, but Seth held up a hand to stop him. “Medical.”
Will sat there as the men moved Peter off him. They yelled directions and a gurney loaded with supplies was wheeled in. Will’s hands fell to his sides, palms up and stained with blood. He didn’t even seem to notice Seth working on his arm. He stared at his brother, looking lost.
Pain shot through Hunter. He wanted to help but didn’t know what to do. “Will?”
Will’s head slow
ly turned until he was looking at Hunter, eyes half glazed with confusion. He didn’t blink. “I saw Seth outside. He gave me a signal.”
Hunter wasn’t sure what Will was talking about, but he moved up and leaned in closer. Lifted his hand and touched the side of Will’s face. Anything to offer comfort while the noise and shouting echoed around them. “We stopped them. It’s over.”
“We killed Peter.”
The sound of Will’s voice, the sadness filling it, crushed Hunter. “Will, no. You can’t think that way.”
Will shook his head and his voice sounded hollow. “I should have run. Not tried to find you.”
The words sliced through Hunter. He half expected to see blood pouring out of him. “We were inevitable.”
“You’re wrong.”
Chapter 21
Nine days passed and Will still didn’t know where he was. Some part of southern France in a clinic. Outside of the building where he stayed for the operation and to recuperate there were beautiful rolling hills. He could see stone buildings in the distance and fields. All on the other side of the fence that locked him inside a compound.
He tried to stretch and the thumping in his arm sped up again. He’d be sore for weeks, maybe forever. The doctors talked about rehab and how he’d have to be careful of how much weight he carried on that shoulder. Another insisted he’d been lucky because without the vest or just a half an inch over and it might have clipped his lung. Caused internal damage.
He’d heard the prognosis and refused more medication. He was tired of being drugged and out of it in a building full of strangers. The only faces he recognized were of Seth and Fisher. They’d both been to visit. Zach had also stopped by at the beginning but Will had only heard about that part because he’d slept through it.
No Hunter.
Seth provided some lame excuse about Hunter having to report to the BND and this being a CIA facility and protocol. All fucking bullshit. Hunter would be there if he wanted to be, and he didn’t. He’d finished his mission and gotten his man. Men, in this case. Both Gatt and Peter were dead.
Just thinking about his brother sent a new punch of guilt spiking through Will. There hadn’t been a choice. The chances had been overwhelming that no one was going to walk out of that room, and Will knew it was a miracle he had. But even with understanding who his brother was and realizing both he and Stacia really were dead—that he was alone in the world—Will couldn’t shake the loss. It made him physically sick.
He’d heaved when he heard the news about Peter not surviving the ambulance ride. Hadn’t been able to eat much since, and only did under doctor’s threat of never being able to leave the facility.
The memories kept running through Will’s mind in slow motion. Back in the apartment, in the final minute, Peter had tried to save him. He’d taken the bullet even though Will knew Gatt meant it for him. In the end, the brotherly bond had remained intact. Will tried to hold on to that as the guilt ate away at him.
As he’d been doing for days, he sat there on the bench and inhaled, breathing in the warm fresh air. He couldn’t leave, but he could go outside. After what felt like years of being holed up and unable to walk around, he wouldn’t take it for granted now. The days where the curtains had to be drawn and the sunlight hidden were behind him.
Not that he knew what came next. He didn’t. He’d been questioned and had told the people from the CIA and BND, and other organizations he didn’t know the acronyms for, everything he knew about his family’s dealings. Hadn’t held back, even when the details showed he knew enough to make him liable as an accessory for at least some of it.
He told them how Peter said their father had made arrangements for information to pass from generation to generation. Will assumed that meant once the intelligence agencies sifted through every document and last dollar, they’d find a file or a key to a box or something. They could have it all.
He didn’t regret the information purge. He needed to clean his mind and his soul. For now, he’d rest. Try to clear his mind.
He tilted his head back and cradled his injured arm in the sling. Let the sunshine hit his face. Tried not to dwell on his one regret. He did love Hunter. His last words had been about blaming him for Peter, about wishing they hadn’t been together. The shock and pain had rolled over him and he’d lashed out when he could barely move. And Hunter had done what Hunter always did. He ran.
As he sat there, one thought hit Will. It really was time to move on.
—
“You aren’t really going to let it end like this, are you?”
Hunter tried to ignore Fisher’s annoying voice. Fisher had been pushing for days, insisting it was time to let Will know he’d been there as he recovered, at night, the whole time. Good advice probably, but Hunter hadn’t been ready to see the hatred in Will’s eyes, so he’d limited his visits to times when Will slept. When Will couldn’t yell at him to leave. Made the rest of the team agree not to talk.
It had been safer, but it felt so shitty. Actually, it felt like nothing. Hunter was so numb that he could barely function. His BND bosses had demanded answers and he’d told them pieces he could manage to put together through his pounding grief—whatever it took to get them to let him rush to the clinic. Seth had filled in the rest. Whatever he said must have worked. Hunter hadn’t been fired or thrown in prison.
But his job didn’t matter now. Will did.
“Hey.” Fisher stepped in front of Hunter, blocking his view of Will through the window. “I know we don’t like each other.”
“That’s probably an understatement.”
“But I know what this feels like. Your world is shattered. You’ve been ripped open and emptied out. You ache in places you didn’t know you could ache.” Fisher winced. “Sorry, man, but you’re in love.”
“I know.” In those few seconds when he’d believed he was too late, when he’d thought he’d lost Will, when he’d seen all that blood, Hunter’s mind had snapped. He’d thought of Will being dead and a bleak darkness fell over him. Reality hit him. He’d been in love with Will almost from the start, even as he denied it and fought it and tried to stamp it out.
“Wait.” Fisher’s head shot back. “You do?”
Hunter almost smiled. He might have if he could have felt anything right now other than shaky and unsure. “I’m smarter than you. I figured it out.”
“Then what the hell has you hiding?”
“You know what I feel for him isn’t enough.”
“Damn it, Hunter. Here I was feeling bad for you.” Fisher started pacing. He kept muttering and using the word “idiot.”
“Excuse me?”
Fisher gave him an openmouthed stare. “Stop being a dumbass and go talk to your man.”
That sounded so easy. It was exactly what Hunter had planned to do today. He’d showed up early and walked down the hall to Will’s room four times. Finally had given up when he realized he couldn’t breathe when he got one room away.
But he didn’t intend to run. All those old instincts about fighting off personal pain and not letting anyone in rose up and threatened to swamp him. Voices in his head shouted for him to go back to Germany and regroup. Let Will disappear into whatever new life Seth’s people established for him.
That was the plan, to let Will have a new life. Hunter had insisted and Seth backed him up. In his head Hunter knew that Will’s new life shouldn’t include him. That all he would do was bring new rounds of danger to Will’s doorstep, and Will deserved better. But he couldn’t walk away.
“Really, why are you still standing here with me?” Fisher asked. “I could be finding a dark closet to be with Zach and you could be putting your fucked-up relationship back together.”
Hunter felt stupid saying it, but…“I don’t know what to say to him.”
The tension left Fisher’s shoulders and they fell. “You’ll know when you’re standing two feet away from him. Trust me.”
Trust. Not an easy thing for Hunter.
/> “Right.” But Hunter still couldn’t get his legs to work. It was as if the signals from his brain kept fizzling out on him.
Fisher shook his head. “Go or I’ll shoot you.”
That time Hunter did laugh. He also pushed away from the window.
Fisher winked. “I knew that would work.”
Every single time. Hunter got halfway to the door before turning around. “Thanks.”
—
Will stood up. He needed to make plans. That meant getting real answers from Seth. Every time he’d tried to figure out what would happen next, Seth had dodged. He’d talked a lot about recuperation, which made Will think his future options weren’t all that great. He could live with that now that Pentasus had been destroyed or was at least in its final death spiral.
He started to walk back to the building. Sensed someone staring at him and looked up. Hunter stood right there, probably five feet away. Just watching, the way he usually did.
For a second Will thought he was daydreaming. That he’d stayed too long in the sun this time. Or the pain meds still hadn’t left his system. But then Hunter started moving. In long strides he moved across the lawn and stopped in front of Will
“You came.” It was a stupid thing to say but Will couldn’t think of anything else.
“I’ve been here the whole time.”
That didn’t make any sense. Then again, none of this did. The location, the people roaming around, the clinic…Hunter suddenly right there. “What?”
Hunter had the nerve to sigh at him. “Do you really think I’d let you come here without me?”
Anger filled Will. It shot through him and raced through every pore. He should hate the sensation but it was the first sign of life he’d felt in days. “The bodyguard thing? Yeah, you’re fired. You’re free to go.”
Hunter shook his head but didn’t move. “I know you hate me.”
The Talented Mr. Rivers Page 21