“Let’s hope whatever Gabe comes up with helps expedite this. Steve’s supposed to contact me later tonight. Meet me at my hotel room at eight. It’s time we put all the cards on the table: mine, yours, and his.”
He could agree with that. Renzo stood and headed toward the door. “If anything changes before then, call me.”
“Roger.”
Once outside, Renzo knew he needed to have more than Melissa keeping an eye on Hydria. If Bennett was right, these guys had a long reach, and Steve was going through a lot to make sure it didn’t connect to Hydria. Renzo wasn’t leaving that in anyone’s hands except his.
Pulling out his SAT phone, he called the one person he knew was off an assignment. “David I need you.”
“You got it. What’s up?”
“There’s a woman who’s going to be staying with Melissa. I need eyes on her twenty-four/seven.”
“And you’re having someone that bad stay with our sister? I don’t think that’s wise.”
If that comment were coming from Gabe, he’d assume it was a joke. David didn’t have a sense of humor. And he positively never joked about work or family. “No, we’re keeping her safe.”
“And who is the person?”
“Hydria Vose. She’s a . . .” He couldn’t bring himself to call her a friend. “She’s very special to me.”
There was a pause on the other end. He and David respected each other’s privacy and choices in life. He’d been there not long ago when David was sorting out his shit with his now fiancée, Jada.
“I have a few new guys, veterans I hired from our trip a few months ago to Las Vegas. Since they haven’t met the rest of the Turchetta family, I think this would be a great assignment for them.”
“Thanks, David. And do me a favor.”
“Don’t have to say it. Hydria can’t find out.”
“Exactly.” Renzo knew she’d only run again if she did.
“Bit of advice, Renzo. Secrets always come out, and when they do, women have a way of making us pay for them.”
Renzo laughed. For things you do. For stuff they think you did. For things you forgot to do. “Don’t I know it.”
He ended the call and headed back to his hotel room. Ria might flip out, but that wouldn’t prevent him from protecting the one he loved. She’s too well trained, too damn good a police officer to not comprehend there was no way he would make her leave if it could be avoided. She would forgive him. She had to.
Chapter Thirteen
‡
Being back at Melissa’s was more uncomfortable than the first time. Melissa watched her every move. “It’s okay. I’m not disappearing again.”
“I wasn’t thinking that,” Melissa said as, for the third time, she went from room to room checking the locks on the windows.
Okay. I need to know what the heck is going on. Hydria tried asking then hypothesizing. She waited until Melissa went into the next room and then unlocked the window. She even opened a few. It wasn’t that she was trying to drive her hostess crazy, but she was trying to make a point. I don’t want her living her life any differently because I’m here.
Once they sat down, the wind started blowing outside. The breeze blew through the open window in the kitchen. Melissa leaped from her seat on the couch and slammed it shut, locking it. “I’m sorry. I really thought I shut them all. Maybe I should recheck them.”
Hydria laughed. “Maybe you should sit down and put on a movie.”
Melissa spun around, giving her a questioning look. “A movie?” Hydria gave her a playful wink. “You didn’t.” Hydria nodded. Melissa shook her head and walked over to the couch. “Why?”
Hydria patted the vacant spot beside her. Once Melissa sat, Hydria explained, “Renzo said I could stay with you. Somehow there is a misunderstanding, and either I’m a prisoner or my life is in grave danger. Either way, you’re going overboard. This is the closest thing I’ll ever get to having a vacation. I’d like to be able to enjoy myself.”
“Are you serious? You never get away?”
“You mean for fun? For relaxation? No,” Hydria replied.
“But you’re thirty-five. You’ve must’ve gone somewhere, done something.”
“Not since my parents died. I had to grow up quickly and raise my kid brother, Steve. By the time he was an adult, I was in a groove, and one might call me a workaholic.” You know, like your brother Renzo.
“Well, we need to fix that. I’ve been stuck in a rut here myself. Why don’t we plan an all-girls getaway? We could invite Jada and Deanna to join us.”
“Doesn’t Deanna have two children?” Hydria didn’t want to pull anyone away from their family, and she also hadn’t met Jada. It sounds like I would be the stranger amongst a family.
“Oh, yeah. Let me rethink this.”
“Really, I’m okay with watching a movie.” She didn’t want to be running all over the place in case the man decided to call back with more instructions. She planned to stay put. That was the plan last time she’d been here too. Why would I think this time would be any different? My life is anything but predictable.
“Okay, you win for now. But if you’re still here next week, we’re going to take a vacation.”
“Deal,” Hydria said as Melissa picked up the remote control and scrolled for a movie.
Although Hydria stopped with the windows, she’d been on the police force long enough to know when someone was watching her. The men were apparently trying to keep their distance, but not having much success. After the movie was over and Melissa went to bed, Hydria walked around the house and locked the windows this time. She couldn’t believe she was thinking this, but she honestly hoped these men had been sent by Renzo to keep her safe. If not, I’m in big trouble because there’s no way I’m leaving here without being noticed.
As she lay in bed holding her cell phone, she debated if she should reach out to Renzo or not. If she did, he’d only worry, thinking something was wrong. Could be, but if there was something, what could he do from Tabiq? I could always tell him the truth; I’m missing him.
Leaving him behind had been painful. Hydria’s heart had functioned around loving Steve for so long now, and that would never change. But why did that love pull her away from the man she loved? She was glad she and Renzo had a brief time to talk before she left, but the things left unsaid were powerful. Things that some people never get to say in their life. We’ve lost so much time already. I don’t want to wait another ten years before we have another chance.
She’d made up her mind. Calling was not a viable option, as her voice would give away her emotional state. Texting, however, could accomplish what she was looking for without complications.
CHECKING HOW THINGS ARE. MISSING YOU.
Hydria knew it would be about four a.m. in Tabiq. She didn’t expect an answer. But she was thrilled when one came.
WISH I WAS THERE WITH YOU. THINGS HERE ARE THE SAME. WILL SEE YOU SOON.
See me soon. Those were sweet words filled with promise.
TAKE CARE. She held back from typing the words, “I love you.” It wasn’t easy as they wanted to flow from her fingers as badly as they did from her lips. Whether it’d be another week, day, or hour, not being with him was too long. Don’t make me break my word and go back there.
Hydria waited for Renzo to say something, anything to keep the conversation going, but nothing came. Like their time together, it ended too soon. She had no idea why emptiness washed over her. She wasn’t a tearful, emotional woman. Yet as she buried her face in the pillow, the cotton pillowcase absorbed her salty tears. If only tears could wash away the ache, maybe facing tomorrow without Renzo would be easier.
David had been great about keeping Renzo up to date on what was going on with Hydria. He was concerned she hadn’t left Melissa’s house since she arrived a week ago. That wasn’t like her. She was one who couldn’t sit still for a day, never mind seven. The family confirmed she wasn’t ill. That eased his mind slightly, but he knew there wa
s something wrong. More like something I did wrong.
He’d thought it would be easier on her if he waited until all was clear before contacting her. Renzo realized that was a foolish assumption on his part. It probably made her feel brushed aside and not valued. He excelled at making her feel that way, when in fact he was trying to do the total opposite. Sending her to his family wasn’t only about keeping her safe, but showing her she wasn’t alone. Hydria had all the Turchettas backing her.
Renzo knew Hydria was smart and assumed she’d figured that out. Instead, it proved how ignorant he was when it came to dealing with relationships, at least one with Hydria. He was thinking long-term for the first time in his life. If not, he’d have let her go back to LA instead of Rhode Island.
That’s why it killed him not to respond to Hydria’s text message. At least not with what he really wanted to say. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her in his arms and couldn’t wait for them to be together again. But if they spoke, she would start asking how things were going in Tabiq, and he didn’t want to lie to her. There were only a handful of people who knew he wasn’t in Tabiq any longer. If she knew he was back on US soil, she’d want to be there with him. No way in hell was that going to happen. The less she knows the better.
But like everything else with them, the timing sucked. He couldn’t ignore her because she had to be reaching out for some reason. Even if it’s just because she’s concerned. He quickly typed his response but it was brief and lacking any real feelings.
It won’t always be like this, baby. I promise. I’ll make it all up to you.
How exactly he wasn’t sure, but now wasn’t the time to ponder that. Slipping his SAT phone back into his pocket he did what he needed to and brushed away thoughts of Hydria. Any distraction right now could cost them their lives.
“In position.” Renzo said, watching Steve and his cohorts through the scope of the long range rifle.
“Limo approaching from the west,” Gabe said. “Black SUV in front and rear.”
“Roger,” Bennett responded from his viewpoint.
Having Gabe watch everything via satellite was extremely handy. What no one realized was Gabe had hacked into the feed the Pentagon was using to track Steve’s meeting as well. This may be a need-to-know basis, but they weren’t going to leave Steve out there without proper backup.
Renzo and Bennett reviewed everything Gabe had located on this so-called top secret mission. It was too fucking high-risk for their standards, and they’d done some pretty deadly things. They noticed the Pentagon was watching everything, but there wasn’t anyone close by to take out the SOBs if it all went south quickly. There was no way Renzo was leaving Steve out there on his own. He’s part of my team now, so he’ll never be left behind.
Renzo’s brothers had served in the military. He’d heard how some of those special missions worked. It made sense from the governmental position. If Steve was caught they had already put in place the documentation that Steve was AWOL. His actions wouldn’t reflect on the United States. And if Steve was killed in action while undercover, Hydria would’ve been led to believe her brother was a traitor to the Corps.
Renzo would never let that happen. He would do everything in his power to ensure Steve survived. And if not, Gabe would have the proof for Hydria that her brother died a hero, not a coward.
Steve had been leery about taking the help from Renzo and Bennett. He was concerned if his contacts at the Pentagon found out, they’d set him up as a fall guy. Those concerns were valid and only reiterated the importance of both Renzo and Bennett having his back.
Renzo could see stubbornness was a Vose family trait. No matter what Renzo said, Steve wouldn’t agree to wear an earpiece. They had visual, but audio sure as hell would’ve given a better picture of what was about to go down. Renzo and Bennett were good at reading body language, but things still were missed that way.
As the limo approached, Bennett said, “Clear shot here.”
“Same here.” Renzo would take out as many of those assholes as he could if this meeting went sour. They were all on the same page, and Steve knew if guns were drawn, neither he nor Bennett would wait for shots to be fired. The goal was to obtain a confession for hiring the mercenaries. Not only to take control of Tabiq but for several other small defenseless countries as well. Killing the bastards would be easy, but they needed to apprehend them. One thing they each understood: this guy, whoever he was, wasn’t working alone. People like that never did. They functioned on the belief that there was strength in numbers. Renzo was counting on their lack of loyalty. The only thing that banded them together was greed. Steve was about to plant the seed of deceit among the ranks. If the plan worked, they would start to turn on each other, instead of on Steve.
Renzo peered through the scope and watched the black SUV stop near Steve. Four armed men exited the vehicle. The men were wearing dark sunglasses, but it was obvious they were searching the perimeter for anywhere someone could be lurking for an ambush. Word had gotten out on what went down in Tabiq, so these guys should be shaking in their boots. Both Renzo and Bennett were top-notch long-distance shooters. There was no way any of those guys could see him or Bennett hidden in the tall grass on the hills. Even their sniper rifles were covered with grassy netting. For all intents and purposes, Renzo and Bennett were invisible. That would change if gunfire started. Even with silencers on, if those guys were any good, they would quickly calculate what direction the bullets were coming from.
It surprised Renzo no one searched Steve. Guess the kid’s damn good because they sure as hell trust him. He knew the Pentagon never would’ve recruited Steve if he wasn’t up to the task. That would ease most minds, but not Renzo’s nor any of the Turchetta family’s. They’d learned the hard way; it was all about votes and appearances, not necessarily human rights. Steve was young and all about following orders. That’s good as long as the people giving them don’t consider you expendable.
“Bennett, do you have eyes on the limo driver?” Renzo asked as the doors opened, but the driver stayed seated. He’d prefer all occupants out in the open.
He could see the conversation had started, and the one he assumed to be in charge was heated. The men guarding him weren’t trying to detain Steve, which meant whatever was being discussed, his cover hadn’t been compromised. Not yet at least.
“Can you read his lips, Bennett?” Renzo asked.
“Negative. Tension’s high.”
He didn’t need Bennett or anyone to state the obvious. Something was wrong. There were too many variables, and they had nothing to go on. The name of the person in charge was still a fucking mystery.
“Can you get a good look at his face?” Renzo asked Gabe.
“No. Not with his shades and that damn hat. Who the hell wears hats anymore?” Gabe snarled.
Someone who wants to keep his identity a secret. That made Renzo’s hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The meeting was taking place in the middle of nowhere. He gut told him Steve was about to be in trouble.
“Bennett, I—”
“Right there with you. Something’s not right down there,” Bennett finished.
Steve didn’t seemed fazed by what was going on, even though the confrontation was escalating. “I wish the fuck we knew what they were saying.”
“Working on it,” Gabe said. “Too much interference for me to expand the sound sensors.”
Renzo had no idea what Gabe was talking about and didn’t care. He needed to know if Steve was in trouble or not. He watched closely for the sign, a wink, from Steve. It didn’t come. Whatever was going on, Steve was in control.
One of the men from the SUV was on the defensive, his arms flaying around, and then he pointed at Steve. Was he accusing Steve or trying to deflect the attention from himself? The answer came quick as the one of the other men drew his weapon and shot the guy point-blank in the chest. The sound echoed and was followed by shouting.
“Hold tight. Vose hasn’t given the signal y
et.” Renzo wanted to pull him out of there, but not yet. Not until he was ready. Which better be soon, because I don’t want you to be next.
“Renzo, heads up. I’m showing three birds in the air, coming your way,” Gabe informed them.
He couldn’t hear the choppers, which meant they were military in stealth mode. The Pentagon was making their move, and Steve was right in the middle of it. Shit!
“Gabe, I need to hack in and find out what the fuck their game plan is because Steve’s a sitting duck there,” Renzo ordered.
“On it,” Gabe responded. In a minute that felt more like ten, Gabe said, “They’ve been ordered to take all of them into custody.”
“And how the hell are they going to do that? Those assholes aren’t going peacefully,” Bennett stated.
That was true if it was Steve against all those men. But Steve wasn’t alone. And somehow the Pentagon knows it. Then Renzo remembered Bennett saying the Pentagon had recruited a few elite. Was it possible they were on the ground and with Steve? That would be one explanation as to why Steven hadn’t given the signal.
“I don’t think Steve is alone.”
“We can see that, Renzo,” Gabe said sarcastically. “What exactly am I supposed to be looking for?”
“Gabe, is there any mention of anyone else there besides Vose?” Renzo asked.
“Negative. They don’t even mention Vose.”
Even the chatter Gabe hacked into wasn’t helpful. It was as though they suspected they were compromised. We do the same. Trust nothing. Having Gabe as a brother proved nothing was private or secure. It was only as good as the next hacker.
Watching through the scope, he noticed Steve had moved a few feet to the left and two other men repositioned themselves as well. They were setting the stage to grab the upper hand when the choppers came in sight. Even then they were outnumbered. Or would be if it wasn’t for me and Bennett.
“Bennett, do you see that?” Renzo asked.
“Sure do. Steve’s ready to make a move.”
“I’ll cover the two on the right, you get the ones on the left, and let’s hope they can handle the rest.”
For Justice Page 17