by Mike Dagons
His sincere loud outburst of laughter upset the quiet atmosphere. “Damn, girl, don’t tell my daddy, or he’ll make me design a game after him,” he laughed some more.
“Your father seems nice,” she said, just to see if he would tell her how he really felt about him.
“He is most of the time, but he can be ruthless when he needs to be. He’s a survivor,” his demeanor turned solemn.
“I heard you lost your brother recently. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you…it was tragic. Steven was doing a job for our father when it happened, so he’s blaming himself for it. Steven wasn’t cut out for this life. Like Mark, he was in it to please our father.”
“That’s not why you’re in it?”
“Nah, I’m in it because I’m good at it, like you.”
“I’m not that good.”
“My old man thinks you are. He loves Mr. Joshua, and you saved his life. If you come to work for us, you can name your price.”
“Whose body would I be guarding?”
“Mine, I hope.”
“Thanks, but I’m happy with my boss.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why you call him your boss when he’s obviously your slave in bed? Well, at least that’s what it looked like to me.”
“You watched us in bed?!” she looked annoyed.
“Yes, we have all the guest rooms under twenty four hour video and audio surveillance. There just happens to have been a problem with the audio in your room, which nobody thought to bring to my attention until this trouble started. It’s why I was forced to watch you in bed this morning—to troubleshoot the problem.”
“You find out what was causing the problem?”
He tilted his head to the side and studied her for a second before he answered. “Your man, Scott, I’m assuming. He’s your cyber expert, correct? My guess is he digitally disengaged the audio feed. He didn’t mess with the video, which was smart. If he had, it would have been brought to my attention sooner.”
He was a man who appreciated candor, so she didn’t lie. “Segal doesn’t like having his conversations recorded.”
Jeff laughed loud again. “You are an interesting woman, you know that?”
“I know,” she answered smugly. She thought a man with so much confidence would appreciate seeing it in others. His look of admiration confirmed that he did.
“Did disengaging the audio in our room make you suspect we might be behind the trouble you’re having?”
“It did initially, just because of your names. No seriously, I knew it wasn’t you. Why you ask?”
“Ceylon looked at me like he thought I was an enemy. Do you know who is behind the attack?”
“I most certainly do. The first strike flew in here on a military Blackhawk. A Eurocopter Tiger followed, if you can believe it.”
“I believe it because it shot up our suite. Did you get any prior warning that they were going to attack?’
He looked at her curiously, as if deciding how much he should reveal about their security procedures. “I detected the small army on the way here a few miles before they reached the first check point. Honestly, I thought they were coming to escort the auction winner out of here, so I didn’t think much of it. Their numbers did put us on alert, and then they jammed communications. It’s why Ceylon sent the bird out to pick up some more of his men. As an added precaution, I got my parents and their personal friends, who were still upstairs in their rooms, down here. We did not anticipate the aerial attack. They were all over the property before we could collect the workers or the guest that were already outside at the breakfast buffet.”
“Aren’t you worried? Anyone who can orchestrate the kind of invasion going on here must be well funded.”
“I’m not worried because so are we, and we’ve contracted the very best in the business to fight for us.”
“I heard Viper was on this job. Talk is Genesis is the very best in the business,” she challenged him playfully.
“Is that what you heard? You do know that Viper has the deadly California Viper working for them?” he answered playfully.
“I saw him in action, and he’s remarkable. But Genesis has Ice, and I hear he’s even more remarkable,” she shot back.
“Touché…I’ve heard of him. You know him personally?”
“Nope, but I know him by reputation,” she lied. “Maybe you should have hired him, too.”
“Against my wise counsel, my father overruled my decision to do that,” he whispered conspiratorially. “He thinks Ice’s ego is bigger than his loyalty.”
Rayce couldn’t help laughing. “Well that may be true. With a man like Ceylon Battle on your payroll, I understand why he didn’t think he would need more help. He helped me save the workers by taking out four of the seven men who had us cornered.”
“He is impressive, ain’t he? I’ve been trying to get him to quit Viper and come to work for us full time. It’s a hard sale because his father owns Viper, family loyalty, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. Speaking of loyalty, the people who work for your father are amazing. The ladies and Matt played important roles in their own rescue, you know?”
“I saw. You were all pretty amazing.”
“If you saw, then why didn’t you come up and help us.”
“I sent Ceylon because I’m charged with protecting my parents. My brother Mark is charged with protecting dad’s property, so he’s out there taking care of business. My father usually has two guards on him at all times, but the manpower is spread thin. Every man we got is up top doing battle. Ceylon and I were down here with these good people, but it looked like you might need some immediate help. My father is very protective of his baby son, so he insisted I be the one to stay and guard him, even though he thinks Ceylon is better than me with a gun.”
“Is he?” she asked.
“Hell nah!” he slapped a hand on the tabletop, and they both cracked up laughing.
“So, you’re in contact with your men now?” she asked.
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“You mind?”
“No, I like inquisitive women.” He put his cell phone down in front of her.
Rayce looked at the ultra thin sleek five inch screen, and saw that it was split in four sectors, each displaying a clear view of the fighting going on in and outside the house.
Her eyes went to the sector, showing D’Agon helping Choc get inside the barn. “They need my help. I have to go,” she stood up abruptly, and he clamped a firm hand on her wrist, and then gently pulled her back down.
“Ceylon is going to help them,” he took a quick glance at Tyler, who was sitting at a card table talking with some other men.
“It’s my job to protect him,” she lowered her voice because he clearly didn’t want his father to hear them.
“Don’t worry. Ceylon will handle it. My father doesn’t know I’m able to monitor the action. If he did, he would spend every second that he’s down here watching what’s going on out there. He doesn’t need the stress,” he released her arm when he realized he was still holding it.
“You love your father,” she observed.
“You don’t love yours?”
“No, I mean, he’s dead.”
“I want to keep mine alive. He sometimes forgets that bullets are not the only things that can kill him.” He picked up his phone and put it back in his shirt pocket.
“Why you allow your father to think I was a threat?”
“He likes to feel needed, so I let him think he’s controlling things. I knew he was going to question you before he shot you. It’s his way,” he smiled.
“Nigga, you better be glad he didn’t change things up and shoot me first and ask questions later,” she scolded him playfully.
Jeff laughed loudly, which Rayce concluded was his way. He was calculating, wise, and clearly in control.
“I’d like to see you, after this is over,” he searched he
r eyes.
“I already have a man slave,” she joked.
“You can always use another. Seriously, let me take you out.”
The fact that he could laugh, joke, and try to arrange a hookup, in the face of imminent danger told her more about him than all the information collected in his skimpy dossier.
Jeffrey Basin was more cunning and dangerous than his father. If he truly wanted a date, it was because he was fishing.
“I’m sorry, but the circumstance of our meeting is going to make that nearly impossible.”
“Nearly is not impossible. I’ll be in touch,” he smiled.
Epilogue 39
I looked in the mirror at the fading bruises on my back and buttocks. It had been three weeks since we wrapped up the operation, and I still had battle scars from Mark Basin throwing me into that fucking tree.
I had survived my first mission as a Genesis field agent. I had helped get the card into the right hands, and I hadn’t gotten any of us killed.
In the hours I spent being debriefed. I learned that the identity of Yeltsin’s backer had been revealed by one of the mercenaries that had been captured alive.
Apparently, he thought that Basin was trying to take the card back, and he ordered the attack in retaliation. Roc and Valow had found Yeltsin dead in the woods, and the duplicate card destroyed by the gunshots to his chest. The scene had been staged to look like Yeltsin and Mark shot each other, but we knew it wasn’t the case.
Since Yeltsin was in the woods instead of on the road, it looked like he was planning to keep the card for himself. Janie’s body wasn’t found, so we assumed she got away, again.
Once Bender learned who was backing Yeltsin, he figured Janie used his money program to trick Yeltsin into believing they could get a bigger payday without anybody being the wiser. It would have worked if Bender hadn’t interfered.
Ryan had Bender locate the account Yeltsin was holding the backer’s real money in, and he transferred it to Basin as payment for the card.
Basin was paid, and what they thought was the real card was found in Yeltsin possession, so the delivery had been made. There was no need for either party to conduct a more thorough search. Whether Basin decided to retaliate for the attack on his home was not our concern.
Ceylon Battle had not told anybody about our involvement, so we were completely in the clear. Of course, Roc shot me down when I suggested that Ceylon held our secret because he might actually like me. I pretended not to care because he was right. I could not operate with my emotions on ten.
I turned out the light in the bathroom, and walked into my bedroom. The shadow standing in the far corner almost made me scream. I moved swiftly, and snatched my Sig from under my pillow. “Muthafucka, you picked the wrong house to break in tonight!” I warned the intruder.
“Is that right?” the familiar voice answered.
I couldn’t believe it, and I hoped my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me. “Ceylon?”
“Yeah,” he stepped forward, and the street light dissolved the shadow hiding his face.
“What are you doing here? How did you get in?”
“You want me to leave?” he asked.
“NO!” I shouted. “I mean no. I don’t want you to leave.”
“This is a nice apartment, but the neighborhood ain’t that great. You don’t make enough money to live someplace else?”
“I make enough money to move, but I like living here,” I put my gun down on the nightstand, and then walked across the room to where he was standing.
The truth was the payday I got from this job ended all of my money worries for life but, I felt at home in Englewood. “The thieves, muggers, and murderers all know me. If I move, I’d have to establish my bone fides all over again,” I said.
Ceylon studied me, and I stood there quietly and let him because having him standing in my bedroom with me was a wish come true. Minutes passed before I realized he didn’t know what to say, and if we were going to talk about us. I’d have to be the one to start.
I cared about him for real, so I decided not to be shy. “I’ve thought about you every second of everyday since I left Kentucky. I was afraid that you never wanted to see me again.” It was the truth, and I had nearly resigned myself to living with that particular kind of never ending heartache forever.
“You said you wanted me to keep in touch,” he said after another long silence. “Did you really mean it? You still feel that way?”
“I still feel that way, yes. How did you find me?”
“You weren’t hiding, so you were easy to find. I could have used the phone, but the truth is I wanted to see you. I didn’t want to, want to see you, but I did,” he admitted. “I’m not good at this,” he confessed.
“I’m glad that you’re here. How did Mr. Basin take Mark’s death?”
“Hard, he only has one son left, but it’s the life. He believes Yeltsin killed him. Were your friends responsible for that?”
“No, we believe Yeltsin’s girl staged it after she killed him. She used to work for Genesis, but she went rogue and tried to steal the card for herself.” I didn’t tell him that the card found on Yeltsin wasn’t the real one.
He nodded, and then stared at me some more. “You said you felt a connection to me. I’m here because I want to believe it.”
He was refreshingly honest, and it was another thing that I liked about him. “Believe it because it’s true. The question is how do you feel about it?”
“I honestly don’t know, Severe. Since I was a kid, I’ve been groomed to be who I am—”
“The California Viper?” I interrupted.
“Yes,” he smiled. “Ice killed my cousin, Astro, you know?”
“I heard,” is all I said.
“I didn’t hold it against him because it’s the job. The job is what we were raised to do. Until I met you, my job was my life. Being the best was all that mattered. I never allowed myself the luxury of thinking about having a meaningful relationship. I never imagined letting anybody get to know me. You know what I mean?”
“Yeah, your life is built on secrecy. Nobody knows you really, because opening yourself up to emotions could get you killed. You always have to keep a part of yourself hidden away, and your emotions buried deep.” I recited what Glenda had told me before I left Charter.
“You get me. The real me, and I like the way it feels.”
“I was afraid you had forgotten that you love me,” I smiled.
“Nah, I didn’t forget, but I was trying to talk myself out of seeing you again.”
“I’m glad you didn’t listen.”
“You realize that our lifestyles will present problems. We work for rival agencies. Maybe someday it will turn us against each other.”
“Not if we don’t let it,” I protested, not wanting him to talk himself out of trying before he even admitted that he wanted to try. “Let’s start by getting to know each other.”
“I want to get to know you. I know your real name is Severe Payne, but the rest is a mystery to me.”
“Roc, you know him as Rottweiler, is my only family. We grew up together, and Englewood is our home. He has an apartment upstairs, but when he’s home, he spends a lot of time in mine. He helped me get into the business because I’m not smart enough to do anything else.”
“Nah, you got the smarts. I never imagined you were insecure, though.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I never imagined I’d feel the way I feel about you either.”
“What way is that?”
“Incredibly lonely without you,” he exhaled a sigh.
God, I hoped he wasn’t lying to me. I reached out and took his hands in mine. “You do want this, then?”
“We work for rival agencies. It will probably present a problem in developing a meaningful relationship,” he repeated.
“Are you trying to persuade me to settle for just a sexual relationship?”
“I’m afraid I’ll be disappointed if I set my expectations too high.”
“Listen, I want you, but not just for a night. I didn’t plan it, or expect it even, but it happened. As true as it may be, I don’t care about any of that negative stuff. I want you,” I repeated. “I’ve given it a lot of thought. I could pretend that I’m not seriously in love with you, and settle for a sexual thing, but I don’t want to because I like the way loving you makes me feel. I don’t care who thinks I’m stupid for falling in love so easily, and I don’t care if it doesn’t make sense. All I care about is having you in my life, and not just for a night, because a night wouldn’t be enough for me. If you don’t feel the same way, then please tell me now so I can—”
He moved with amazing speed, pulling me into his arms, and kissing me with enough passion to liquefy my bones. When he ended the kiss, he searched my face. “Now, why don’t you tell me what you really feel,” he smiled.
“I want you to belong to me,” I sighed dreamily.
“You got me.” He lowered me onto the bed.
He took his time and explored my body with his mouth as he removed my nightshirt. I didn’t think it was possible for it to be any better than it was our first time, but he proved me wrong.
There was nothing I could compare it to. No thrill was as great as the one I got from having him moving inside me. Afterwards, I lay snuggled in his arms with my face pressed against his chest listening to his heart beat steadily. “You sure about this?” he asked. “Dealing with the challenges, I mean,” he added when I raised my head and looked into his face.
“I love you,” I answered simply, and then sucked his nipple into my mouth and rolled it between my teeth.
“You know most girls would be too afraid of getting hurt to put themselves out there like you doing now.”
“Did I feel like most girls when you were inside me?”
“Absolutely not,” he laughed, and then rolled over on top of me. “I love you,” he kissed me.
The sound of my front door crashing open brought us both to our feet. We moved in sync, Ceylon snatching up his Glock, me grabbing my Sig off the nightstand.
The noise moved down the hall to my kitchen, and I heard my refrigerator door open and close. Whoever was in my apartment was not trying to hide, and that could only be one person. Ceylon gave me a puzzled look, and I shrugged my shoulders. “Roc,” I whispered.