by S. M. Butler
Hardy sat back on the couch. “You told me you didn’t know him.”
“Nathan ordered me not to talk about my time with Genevieve. He knew I knew about Harry, but he wouldn’t let me say anything. He also told me that I was not to tell you guys that I’m still killing people for him.” Hardy went shock still. Jordan did too. Only Jack showed no reaction but wasn’t that typical of that man anyway? Nathan was going to kick her ass, but she couldn’t sit there and lie to them. She looked away from them back to Genevieve’s picture on the projector. “I killed a Russian enforcer a week ago. The guy has the same scars as the guy that I killed last night.”
“Hang on…” Jack spoke up. “I’m not tracking here. Russians? Rochelle? Axel? How does it tie together? Why would she want to kill Axel?”
“She works on contracts with no exit clause. She doesn’t give up. She always gets her mark. We got Harry and they assumed she failed. So, they sent their own assassin after Axel, the guy I killed last night. But she’s not done. The thing is… she’s going to keep coming, maybe harder now that she knows I’m alive.” She took a breath. “My presence has compromised our operation here.”
“Maybe not,” Hardy replied. “She knows about you. But I doubt she knows about the rest of us, or that we work for Nathan.”
“That’s a big assumption,” Jack said. “If the woman is that experienced of an assassin, she would do her homework on the people that Axel works with.”
“Our IDs are airtight,” Levi said. “She’d come up with our fake identities.”
“Maybe,” Hardy said.
“There’s another problem that’s more pressing,” Jack said. His gaze pinned Bea on the spot. “Axel quit. He’s leaving today.”
“Nathan is going to talk to him, but he seems pretty set.” Hardy sighed. He glanced past the projector to Bea. “I think you should talk to him.”
She shook her head. “He’s not going to want to see me.”
“We all have pasts, Bea. Even him.”
“Yeah? My shit isn’t in the past, Hardy. It’s right up front and center in the present.” She growled and shot to her feet. “I’m not better than her.” She pointed at the projection. “I am her. A bona fide, fully-fledged, bullet-carrying card member of the assassin league.”
“Bea—”
“Don’t.” She put up her hand. “Sierra can brief you more on Genevieve. I just… I can’t. You know? In some ways… shit… never mind. Just… read the files. I can’t be part of protecting Axel anymore, because she’s always going to know what I’m going to do.”
Axel wasn’t a bad guy. He was… shit, she couldn’t even put into words what he was. He wasn’t like the marks in her past. But having her on the team, protecting that man was a disaster waiting to happen. Every single thing she’d think of, Genevieve would think of a way past her. The only way to make sure she couldn’t was to take herself out of play.
“You’re needed here,” Hardy said, quiet and confidently. “You’re part of this team.” He drew in a soft, controlled breath. “None of us are innocents. We’ve all killed. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. Especially working for Nathan.”
He stood up like he was about to step toward her but thought better of it. “We have an advantage. You might not think so, but we do. She might know you, but you know her.” He glanced up at the screen, studying the woman in the photos. Then he looked back at her. “Two-way street. We can figure out what she’s going to do next, and we go forward with the plan. We’ll keep Axel safe because he’s part of our team too.” His head tilted thoughtfully. “What do you think?”
She shook her head. “It won’t work.”
“We don’t fail, Bea. You know that.”
She ran her hands over her face. Stared at Genevieve’s picture. Remembered the woman’s voice. When I’m done with you, love, no one ever scare you or touch you wrong again. You will be strong.
Oh, that promise. Told to a twelve-year-old who was scared out of her mind. A child who had no parents, no siblings, nothing in life to tie her down, to anchor her. But now? The woman that child had become? She had a serious anchor. And maybe that was the way she’d beat a woman who had always been larger than life to her.
She nodded. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”
“Talk to Axel. Keep him from leaving.” Hardy’s face got hard, the storm rising in his gray eyes. “I’ll talk to Nathan.”
~*~*~
Axel tossed two bags into the back of his truck. He wasn’t sure where he was going to go now, but he’d left his resignation on his desk and emailed Nathan. He hadn’t heard back, but that wasn’t exactly odd. Nathan responded on his own time table. He hadn’t thought much about that until recently.
Nathan was involved in this thing with Bea. He just didn’t know what that thing was, and personally, he didn’t want to know. He’d spent eight years in the Marines, on a need-to-know basis, and had done exactly as he was ordered to do. And eleven of his friends, his family had died because of it. That video was going to change things. He’d have justice for the murders of his men.
No one would silence him. He was out now, free of the military. Free of taking orders. Those days were over.
As if on cue, his cell phone rang. He pressed his lips together tightly as he recognized the No Caller ID label. It was Nathan. It had to be. Only thing was, he wasn’t ready to talk yet. He clicked the power button, turning off the ring and the screen and pocketed the phone.
“You’re leaving.”
He turned around at the sound of Bea’s voice. His breath caught as she walked toward him, dressed in one of those flowery sundresses he loved on her body. From what he could see, she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her nipples were pressing against the fabric, and he ached to run his hands over her body. Her face when she’d been firing a Nerf gun at the festival yesterday flashed in his mind. It was identical to the face she’d had when she’d shot that guy last night.
“Yeah.”
He couldn’t forget the look on her face, the cold stare she gave when she stood over the man she’d killed. There was no regret, or guilt. It was like she was another person. Not the person who wore those dresses.
She stepped toward him, her eyes careful, her actions slow and easy, as if she was afraid to spook him. “I wish you wouldn’t go.”
“I can’t stay here.”
“Because of the attempts on you? Or because of me?”
“Pick one,” he whispered as she slid up next to him, her breasts brushing against his chest. He ached to touch her, but he fisted his hands at his side as her warmth enveloped him. After what he’d seen on that video, he knew he had to leave. He had to get that video into the right hands. Whoever it was that was responsible for those deaths… they weren’t going to stop until Axel was in a hole in the ground and his mother was weeping over his grave.
“What if I told you the truth?”
He glanced down at her, her dark chocolate eyes meeting his. “The truth?”
She licked her lips and he followed that movement, his cock hardening of its own will even as he tried to curse it down. Shit, even knowing that she’d lied to him, kept things from him, he still wanted her.
“You were right. I’ve had training. Not by any organization. I wasn’t military. I wasn’t government.” She drew a deep breath in. “Before I came to Jubilee, I was a contract assassin.”
His heart skipped a beat. “Are you… I mean…”
“No, I’m not here to kill you. I told you that last night.”
“You said a lot of things,” he said. Shit, they’d done a lot of things too. And yet, his fucking body still wanted more. “I don’t know what to believe from you.”
“There are some things I can’t tell you, because they aren’t my secrets to tell,” she said. “What I can tell you is that I have a very dark past and I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of doing. But I’m not here to kill you.”
“I can’t stay here.”
“Why not?�
� She asked. “You’re not alone here, Axel. There are… people here that can help.”
“No.” He went for the truck door, but she blocked his way. “Get out of my way, Bea.”
“Just wait… There are better ways to keep you safe than running away.”
Anger burned inside his chest, melting away the fear. “And you’d know just how much, right? Because you’re so into protecting lives, right?” She recoiled and he took advantage of the reaction. “You told me yourself. You’re a killer. That’s what you do. What do you know about protecting people?”
He drew himself to his full height, loomed over her so she understood exactly how serious he was about this. He was going to get in that truck, and he was going to drive away. He was leaving this fucking town, all of Nathan’s little minions, and his very sexy receptionist and nothing was going to change that.
~*~*~
For all Axel’s posturing, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. He was a good foot taller than her, so much taller that she had to crane her head up, leaving her throat exposed. But she did it, trying to prove to him that she wasn’t scared. Hell, she’d taken down men more dangerous than him. But she also needed his trust, something he wasn’t willing to give anymore.
“You’re not leaving.”
“You gonna stop me?” he growled.
“If I have to,” she replied.
He put his hand on the door again, and she slapped hers on top of him.
“Don’t,” she warned him through her teeth. “Please. Just listen to me.”
His hand tightened on the door. He wasn’t going to listen. Axel was going to make her stop him.
She had to diffuse this, and quickly.
“Axel, I can help you. It has to be done the right way. I know…” she paused. Did she dare tell him the entire truth? She bit her lip. Nathan was definitely going to be upset with her. She’d come clean to her team. It was time to come clean with Axel too.
“What do you know?” He snapped at her, his anger a thick, hot blanket around them.
“I know who’s coming after you, and I know how to stop her.”
He blinked, allowing her to step closer to him. If he was going to knock her down, being close would make it way more difficult for him to get the force he needed in.
“Please, Axel. Please trust me to keep you alive,” she whispered. With her free hand, she slid her fingers around his neck and brought him down to her. As soon as their lips touched, electricity shot through her body.
His body responded immediately, his cock jutting against his jeans, pressing against her belly. His arm slid around her waist, pulling her closer as his hand tightened even more on the door.
She recognized the movement though. And then pinched a spot between his thumb and forefinger and twisted his arm up, breaking his hold on the door. He groaned in pain against her lips, breaking the kiss as she flipped them around so his back hit the door instead.
He swept his leg behind her knee, and she slammed to the ground. He opened the door and she kicked the truck’s door, forcing it open faster than he expected. It hit his face and he stumbled back a few steps.
She jumped to her feet, putting herself between the truck and Axel. He drew his hand from behind. Metal reflected from the overhead light as the dark barrel of his weapon pointed directly at her head.
“Get out of my way,” he said, his voice deadly. There was no hesitation in his voice, no uncertainty.
She raised her hands out, opening up her chest. “Stop being stubborn. Let me help you. You’re wasting your time trying to outrun her. Trust me.”
“You’re wasting my time,” he said. “I have to move now.”
“You’re not a killer, Axel.” She stepped toward him. “You won’t kill me.”
“Wanna bet?”
“I know killers. You’re not one.”
“And yet, you want me to trust you.”
“I need you to.” She met his eyes. Inside them, anger and want mixed together, waves of the blended emotions crested and fell. She focused solely on his eyes. “I will tell you anything you want to know about me. Anything at all. But you’re not leaving this town. I promise you that.”
“I’m the one holding the gun, sweetheart.”
Movement behind Axel alerted her to Jack’s silent presence. Had he followed her up there? Did he see the entire exchange? Jack’s arms lifted, a tranquilizer gun in his hands.
“You think I’m afraid of you shooting me, Axel?” She asked as Jack got into position.
“You should be.”
She snorted without a sound. “I’m not afraid to die. The question is… are you afraid to kill?”
“I’ve killed before.”
“I’ve died before,” she whispered as Jack shot the tranq gun, hitting Axel right in the neck. Axel’s hand flew up to his neck, and Bea moved quickly, disarming Axel before he accidentally shot off a round. As he slumped against her, his dead weight nearly toppled her over. Jack saved her from falling on her ass, lifting Axel’s heavy deadweight over his shoulder like he was nothing.
“You didn’t have to shoot him,” she snapped.
Jack turned and stared at her, his expression cold, his eyes dark. “Should I have waited until he shot you? That way, he could relive that nightmare for the rest of his life?” Jack shook his head. “He isn’t a killer. He sees every face of every person he’s ever killed. Not like us.”
He started toward the lair entrance that was still standing open.
“Where are you going?” Bea ran after him.
“We’re telling him everything, peaches.”
“Nathan didn’t want us—”
“Who the fuck cares,” he replied. Then he turned and walked back toward the garage, carrying the only thing in the world she might have let herself get killed to save.
18
Bridget stared up at the ceiling, the table’s hard surface biting into her back. Cool air skimmed across her overheated center, her skirt still up around her hips. She lifted her head as Nathan stood up. “You’re stopping now?”
Her sex was still pulsing after that second orgasm he’d given her. He was still completely dressed, though a noticeable bulge had formed in front of his jeans.
He nodded. “I’m not fucking you on a table, Bridget. Come now.”
“I thought—”
“I do have more respect for you than that, you know.”
God help him, he actually seemed offended. She pressed her legs together and sat up, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said. He sighed and slid his large hands over her arms, leaving a trail of gooseflesh behind him across her skin. “I’ve never given you reason to think otherwise of me. I shall endeavor to be better about it.”
“Really?” She blinked. She’d expected more of a fight for her equality than he was giving her.
“Yes,” he replied. She slid off the table and into his arms. He helped her down and gently pulled her skirt back over her ass, but not before he palmed the flesh in both his hands. “That doesn’t mean I won’t fuck you later.”
She laughed as he grinned at her. “I wasn’t expecting…”
“It’s all right,” he said. He turned back to the screen, letting go of her. She tried not to miss his embrace as she came to stand next to him. Her hot sex was still sending waves of aftershocks from her orgasms through her body, and the fact that her underwear was in pieces around her hips was only making her hotter. Sex on a table was actually sounding pretty good right then.
But she forced herself to concentrate on the screen. She needed to distract herself so she would stop thinking about how hard she’d just come or how much she wanted Nathan to take her on the table. She rolled her shoulders back. “So, your talk with Senator Reilly didn’t go well, huh?”
“Not so much,” he replied. “There has to be more than what he’s saying, though. I feel it. I know he’s connected with my family’s murders somehow.”
“I did a
background check on him, like you asked,” she replied. “Um, I didn’t bring my tablet in here, though. I wasn’t… exactly…” Her cheeks burned as Nathan’s hot gaze focused on her.
“Sierra can access it for you,” he replied softly. “Sierra?”
“Of course, Mr. Hawk. I’m more than happy to comply,” the AI said. Bridget thought he caught Nathan wince as it spoke. “Downloading the data now.”
The screen popped up with text and pictures a few seconds later.
“Download complete.”
Bridget stepped toward the screen and touched the file on the right. It expanded to fill the screen. “So, you’ve been concentrating on the fact that he owns York Imports, right?”
“Well, yes.”
“I think we’re looking in the wrong place. Still him, but I don’t think York Imports is where it started. He comes from money, so he’s had this York Imports set up for a very long time,” she said. She pointed at the screen. “But… he enlisted in the Marines eleven years ago then was deployed nine years ago before he got out after his four-year obligation was up. Guess with whom he was deployed?”
Nathan’s eyes widened as he looked at the file on the screen. “The same unit Martinez was in. How did I miss this?”
“He wasn’t part of Martinez’s particular squad, but he was there, in that command when the attack happened.” She pointed toward the bottom of the file. “He even sent in testimony about the whole thing. He was there.” She pushed that file off the screen and opened up another. “That same day it happened, he was on the detail that shipped out the containers. Onto a York Imports ship.”
“Martinez might recognize him,” Nathan said. “It’s a good motive for murder. Martinez is a witness. But why now, and not try to off him nine years ago? Martinez was bound to a wheelchair for six months. He wouldn’t have been able to fight an assailant back then.”
“I don’t know,” Bridget said. “Maybe he didn’t know Axel survived?”
“Unlikely. The incident made national news for a bit. Axel was the sole survivor.”
“Then maybe he thought Axel didn’t know anything.”