The Hitman: Secret Billionaire
Chapter 1
Samantha shimmied down the pipe and squatted by the window, ear pressed up against the pane. Silent. It was dead silent. Maybe her imagination was at work again. After all, it was two in the morning and she had long run out of coffee. She grimaced and strained to catch just any sound. Inching forward carefully, she peered inside the darkened room and sighed inwardly in disappointment. There was nothing there to be seen or heard.
Surveillance during one of the coldest nights of the year was a pain in the ass. Especially when there was nothing much to keep an eye on. Geared up for an action filled night, Samantha felt disappointed as she headed back to the car. Good, she thought as she glanced inside, Finn was not back yet from his coffee run. Having grown frustrated with the suspect’s no show, she had sent her partner to the all night diner around the corner. That was when she had heard what had sounded like a commotion from the warehouse under watch.
Samantha was just about to slide into her seat when a scream caught her attention. Her head snapped up and hit the roof of the car as she hurriedly withdrew and started to run towards the direction of the noise. She had not imagined it earlier. Carefully drawing her gun out, she pushed the door and it opened easily. Someone was definitely inside. Ignoring the small nagging voice in the back of her head that cautioned her to wait for her partner, she stealthily made her way further into the warehouse.
“Help!” The cry came from her left. “Oh God, help me please!”
Quickening her steps, she followed the voice. It sounded like a young girl. Familiar. Something niggled in Samantha’s head but she returned the focus on the rescue mission.
“Why won’t you help me?” The voice pleaded in a heart-breaking tone.
Almost there, sweetie. Hang on. Samantha cocked her gun and burst into an open area, ready to fire at the assailants when her body froze in surprise and anger.
The area was empty except for a chair placed in the center with a recorder emitting the cry for help. She quickly scanned the surroundings when she noticed the wall. Painted in what she hoped was red spray paint across the wall were the words ‘LOSERS. You DIE next’ followed by a strange symbol. She desperately wanted to kick the tiny recorder to smithereens but controlled the urge, carefully lifting the device up with her napkin when she heard the click.
She spun around, her finger on the trigger and came face to face with -- Finn.
“What the hell, man?!”
“You deserved that,” the irate man replied, heading towards the wall to examine it.
“I almost shot you,” Samantha spat out.
“You almost gave me a heart-attack. You know how freaked out I was when I came back to the car and you were gone? I thought something had happened. There wasn’t even a note! And what were you thinking, coming in here all alone?”
Samantha sighed. Finn could be such a drama queen at times. It had not been like she had deliberately walked into danger. But trying to get him to see it from her point of view would be hopeless. He thought she was too reckless and did not miss an opportunity to tell her that.
“Finn, breathe. It wasn’t like I broke any protocol. I heard a disturbance, I had to investigate.”
He huffed and ran his fingers through his hair, grumbling, “Woman, working with you has given me more grey hairs than I would like right now.”
Finn was five years senior to her thirty-three and his salt and pepper hair had not been her doing. They had only been working together for one and half years after her old partner transferred to another division in the FBI. While of the two, he was the light hearted one, he always seemed on the edge whenever Samantha took matters into her own hands.
Turning away from him to hide her slight grin, she abruptly brought his attention to the main issue at hand. “They’re on to us.”
“Unfortunately. But how did they know we had a stakeout here?”
They had been as discreet as possible. So how had the gang gotten on to them? For a month the FBI had been tracking a new gang in town, or rather, trying to. The gang was so clever they were eluding all the traps. The whispers on the streets and a bank robbery was all they had when they started their pursuit of the mysterious gang. The work was between two divisions but they foisted the case to homicide when a body dropped during the bank scene.
Samantha now realized why the other team had been relieved when they signed away the paperwork. It was like trying to catch the wind. Almost impossible. It was like they did not exist or were ghosts who left nothing behind once their work was done. Just general destruction and a whole lot of confusion.
“Is that their sign?” Finn asked, tracing the strange symbol with curious fingers.
“Could be. Let’s call CSU down here and have them comb the place. Maybe they will come up with something useful.”
“We’re chasing ghosts here when we could be doing better things,” Finn groaned as he made the call.
Samantha understood and felt his frustration. They had a record for closing cases quicker than anyone else on the division but this one was taking its toll, the stress working its way fully into their systems. Glancing down at her watch, she almost groaned at the time. It was three already. The CSU was crawling all over the place and were almost done which meant she could go home and hit the sack. Any more work would have to wait until the next shift.
Finn stared at the Samantha as she stood at the far end of the room, observing the team at work. Tension etched across her forehead and she swirled the end of her ponytail almost absentmindedly. When he had been transferred to homicide, the prospect of having to work with a new partner had been daunting to him. However, the instant he had laid his eyes on the tall, dark haired woman, his anxiety had disappeared. There was an elegance about her that drew people in. That and the hypnotic blue eyes.
She had not been very welcoming towards him. She tested him at every turn and frankly, he did not mind. She was just doing her job at ensuring that her new partner was not a knucklehead. He would be doing the same if he had not known what a wonder woman of an agent she was. But sometimes she forgot she had a partner. Someone to watch her back. Finn shuddered as he thought of some of the bold things she had done without having him at her back. A strong woman like her probably hated the idea of someone else having her back but she needed to see the bright side of it.
“Ready to head home?”
“Couldn’t be more ready,” she groaned out, her soft pink lips parting.
Finn pulled away from the warehouse and got them back on the road, en route home. He stepped on the accelerator when he saw her yawn repeatedly and rub at the stiff muscles in her neck. The woman was just a tense ball. So was he. Had they wrapped up early, he would have driven her to a bar he had grown rather fond of but it was not the right moment then. It had been a rather long day.
“We’re here, Sam.”
Finn’s voice shook Samantha out of the sleep stupor she was in. Blinking her eyes rapidly, she looked out to see they had indeed arrived at her place. With an effort, she pulled herself upright, grabbed her bag and stepped out into the early morning chill. The coffee she had been waiting for so desperately had been interrupted by the disruption and now its lack was being discovered by her too driven body.
“Thanks, Finn. See you tomorrow.”
“You mean tonight.”
She groaned. He laughed. “Good night, Sam.”
“Good night, Finn.”
She walked up to the door, dragging herself, her limbs heavy from exhaustion. When she did not hear the car pull away, she turned to see what the issue was. The man just gestured towards her door with a frown on his face. He was waiting for her to unlock and get inside. Worrywart. She slid the key into the lock, flung the door open, turned off the alarm and locked herself inside before waving Finn away.
Grumbling about his almost OCD behavior, she kicked off her clothes and got under the hot steam, moaning as the muscles c
ontracted painfully and then started to loosen up. It had indeed been a long day. Her mind was amazingly blank as she toweled off hurriedly, threw on a shirt and flung herself on the bed, her eyes drifting completely shut as soon as her body met the soft mattress.
Chapter 2
“What do you think?” Samantha pushed the photo towards their tech genius who also dabbled in other fields.
Pushing her glasses up, Haley peered at the photo. The longer she studied it, the deeper her frown got.
“I haven’t seen this before,” she said in a forlorn voice. “Is it for the gang case you’re working on?”
Haley had an eidetic memory, which meant she could remember almost everything she laid her eyes upon. She was like a walking database of everything that had ever come across her desk. Her not recognizing the symbol was just more bad news, making the hunted gang more mysterious than ever.
“It is.”
“Didn’t they use another one in their last graffiti?”
“Yep. Why? What are you on to?”
Haley pulled herself towards her desk and began tapping away at the keyboard.
“Give me some time. I think I can figure out what’s going on here.”
Samantha took the hint and slowly backed out of the room. Haley’s super mind might just give them the much needed crack in the case.
“Hey Sam,” Agent Warren acknowledged her as she walked back to her desk. “How’s it going?”
“Seen better days, Warren.”
“That bad huh?”
Samantha just sighed and nodded. For the next two hours, she threw herself into the previous cases’ paperwork, the rest of the office chaos unheard by her. She was almost done when Finn plopped down on her desk.
“I need a favor.” The man always got straight to the point. That’s why she liked having him around.
“I’m not doing your paperwork.”
“No, that’s not it. This is a more personal kind of favor,” he said grimacing slightly.
Slowly she put down her pen and stared up at him. “I’m afraid to ask what the favor is now.”
“It’s actually a fun kind of favor. Involves drinking and dancing.”
“No, Finn.” She shook her head dramatically. “I’m not turning into a stripper for the bachelor party. That ship has sailed.”
“Wait, what?” Green eyes widened in shock and his face twisted in a distasteful manner. “I would never!”
Samantha tried to the fight the smile that creeping onto her face but failed. A small laugh escaped her and her blue eyes sparkled mischievously as understanding dawned on Finn’s features.
“What’s your favor, partner?”
“My baby sister’s in town and needs someone to hang out with. So I volunteered you.”
“You have a sister?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I have three. I am the second child. Now will you go out with her, please?”
“Sorry Finn, the second child. I do not swing that way.”
“Sam,” he groaned out. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. Please put me out of my misery and say yes. Please?” He looked at her with pleading green eyes, turning on the charm just a bit.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“What?”
“You said she was your baby sister. Instead of hanging out with her yourself, you’re foisting her upon your partner. So what’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing.” At her incredulous look, he maintained his side. “Missy is great. In fact, she’s the sweetest and most easy-going of all my sisters. It’s just that …” A pained expression came on his face. “She wants to go clubbing.”
“Clubbing?”
“Yes, clubbing.” He uttered the word like it was the nastiest thing he had ever had to say. “Can you imagine me dancing?”
“Come to think about it, I can’t actually. But I would love to see you try!” Samantha said with a grin.
“Do not wish for things you do not understand, Miss Gideon,” Finn advised with a small shudder. “Look, you two are going to hit it off. I told her a bit about you and she wants to meet you. It’s perfect. You get to have fun and get to know each other. So, please?”
“I shouldn’t.” She brushed his offer aside and buried her nose in another file.
“There will be free drinks.”
There was utter silence for three seconds and then a low, “I’ll be there,” came from behind the file.
Finn threw her a crooked grin and hopped off the desk. “Thanks a lot, Sam! I owe you one. I’ll drop Missy off at your place and then you girls can do your thing.”
“I only agreed because you pleaded so much and your sister sounds nice!” she yelled at his retreating back.
“Okay, sure!”
The warm water cascaded through her hair eliciting a moan when it touched the sore muscles of her slender neck. Samantha stood in the shower as long as she could and then stepped out gingerly. Wrapping the towel under her arms, she walked towards the full length mirror in her sparsely decorated room and stared at her reflection. It had been a while since she had seen any action at all. Well, mostly in the bedroom. Something she was desperately craving. Going out tonight was the perfect opportunity to pick up some action. Or so she hoped.
“Don’t jinx it by thinking about it, Sam.” Great. Now she was talking to her reflection. Turning away, she walked towards her closet and stared in consternation at the contents. Her savior chose to arrive at that moment as the shrill door rang in the apartment.
“Gina! Thank God, you’re here.”
“Well, hello there. If that’s how you answer your door every time … can I just say woah mama?” The woman’s red painted lips stretched into a smirk as she took in Samantha’s towel attired self.
“I’m having wardrobe problems,” Samantha stated, dragging her friend towards the bedroom.
“This usually starts with – You look gorgeous babe. Why, thank you. But I like your forwardness.”
Gina and she had met in the coffee shop across her office. While Gina had worked there as a part time, Samantha had walked in. A few cases later, Gina turned into an honorary bartender for Samantha. She was easy to talk to when she was not being overly sarcastic and she understood. Plus she had the good stuff – the much needed caffeine. They hit it off. Now that the part time was over, they saw less of each other due to their demanding jobs – Gina now worked in an art gallery. Tonight was about catching up and having some good old fashioned fun like Finn had said.
“Girl, you need to update your wardrobe. This stuff is like centuries old.” Gina sighed comically as she flicked through the hangers.
“C’mon… How about this one?” Samantha held up a sparkly halter top for inspection.
“God, no. Put that aside, Cullen.”
“Cullen?”
“Seriously? You don’t know about the sparkly vampires?” Gina asked with an incredulous face.
“Why are they sparkly?”
Gina laughed, her red curls bouncing in the process. “You need to read. Catch up with the latest trends. Brush the cobwebs away. Speaking of cobwebs, look what I found in the infested area of your closet.”
Tossing the towel onto the bed, Samantha stepped into the dress and pulled it up, the soft material caressing her skin in an electrifying manner. She turned towards the mirror as she pulled up the zipper under her arm and exhaled slowly. This was the dress. The deep purple material hugged all her curves perfectly coming to an end at mid-thigh accentuating the long, slender legs. It dipped teasingly at the cleavage, outlining the mounds instead.
“Wow,” Gina stepped behind her and whistled at the reflection. “You look stunning. Why have you been hiding that dress from the public eye?”
“I forgot I even had it. I think I had bought it for some office party and it got cancelled and I just forgot about it,” Samantha said smoothing her hands over the dress lightly. “You think it’s appropriate to wear
to a club?”
“Appropriate? It’s highly inappropriate is what it is. You’re going to blow some serious male brain cells tonight, if you know what I mean.”
Samantha laughed. There came the innuendos she had been waiting for. Gina was not Gina if she did not make sarcastic comments or subtly place sexual innuendoes in her talks. Just as they were catching up, the doorbell rang again.
“I’ll get it.” Gina bounded to the door and flung it open with a wide smile only to freeze. Her grip on the door knob slipped as her palms started sweating and she tried to paste her smile back on. “What’re you doing here?”
Chapter 3
“Hello, Gina,” Finn’s deep voice greeted. His nose flared as his eyes travelled from her stilettos upwards taking in the beautiful sight. “It’s good to see you too.”
Gina shivered at the way he said that. The tips of her ears turned red and suddenly she felt clumsy in her shoes. She took a step back, nearly spraining her ankle before warm hands encircled her arms, pulling her up against a hard body and steadied her.
“Easy there, flighty,” Finn whispered in her ear, the warm breath causing goosebumps to erupt across her skin.
“Hey, Finn. You’re on time,” Samantha said interrupting their lust filled moment.
They both hurriedly straightened up looking slightly guilty like they had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Putting distance between them, Finn headed back to the door and yelled out. “Come on, Missy. Stop hiding behind that mirror of yours and come meet the beautiful ladies.”
“You oaf. I had something in my eye.” A short blond woman in a black dress stepped into their view, a wide smile painted on her lips. “Hello, I’m Missy. Sorry for lagging behind. It was a bit windy on the way, not sure what flew in…”
Promised Box Set Page 77