Blind Justice

by TL Reeve

  “Give me Bexley,” Raul demanded, twisting the knife. “If you do, I’ll end his suffering quickly.”

  “You’re not in control here, Raul.” Asher stepped forward, the muzzle of his AR-15 leveled with Raul’s face. “We are. You have no one to do your dirty work. You’re done. This is it.”

  “Ah, the Commander.” Raul pulled the knife from the wound, allowing blood to flow freely. “I’ve heard things about you.”

  “Yeah? I make all you bitches famous, don’t I?” Asher took a step forward and added, “By killing men like you.”

  “Come work for me,” Raul said. “I’ll pay you more.”

  “No can do.” Asher flicked on the laser pointer attached to his weapon. “My sight is aimed right to the middle of your forehead, and in a second, fifteen more lasers will be pointed there as well. Let Enzo go. Now.”

  “You’re not listening.” Raul stabbed Enzo in the side, between his ribs. “I want Bexley and a plane out of here.”

  “Get him to move two inches to the right,” Noah said. “I’ll have a shot.”

  The only way to get Raul to move was to charge him. Duncan didn’t think twice. He holstered his gun, giving the illusion of being willing to cooperate with Raul’s demands. When Raul pulled the knife from Enzo, Duncan charged. Raul changed position like Noah needed, and in the process, the bastard dropped Enzo. The glass to the window shattered the second Asher shot off a round, hitting Raul in the foot. The second blast from Noah struck Raul in the back of the knee, crumpling him where he stood. The man’s screams filled the room while Duncan rushed to Enzo’s side. He was losing too much fucking blood.

  He opened one of the zippers of his vest to find the quikclot they all carried in case of emergency and began treating the stab wound at his shoulder first. Then he went to work on the slice between his ribs. Already, Enzo’s breathing was labored. If they weren’t quick about it, Enzo’s lung was going to collapse. They needed to get a chest seal or some kind of packing on it with plastic so they could keep the positive pressure in his chest.

  “Medic, we need a fucking medic in here,” Duncan yelled.

  He glanced over where Asher and Laura were slapping cuffs on Raul. The man howled and screamed in pain, but when he spotted Duncan, his features evened out before he gave him a sickening grin filled with malice. He licked his lips then blew Duncan a kiss. The fucking bastard. They should’ve just killed him. He tensed momentarily, willing to fuck his life even more by killing Raul. At least then Bex would be safe and so would Enzo and Bella.

  “You came.” Enzo wheezed, distracting Duncan. “Hermoso.”

  Duncan glanced down at Enzo. His skin was too pale, and his breathing was labored. Duncan swallowed hard. “I’d always come for you.”

  When the medic joined them, they got the patch put onto Enzo’s chest then wrapped gauze around the edges to capture the blood. His shoulder oozed still, but the medics went to work repacking the wound. When they got him loaded onto the stretcher, Enzo opened his eyes. A small smile tugged at his mouth. “Knew it, hermoso. Can’t stay ‘way from this.” His words were slurred, Duncan suspected from the beating he’d taken along with the stabbing.

  He chuckled softly. Relief flooded him. If Enzo could still crack jokes, he was going to make it. “You’re going to be okay. Bella is safe.”

  “Course I am. You saved us.” He tried to smile but winced. “Shit, hermoso.”

  “Stop talking. Rest.” He walked out of the site to the waiting ambulance. “Bella is safe.”

  “Bex?”

  Duncan nodded. “How do you think we found you?”

  “Cool kid.” Enzo took a ragged breath then coughed. “Killed her father’s men. She’s tough.”

  “Yeah she is.”

  “You, on the other hand, have to stop meeting the sharp end of pointy things,” Duncan teased, trying to keep the moment light.

  “Bella digs my scars.”

  Duncan rolled his eyes. “They’re going to take you to the hospital. I have to stay here and finish up.”

  Enzo nodded. “You gotta do your job.” He held his hand up, and Duncan took it. “See you soon, hermoso.”

  Duncan nodded knowing full well this was the last time he’d see Enzo. He’d fulfilled his promise to Bella, bringing Enzo home to her. The thought should’ve made him feel better, but instead it destroyed him a bit more. After he finished there, he’d be going to the apartment he shared with Thomas until he could find another place, and then he’d head back to work for the bureau. Whatever his new assignment might be, he’d deep dive into it so he could ignore what he’d lost. Maybe in a few months he’d forget about the step-siblings.

  There’s no fecking way.

  He stepped back into the house. Everyone was still in the room where they’d found Raul. Asher had fit the asshole with a tourniquet to staunch the bleeding in Raul’s leg. If he had any say, they should’ve let him bleed out, however, Raul might still prove useful. Maybe he could fill in the missing pieces. Duncan snorted. No, the asshole would go to his grave with whatever information he had. He wasn’t the sharing type.

  “We found the other bodies,” Laura said. “They were in the backyard, in the empty pool.”

  “Good times,” Duncan muttered. “Do you know who they are?”

  She shook her head. “No, but we’ll find out. We have a lead on Julian too.”

  Duncan glanced at her. “You going to pick his ass up?”

  “We will be. We still have a few loose ends to collect,” she replied. “You did good here.”

  No. He hadn’t. He put two people and a kid in harm’s way because he needed to clear his head. He allowed emotions to fuck up his reasoning and interfere with his senses. He knew he was being followed and yet he continued to stay at Club X. He fucked up at every turn, no matter what Laura said.

  “Thanks, but this was a fluke and all on Bex. She’s the real hero.” He sighed. “Level with me, is she on the hook for those two in the pool?”

  “All things considered, no,” Laura replied. “She’s the victim here.”

  Duncan nodded. “Good. Kid shouldn’t have her dad’s shit hanging over her head. She deserves to have a carefree life.”

  “I’ll kill you. I’ll kill all of you.” Raul ensnared Duncan with his depraved gaze. “Including you, Agent Frazier.”

  “Have fun with that.” Duncan dropped his accent. “I dare ya, boyo.”

  Laura laughed. “There you are. Planning on keeping the American accent or...”

  Duncan shrugged. “Haven’t decided yet, but I’ll let you know.” He smirked.

  “Well, I don’t care what it says, good or bad. You’ve been a welcome asset. I’ll be putting in a letter of commendation for you.”

  He didn’t want it. A letter wouldn’t give him what or who he wanted. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. You’ve earned it.”

  By the time they left the scene, pink tinged the sky. He’d thought about going back to the club to sleep then drive home, but Asher, the showoff, loaded his shit into the helicopter he flew in and brought Duncan back to the base. He knew he’d have to debrief with Thomas, but at the moment, he didn’t have the wherewithal. He needed a shower and sleep. He also needed enough alcohol to make him forget about Bella and Enzo. Watching the guy he had feelings for carried away by medics and knowing he couldn’t see Enzo or Bella again ripped his soul in two. He’d never recover from any of this.

  He trudged down the hall to the apartment Asher had given him to use while they settled the Dario case. He placed his palm on the pad outside of the room. When he stepped inside, the place was just as fucking empty as he was. He dropped his bag by the door then removed his clothes, one piece at a time until he stumbled onto the bed face first. At least when he inhaled, he didn’t smell Enzo or Bella. He sighed and sat up so he could remove his boots. He needed a shower.

  A knock came at the door before Thomas stepped into his room. “Good to see you made it back in one piece.” />
  He really didn’t want to do this. “Yeah, well, I’m here. Physically.”

  “We didn’t have to send Bella away so soon. We could have brought her here.”

  Duncan sighed. “No. We couldn’t. It’s for the best. You and I both know it.”

  “No, what I know is that you’re so damn set in punishing yourself for your past transgressions, you’re willing to ruin any bit of good that comes into your life.” Thomas placed his hands on his hips. “You’re still taking all the blame on your shoulders.”

  “Yeah, because I flipped the switch and blew that truck up.” It’d been out front of one of the government offices. Unbeknownst to him, there’d been explosives inside. The bomb took the whole front of the building off instead of blowing the windows out and perhaps scoring a mini victory against the monarch. Instead, two people died, and several others were injured.

  “Your father put you in the position to flip the switch. Ever ask yourself why your father refused to get his hands dirty? Ever wonder why he wanted everyone else to do the work?” Thomas cocked his brow.

  Duncan knew. “Because it saved him from having to go to jail and kept him as the figurehead of the IRA.”

  “Exactly. Why do you think it was so easy to make all the deals? He knew you’d be shipped off here, the final piece of his original puzzle taken care of.” Thomas pulled a thumb drive from his pocket. “When you’re done moping, read up on your father’s jobs since you’ve been gone. The real dealings, not the bullshit he’s trying to pass along to you.” Thomas turned and left the room.

  Duncan rotated the drive over in his fingers and blew out a breath. Feck, why did everyone continue to screw with him? Once he had his boots off, he shucked his pants then grabbed a shower. He didn’t know how long he stood under the spray of water, but when it cooled, he got out and climbed into bed. Every inch of him was exhausted. As he drifted off, Thomas’s words floated through his head. Read up on your father’s jobs since you’ve been gone...

  Shit, was everyone trying to fuck him over, including his father? What had he ever done to deserve to be treated like shit? Did it even matter anymore? He shook his head. No, it didn’t. What’s done was done. He didn’t need the drive. He figured out a long time ago that he’d never go home. His father saw him as a threat. Duncan could take his da’s position without even trying. The men were loyal to Duncan, not his father. Sending Duncan to the States forced the guys to fall back in line. His father hadn’t greased palms to save Duncan’s life—he did it to save his legacy.

  However, knowing the truth didn’t change anything. Duncan’s life belonged to the FBI until they were done with him. Then and only then would he be released. With Bella gone and Enzo in the hospital, he was once again alone. This is why you don’t fall for anyone, boyo. Love fecks the whole thing up. Duncan blew out a breath. The only thing his father had said that’d been the truth.

  Fecking asshole.

  Epilogue

  Six months later...

  Duncan sat in the conference room of R.O.O.T.’s C&C and stared at the projection screen in complete disbelief. Raul’s dead body lay in the middle of his solitary cell, curled in the fetal position. A pool of coagulating blood surrounded him. The ticker on the upper right corner of the screen read 21:30, twelve hours before he was supposed to appear in court for the first day of his trial. Duncan couldn’t reconcile what he was looking at. It didn’t make sense. Sure, Raul being dead registered in his brain. But, really? How?

  Due to Raul’s status and the fact Mexico already had issues containing Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán, aka “El Chapo,” the US employed the same tactics—solitary confinement for the duration of his sentence. No one should’ve been allowed in cell. He should have been escorted to the shower and had one hour of outside exercise once all of the other inmates returned to their cells. So, how did someone not only get into the cell, but kill Raul and escape before being seen?

  “The prison believes it was a paid hit,” Asher said. “Still no word on who did it, but I believe we can all speculate who it may have been.”

  Los Trios or Pueblo. They were the only two active cartels trying to dismantle Raul’s cartel.

  “What about Bexley?” Duncan couldn’t pull his gaze away from the screen. “Enzo and Bella?”

  Asher smirked. “They’re fine. According to the Marshals, Bella and Enzo are slowly putting their lives together. We will be sending this update to Witness Protection, but I have a feeling Pueblo and Los Trios will be going to ground soon until the heat is off of them, thanks to SRT and Bex.”

  In the six months since he’d rescued Enzo and sent Bella away, the pair had invaded his every waking thought. There were days he wondered if he’d made the correct decision. On those days, he remembered all of the information they’d given the FBI, and he knew letting them go was the right thing to do—logically. His heart, on the other hand, hated the idea of being ripped from both of them. Every day it felt like he stared up at the light from inside the darkness. He went through the motions. Work. Home. Investigate leads. He hadn’t been back to his apartment at the club since the night he said goodbye to Bella. It was too hard. Everything in his place reminded him of Enzo and Bella.

  “Good,” he said.

  Asher shook his head. “We’ll have the autopsy information along with time of death in the next few days. From there, it’s up to the FBI whether or not they pursue the case any further.”

  “I’m sure there will be an investigation,” Thomas said. “There was a gap somewhere. Someone within the prison staff had a connection or had been paid off. I’m also sure they’ll be in the wind before the investigators can get their hands on him or her.”

  Of course, it was how they worked. The cartels. Even when they could prove what those bastards had done, the witness ended up dead or the suspects disappeared. And, now, Raul was deceased. Duncan supposed the case could be considered closed since there wouldn’t be a trial anymore. It might also be years before anything further would be done about his death, if they even caught the person who killed Raul.

  “Case closed, gentlemen,” Thomas said, standing. “Our partnership, in this particular assignment, has come to an end.”

  Asher sighed. “It’s been a pleasure working with the both of you. I hope R.O.O.T. can count on you should we need you again in the future.”

  Thomas chuckled. “Oh, you’re not getting rid of me so easily. You have what belongs to me. Besides, the place is kind of growing on me.”

  Duncan frowned. Was Thomas done with him? Did he plan on retiring from the agency? He considered his partner for a second. The man gave nothing away. It was infuriating. He pushed away from the conference table and stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m sure there’s another case I should be taking care of.”

  “You didn’t tell him?” Asher sighed. “You were supposed to relay the information before he arrived.”

  “And ruin the surprise?”

  Duncan pivoted. “What surprise?” Stunned, he stood there staring at both men as though they’d lost their ever-loving minds.

  Thomas reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two envelopes. “This took almost all of the favors I was owed to obtain, so if you don’t use it to your advantage, I swear I’ll be the one to arrest you this time, and you won’t be getting out of prison ever again.”

  Duncan accepted the envelope from his partner. “I’m lost.”

  “Also, you’re going to be working with me and Thomas on occasion still. Those are the new terms of your agent status, got it?” Asher added.

  “I’m still lost.” Duncan opened the envelope, and a packet of paper greeted him. “What is this?”

  “Your new identity,” Thomas said. “Your name is now Damian Hooks. You’re a private investigator. You own your own business and have two employees, Xavier Jimenez and Gracella Flores. You call Florida home because of the warm climate and the country living—it’s the best of both worlds. You live in Aloma, away from Orlando but close enoug
h to your office should something happen.”

  Duncan still didn’t understand. He read over the paperwork signed off by the director, Thomas, and Asher, along with another man he didn’t know. The term of the contract was for the remainder of his sentence and also allowed him the opportunity to apply for a green card when he was ready. “Wait, Xavier and Gracella?”

  “He’s a dense one.” Asher shook his head. “Go on, get out of here, Duncan. Take six weeks or three months to settle in then give me a call. I’m sure we’ll have work piling up for you to start on.”

  “But I—” He looked to Thomas. They’d been partners for more years than he could count. Thomas was his family. “How do I—” He swallowed hard.

  “It’ll get sorted, don’t worry. Now get your ass out of here. Your plane leaves in under two hours.” Thomas pointed to the door. “I’ll have your shit sent to you.”

  Shocked and still not sure what was going on, a tingle of hopefulness filled him. Could it be? No. He squashed the thought before it took root and set him up for disappointment. No, Thomas was giving him a way to escape the memories. A fresh start. A new life. He’d be able to cut ties with everything he knew and be done with his father. With the IRA. With his old transgressions.

  “Thanks. I mean, I—” He didn’t know what to say to Thomas. The man saw past all the bluster and bullshit Duncan carried. He’d made Duncan feel welcome in a situation he shouldn’t have belonged in. Leaving him behind didn’t feel right or real.

  “When you’re settled, AJ, Scotty, and I will come down and visit. We’ll go to Disney World of something.” Thomas shooed him. “You’re going to miss your flight.”

  “Right.” Duncan folded the paperwork back into the envelope. “I’m assuming this is my new identification and plane ticket?” He shook the other envelope.

  “Yep. You’ll receive a passport in a few months. Can’t have you stuck stateside forever,” Asher said. “Never know when I might need you and your partners in another country.”