Ultimate Prey (Book 3 Ultimate CORE) (CORE Series)

by Kristine Mason

  He stabbed the knife into the belly of one of the flamingos. His heart rate immediately shot up and the knife shook in his hand as white powder poured from the plastic. He quickly lopped the head off another flamingo, picked it up and then pulled out a bag of cocaine.

  Back in the seventies and eighties, there were residents of Everglade City who had been known to smuggle marijuana. Just last year, the U.S. Coastguard seized forty-million dollars’ worth of cocaine from smugglers they’d located in the Caribbean, then had offloaded the drugs at Port Everglades, near Fort Lauderdale. Based on the amount of cocaine he assumed was inside the flamingos, and the blood and fingers, he worried about what kind of operation was being run from the trailer.

  And when the owner might come back.

  He set the knife and flashlight on the bed, aiming the light toward the boxes. He moved the box of souvenirs, then opened the one beneath it. When he found more flamingos, he turned the flashlight toward the garbage bag, then grabbed the knife. He sliced into the bag, then stepped back when white powder fell to the floor.

  Where there were drugs, chances were, guns would also be present. He took the flashlight and searched the room, then let out a sigh of relief when he came across two pistols and a rifle, along with ammo hidden beneath a blanket in the corner near the garbage bags. He set the weapon and boxes of bullets on the mattress, then checked the small built-in closet. A pair of boots sat at the base, a camouflaged hooded sweatshirt draped on top of them. He checked the size of the boots. Two sizes too small, he’d never be able to wear them, but the sweatshirt look as if it would fit. He held it up, then quickly tossed it back on top of the boots. He was desperate, but not enough to wear clothes covered in someone else’s blood.

  After finding nothing else, he scooped up the guns, ammo and knife, then walked back to the living room. “Are you awake?” he whispered.

  “I’m so tired, but I can’t shut my mind off long enough to fall sleep.” Cami opened her eyes, then widened them. She picked up the flashlight next to her, then aimed it at him. “Oh, my God. What kind of fisherman is this guy?”

  “He’s not.”

  “Hunter?”

  He knelt in front of her. “No,” he said, part of him wanting to hide what he’d found, while the other part knew she deserved the truth. She needed to decide whether she wanted to risk sleeping in the trailer, or take a chance and make camp outside with the bugs and animals.

  “I found dried blood and somebody’s fingers in the bathroom,” he said, loading one of the pistols. “And cocaine in the bedroom.”

  Her gaze drifted over his shoulder to the back rooms. “Did you find a…body?”

  “No.”

  “Was there dust on the boxes or bags?”

  He thought about it for a second. “I don’t think so,” he said, understanding where she was heading. “There wasn’t any on the bags of food and water jugs in here, either.”

  She let out a breath and pushed her blond bangs from her face. “He could come back.”

  “He could, but it’s getting late and it’s pitch black outside.” He picked up the other pistol, then began loading it. “We don’t know if Steven has camped for the night. As it is, keeping these flashlights on makes me nervous. He could still be out there looking for us. We could take our chances here, then leave at dawn, or take our chances outside.”

  She briefly closed her eyes and shook her head. “We won’t be able to see a thing. I don’t want to risk tripping over something, or stepping in a hole and breaking an ankle.”

  “I also think we’re not far from the water.”

  She cringed. “Yeah, I don’t want to run into an alligator, or whatever else might be hanging out by the shore.”

  “So, what do you want to do? I’m good with staying for the night. We have weapons. If someone comes to the trailer, we can protect ourselves.” When worry lines creased her forehead, he added, “But I doubt anyone will be coming. I can’t imagine navigating these waters at night.”

  “Okay, then we stay. But I want one of those guns.”

  Not a chance in hell. “Cami, these aren’t props and I’d prefer to not have my head accidentally blown off while I’m sleeping.” Since he didn’t want to leave her completely unprotected, he handed her the knife. “You can have this, though.”

  “Whatever,” she said, but took the knife. After she sat back down, she pulled the blanket around her. “You’re in control.” She closed her eyes. “As usual.”

  “Said the pot to the kettle.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” She turned her head and glared at him. “I’m not the control freak. You, on the other hand—”

  “Really? Have you ever looked at how you are with your daughter?” he asked, and finished loading the rifle.

  “Don’t even go there. At least I’ve been a part of my daughter’s life.”

  “Low blow, Cami.” He slid one of the pistols behind him and inside the waistband of his jeans. If Steven found them and they were forced to run, he wouldn’t have to worry about collecting weapons in the dark, only fleeing. “At least I didn’t coddle my kid,” he said, setting the other two weapons by the wall.

  “I didn’t coddle Lola.”

  “You coddled and controlled her. You still do.”

  “That’s not true.”

  He sat next to her, then checked to make sure the guns were within reach. “I would’ve never hired her if you hadn’t asked me. Ever. She has confidence in herself, but no direction. That’s your fault. I wasn’t there for Celeste, and it’s probably a good thing because I would have spoiled the hell out of her, too. Instead, her mom and the father who raised her taught her to work hard and set goals.”

  “Lola has goals.”

  “And they are?”

  She pushed off the wall, then rolled onto her side, using her good arm as a pillow. “I’m finished with this conversation.”

  He turned off the flashlights. Guilt had him too restless to close his eyes. “You know I care about Lola. I’m sorry, I should never have implied—”

  “It’s fine,” she said on a quiet sob. “And it’s true. But she’s my baby, no matter how old she is. I…I talked her into moving to Chicago. Actually, I guilted her into coming and made it seem like it was her decision.”

  He slid to the floor, then curled next to her. “Why?” he asked, and rubbed a hand along her side.

  “I didn’t want to be alone. After Andy died, I could see the restlessness in Lola. Losing her father had been hard on her. She was still in high school and started talking about applying to colleges in New York, or maybe going to university somewhere in Europe for a few years. Instead of encouraging her, I planted other ideas in her head. Helped find her jobs in LA, encouraged her to live with me while she went to college. She’s not stupid or gullible, but she’s sweet and loves me.” Cami twisted, then touched his arm. “Do you really think I did wrong by her?” she asked, a catch to her voice.

  “No. You’re a great mom. But…you don’t have to worry about being alone.” He slid his hand along the blanket, then squeezed her hip. “You have me.”

  “Don’t you mean, had? I said a lot of awful things to you today that I didn’t mean.”

  He grinned. “I think you meant most of what you said, and I also think I deserved some of the shots you gave me. But I said things I didn’t mean, as well. I love you and I don’t want to lose you. When this is over, I hope you’ll consider giving us another chance.”

  She wrapped an arm around him. “I can’t walk away from you, and not just because I’m scared of being alone. I love you, too.”

  “I’d kiss you right now, but I stink and—”

  Her lips brushed against his. “I love you. Even when you stink.”

  “What about when I’m being controlling?”

  She gave him another kiss. “We might have to work on that,” she said, then let out a low groan. “My arm is killing me. I need to roll back onto my other side. Do you want to share my blanke
t?”

  Once she readjusted herself, he pulled the blanket over both of them, then spooned her against his body. As her breathing regulated, and he lay in the dark listening to the sounds of the Everglades, he said a prayer. They might have survived today, but he wasn’t sure they had a chance in hell of making it through tomorrow. If they did, he’d find a way to make Steven pay for his sins.

  He’d spent his life following rules and adhering to the law. But Steven had made a mistake coming after him and placing Cami’s life in danger. He pulled her closer as he remembered bandaging her wounds. Hatred and vengeance settled deep inside him. They would survive this. They would move on with life, marry and live happily ever after.

  Steven wouldn’t.

  One way or another, even if he died in the process, he would make sure the man never left his hunting grounds.

  *

  “If you’re not lying beside me, I’m not going to be able to sleep.”

  Lola hung her head and smiled. If only Ryan knew how romantic those words were. She knew he wasn’t about romance, though, but about safety. She looked over her shoulder, just as he emerged from the tent. “Sorry,” she said. “I’m a night owl.”

  “I tend to be, too.” He sat beside her. “But given the circumstances, today’s an exception. It’s been a long time since I’ve hoofed it for over twelve hours. For the first time, I feel old.”

  The spot they’d chosen to camp for the night offered a break in the trees. Like a mocking half-smile, the moon hung in a sky riddled with stars, giving her just enough light to make out the contours of Ryan’s face. “How old are you?” she asked, rubbing her shoulders to ward off the chilly air.

  “Thirty-five. You?”

  “I turned twenty-nine last month.”

  “Now I really feel old,” he said, his tone teasing.

  “Thirty-five isn’t old.”

  “That’s easy to say when you’re still clinging to your twenties.” He shook his head. “Sometimes I wish I could go back and redo things.”

  She did the math. “You weren’t with the SEALs when you were twenty-nine. When did you start your business?”

  “About six months after I left. My brother is a silent partner. Between the money I had saved, and the money he’d invested, I was able to buy the business from a friend of Barney’s.” He picked up a stick, then drew random lines in the dirt. “Business was slow at first. So slow I thought I’d have to close months into starting it. But then I took a risk—I’m talking second mortgage risk—added the ice cream parlor and souvenir shop, got a website, did a bunch of advertising, and a year later, I was in the black. From there, I expanded, bought another boat, and another, then I bought a rental property.” He half-laughed. “Then another. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s paid off. My house isn’t as nice as my rentals, but I’m doing better than I ever thought.”

  “You should be proud of yourself,” she said, happy for him, yet disappointed with herself. He’d been two years younger than her when he’d started his business. At twenty-seven, she’d been on her twelfth job. Or was it her thirteenth?

  “What about you? I know you just started working for CORE this year, but what’d you do before that?”

  What hadn’t she done? “I was finding my way. Tell me about your brother? You said he’s a silent partner. What’s he do for a living?”

  “There you go, avoiding a question with another one. Why do you do that? I mean, you ask me something, I tell you.” He nudged her with his shoulder. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you work for the CIA, instead of CORE.”

  She had been avoiding his questions, which was bad on her part considering how honest he’d been. But she was afraid he’d think less of her if he knew the truth. Did it really matter what she told him, though? They’d eventually go their separate ways and she’d never see him again. Which, for some unexplainable reason, bothered her.

  God, she couldn’t even be honest with herself.

  She liked him. A lot. And wished they’d met, not only under different circumstances, but in Chicago, where they could date and come to know each other without having to worry about saving her mom and Ian, or stumbling over tripwires and snakes. Since that wasn’t the case and they were, as Ryan had reminded her multiple times, partners, she owed him the same trust he’d shown her.

  “I’m embarrassed,” she finally admitted. “You’ve set goals for yourself and followed through with them. Me? Not so much.”

  “Why do you say that? It’s my understanding that your boss doesn’t just let anyone work for him.”

  “It kinda helps when your mom is engaged to your boss. I doubt Ian would have hired me otherwise.”

  “I think you’re selling yourself short. You said you have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Fortunately I haven’t had to see you use a gun, but it sounds like you can hit a target. You have a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, you’re smart, learn fast and work well under pressure. I’m sure Ian’s more impressed with you than you realize. Plus, you did take down five bad guys by yourself, right?”

  On paper, she sounded pretty good, if all of it were true. “Criminal justice was actually my minor. I majored in theater.”

  “I knew it,” he said, satisfaction in his tone. “When you told me you wanted nothing to do with acting, I kept wondering how that could be? Your parents had to have some influence on you. Between their connections, the way you look and—”

  “I never wanted to be an actress. That was my parents, mostly my mom. And, before you ask, I can act. I just didn’t enjoy doing it.”

  He dropped the stick and leaned back on his hands. “I bet it’s a lot of pressure.”

  “You were a SEAL. I think you know more about pressure than I ever will. I’ve seen documentaries on what you guys had to go through to pass your training. Did you really swim one hundred meters with your feet and hands bound?”

  “I did. But that ended up being a cake walk compared to some of the other exercises we had to go through during training.”

  “See, that’s what I mean. That’s real pressure.” She crossed her legs and leaned back so they were shoulder to shoulder. “At first, I did like acting, but didn’t like the roles I was given. There are only so many parts for a half-white, half-Asian woman. I did some films as a kid, no speaking parts. I was either the token Asian kid in a classroom, or an extra on a set for a Vietnam War film. Because of my dad, I also did a few choreographed martial arts stunts. It was fun and exciting, but as I got older, I learned about the reality and the dangers. All I had to do was look at my parents.”

  “Meaning?”

  “My mom couldn’t break free from her ‘scream queen’ roles and after they stopped producing the Evil that Lurks movies she had a tough time finding work. It was only when she tried theater that she started making a name for herself again—nearly twenty years after she’d hit the peak of her career.”

  “And the danger?”

  “My dad died while performing a stunt that should have been routine. So you can understand why I didn’t choose that route.”

  “I’m sorry, Lola. I envisioned you living this great life in some Beverly Hills mansion and never having to worry about much.”

  She pushed up, then hugged her knees. “I did have a great life. We weren’t living in a mansion, but I wasn’t denied much. Being out here, being with you, I’ve realized that I need to grow up.”

  He chuckled. “What the hell are you talking about? Come on, Lola. I told you to stay out of your head. From where I’m sitting, I think you’re doing just fine.”

  Frustration had her hugging her knees tighter. “That’s because you don’t know me. CORE is my twelfth or thirteenth job. What’s pathetic is, I can’t remember.”

  “So what? I did plenty of odd jobs when I was in high school and college.”

  “My jobs were after I graduated from college, I’m not counting before then. If I did, the list would probably jump to twenty.”

  He sat up, then
turned to face her. “Let me get this straight, you’re bent out of shape and soul searching because you can’t commit to a job?”

  “Exactly. I quit everything. Or I screw up so bad, I’m fired. For example, my mom got me a job in the casting department at the studio. I lasted one month. I mistakenly sent a group of little people dressed as Santa’s elves to the wrong set. The director of a gladiator movie was expecting hulking, oiled-up, half-naked giant guys, and ended up with elves. Which threw off production by days, costing the studio thousands of—it’s not funny,” she said over his laughter.

  “I would’ve loved to have seen that director’s face. Or Santa’s, when he saw his elves were half-naked gladiators,” he said, then laughed harder.

  She couldn’t help joining him. At the time her screw-up had been humiliating. Looking back now, it was rather funny.

  When his laughter died, he pried her hands from her knees, then held them. “I don’t know why you’re beating yourself up because you couldn’t make up your mind over what career to choose.”

  “It’s more than that. I can’t seem to make a decision without checking with my mom first.”

  “And that’s a bad thing? Do you know how many times I wished I would’ve asked my folks for advice, instead of being thick-headed and thinking I know it all? If I had, I probably wouldn’t have gone into the Navy or became a SEAL. But if that had happened, I wouldn’t have met Dante, or—”

  “Be stuck in the Everglades with me, trying to catch a killer and rescue my mom and Ian.”

  “I was going to say that I wouldn’t have met Cole and a number of other men who’ve taught me what being part of a team is all about, and that it’s okay to be afraid, even when you’re trying to be a hero.” He laced his fingers through hers. “And for the record, I’m glad we met. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”