Battlefield (The Covenant Book 2)

by Gwendolyn Casey

  The fire crackled, giving the illusion of warmth in this icy conversation. She clearly wasn’t going to accept my olive branch, so I decided to cut my losses and head for the bar. I managed to find a Sprite and drank it down as fast as I could.

  It wasn’t long before Rafe and Jordan came into the room. They both looked dashing in three-piece suits, Rafe in dark blue and Jordan in black.

  Rafe came over to me, and Jordan stepped toward Cara. But not before giving me one of his sexy smirks that made me melt just a little bit.

  “You look wonderful,” Rafe said, kissing my cheek.

  I leaned in and whispered, “I think you should talk to Cara. She seems a little tense about tonight.”

  Rafe gave me a serious look and then nodded. But before he could step away, Silvito came into the room with his wife by his side. Marilyn was in a red gown with a jeweled jacket, and Silvito had on a black suit, looking much subtler than he had earlier in the day.

  “My children,” Silvito said lovingly, but there was an underlying tone that was a little disturbing.

  We made our way into the connecting dining room, and Rafe pulled out my chair next to his mother. Silvito took his seat at the head, and Jordan helped Cara into her seat across the table from us.

  The staff set down the first course, and I glanced up to see Silvito whispering something to the head butler. The man simply nodded before standing straight and leaving the room. Silvito glanced at me and winked, an ominous smirk on his face.

  My nervousness tripled at that wink, but I swallowed it down and smiled back the best I could.

  Everyone was about to start eating when Silvito suddenly stood up. “Before we begin, I just wanted to propose a toast,” he said, lifting his wineglass. “I am so happy to be home for the holidays for the first time in…” He looked at his wife. “Four years?”

  “Six,” she said with a little laugh.

  “Yes, business has kept me away, as well as other matters. Such as members of the CIA.”

  I glanced at Jordan, trying to hide my surprise at Silvito’s confession. Jordan had a light smile on his face, but his eyes told me that something was wrong.

  I tried not to panic as Silvito continued to speak. “They have had me on the run for quite a while. But I finally thought they had given up and I was free of them.”

  He paused, still smiling. I felt like the room was about to explode. Without meaning to, my hand reached out to Rafe’s leg under the table. His hand found mine, gripping my fingers roughly.

  “And then my son brought one home for Christmas,” Silvito said. Suddenly, he pulled a gun from a holster under his suit jacket, pointing it at Jordan.

  Silvito pulled the trigger, the gunshot echoing through the room. I couldn’t help the scream that came out of my mouth as I watch Jordan fall backwards out of his chair.

  I stood up to see Jordan on his back, clutching at his arm where blood was coming out from between his fingers. I started to breathe again when I realized it wasn’t a death wound.

  Rafe stood up beside me, and then Silvito turned the gun on him. “I’m sorry, son.” And then the gun went off again, the bullet hitting Rafe square in the chest. He let go of my hand as he fell to the floor.

  “No,” Cara screamed, and I scrambled out of my seat to help him.

  I got on my knees, ready to put pressure on the wound, but when I looked at Rafe’s face, his eyes were open and still. He was already dead.

  “Why did you shoot him?” Cara yelled as she ran to our side of the table. She looked down at her brother, shock covering her face.

  “My dear, it was necessary. I couldn’t let him live after what you told me.”

  It took a moment for Silvito’s words to sink in, but once they did I turned on Cara.

  “You told him?” I said. I stood as I felt the cold stab of betrayal in my chest.

  Cara suddenly straightened, lifting her chin. “Rafe has always been a fool. I’ve always known about Dad’s business.”

  “Of course she’s known. Who do you think I was grooming to take over?” Silvito said before he glanced down at Rafe. “Certainly not this idiot.”

  Marilyn stood up slowly, her eyes wide as they stared at Rafe on the floor.

  “My dear,” Silvito said, coming to her side. “I’m sorry you had to see this.” She may have started crying if he hadn’t put a hand on her shoulder and made her turn to face him.

  “Marilyn, why don’t you go into the kitchen with Cara while I finish this?”

  It took a moment, but Marilyn simply nodded, a lifetime of oppression making her obey without thinking. She walked around the table to Cara, but she stepped away.

  “No, I want to watch you end these two,” Cara said, her face turning vengeful.

  I looked at Jordan across the table. He was sitting up with his hand still clutching his arm, his eyes full of anger. He probably felt Cara’s betrayal even more than I did.

  “What are you going to do with us?” I asked.

  Silvito looked at me. “I'll probably get a good price on you even if you are a little old, but babies go quick.” It took me a moment to realize he was talking about making me into a slave and selling my baby to the highest bidder. I clutched at my stomach. “But first I am going to use you to get this one to talk,” he said, pointing his gun at Jordan. “And I’ll have a nice surprise waiting for the CIA when they arrive tonight.”

  I stood still, refusing to give in to fear just yet. I briefly thought about searching Rafe for a gun. I didn’t see one on him before, but maybe he had it hidden. Even if I could get a hold of it, I knew I couldn’t beat Silvito in a gunfight. But I could use it on myself. Then the baby wouldn’t be sentenced to lifetime of slavery, and we couldn’t be used against Jordan.

  But before I could move, another gunshot rang out, making me close my eyes and clutch my middle, certain Silvito had pulled the trigger. When I didn’t feel any pain, I opened my eyes to watch Silvito fall to the floor with a hole in his forehead. I looked behind me to find Rafe lying in the same spot, but not only was he alive, he had a gun in the air.

  My mouth hung open in shock, simply staring at Rafe.

  He stood up with a grimace.

  “I’ve been wearing Kevlar around him since I was twenty-two. I knew being his son wouldn't save me from his wrath,” Rafe said.

  For a moment, I was ready to kiss Rafe for his genius.

  He quickly turned toward his sister. She put her hands in the air. “I swear, Rafe. I didn’t think he would kill you.”

  “Please, Cara. You knew exactly what was going to happen. But you were probably hoping you wouldn’t have to watch him kill me, right?” He took a step toward her, and I moved to the other side of the table, making sure not to turn my back on either of them.

  “Then you wouldn’t have to feel guilty for getting your own brother killed. The brother who always protected you, who always loved you. The brother who took that man’s beatings when they were meant for you.”

  “You always hated the fact that he loved me more than you,” she said in her own defense.

  I made my way to Jordan and helped him stand before I hugged him. He smelled of blood and sweat, and I never smelled anything so sweet.

  “I'm all right,” Jordan whispered as the siblings continued to fight. “It’s just a flesh wound.”

  I clutched his face and looked into his eyes. “We survived,” I whispered.

  “Babies and barbeques,” he whispered back.

  “Go ahead, Rafe. Take your revenge,” Cara said to Rafe.

  Rafe shook his head. “Even now, I can’t let anything happen to you. But I can’t let this go on either.” He came toward her and then punched her across the face. Cara fell to the floor in a heap.

  Rafe turned to look at us, his face a mask of determination.

  “I’m sor—” I started to say, but Rafe held up a hand.

  “Save it,” he said. “Let’s just figure out how to get you two out of here.”

  My hands
clutched at Jordan, wondering how we were going to get past all Silvito’s guards now that we’d just killed him.

  I felt Jordan tense under my hands when we heard a scuffle outside the dining room door. Rafe lifted his gun as the door swung open and one of Silvito’s guards came rushing into the room.

  “Max?” Jordan said at the same time Rafe’s gun went off.

  The gunshot landed in the man’s chest, and he stumbled back against the wall.

  “Max,” Jordan yelled, setting me aside to run to the guard.

  Looking out into the hall, there was another guard passed out on the floor. I suddenly realized that this was the security guy that smiled at me when Silvito first arrived, the handsome one.

  The guard pushed off the wall. “I’m okay. He got the vest,” he said when Jordan gripped his shoulders.

  “What the fuck is going on, Jordan?” Rafe said.

  “Remember that motorcycle club I told you about?” Jordan replied. “Max is a brother.”

  Max was one of the brothers that I never officially met, but I had seen him around the clubhouse. I felt like an idiot for not recognizing him. He was the club treasurer, accountant, and best friends with Hawk, if I remembered what Izzy told me about him.

  Max looked around the room and then saw Silvito’s body on the floor. “He's dead?” A look of disappointment came across Max’s face. “I was hoping to be the hero and save the day.”

  “How are you even here?” Jordan asked.

  Max glanced at me. “Cece left a message on Izzy's phone.”

  “What? When?” Jordan looked back at me, surprise written on his face.

  I put my hands on my hips, a little insulted by his shock. “I have good ideas sometimes. There was a pay phone in the airport bathroom.” Ever since I agreed to help Jordan with the mission, I had this strange feeling to call the Aces. I knew I couldn’t do it from my cell phone because Jordan said Digali’s men would probably ask for it. “I took a chance.”

  Jordan smiled at me, and Max clapped him on the back.

  “You have a good one here,” Max said. “With Mark’s help we were able to find the company Digali hires for security. Hawk and I were able to step in as last-minute replacements.”

  “Hawk’s here?” I asked, feeling better knowing that another friend was here.

  Max nodded. “When Digali told us to stay out of this room no matter what we heard, I knew something was going down.”

  “Well, I’m sorry you didn’t get to kill the bad guy,” Jordan said, patting him on the back. “But now that you’re here, I know how we are going to escape.”

  “How?” Rafe asked before I could.

  Jordan looked at Max. “Go find that Eric kid, knock him out, and bring him here.”

  Max simply nodded and turned to leave the room, arranging his tie over the bullet hole in his shirt.

  Jordan turned to Rafe. “What is your father’s procedure for getting rid of bodies?”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Jordan

  I just tried to lie still even though it was nearly impossible as the truck drove over rough terrain. I wanted to reach out and grab Cece’s hand, but it was too risky. We were too close to the finish line to fuck up now.

  Cece’s body slid into mine as the truck stopped suddenly. Then I heard someone bang against the metal. “All clear,” shouted Max.

  I pushed aside the black tarp that was covering my head and reached for the one covering Cece, my arm aching like a bitch.

  Cece’s eyes opened, and she looked up at me with relief. “Did it work?”

  I cupped her face. “Yeah, babe.”

  With Silvito dead, I knew his men wouldn’t let us leave the compound alive. Luckily, he hadn’t told his men about Rafe’s betrayal. So, before they could learn the truth, Rafe and Max wrapped us both in tarps and pretended we were already dead, along with Eric. No one questioned Rafe when he and Max carried out three bodies and loaded them into a truck, stating Eric was caught in the crossfire when they killed me and Cece. Max called Hawk before we left, letting him know to distract any followers if the need arose.

  The entire ride into the desert, I felt Cece against me, not once moving like I told her.

  Now here we were at an abandoned gas station in the desert. I helped her sit up, and then Max reached over and lifted her out of the truck bed.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “About five miles from the compound,” Rafe answered.

  “Hawk is on his way. He did not see any followers,” Max said.

  “They will follow and soon,” I said as I climbed out of the truck. “I’m going to call Parker and tell him to come find me. Before then, Rafe, you take this truck and get the hell out of here.”

  “What about the kid?” Max asked, nodding to Eric, who was still passed out in the truck bed.

  “Leave him with me.” Since Silvito was dead, I knew Parker would expect some kind of replacement for all their trouble. In a way, Eric was a better catch than Silvito. Like most assistants, he probably knew more about the day to day operations of the business than his boss.

  I turned to Cece who had her arms crossed to ward off the night chill. She looked anxious, so I wrapped my arms around her. “Everything will all right. When Hawk gets here, you go with him and Max.”

  “No, I want to stay with you,” she insisted. I looked down at her and tried not to smirk at the picture she made. Her chin was in the air, and her lips were in a stubborn line. She had my blood spattered across her chest and face, a feeble attempt to make her look dead in case someone looked at her.

  I cupped her face and brushed away some of the dried blood on her chin. “When Parker gets here, they will want to take me in. They’ll want a report on everything, and it will take time. Go home to Clayton.”

  “But you’ll need me,” she said.

  “Not now,” I growled. “What I need to know is that you are safe and resting. It’s time you start taking care of yourself and our baby.”

  She glared at me. “Oh sure. Use the baby to guilt me into leaving,” she pouted.

  I smiled down at her. “Whatever it takes.”

  She leaned her head against my chest, and I held her close.

  “I’m going to take off,” Rafe said from behind me. “I think the truck has a Low Jack, so I want to get it away from here in case they track it.”

  Cece turned in my arms to face Rafe.

  “Thank you for everything,” she said softly.

  Rafe inclined his head to her but didn’t say anything.

  “What will you do about Cara?” Cece asked.

  “If the CIA does their job, there won’t be any business for Cara to take over,” Rafe said, looking at me. For Rafe’s sake, I didn’t plan on mentioning Cara’s involvement in her father’s business. She would have her chance to go straight.

  “But if she is a problem?” I asked.

  “I will handle it,” he replied, holding my gaze.

  I nodded, knowing Rafe would take care of his business.

  I turned away and headed toward the truck. “So, what did Izzy say when she called?” I asked Max, as we unloaded Eric.

  After we sat Eric on the ground, leaning against the gas station wall, Max pulled out his phone and pressed the speaker button. “Hi, it's Cece. I need you to give Rem a message. Can you let him know that Jordan and I are in Lake Tahoe about to enter the home of a man who will torture and kill us both if he finds out we are CIA spies? I know that question begs an explanation, but I really don't have time. I'm at a pay phone at the Lake Tahoe airport, and the house is supposed to be within thirty minutes of here. I'm not sure what the guys can do, but I'm just,” she took a long breath. “I'm just really scared, and I remembered what you told me a few months ago. Always trust in the club. So here I am lighting the beacon of Gondor or whatever, so bring the Horse Lords.” She laughed a little. “Okay, I gotta go. Mark at the store might be able to help, too. I hope I see you soon.”

  I heard the cl
ank of plastic and metal before she hung up. Max put the phone back in his pocket. “How does your woman know when to call in the cavalry, but you don't?” he asked.

  “Because she isn't dumb enough to let pride get her killed,” I replied.

  “Then I highly suggest locking her down,” Max said.

  “I've already accomplished that mission,” I said.

  He lifted a brow.

  “She's pregnant,” I said with pride.

  “So that's why she hunted your dumb ass down?” he said with a smirk.

  I smiled back.

  “How'd you find the house?” I asked.

  “Mark,” Max said as he took a bag out of the backseat.

  “Of course.”

  Cece and Rafe came up behind me. I offered my hand to Rafe, and he took it.

  “Good luck,” I said.

  “You, too,” he said as he backed away.

  Cece waved as he pulled away.

  Hawk pulled up only a few minutes later.

  I put Cece in the back seat while Max took the front seat. I kissed her, pushing my tongue deep and biting her lip. I wanted her to know that this wasn’t a good-bye kiss, this was a I would fuck you good and hard if I had the time kiss.

  When I leaned back, her eyes were hazy with longing, and I knew the kiss had the desired effect.

  “I will see you soon,” I said.

  She just nodded and looked away.

  I watched the taillights fade into the distance and then leaned down to smack Eric across the face.

  He let out a little scream as he opened his eyes and then looked around. “What is going on?” Eric asked.

  “Digali is dead, and I’m about to turn you over to the Feds.”

  His face turned white in the darkness.

  I smiled, enjoying his fear.

  I leaned against the wall, wincing as I reached inside my jacket pocket. The little onesie was still where I’d put it earlier. I pulled it free and looked down at it, checking for blood. It still seemed too small.

  I was relieved that this was all coming to an end. I hoped the debriefing with Parker didn’t take a week like it did last time. I wanted to get back to Clayton as soon as possible. I had a lot of shit to do before the baby came, and the first thing was giving Cece my last name, whether she liked it or not.