“And the other woman?”
“She’s Sarah, and she’s engaged to Dakota. I used to stay there with them all of the time, but it became painful. I watch them hug, or cuddle, and once more, I’m the one on the outside looking in. I sat across the street, wishing I could come here and be welcomed for who I am.”
Well, that helped her. He wasn’t a playboy, and he wasn’t lying to her.
“You can be you.”
“Can I, Cordelia? I’m soulless.”
“You caught me off guard. I’ll be okay,” she stated. “It’s all good.”
She could see he wasn’t able to carry this. Cordelia could, and would.
“Why did you go to see my mother?” he asked, needing to hear it from her. His mother told him, but he needed her side of it.
“After leaving you, I checked in with my boss. I have nothing on this case.”
He listened.
“I thought, oh, maybe Mrs. Ravenscroft, who was so astute to tag Charlotte Shaw as bad, might be able to give me some insight,” she stated.
He understood her logic.
“I mean, she told you she was bad when the world didn’t get that from her.”
“Okay.”
“Only, that wasn’t why. It was an excuse. You told me your mother was the obstacle. I wanted to see if I could find a way to have something with you. I wanted to connect to a man who is clearly insane, infuriating, and has impulse issues.”
He laughed.
They were all true.
“So, I got there, and she was lonely and so tired. She wanted some attention, someone to listen, and it was the least I could do. Plus, I was curious.”
“About?”
“What it was like having a mother. Mine was horrible, and here was this woman, watching her grandchild play, and offering me coffee. She saw I was uncomfortable there, and she asked me to take her elsewhere. It wasn’t for her. It was for me. She wanted me to drive, so I didn’t have to get into a limo. That’s mortifying.”
He listened and saw that not only was she stronger than him, she was smarter too.
“She did like the firing range a little too much. I’d worry about that.”
“Duly noted.”
“Then she wanted to see if I was good enough for her son. I know a test when I see it. She picked my brain, and I got to see a mother in action. I understand your fear. Losing her would be horrible, so I get that.”
“I’m sorry, Cordelia.”
“Your daughter is cute. She’s keeping your mother alive, so you should let go of that anger toward Charlotte. She is going to be what saves your mom.”
He listened.
“You have her caged up. That’s killing her. A tiger is always in danger out in the jungle, but when it’s caged, it’s safe and has nothing to live for,” she offered.
He got it.
“I will take your advice. I’m tired of being angry. I just want peace.”
“Me too.”
He thought about the bag in the kitchen.
“I know I ruined your lunch, and I see that you’ve opted for the chocolate and peanut butter route, but I brought food.”
She stared at him.
“But there’s a catch.”
“What?” she asked.
“Teach me how to make it. You have a grill, and I bought the things to make burgers—I think. Joey makes them and I don’t really know how, and I should. I’d like to be able to kick Joey out and make my own. Will you teach me?”
In that moment, she saw the little boy struggling to fit in. She saw the man, begging for another chance. She saw someone who would make her feel things she never thought possible.
“I can do that.”
“Really?”
“Do you like beer?” she asked, getting up from her couch to head into her kitchen.
“Yes.”
“Do you like football?”
For the first time in hours, Rogue had hope.
“Playing it or watching it?”
“The latter.”
“I like it a lot. I usually watch it with Zayn, Sarah, and Dakota.”
“I’ll show you how to grill if you’ll stay and watch a game with me.”
He didn’t hesitate.
“I got the better deal.”
She walked past him.
“Oh, I’m aware. You also got your second chance, Rogue. Don’t blow it. I don’t believe in third chances.”
He followed her.
Oh, there was no way in hell he would ever do that.
He wasn’t stupid.
He’d found a gem—one he didn’t have to steal.
Chapter Eighteen
Drop Site
Eight P.M.
T hey were ready to go in and save the girl. A blacked-out vehicle had arrived, and three people had gone into the building in the middle of the swamp. The team was surrounding it, and they were getting ready to move.
“We wait on visual,” Dakota whispered.
Sarah’s voice came over the com next, alerting them to her position. “I have Rosemary Harrington in sight. She’s is with a girl. I can see her too. We have Mercedes. The intel from Lucky was correct. Chesky is here too. We have the two head rats in the cage, waiting on the buyer.”
It looked like there were more people coming. Maybe, if they were lucky, Carter Foley would show up.
“I have one car arriving from the North,” Gamble stated. “One driver, male. Can anyone ID him?”
They watched it pull up and come to a stop. Out of it, one man emerged and headed toward the building.
“That’s Rogue’s father,” Zayn stated. “I’ve seen the pictures. He’s going to take her to the buyer. I doubt Carter Foley is coming.”
It looked like Taz had moved up the totem pole from money handler to girl transporter. That had to mean he was pretty high up the food chain.
Well, that had to stop.
They waited for him to go into the building. There were only a couple ways out, and they were going to box them in.
“What are they doing?” Dakota asked. “Who has a visual?”
“I see Tasunke talking to them. He’s waving his arms and not happy about something.”
“Pop the mic on,” Dakota stated. They’d wired the place when they got there.
From his spot in the trees, Gamble flipped a switch. It began transmitting Rosemary and Taz’s conversation to each of their earbuds.
They now had ears on them.
“This is fucked up!” Tasunke stated. “We are dropping like flies. I’m not going to be doing this shit anymore. The buyer gave you the money, here,” he said, tossing a pack at her. “You can deliver.”
“Are you shitting me?” Rosemary asked. “You don’t walk away from this!”
“Hey! You hired me to do some money exchanges and we had some sex, Rosie, but I’m not going to die for you. You were a good lay. Get over it.”
“You’re an asshole!”
“Taz, stay! You’ve been part of this for a long time. You have always had my back.”
“Rosie, I can’t. I want to live.”
She was desperate to keep him.
“We are dropping Mercedes tonight, and we’ll go under in a few weeks,” she stated. “We can show up somewhere else in a few months. I’ve paid you well.”
“Someone took out Danny Boy, broke into Carter’s playpen, and stole the Fed, and now you want to stick around? Are you insane? I have my business. I’m bailing.”
She grabbed his arm.
“I’m in the process of hiring on new people. They may have taken out the man selling our surplus drugs, and my idiotic brother, but we’re fine. I’m calm.”
Sarah could see that wasn’t true.
“She’s nervous,” she whispered into the com. “She’s desperate to keep him there.”
Yeah, they were aware.
“We lost Chesky’s right-hand man. Who’s next? Do you plan on having me do his dirty work too? Fuck that. I’m out. I need to fo
cus on my gambling business. This was to network and now it’s down to four of us.”
She pulled a gun.
“If you shoot me, the world will know. Do you think I’m stupid? I’ve survived in this city long before you, Virgil, and the rest of the assholes. I have left a trail to this whole thing, and you’ll be caught.”
She lowered her gun.
“Taz, baby, stay.”
“I’m out. If you survive this, you’re welcome to my place to get some fun, but I’m going back to that. I’m a thief. I’m not a trafficker.”
He headed out, slamming the door behind him.
“Well, there goes our transporter,” she stated.
When Mercedes whimpered, she pistol-whipped her in anger.
“Shut up, you worthless cunt! Your father deserves this! He double-crossed me, and this is what he gets. I’ll sell you non-stop until you’re useless to me!”
She pointed at Chesky.
“This all started going bad when you had to let that woman you were banging into this. Oh, Maxine will help us get revenge on your brother, you said. She hates him as much as you do! BULLSHIT! For some reason, the Feds have found people who can find us. I’m taking my brother’s slut daughter, and we’re going under.”
“What? How is this my fault? What happened to me being allowed to be your partner?”
She rolled her eyes.
“Let’s get her out of here!”
“They are moving her,” Sarah stated. “We have to move now,” she added.
Dakota knew it. If they wanted to retrieve Mercedes, this was going to be important. It was clear Carter wasn’t coming, and while they let Taz go, they knew where to find him.
They watched as the girl fought them. As soon as she was outside, they moved.
“FREEZE!” Dakota shouted, as the two people dropped Mercedes, and ran back into the cabin.
The girl got up and started hopping toward the trees and safety.
The four of them moved toward the cabin to box them in. It was going to be one hell of a shoot-out.
There was no doubt.
Before even touching the dilapidated porch, there was a single, solitary shot.
Mercedes went down.
There was another shot, and then silence.
“INSIDE!” Dakota shouted.
As the team moved toward the house to grab whoever was left, they found a dead Rosemary, an open trap door, and a missing Chesky.
“Well, fuck.”
Sarah headed out and the men stared into the tunnel under the house.
“Do we go in?” Zayn asked.
Dakota wouldn’t risk it. It was a small space, and all Chesky had to do was dump gasoline down there and light it. Whoever was underground would die.
“No. It’s too risky.”
They heard Sarah coming back inside.
“She’s dead,” Sarah stated. “She went down.”
They knew who she was talking about. They’d heard two shots, and now there were two bodies.
Dakota stood up.
This was a mess.
Mercedes, who might be able to give them something, was gone. They let Tasunke drive away to catch him the next day at the gambling party, and Chesky escaped.
“My wife is going to break over this,” Zayn said, thinking about Stella.
He put his fist through the wall.
“DAMN IT! We were so close! They didn’t have to kill her!”
“Do you want us to transport her home?” Gamble asked. “I’ll load her up if you’d like.”
He had to make a decision.
“No, we burn her and Rosemary here. Stella can’t face burying her sister. I’ll take the heat if I’m wrong.”
Zayn kicked the shit out of Rosemary’s corpse.
“I swear to God! You’re lucky you’re dead, bitch! I wish I could bring you back to make you suffer!”
Sarah patted him on the back.
“I’ll get her,” Gamble stated. “Oh, and I’m sorry for your wife’s loss.”
He headed out.
Dakota rubbed his eyes.
How had this gone so fucking wrong? They had the house covered. They should have been able to save Mercedes. She’d been in the clear.
“Let’s get it ready,” he stated.
As they began breaking up the old furniture to make a fire pile, Gamble came in.
“Uh, problem.”
“What?” asked Dakota.
“Did you roll her, Sarah?” he asked.
“No. I saw blood and brains. Why?” she asked.
“The front of her face is almost gone. She wasn’t shot with a nine-millimeter. That’s what that Chesky dude, and Rosemary, were carrying. Look at her gunshot wound. She,” he said, pointing at the woman on the cabin floor, “was shot with a nine-millimeter. Mercedes was not. She was shot with a high-powered rifle.”
“What?” they all said.
“Check it out if you don’t believe me. I’ve seen lots of bullet wounds. That’s not a nine-millimeter exit wound.”
They all went outside.
As they stood over her, they realized he was absolutely right. Mercedes’ face was completely gone. The bullet had to have been huge, and from where she fell, it came from the trees.
“None of us fired?” Dakota asked, pointing at Sarah and Gamble.
They both discharged their bullet in the chamber, and their magazines were full.
FUCK.
They looked around, and they knew they’d had company.
But who?
“Who could have shot her?” Sarah asked.
“Carter Foley?” Gamble asked.
“No, Tasunke came with money. He was going to transport her. Why would he pay and then kill her?” Zayn asked.
“Someone working with Chesky? He’s a snake,” Zayn stated. “He likely had backup. Working with Rosemary, I would too.”
Yeah, it looked like.
They heard an engine, and then a boat.
That answered their question.
The rat had a backup out of the trap.
Chesky, once more, was on the run.
* * * H U N T E R * * *
Detective Harding’s
Home
Rogue watched and learned as she taught him how to make burgers. He studied her as she turned on the grill and did something so amazing with the meat he couldn't comprehend it.
Then, she handed him the spatula and made him work for it.
Well, it had been a disaster.
One fell apart, one hit the ground, but two had managed to survive.
Inside, they sat on the couch, eating them with cold beers, chips, and company.
In that moment, Rogue was at peace. Oh, and he was amazed at the whole thing.
“I can’t believe I made these.”
She laughed.
“Well, it was rocky.”
He grinned at her.
“It was the first time. Maybe next time, there will be more success.”
Oh, he knew there would be.
“There will be a next time, right?” he asked, hoping she would let him do it again at her place.
His place.
Any place.
“I hope so.”
Leaning over, he took a risk. Gently, his lips moved over hers, as he placed his plate and hers on the table. Then, he pulled her against him on the couch.
Their mouths moved over each other’s, signaling how he felt about more chances with her. When his body was rock-hard, and she was liquid against him, he pulled away.
“Can I stay?” he asked. “I’m dying to know what your bedroom looks like.”
She hesitated.
“What?” he asked, afraid he’d done something wrong. “If you don’t want me here, I can go home.”
“Promise you won’t laugh?” she asked, as she couldn’t let him leave. She was too curious what sex would be like in a bed.
This man…
He tied her up in knots—or he could if he was so inclined. Co
rdy was game.
“I will never laugh.”
“It’s pink.”
He stared at her.
“I like pink,” she stated. “It calms me. There are also flowers on the bedspread.”
He smiled. Rogue had NOT seen that one coming.
“Technically, that’s laughing.”
“I’m smiling because you fascinate me. Just when I think I know you, something else comes up. I would love to make love to you in a pink bed. Then we can use my bed sometimes. It’s not pink.”
“If you tell anyone…”
He kissed her.
She forgot what she was thinking.
Holy shit!
He erased her thoughts with just a kiss. When she felt herself being lifted, she let him pick her up and carry her toward the stairs. The entire time, he continued kissing her, and she didn’t want it to stop.
Upstairs, he navigated the hall until he found the pink room. It was feminine, and for some reason, it turned him on even more. The idea of her sacred space being like this…
He wanted to comfort her.
She’d helped him, and now he was going to do the same.
“It’s been a rough day, Cordy. Let me soothe you. Let me give you what’s in here,” he said, touching his chest with his thief’s fingers.
He placed her on the bed.
Cordelia stared up at him.
“You won’t hurt me again, will you?”
His heart broke.
“I swear I will never hurt you again. I made a mistake. I see how wrong I was about you. You’re too good for me.”
She touched his cheek.
“Let’s start over. Let’s start on neutral ground. I want us to always be equal. Here, in this room, let’s be on the same level.”
Oh, he could do that.
His mouth found hers, and they reveled in an amazing kiss. It was the kind he’d tell their kids about one day.
God!
Kids.
He already had one of those.
He pulled away.
“I have a child. Are you okay with that?” he asked, but in his mind, he was saying, please say yes, over and over again.
“You want to talk about kids now?” she asked.
“I have to.”
Absolution: The Hunter Mercenary Series (Book Two) Page 46