Donnie frowned. His chair moaned under his weight as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Papa will never allow a divorce.”
“His permission will not be necessary.”
Donnie’s stare became intense through squinting eyes. “What are you saying?”
“Eva’s family is no longer a threat to us.”
“You wouldn’t kill her?”
“Katrina is the wife of my heart. She will be the one who lies beside me through eternity.”
“Katrina is gone.”
“I will find her.”
“How, brother? How will you find her? And why would you want too? You know as well as I do, as well as Papa does, that she is the one who stole into your house and took your files. She is the reason many of our contacts are now in prison. She is the reason our family has fled the country and she is the reason you will rot in jail if you’re caught. She betrayed you not once but twice.”
Anger flared in Gorgon. He thought if anyone would understand how he felt, his brother would. The carpet scratched beneath the legs of his chair as he shoved back from the table and stood. “She thought I betrayed her.”
“And just like that you’ll forgive her?”
“If we were speaking of Gila, would you?” He cut the air between them with his hand. “You don’t have to answer. I know you would because you love her more than your own life.”
Donnie lowered his eyes, and Gorgon knew his brother now got him. Gorgon stood straighter, hiding the pain in his side, and folded his arms across his chest. He must appear strong enough to take on the world. “Will you help me find her?”
His brother’s jaw worked for a moment before he looked at him. “Do you know why I didn’t leave with the family?”
“Because you love me.”
“Yes. You are my brother and until you’re strong again you need my protection. All law agents are looking for us.”
“I know. Will you help me find Katrina and my son?”
Donnie sighed. “Do you have a plan?”
Gorgon grinned while taking a seat and pushing aside his plate. He felt his strength returning. “Yes.”
~~
Chapter Twenty-four
Condensation gradually obstructed Will’s view as the air inside his government issued sedan grew clammy. He cracked the window and zipped closed his U.S. Marshal issued jacket. It was only mid-October, but today’s storm, which had swooped down on New York from Canada, brought a winter-like dampness that chilled the bones.
Freezing his toes off along with his balls while staking out a flea-bag hotel located in Brooklyn’s seedier hood was not his idea of a fun-filled Saturday night. If Kyle hadn’t called around five, reporting some of Gorgon’s top men were guests of the establishment down the street and possibly Gorgon too, he’d be in bed right now. Maybe here was the most productive place to be because in bed all he’d do was toss and turn while thinking about Nicole, just like he’d done every night since he’d kissed her.
Will dug his hands into his coat pockets not because they were cold but because he longed to feel the softness of Nicole’s hair passing through his fingers. He had to get her out of his mind and concentrate on his job which was to find Gorgon and take him down. Then the agency could place Nicole and Luka in a permanent new life.
Will’s heart sank at the thought.
He peered through the windshield and studied the shadows, pushing Nicole from his thoughts and focusing on the job at hand.
After receiving the informant’s call, Gary jumped into his car with him and they made the drive from Scranton to Brooklyn in under two hours. Just their luck the Novakoff’s men had decided on dinner and a movie ten minutes before they’d arrived. Their misfortune continued when Gorgon’s bodyguards lost the tag the local PD had put on them. Now, the only choice Gary and he had was to wait and hope for the Russian goons to return.
A light drizzle pinged against the car’s roof and again hindered Will’s view of the ill-lit Brooklyn street. Turning the wipers on wasn’t an option.
Moisture hit the side of his face and Will slid the window back up. Watching a big-gulp plastic cup roll down the sidewalk and tumble into the gutter with other discarded garbage, he bit back his frustration, shifted on the seat, and huffed a sigh. The most interesting thing to happen in the last hour was a dog taking a piss on some guy’s tire while the john was propositioned by a couple of hookers trying to hold onto their umbrellas as they settled on the terms of the transaction.
A sudden leg cramp made Will jump and he winced with pain. The car seat moaned as he pushed back.
“You okay?” Gary, resting against the passenger door, peered at him through a slit of an eye.
“Yeah. I just got a cramp.” Will stretched and rubbed his leg.
“What time is it?”
Pulling his cell phone from his jean’s pocket, Will pushed the app and checked the time. “Two-thirty seven.”
“No sign of them?”
“Nuh. Nothing.”
“The bars have last call at four here in New York, I think,” Gary mumbled, pulling his leather jacket together as if intending to go back to sleep.
Will arched his neck as far back as the headrest allowed. “Yeah, right. I’m sure Gorgon’s men hang out at the most reputable establishments.”
“And the best. If I had their money, I know I would.”
He arched his brow. “You think they get paid that well?”
“Hell, yes they do. Ask Kyle when this is over. He’ll tell you.”
“Too bad Gorgon’s father demoted Kyle after Nicole stabbed his bastard of a son. We’d know where Gorgon was right now.”
“Kyle’s lucky the old man didn’t put him and the other guard in the ground. Getting Gorgon to the hospital as fast as he did, is what saved Kyle’s life. Granted, he’d hoped Gorgon had died on the way, but shit happens. He’s getting cozy with old man Novokoff’s men. He’ll find out eventually where Gorgon and his brother are.”
“Can’t happen soon enough for me. Son-of-a-bitch.” Will rubbed the charley horse still gripping the inside of his thigh. “This freakin’ cold weather.”
“Who are you trying to kid. I told you that you were pushing yourself too hard.”
Gary referred to the workout he’d done today at the agency’s gym. Work and working out had become his life over the past three weeks since he made the mistake and had given into his desire to kiss Nicole. But no matter how he tried to forget, the moment haunted him.
Gary shifted up on his seat and grabbed his thermos mug off the floor. His recoil after taking a swallow told Will the coffee was not much warmer than the cold rain slapping the window.
“So how is Nicole doing?” Gary asked, dropping his mug to the floor again.
Out of the corner of his eye, Will glanced at his partner. Maybe being partners for five years wasn’t a good thing after all. The guy sensed his every thought. “I haven’t seen her.”
“Why not? I thought the whole purpose of settling her into Logan’s Summit was so you could keep an eye on her.”
He ignored Gary’s wiggle of brows. “I’ve checked in.”
“When?”
Will stretched his arms out in front of him, pressing his knuckles against the chilly windshield.
“Will?”
“What?” He exhaled and rested his wrists on the steering wheel and casually looked at Gary.
“When’s the last time you spoke to her?”
“I don’t know. A few weeks ago, but I drive by the house every few days, and I’ve checked in with her boss. She and the kid are doing okay.”
“I see.”
Gary’s choice of two words had a hidden agenda. “What do you see?”
“She’s gotten to you.”
“What? You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Will shook his head and focused on the hotel’s front entrance—a silent signal for Gary to drop the subject and do his job.
“Don’t I? I’ve been there, my
friend, in exactly the same place you are. When I met Sharon I fell hard. I couldn’t believe a woman like her would want a man like me. Let me tell you, she scared the shit out of me. I stayed away, just like you’re doing and almost lost her to some other guy.”
“Nicole is not Sharon,” Will said half-heartily, knowing Nicole had already gone out on several dates with Erin Dwitter, a local high school history teacher. Sara, Nicole’s boss, had been all bubbly relating how Nicole and Erin had met right there in the store. He swallowed the hurt clogging his throat. Nicole hadn’t taken long to move on like he’d suggested.
“Are you thinking she’s not the girl you’d take home to meet mom?” Gary broke into his misery-coated muse.
“Hell no. I know her past is not her fault. It’s just…”
A crack of thunder filled the void.
Gary folded his arms across his chest. “What?”
“I think Nicole needs to live her life before she settles down.” He said the words, but in his mind, Will was aiming his Glock at Dwitter’s knee. He’d already run a check on the guy and God himself wasn’t as clean. “She doesn’t know who she is yet. What she wants. I mean, I was the first guy to kiss her after Gorgon.”
Gary slapped his knee. The car’s interior echoed with Gary’s howl. “I knew it. You kissed her.” Wearing a huge grin, Gary wagged his finger at him.
Will regretted his slip of tongue immediately.
“Yeah.” Will’s heart beat matched the pounding rain on the roof while he remembered the softness of Nicole’s lips against his and the way she fit perfectly into his arms. “It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of her like that.”
“What advantage? She’s a grown woman. One who’s been around the block more than most.” Gary put up his hand as if preparing to be clocked. “I don’t mean that in bad way. Believe me. You know what I mean. I like Nicole. She’s been through hell and survived. I have the utmost respect for her.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Sharon loves her. Hell, she thinks you two are a perfect match.”
“She thought Laura was perfect too.” Hell why did he bring up his ex-fiancée.
“Forget Laura. She’s history, right?”
“Dead and buried. Now can we get back to work?” He pointed to the hotel.
“Sure. I’m just telling you what Sharon thinks.”
Shifting on his seat to face Gary, Will’s knee thudded against the console. “You two discuss my love life?”
“Hell, yes, all the time. Sharon thinks you need someone, so you stop hanging around our place so much.” Gary chuckled. “Just kidding.”
“Look.” Will gripped the lower part of the steering wheel one finger at a time. “Can we just drop the subject and concentrate on our jobs?”
“Sure. No problem.”
They both faced the hotel.
“I think the rain is slowing down.” Grabbing his mug, Gary took another sip. “Yuck.” He peered up and down the street. “Any place open where we can get a cup of coffee? I don’t care if all I get is warm slush.”
Will nodded over his shoulder. “I think there’s a twenty-four hour shop around the block.”
Gary’s eyes lit up brighter than the street lights. “Great. You want some?” He asked with his hand already on the door’s handle.
“Tell you what, you stay here. I’ll go. I need to stretch my legs and get rid of this cramp.”
“Okay. I don’t mind staying dry.” Gary handed him his cup. “Put mine in here.”
“This isn’t Mayberry. Now, if the Novokoffs come back, don’t you jump the gun without me,” he warned Gary. “You understand?”
Gary knew he was as anxious as a horn-dog to nail a bitch to snag Gorgon. “Hey, do I look stupid? I’m no freakin’ psycho hero.”
“What the hell was I thinking?” Will shoved the door open, climbed out and slammed it, cutting off Gary’s rebuttal filling the interior.
He hustled to the sidewalk and with his shoulders pulled up, he stayed as close to the buildings as possible to protect himself from the storm’s onslaught. In a little under ten minutes, he found the coffee shop, got their brew and head back to the car. As he neared the corner, gunshots rang through the air.
The carry-out cups exploded upon impact with the sidewalk and hot liquid spewed over his jeans. Will yanked his gun from his holster and hugged the building. Cautiously, he peeked around the corner and his pounding heart wedged in his throat. The rear windshield of his car was blown out. He couldn’t see Gary.
Two men walked to the front of the vehicle as if on a Sunday stroll. The son-of-bitches had semi-automatic weapons. Armed with a Glock, his only hope to survive the assault and save Gary was to aim true, and there wasn’t a second to waste.
“U.S. Marshal, drop your weapons,” Will shouted, stepping out into the open, hoping they’d turn on him and give Gary a chance to react, if he could react.
The men spun in his direction.
Will shot off several rounds dropping one of the men to the street while bullets whizzed by him. He dove for cover behind thick walls of the Emerald Grocery. Along with raindrops, bits of concrete pelted his face. He fought to catch his breath. His heart felt huge and pounded against his ribs as fast as the rapid fire threatening him. Shit. Gary hadn’t responded.
“You, sons-of-a-bitches. I said put down your weapons,” he snarled before dropping to the wet sidewalk, peering around the corner and squeezing off another couple of rounds in the direction of the remaining attacker.
In the distance, sirens blared. He couldn’t be sure because of the wind’s howl and the echo of the return fire overhead, but he thought the responders drew closer. He hoped they drew closer. He didn’t want to die in the Brooklyn gutter. Oh, he could run but he wasn’t going anywhere without his partner.
He lifted his chin. The rain stopped as if someone turned off the faucet overhead and the wind’s rush faded away. He held his breath, listening for footsteps. He heard none.
He glimpsed around the corner. The guy was gone.
Will jumped to his feet and with his gun trained on the area he headed toward the bullet-rifled sedan. He still couldn’t see Gary.
Reaching the back bumper, he lowered his weapon. The car leaned to the left on flatten tires. The headrest on the driver’s side was blown apart, its cushion with its stuffing spilling out looked like one of those corkscrew hairy dogs.
He gulped a breath that wasn’t easy to swallow. “Gary.”
Will mentally prepared himself for the worst and opened the passenger door.
***
A soft knock made Gorgon look up from his Sunday morning paper.
Donnie jumped from the couch, drew his gun and after peeking through the peek hole, unlocked the door. Two of their men stood in the threshold. “Well?”
“We lost Marco,” Rafe said, dropping his gaze to the floor.
Gorgon clamped his lips together, biting back his anger. Marco had been with the family for more than twenty years—since he was a young teen. He would miss Marco’s humor.
Folding his paper, Gorgon placed the daily news on the coffee table. “We don’t discuss our business in the hall. Get in here.”
He took pleasure in the fear that widened both Rafe’s and Drat’s eyes. The men still saw him as the leader of the family.
Donnie nodded for them to enter and closed the door. “How the hell did that happen?”
Drat hung his head. Rafe on the other hand stood tall, lacing his fingers in front of him, and fixed his eyes on Donnie. “One of the cops wasn’t in the car when Drat and Marco hit it. He came up behind them.”
“Where were you?” Gorgon stood and Rafe’s eyes shot in his direction.
Rafe’s nostrils flared with an intake of air. “In the car, down the street.”
Gorgon respected the man not to flinch under his scrutiny. “Someone tip him off?”
“I don’t think so. Their man confessed he was alone in our ranks. Who else would tell t
hem we would show our revenge?”
Kyle had guarded his home, his family. He was still alive because of Kyle’s quick actions and getting him to the hospital. He was sickened thinking a man he trusted had betrayed him. “Where is Kyle now?”
“Dead.”
There was no other choice. “What did you do with him?”
“He committed suicide. Jumped from the Brooklyn bridge, but missed the water by this much.” Rafe smiled while extending his arms a yard’s width. “His people will get the message that coming close will mean death.”
Gorgon nodded. Rafe’s act wasn’t the death he would’ve chosen for the man. “What’s done is done.”
“The cop in the car, is he dead?” Donnie asked.
“He had to be,” Drat spoke up. “We hit the car hard.”
Gorgon raised his chin and looked down the nose at the man. “But you don’t know for sure?”
Drat shook his head. “No.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re leaving the city today,” Gorgon said, frowning. “Pack your things and be ready to go in an hour.”
~~
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nicole scooted up on her bed, the comforter dropping to her lap. Darkness owned the room. Her hair fell over her shoulder and she whisked the long wisps back behind her ear. The tree, which she swore over and over she’d climb and rip its branch off, scraped its pointed nubs across the rain gutter above her bedroom window. No. That wasn’t the same sound she’d grown use to. She’d heard something more. Or had she?
Was her mind playing tricks on her? After all, she’d read in the paper tonight about a man, now labeled “the midnight rapist”, who, in a county west of Logan’s Summit, lured his victims outside by turning on their outside water spigots. The women inside, his targets, thought they’d sprung a leak and went outside to investigate. He then forced them back into their homes and raped them. A recent newspaper article had laid out his latest victim’s terrifying account explicitly and given Nicole the chills. So much so, she’d double-checked her windows and door locks before climbing the stairs, taking a quick shower and climbing into bed. Of course, memories of her own ordeals hadn’t helped diminish her angst.
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