East Bound

by Nana Malone

  Ben rubbed his jaw. "So who is Van Linsted working with?” Livy patted his knee, trying to get him to calm down.

  She chewed her bottom lip before adding, “It makes absolutely a hundred percent sense why Van Linsted would have a vendetta against you guys. Because of you, he's not where he thinks he belongs. Because of you, his father is in jail, and your hatred of each other is well documented. I mean it stands to reason Jameson is involved."

  Bridge continued to clink his ice cubes. "The question is, who was the original mastermind of this plan to take us out? Jameson or Van Linsted?"

  Drew stood quietly, impassive. "They plan to pick us off."

  Bridge stood and approached him. "We’re surprisingly hard to kill. Especially pretty boy."

  Drew pushed away from the fireplace. "You think this is funny, do you?"

  East stood to separate the two of them. "Jesus Christ, this doesn't help. We're on the same team."

  Amelia's eyes went wide. "Wow, that’s some family dynamic shit."

  I shook my head. "It's a long, complicated story. But yeah, fun times."

  Amelia leaned forward. "I feel like I’m missing backstory here."

  I sighed. "Yeah, I guess we have to catch you up. Um, the Elite is real, and Ben's the head of it, and Bram Van Linsted wants to be the head of it, but he can't be." I glanced over to East. "Did I get it right?"

  He shrugged. "In a nutshell."

  "Okay, while you guys are arguing, I'm going to use the loo. Bridge, where is it?"

  He guided me to a door at the back of the study. “Down the hall, first door on the right.”

  "Yeah, thanks."

  I didn't want to leave Amelia in the den of wolves, but East would make sure no one ate her

  After I used the facilities, I stepped out and accidentally made a right instead of a left back to the study. Hushed voices had me rooted to the floor.

  Bridge whispered in a harsh tone, "You need to leave."

  "What? That's absurd. I'm part of this. Ben invited me. Are you going to tell him that you're kicking me out?"

  "If I have to."

  The woman's more feminine voice said, "You can't kick me out. Everything that happened affects me too. Besides, what's your deal anyway? What does it matter to you if I want justice for my brother? What does it matter to you if I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get it?"

  "Because you think you're playing, but this isn't a game. The other night, someone took shots at us. Actual real bullets. It's not one of your fancy dress parties where you get to play spy. This is real life. People are going to die if we're not careful."

  "Who the hell appointed you my brother?"

  There was a pregnant pause.

  "God, what is your problem with me? You've always hated me."

  Bridge's voice was tense and low. "I haven't ever hated you, Emma."

  I racked my brain. Emma, Emma, who was Emma?

  Oh yeah, I remembered East mentioning Emma. Toby's sister.

  I hadn’t seen anything in the records I’d pulled about her and Bridge having a relationship though. But the kind of fight that they were having, that was some we-fucked-once kind of energy.

  "Goddamn it, what is your problem, Emma?"

  "The problem is you. You can't control me. Since Toby died, I’ve wanted only one thing, and that’s for the people who were responsible to pay. And if that's you, so be it."

  "Don't you understand? I'm trying to keep you safe."

  "Yeah, you're just forgetting one simple fact. I never asked you to keep me safe. And I don't want your help. If I have to do this myself, I will."

  "The hell you will—"

  A door opened somewhere, and there was another feminine voice. "Okay, clearly I've interrupted something."

  I knew I shouldn't be standing there listening. I knew it. But I couldn't help it. It was like I was in the middle of this drama and couldn’t turn away.

  "Is this your girlfriend?"

  Bridge's voice went tight. "Mina, let it go."

  "Let what go? If you're inviting your whores over, the least you can do is tell me."

  "Mina, stop."

  Emma just laughed. "His whore? From what I hear, you already occupy that role."

  And then there was a crack. I didn’t know what happened, but it sounded like a smack. Then there was deadly silence and the second woman said, "I'm tired of this. I want them all out of my house."

  Bridge laughed low. "First, you will never put your hands on her again. I don't care how pissed off you are. Ever."

  There was a long beat of silence, and I inched closer.

  "Second, this isn't your house. Until we get married, which you keep putting off, this is my house."

  Another long pregnant pause and then a sniffle. "God, I knew you were cruel, but this, this takes the cake."

  There was thumping and stomping, a muttered curse from Bridge, and then more shuffling. I eased backward. I shouldn't have been listening. It didn't matter how curious I was or what the hell was going on, it wasn't my business.

  But damn, it sounded like Bridge had problems.

  Chapter 20

  East

  When Nyla returned from the loo, she was giving me a Can we keep her? face. When I'd gotten her text earlier, I had been willing to hear Amelia out, but that bridge didn't quite extend to bringing her fully in.

  Isn't she fully in already? Look at Nyla.

  Nyla, Telly, and Amelia had their heads buried together talking about something. Livy came over. "You care about her a lot."

  My chest ached. "Yeah, I do."

  "I know this is hard for you."

  "It's not hard caring about her. Well, not now."

  She laughed. "It just took you a while to realize you were being an idiot, right?"

  "I'm so lucky that I have you lot to tell me when I'm being an idiot."

  He laughter was a soft trill. "Well, you can always count on us for that. So, new member, huh?"

  I glowered at her. "Amelia is not a new member, we're not keeping her."

  "Have you told that to Nyla?"

  "I don't think Nyla is making decisions here."

  "Well, she's with you, so she's in the group. And she walked her friend in here with her, so it’s highly likely Amelia will be with us permanently now too. After all, Telly and I were a package deal."

  I scowled at Amelia. What was I supposed to do with this information? I had to get to work. We had the Elite coming for us, had Interpol inadvertently on our assess, and a master thief demanding our attention, all because I'd been careless.

  Ben joined us, and he wrapped an arm around Livy. "So, are you telling him that Amelia is in or not?"

  Livy laughed. "Well, he seems to think that we shouldn’t cave."

  There was no fucking way. It was difficult enough having Nyla in this, and now we had this new wannabe member. We didn’t know her or what she wanted from us, so why should we take the risk? I was getting deeper into my own thoughts, and I didn't realize that the room had grown silent.

  I looked up at Nyla, and she raised a brow. Amelia, to her credit, just stared me in the eye. Telly decided to be as unhelpful as ever. "Oh, don't mind him. He's just territorial."

  "I am not territorial. I'm just trying to keep everybody alive."

  Amelia put up her hands. "Look, I know. Two weeks ago, I was coming after you. I get it. If I were you, I wouldn't trust me either. But Nyla trusts me."

  Nyla nodded. "Yeah, I do. When things look bleak, Amelia is the one I turn to. She can help us. And at least she's not persona non grata at Interpol. The higher ups will listen to her."

  "Right now, I have no clue what your intentions are, Amelia. Zero. So if you want to take part in this mess, do it on your own. No disrespect, but you can't stay. I can’t be sure you're not going to get us all killed."

  Nyla was unimpressed with my speech. I could tell by the set of her jaw. "And I'm telling you, we need her. Imagine what we can do with two Interpol agents, instead of just one.
Just think about it. She's an asset. And you’re being ridiculous if you think shutting her out is a good idea."

  "Nyla, be reasonable. It's my job to make sure we stay protected and covered. Adding Interpol to the mix is not the best way to do that."

  Nyla glowered at me. "Like I said, you're being ridiculous."

  "I'm just being cautious. You might not like it, but it has kept us alive so far."

  "Look, I hear you, but this isn't just your call. You guys are a team, right? And you have a leader. Who is the team lead?"

  Ben grinned. "She got you there mate. But I’m sorry, Agent Kincade, when it comes to matters of security, we defer to East. But… If I do get a vote, I think it’s not the worst thing in the world to have Interpol on our side. It certainly can't hurt adding one more agent."

  "Can't you all see how this could benefit us? Denning Sinclair is after you."

  Amelia came forward. "Look, I get it. I came for you, and I wasn't nice about it. I tried to put you in jail that one time, and I owe you for that. But you've forgiven Nyla, so I’m hopeful you’d do the same for me. Keep in mind, the real bad guys are out there, and that's who we're trying to deal with. I came to you without any inhibitions or any ultimate goal. I just want to help. But I get it. You have to do it your way. I'm not going to fight. I'm not going to beg."

  Jesus. "So, what? I'm the hold out now?"

  Ben shrugged.

  At that moment, Bridge walked in with Emma in tow. "Jesus Christ, Emma too?" I blurted out, though a part of me knew that Emma had more right to be here than any of us.

  "Ah, this looks tense. What are you voting on?" Emma said.

  Bridge scowled at her. "You don't get a vote."

  "Oh yes, I do. Ben invited me, so I get a vote. What were you voting on? Come on, tell me,” she pleaded before joining me with a broad grin. “Hey, handsome.”

  “Hey, little Tobes.” I hugged Emma, and Nyla eyed her up and down.

  "Hi, I'm Nyla, East’s girlfriend."

  They exchanged glowers. I grinned then, seeing Nyla’s jealous move for what it was. "Yes, she’s my girlfriend."

  Emma laughed. "You have a girlfriend? Be still my heart."

  "Hey, even the best of us fall sometimes."

  She laughed and extended her hand. "Hi. Emma Varma. Toby was my brother."

  Nyla nodded and shook. "I'm really sorry. I didn't know him, but from what East tells me, he was the best."

  Emma nodded. "He was. So, why the grim faces? I know Bridge doesn't want me here, but Ben asked me to come, so I assumed you need all hands on deck."

  Bridge scowled. "We can't let Emma in on this. And the same goes for Amelia. No offense, but we barely even know her. You all know full well what’s at stake here."

  Drew laughed. "I say they're both in just because it means getting to watch you two bicker and lose your shit."

  Nyla laughed. “Amelia can actually keep government secrets, so she’s not a security risk. Besides if she goes, I go."

  My head snapped around, and I could hear my low, feral growl. “You’re going nowhere.” She merely lifted her brow.

  Ben rolled his eyes, and Livy snapped her fingers loudly. "Enough. They both stay, because we've been trying to do this ourselves and so far, we don't have any answers. So, welcome to the team, you two." Then she turned to Bridge and I and leveled a direct gaze at each of us. "Both of you, deal with it. Figure it out or whatever you have to do. I don't care. But get over yourselves."

  Nyla turned and grinned at me, and I knew I was going to regret this.

  Nyla

  After dropping Amelia off at home, I headed back to my townhouse. East would be by after he finished some work, and I had just the thing to surprise him. My breasts grew heavy just thinking about it.

  You really think this is going to last, don’t you?

  A frisson of dread snaked up my spine, but I refused to let it take root.

  I waved at the doorman before jogging up the stairs to the hallway, where I saw my neighbor, Mrs. Briggs. She gave me a wide smile that wrinkled up her face like tissue paper. "Hi, love."

  "Hi, Mrs. Briggs. How are the new flowers?"

  "Oh, my hydrangea? I keep trying, but I have the worst black thumb."

  I laughed. "Well, maybe we should get you another hobby."

  She chuckled and waved her hand in the way of old grand mums. "No, I just love them. And sometimes, I get lucky."

  I grinned at her. "Well, I wish you all the luck then."

  She passed me in the hall, and then she paused. "Oh, I think your visitor went inside. It wasn't the usual young man I've been seeing you with, but anyway, he's in your flat."

  I kept a smile plastered on my face. I didn't want her to worry and then get nosy enough to come looking for me.

  "Thanks for letting me know. You have a good night now."

  "You too, love. Do you want me to pick you up some biscuits from the shops?"

  "Oh, you're the best, but no. I'm back at work now, so I must stay focused and eat less biscuits."

  "No fun, is it?"

  I laughed. "No, not much fun at all."

  I forced myself to keep my voice light and airy. Just as she rounded the corner that led to the lobby, I reached into my crossbody bag and palmed my Mace. Keys in my right hand, I was able to unlock the door deftly enough while still gripping the puffer. I stepped in, noting the lights were low, not unlike how I normally left them. "I already know you're in here. Time to come out."

  I didn't know who I was going to find. I assumed it would be Denning. If he thought I wouldn't Mace him, he had another think coming. It wouldn’t be my father, or Mrs. Briggs would have recognized him. But even he would have called first.

  "Your neighbor is lovely, I must say."

  I whipped around toward the hallway, and out of the shadows strolled none other than Francois Theroux.

  His face was so familiar. He'd been at my father's office glaring back at me from a case file for years. "What the fuck are you doing in my flat?"

  He put up his hands. "Easy does it. How about you put the Mace away before one of us gets hurt?”

  "You realize I'm MI5, Interpol, and know how to use a gun. I think I'm capable of not fucking up with Mace."

  "I do not doubt your skill level, but maybe you should pay attention to the man I brought along.” The closet door eased open, and I nearly jumped, but I didn't take my eyes off of Theroux. Instead, I reached in my handbag, grasped the hilt of the knife I always carried, and pulled it out.

  Theroux chuckled softly. "Well, it seems that you stay handily armed."

  "Yeah well, I've had to. What are you doing in my flat?"

  He waved off his goon, who leaned back against the closet and crossed his arms.

  I just rolled my eyes. "If that's meant to calm me down so I'd put this away, you don't know me very well."

  "Well," he said as he approached slowly, "I know you better than you think I do. I must say I was disappointed we couldn't meet last week. I was excited to see you and Mr. Hale in action."

  I knew that Bram Van Linsted had sent a hit squad, but he didn't know any of that, so I pushed him a little. "Were those your goons shooting at us?"

  "That was unfortunate, and certainly not classy. Shooting in public? I’m a gentleman thief. What do you take me for, some kind of hoodlum? No. I prefer the subtleties in life."

  "Ah, yes, you just prefer to try and kill me in my flat. Did you think no one would notice?"

  His smile was easy. "I noticed you said, try to kill me."

  "You think I'm going to make it easy? No, I won't. So, can we get on with your agenda or not?"

  “Congratulations on no longer being suspended. Excellent work. I wish you'd chosen that route first though. It would have saved you time."

  He sauntered past me, even though I kept my weapons trained on him, and he didn't even seem to notice or care. "Henry Warlow, where are we on finding him?"

  So, he was going to just pretend he hadn’t broken i
nto my flat and wasn’t standing in my living room uninvited? "We're tracking down leads. I don't know how fast you thought this was going to go, but the guy vanished. He's a ghost. So it's taking time, but we’ll find him," I said with determination.

  "My, my, you are a little thing, but so much strength, so much zeal. The kind of daughter a father could be proud of."

  "Yeah, well, you should probably tell my father he should be proud, because he doesn't seem to know."

  "Oh, I guarantee you he knows. He's just too much of a twat to tell you."

  I coughed, fighting to hold back my laugh. "Considering you're his number-one enemy, I think you have a very specific opinion of my father."

  Theroux shrugged. "Let's just say I've been evading his capture for a long time. Running from someone tells you a lot about them. How they think, how they pursue, and whether or not you want to get caught."

  "Why do you want to get caught? Why do you want to let me take you in?"

  The look that he gave me was merry assessment. "Because I find you delightful, and I know that it will irk him greatly that he's not the one to get the glory. Let’s just say that I'm guaranteed to stay alive while you process me, and he won’t get the credit. That's pleasure enough for me." He placed a hand over his chest as he walked, and I followed him into my living room, careful to keep my back to a wall and my weapons handy.

  "Why are you willing to do this? Why are you even allowing yourself to be brought in? Clearly, you know how to evade arrest. Clearly, you don't need to walk in there, put your hands up, and surrender."

  "Oh, but what fun would that be?"

  "What is it with you and him? I'm sick of this. I'm sick of the game. Either you have something to tell me or you don't. Either you have something that I need to know pertaining to Henry Warlow or what I'm working on, or you don't. If not, stop wasting my time. I don't want to play games. I want to get you what you want and bring you in. And then—"

  He nodded at me, brows lifted, as if encouraging me to keep talking. "And then what?"