by Piper Stone
She kept her arms straight in front of her as she crept closer. “Then I have the joy of taking you both in.”
“Cold-blooded bitch,” Gabriel said, laughing.
“Intelligent,” Wrath countered.
“Both of you, drop your weapons. There is no place for you to run any longer. You are under arrest. I suggest you do as you’re told. I also refuse to accept any bullshit.” Sophia’s words were clipped.
Only Wrath knew she was struggling with her decision.
Wrath had once revered his older brother, worshipping everything about him. Then the darkness had taken away bits of Gabriel’s soul, much like what had happened to Wrath. Jealousy had prevailed, retaliation much more important. Gabriel locked eyes with Wrath, leaving a wash of memories and images rushing into the back of his mind.
Scenes from their childhood.
Ocean vacations.
Playing in the backyard.
Competing in sports.
Learning to shoot.
Learning to kill...
Benedetto refused to acknowledge Gabriel as the rightful lead assassin because of a single mistake. One. Single. Fault.
Gabriel had fallen in love with a woman.
With the precision of a true assassin, Wrath knew instinctively the steps that Gabriel would take. And in those last precious seconds, he captured Sophia’s haunting eyes, hoping she could muddle her way into his very soul.
Bang!
Bang!
“No!” The cry was filled with horror.
The sounds were muffled, the pain anguishing, and the hard fall exactly what he deserved. As a pool of blood began to ooze from underneath him, he could only laugh. The shooting was more than justified. His breathing labored, he tipped his head, wanting to see her one last time. She was alive. She’d been spared. Her life would go on. “My beautiful... Sophia.”
She felt his chest, finding his phone. “Fuck. Fuck. What in the hell. You’re not going to die on me, Wrath. You’re right here. Just stay with me.” She fumbled with the phone as she pressed her hand on the wound. “Breathe.”
“Clever girl,” he whispered. She’d been bluffing about contacting the police.
“Code,” she insisted. “Give me the goddamn code to your phone or you will bleed out.”
He hesitated then simply gave in, offering her the four numbers, unlocking the iPhone. Tired. He was so tired. And cold. “My beautiful flower.” As she dialed a number, her hands were shaking. Maybe she cared after all. As he slowly turned his head in the other direction, he was able to smile; the shot had hit Gabriel between the eyes.
At least he’d saved her... life.
Never forget me...
“This is Agent Sophia Waters. I need backup plus a bus sent immediately to...”
* * *
How many tears had she shed? How many nights had she remained awake, worry and fear keeping her adrenaline high?
Would she ever feel safe again?
Sophia had been shipped off to a safe house within hours of the incident, but there had been no outward threats on her life or activity denoted as suspicious. She longed to go home, hiding under the covers as she attempted to recover.
That was going to take a hell of a long time.
If ever.
Sophia continued typing, her thoughts on the case and nothing else. She’d spent the better part of a solid week in interviews, follow-ups and buried in paperwork surrounding the capture of the notorious assassins. The protection detail also meant she came and remained at the office. However, she’d spent her nights searching for additional details about the Dark Haven, gleaning any scrap of information that she could get her hands on. She was lucky she still had her job and expected to be placed on probation at any time.
Wrath’s accusations about the criminal nature of the men and women who’d had contracts placed on their lives had given her a secretive project and one she wanted to get to the bottom of. Her lover... He hadn’t been lying after all. Maybe the great consortium was simply eliminating the world of wretched human beings. She had no idea what to believe in any longer.
What she couldn’t grasp a handle on was the identity of the informant.
The other news, and more damning that she could grasp, was the report that her mother had passed away. All the wretched memories resurfaced, the various beatings and horrible words something Sophia would never be able to forget.
Or forgive.
Still, her mother had died, leaving Sophia all alone in the world.
Fate?
Karma?
Her soul’s final damnation.
“You look like you lost your best friend,” David said as he hovered over her desk.
“Just trying to finish the last details. You know how I am.” While the limited accolades had been okay given her takedown of not one but two men on the most wanted list, she wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. Her thoughts drifted to Wrath, the serene look on his face from taking a bullet in order to save her life.
And the ruthless brother...
Gabriel Constantino had been considered the heir apparent to Benedetto’s empire, the man many assumed would take his father’s position on the consortium. When Wrath had been given the nod, Gabriel had finally turned rogue on the Dark Haven, determined to take out his retaliation on his own brother. There was little else she’d been able to learn. While Gabriel’s death had caused a certain amount of notoriety, the news had quickly been squelched.
She could only imagine by whom.
“You did good, kid. You really did. What a shame the brothers couldn’t have killed each other. Hell, at least you were there for the cleanup. Good thing I showed up when I did, huh? Granted, I think the director still wants to ream you a new one for going undercover without authorization, but the end justifies the means. Right?”
David’s snicker pissed her the hell off. She’d had plenty of browbeating sessions as well, enough to help her realize she didn’t want to do this any longer. Thank God, Wrath’s shoulder injury was little more than a flesh wound and would heal. “Yeah, so glad you were in the neighborhood.” The fact David had been first on the scene had at least allowed her to collect her shit before being dragged into a full investigation.
A tiny red flag raised. How the fuck had David just been in the neighborhood unless he’d known her exact location? That would mean...
“Waters. In my office. Now!”
Hearing Director Montgomery’s booming voice calling from his office door made just about everyone in the office cringe. His mood swings had been even more brutal than before.
She pushed back her chair, giving David an evil glare. “I did good, huh? Then when is he going to stop barking?”
David shrugged and sipped his coffee.
Holding her head high, she walked past the rest of the team, realizing their eyes were following her all the way to the director’s door.
“Close it,” the director snapped after she was inside.
She did so softly and walked closer to his desk. “Yes, sir?”
He shook his head and sat back in his chair, folding his arms. “I’ve questioned everyone about your accusation of an informant.”
“And?”
“Very few people had access to the whereabouts of Stephen Wallace. Besides, there’s nothing to indicate that Wrath or this consortium really knew anything about our operation. The man lied to you, Waters. That’s what criminals do.”
Sophia knew when a perp was lying to her and Wrath had told her the truth, sharing aspects that she doubted he’d ever been able to do before. “There is a leak, Director, a mile wide. I just hope that someone else doesn’t have to get killed before he or she is found.”
Director Montgomery lifted an eyebrow. “So you’ve indicated. You do realize that your actions placed this entire department in harm’s way, let alone under a critical eye.”
“There is no way I could forget that, Director.”
“And by all rights you should be placed on suspens
ion until this investigation has been concluded.”
She bit back a nasty retort. “Yes, sir.”
He exhaled, turning his attention to the window as he tapped his foot. “You’re one of the best agents I have, Waters. Whatever caused you to go off the grid you need to confront and this can never happen again.”
“No, sir. It won’t.”
“Fine.”
“What about Wrath’s protection? I haven’t heard anything about his request.” Sophia was able to tell by the look in his eyes that all the promises she’d heard were absolute lies. “There was never any intent on allowing him to go into witness protection. Was there?”
The director remained unblinking. “He doesn’t fit the profile, Waters, and you know that. Besides, things have changed.”
“What do you mean changed?”
He moved around to the back of his desk, grabbing a file. “We have a situation.”
“O-kay.” She could tell the man was sweating.
“The illustrious Wrath Constantino has escaped.”
The words were ringing in her ears. “What did you say?”
“I said, your fugitive has escaped from custody, after almost killing three federal officers. This had to be well planned as there was a getaway vehicle waiting in the only vulnerable area of transition from the courthouse back to the prison. A messy situation to say the least.” He stared at her with cold eyes.
“The consortium,” she whispered, terrified that Wrath was already dead. Would they help him escape just to execute him?
“There’s been no direct connection to them, as you might imagine. They are ghosts and nothing more.” Director Montgomery snorted and slid the file across the desk.
Every law enforcement agency and even the Pentagon was going to sweep this under the rug. Jesus.
“What do you want me to do?” Sophia asked, her mind racing at the possibilities.
“What do I want you to do?” he repeated as he leaned over his desk. “Find him. I don’t give a shit how long it takes or how much it costs. Find him. Or your ass is on the line.”
Sure, what did the department have to lose? They didn’t care about her life, only their reputation.
Fuck. Them.
“Yes, sir. I will do just that.” Sophia nodded and grabbed the file then backed to the door, flinging it open. She trotted back to her desk, closing the file and grabbing her things. Without saying another word, she headed for the entrance. Everything had taken a tumultuous turn.
David. She was sick knowing he had a part in all of this.
She was only two blocks from the office when her cell phone rang. Seeing the anonymous caller, she bristled, her stomach churning. “Wrath.” She bit back a moan, the adrenaline releasing. She glanced into her rearview mirror, certain she was being followed. Seeing nothing, she still moved to the side of the road, pulling into a strip mall parking lot.
He issued a slight growl. “Always the professional, Agent Waters. I should have known there is nothing that will bypass you.”
“You escaped, Wrath. By your own accord?”
“I have certain associates willing to help, sweet Sophia. I appreciate your concern. I didn’t know you cared so much.”
She huffed, twisting her hand around the steering wheel, feeling completely lightheaded. “You need to turn yourself in, Wrath. You won’t be able to work a deal for protection if you don’t.” She hated herself for lying.
“And you and I both know there will never be a deal cut for a man like me.”
Goosebumps popped along the tops of her arms, her anger at the system bursting to the surface. “Why did you call me, Wrath?”
“I called for two distinct reasons and one of them I’m certain you’re going to be very interested in,” he answered in a coy manner.
“I’m not positive that I’ll be interested in anything you have to say.”
“You can decide for yourself, my sweet, beautiful Sophia.”
Everything about his voice sent shivers down her spine. “I’m listening, but I assure you that if you give me any crap, I’ll know it.”
“As I said, everything will be in your hands and this will be our last conversation.”
As he began to speak, tears filled her eyes.
Chapter Fourteen
Sophia tapped on the steering wheel, glancing in the rearview mirror several times, keeping just above the speed limit as she drove. Her nerves were on edge, a combination of anxiety and frustration building. She glanced at the single sterling silver rose and the note she’d found at her house, exactly where Wrath had indicated it would be. He’d known better than to make his final request over the phone. She had good reason to believe her phones had several pairs of ears listening.
What he did mention in exacting detail was the name of the informant as well as corroborating evidence regarding the group of people he’d been assigned to assassinate.
David.
If his accusations were only half true, the horrific nature of their activities would be considered treason to the United States. Wrath had subsequently sent a blind email with an address that would quickly disappear, and she’d forwarded it to the director with a significant time delay.
She eased the rose into her hand, taking a deep whiff. He’d remembered her favorite flower or perhaps it was a reminder of the past. Almost everything about Wrath held an air of surprise.
Twenty minutes later, her GPS indicated the correct exit. Slowing down, she made the turn onto the ramp then came to a complete stop. There was no one behind her, no one to help. Or hinder. This had to be done. Calm your nerves. You can do this. This time, she laughed out loud. The little voice had been working overtime.
As she pulled up to a gate, the chain link swung open and she gripped the steering wheel. She pulled to a full stop, cutting the engine only a few seconds later. When she climbed out of the car, she had the Glock in her hand. Taking methodical steps, she walked toward the plane. The Learjet was running, ready to taxi down the runway, no doubt for a country without extradition.
Good for him.
She didn’t have to wait long. The door opened, and she held her breath.
Wrath eased out onto the platform, tilting his head.
The single word in her mind?
Dangerous.
He was dressed in linen pants, a flowing shirt and wearing sunglasses; Sophia was surprised how relaxed he seemed. She held the gun in both hands as he approached, anxiety as well as excitement slithering down her spine.
When he was only a few inches away, he removed his shades then closed the distance. Lifting one arm, he wrapped his hand around hers, squeezing before taking the gun out of her hand. “I wasn’t certain if you would come.”
“I wasn’t certain that I would, but you were right about a deal for protection. They never intended on honoring it.” She’d thought of nothing but the man and the way he made her feel since the incident. He was her world, in some ridiculous but beautiful fashion.
He chuckled. “As I would have expected.”
Inhaling, his exotic cologne filled her nostrils, giving her a sense of peace. She no longer had any fear or reservations, especially since her partner had been an informant for the Dark Haven for years, long before they’d become partners. She had a distinct feeling David’s life would be cut short, spending most of his years inside a Federal prison.
“My world is brutal, sweet Sophia,” Wrath said quietly.
“I know.”
“And unforgiving,” he half laughed.
“The consortium.” Another man approached, equally as handsome as Wrath, a chiseled face that could stop traffic. He studied her intently, a smile finally curling in the corner of his mouth. “They refuse to allow you to have anything to do with them.” Killing Gabriel must have sent more shockwaves than she could imagine.
He noticed her gaze and lifted an eyebrow. “The members certainly don’t kindly to anyone refusing their orders. The fact is, I couldn’t kill you.”
; “David made certain they knew I was alive. That bastard.”
Wrath nodded as the other man stopped just a foot behind him. “Let’s just say David was supposed to carry out the hit on my life by tomorrow. The consortium figured that he could get close without causing initial alarm. I was lucky that I was tipped off as to the detailed plan.”
Swallowing, she inched even closer, her body trembling. “Then I was next on the list.”
“Yes. As you might imagine, I couldn’t allow that to happen, but I required some help in getting out of a difficult situation.”
Sophia shifted closer to the stranger, eyeing him up and down. “That’s where you come in.”
“She is just as formidable as you told me, Wrath, but entirely more beautiful,” the stranger commented in a husky voice, the Italian accent heavy. He took her hand, pressing his lips against her knuckles. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Nicolo Moretti.”
The name rang a significant bell.
“You are the son of Leonardo Moretti, another suspected consortium member.” She slowly removed her hand, taking a step back. “What are you trying to tell me, Wrath? What the hell is going on here?”
Wrath cupped her face, rubbing his thumb across her mouth. “I adore you, sweet Sophia. You are my life, my very salvation. I will give you everything you’ve ever desired, but there’s a deal I’m going to offer. You must trust me.”
“A deal. Trust.” She shivered from his touch.
“Will you be able to do that?”
The tenderness in his voice was seductive, the urgency terrifying. Trusting him would take everything out of her, but there was nothing left for her there, nothing that held any meaning. “Yes.”
He seemed relieved. “Nicolo is a... friend of mine. We grew up together. Yes, his father is on the consortium and a supporter of both my father and me. Fortunately, no one is aware that we can even tolerate each other.”
“It is difficult to stomach your certain proclivities,” Nicolo teased, his face immediately hardening. “Wrath is a natural born leader. He will change the course of the old ways of the consortium in time. That is much needed. The brutal ways must end.”