Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28
H unter
Near silence.
The wait had been long. Arduous. Hours of being uncertain, of questioning all I’d done with my life. I’d fucked up everything. For what? Glory? Honor? Hell, I didn’t even know any longer. Right now, I felt nothing but anger inside, an all-consuming rage that might never leave.
I held Esme’s hand, pulling it to my cheek. “Baby. I’m so sorry.”
She’d yet to awaken, and her skin was so pale. I kissed every knuckle and closed my eyes. This was all my fucking fault.
“She’s a fighter,” Jagger told me as he clapped his hand on my shoulder.
“I did this.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Drones. What the fuck?” I eased her hand onto the sheets, taking a few seconds to brush hair from her eyes. “I’ll be right back, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”
Leaving the room was one of the hardest things I had to do. Once we were outside, Shephard walked toward us.
“You okay?” he asked.
“No. I won’t be okay until I hunt down the assholes who gave the orders. This can’t be Carlotto.”
Jagger glanced at Shephard. “We didn’t want to say anything.”
I pushed off from the wall. “What? Just say it.”
“The sheriff found one of the drones still mostly intact,” Jagger said.
“And?”
“And it has US military markings.”
A deep, ragged exhale left my system. “My fucking God. What the hell were we shoved in the middle of?”
“Bullshit. That’s what. I have a few calls out,” Shephard said quietly as he scanned the hallway. “There were no reports of any unusual activity on the radar. Sheriff Carter checked.”
“There wouldn’t be if this was more of an internal operation.” I rubbed my eyes. They were still sensitive even after the paramedics had given both a saline wash.
“It’s possible Dad knows more than he’s telling us. Evidently, after Esme read your text, he immediately went into action.” Jagger lifted his eyebrows. “We need to have a little heart to heart with the man.”
If he made it. Denise had seen at least two men in the woods, capturing the moment they’d taken aim at our father. Either they were novices or hadn’t intended on killing the man. He’d been hit in the shoulder, the wound likely not considered life threatening, although his health issues could complicate blood loss.
“Yeah, we will,” I told them, noticing the doctor was making his way toward us. “I guess we’ll learn when that can happen.”
“Go easy on the man,” Shephard suggested.
“Why? He’s been lying to us for fucking years. Do you think the man deserves a medal?” I sure as shit didn’t.
The doctor nodded to all three of us.
“Your father is going to recover from the gunshot wound. He’s very fortunate. The bullet only grazed his shoulder,” he said. Oddly enough, he still had a concerned look on his face.
The doctor seemed pensive, even more so than in dealing with anyone who’d survived a fire and had been shot during the process of escaping.
“What’s the bad news?” I asked, thankful our mother wasn’t hovering in the hallway of the hospital like her three sons. Both Bella and Denise were right by her side in the waiting room. Hell, half the town had heard what had occurred and they were outside the hospital. Even members of the press were still hanging around at almost four in the morning. I guess our little family was big news.
Doctor Chapell hesitated before answering. “He’s having difficulty breathing.”
“His cancer?” Jagger remained near the floor’s window, leaning against the frame. We all looked haggard, the long night taking a toll.
“I think you need to spend some time with your father. I doubt he’ll leave the hospital.”
I’d already suspected what the doctor had said. The ache inside was heavy, my soul remaining in the bitter darkness, a need for revenge. The possibility that supposedly friendly soldiers had sent drones to drop intelligent bombs on the house, using an elevation that hadn’t initially been detected on my father’s special radar system added to the level of rage.
Given the markings Jagger had been notified of, that meant someone in my father’s organization, the fucking traitor, had known how to bypass the system.
Revenge would be sweeter than ever.
“Can we see him?” Shephard asked and I sensed he was past the point of no return. We were ready to hunt down and eliminate Don Carlotto. Given the horrific fire and both Esme’s and our father’s injuries, we’d yet to spend even a minute searching for the man and his lair.
“Yes, but only for a few moments. He asked to see Hunter first. Just limit your time. He needs his rest,” Doctor Chapell told us. “He insisted on making a call so he’s able to talk.”
“A call?” Jagger lifted his eyebrows.
“Yes. He was quite insistent.”
Shephard took a deep breath. “Our father is determined to get what he wants.”
The doctor laughed. “I’ve heard that. I also thought you should know that the oncologist is on her way to see your father as well. I’m sorry I can’t provide any additional details about his cancer diagnosis.”
“He’s a fighter,” I said quietly. What did he need to tell me alone?
“Yes,” Doctor Chapell said in a way that was easy to read. Our father likely had hours to live.
“What about Esme?” She’d seemed so lifeless, so pale and unresponsive during the ride to the hospital. At least she’d held my hand, squeezing more than once.
The doctor smiled, his eyes lighting up. “She’s going to be just fine. I think you were a hero, Hunter. She inhaled some smoke and the paramedics gave her some oxygen. There’s some bumps and bruises, but she was very lucky. You saved her life. You can go and see her at any time. As long as she awakens and is still stable, we’ll release her later today.”
“Thank God,” Shephard half whispered.
It was already morning, dawn peeking through the windows. Even though it appeared the sun would burst through the clouds at some point, I wasn’t as thankful as I knew I should be. The threat remained.
Or did it? Was Carlotto even involved in any of what had occurred the last couple of weeks?
If I found out he was after all, he would soon learn the fate he’d deserved years ago had followed him. I would finish my mission from years before.
Soon, Don Giuseppe Carlotto would spiral in the fires of hell.
Shephard locked eyes with mine. There was no need for words at this point. In so many ways, we’d dodged a bullet, but the game was on hold. Only the three of us could finish it and we’d do it our way.
I walked away from the group and toward my father’s room. Only he could ensure Giuseppe’s location was secured, the location provided. Placing the burden on him might be considered reprehensible, but there was no other choice.
As soon as I was in the room, a sense of sadness washed over me. To see my father lying in a hospital bed didn’t seem real. He appeared even more frail than before we’d left, but almost immediately, he opened his eyes.
“Pops. Good to see you’re awake.” While I wasn’t good at tempering my anger, attacking him wasn’t going to solve anything or provide the answers I would demand.
“Come here, son. Much to tell you.”
Yeah, I bet.
I did as he asked, although my feet and legs felt the lethargy of the recent terrible experience. Yet anger continued to fuel me.
“You’re lucky,” I told him as I closed the distance to the bed. “It’s funny how the shooter had such bad aim.”
“You know better than to believe luck has any place on our world.”
I shook my head. “Another warning shot and nothing more.”
“Yes. You’re the real target.”
“So it seems. Or is that the real truth, Pops?”
“What do you mean?”
“I think you know exactly what I mean. Does this have anything to do with Carlotto at all?”
“There’s more at stake here than you understand.” He looked away, but not before I noticed guilt in his eyes.
“Then why don’t you enlighten me? You knew every move I made over the years. Didn’t you?”
He reached out, his hand shaking. I took it, squeezing to provide comfort. I felt dead inside, yet seeing the look of admiration in his eyes was so damn difficult. All the years wasted. All the words that should have been said.
“I always knew what you were capable of, son. That’s why you were pushed. My tough approach was never about pitting the three of you against each other.”
He started wheezing and I took a deep breath.
The cough was violent, bloody spittle covering his lips. I grabbed tissues from a convenient box, gently wiping his mouth. Just as he’d done when I was little the times I’d fallen and split a lip or had a fight with one of my brothers. He’d been there to soothe the ache while reminding me I was a tough little boy.
With his words stated, I curtailed some of my anger. “You made a phone call, Pops. Who was that to?”
“Who it was isn’t what’s important.”
“How so?”
“All you need to know are Carlotto’s next intentions.”
His cough stopped the progression of our conversation, but I sensed he needed to share much more than what he was saying. “Fine. They are?”
“Killing the Saudi Arabian prince. You can’t allow that to happen.”
“So let me guess. Another test?”
When he didn’t answer right away, I realized I’d assumed incorrectly.
“The drones were American made, Pops. Issued to the military. But you guessed that.”
“I had no idea things would go this far, Hunter. That’s the truth.”
“The truth? I’m not certain you even know how to tell the truth.” Yes, my words were biting. “The hit on your house had nothing to do with Carlotto. This entire time, the people watching were supposed to be on our side.”
“As always, son, you seem to cut through the bullshit every time.”
“The leak. Who is this fucker? Someone you know and trust.”
“Someone much more powerful than I originally thought. I had to stop him. I couldn’t let him continue.”
“Him? You’re talking in riddles, Dad.”
“Franklin Wallace.”
My reaction was to laugh. “He serves on the joint chiefs of staff.”
“Yes, he does, but not for much longer.”
“I’ll be damned, Dad. You assigned your three sons to take down a powerful man. You suspected we’d figure this all out. Why the ruse about Carlotto?”
“It’s not a ruse. He and his army of soldiers are a threat to national security. Finish what you started so you can finally live your life the way you’ve wanted since you were a kid. You know how the man works. You’re the only operator who can accomplish what no one else has been able to do.”
“Did you forget what happened three years ago, Pops?”
“You would have finished your assignment had you not been compromised.”
I had to wonder who Franklin Wallace had sold out to.
Why was my father pushing me so hard?
I shook my head, enraged the people he’d worked with for years were targeting him. For what? “Talk to me, Pops. What happened to make Commander Wallace turn traitor?”
“The same reason as anyone does. Money. Power. Does it really matter?”
“What else? Who else is involved?”
He smiled, his eyes fogging over. “Several prominent men and a couple women. Their misdoings have been documented. I’ve done some terrible things in my life. I’ve ordered hits on people when I suspected they were nothing more than political targets. Sadly, I found that out far too late. I made my peace with my decisions, but I refuse to allow the atrocities to continue. Not when there are those determined to erase the face of loyalty by using their own men for personal gain. I couldn’t allow that to occur. So I did what I needed to do.”
It took me a few seconds to process what he’d told me.
“You exposed the organization, including the names of the corrupt members to law enforcement.”
His smile confirmed I was correct. “My brilliant son.”
“So this organization will soon be defunct.”
“Not without a fight. The bones of the organization are required, son. There are enemies that can only be destroyed by use of the operators working for us. It’s unfortunate that a few members changed the group’s mission to suit their own needs, but the group must continue.”
“Amidst the chaos, you made the suggestion your sons take over the group. I take it that it wasn’t well received.”
“Quite the contrary.” Pops was getting breathless.
“You need to rest. We can talk about this later.”
He grabbed my arm. “There is no time. The choice is yours as well as that of your brothers. A unanimous decision was made by a private session to invite you into the group. You would make fantastic leaders. You all believe in the greater good in mankind. You refuse to back down to anyone. You would honor this country in doing the right thing always.”
A private session, which meant a coup was currently in motion.
“What if you don’t know what the right thing is any longer, Pops? What then? How effective would we be? You wanted soldiers for sons and that’s what we became. You wanted mercenaries, not civilians. That’s what we became. You required perfection to the point we lost ourselves in the motions of our acts. I assure you that doesn’t bode well for continuing in a career where a target is forever placed on your back.”
He nodded. “I understand.”
“Do you? A life of servitude trying to right wrongs or live a simple life born of love and bliss. Interesting choice.”
“My dreamer. Yes, Hunter. As I said, the choice is yours, but you cannot allow Carlotto to continue his actions. The death of the prince would also be on your conscience. I know you too well. End this and you’ll be free of your demons.”
Free. There was no such term in the world of black ops. However, it was the final act requested by my father. I was certain there were additional reasons other than the loss of another country’s leader. However, his loyalty to the organization who’d hired operators to do the dirty work no military organization wanted a part of was still strong.
Only he’d altered the playing field.
“When did you know your entire family was on the hit list?” My anger and aggravation were showing.
“The news wasn’t confirmed until the phone call. The bodies of those chasing you were positively identified as operatives.”
Now I laughed. An internal game. “But you suspected, yet sent your sons into a possible battlefield.”
“Yes, because I knew you could help discover the truth and would not fail.”
“You almost cost the life of the woman I love. You could have lost your wife and the women your other sons adore. Did you not think about that?”
“I did what needed to be done.”
I backed away, throwing up my hands. “I want no part of that life, Pops. I did my time. I walked away because I finally realized there was no glory in murder. There still isn’t.”
He said nothing as I headed to the door. I had no idea what to think or how to react at this point. My father had been so indoctrinated by a system he fully believed in that even after almost being killed by people in his secretive organization, he still refused to back down.
“Listen to me, Hunter. I’ve always been proud of you. You are my son. You have my heart and always have. Do what’s best for you and for Esme. That’s what I truly want for all of you.”
Esme
“I want a dog,” I said out of the blue.
Hunter said nothing.
“You know, a sloppy kisser who’ll share our bed?” I moved closer. “A big fluffball. You do know, dogs are girl’s best friends. Right? Maybe two dogs are best. Yeah, they can be buddies.”
“A dog, huh?” Hunter remained staring out the kitchen window where he’d been for the last thirty minutes.
“Yes, a huge and wooly mammoth of a dog. He’ll fit right in. Don’t you think?”
“Sure.”
He wasn’t paying any attention to me whatsoever. Since returning home two days before, he’d waited on me, but we had barely talked. He’d been consumed with what had happened and what his father had told him.
No, more like what his father had wanted to order him to do.
If I knew anything about Hunter, he didn’t like being told what to do. He was finished with that aspect of his life.
In the aftermath of the fire, it seemed the whole town rallied around the family. All of us had enough food for a solid month, offers of help coming from every direction. With his dad’s recent release from the hospital, his parents were currently staying in the main portion of the resort until a cabin could be brought up to Sally’s standards. At least she was in good spirits, doing her best to keep the family from worrying but so much about the patriarch.
While I still couldn’t understand the politics of what had occurred and why, I knew Hunter well enough to know what had happened was killing him.
In the face of death, you realized all the little things you thought were so important just didn’t mean as much to you as you’d once believed.
He mattered.
Living here mattered.
A big job in a huge city didn’t.
Allowing the monster who’d killed my parents to ruin my life wasn’t going to happen.
I hadn’t seen a bright light or my life flashing in front of my eyes, but I’d felt death all around me. It had been a strange yet humbling experience. However terrified I’d been, I would do it all over again. Saving Xena’s little life had heightened my need for family.
All I wanted was to spend my life with the people I cared about.
And the man I loved.
Only Hunter was still in a very dark place. I’d felt it from the moment he’d gathered me into his arms, racing to safety in the raging fire. He’d saved me, but refused to admit he’d been a hero. Because he still didn’t believe that he deserved the honor.
I knew better but there was no way I could convince him. That would take exorcising his demons. He would need to do that himself and there was only one way.
One last mission as requested by his father.
While I knew he had to go so the final chapter could be finished, I wasn’t one hundred percent positive he’d return. However, stopping him would prevent us from becoming any closer.
As soon as I walked up behind him, Hunter stiffened. When I placed a hand on his arm, he let out a godawful sound.
“You need to do this. You need to hunt this Italian Don down. You know that. If you don’t, you’ll never feel complete.”
“You complete me.” He tipped his head so he could finally look me in the eyes. His were bloodshot.
“No, I don’t, and I’m okay with that. For now.”
“I won’t leave you.”
“I’m strong, Hunter. I’m a big girl. Go and finish this business that has haunted you for years. Go make the world a safer place for everyone and if you decide you need to continue doing that, I’ll understand.”
No, I wasn’t certain I could, but this was something I couldn’t challenge and win. I wanted him whole again. I wanted him safe.
I wanted him to return home to me, but I knew it was his choice.
He turned around to face me, gently placing his hand on my cheek. “Baby. I don’t think it’s a good idea. Leaving you. Leaving my parents. It’s risky and unwarranted. Why should I give a shit about this man and what he does?”
“Because you’re an honorable man, just like your father. Just like your brothers. You will never forgive yourself if you don’t finish what you started.”
“You don’t understand the politics.”
“And I don’t want to. Look, I’m not asking you to go. I’m telling you that I don’t want you to stay here like this. You’re not happy and you’re never going to be unless you end the nightmare yourself. I can’t lie and tell you I completely understand what you’ve gone through, but I know you’re suffering tremendously. Do this for you. Do this for us.”
“You’re sure about this?”
“Yes, I’m certain.”
He lowered his head very slowly as he slid his hand around to cup the back of my neck. “You’re an amazing woman, Esme. I love you. Know that. Feel that.”
“I do and I will.”
As he captured my mouth, I pressed my hand against his chest so I could feel his heartbeat. It was strong, just like the man himself. The kiss was sweet, gentle, and loving. A rush of emotion flowed through me, a strong sense of knowing he would always be the one for me. No one else could ever compare.
Hunter swept his tongue inside, taking his time exploring my mouth. I was electrified by his touch, but the sensations were even more incredible than ever. I loved this man through and through. He wasn’t perfect, but no one would ever be. However, he was perfect for me.
When he broke the kiss, he rubbed his thumb back and forth across my lips before pulling the thick digit into his mouth.
Sighing, I pushed away, fighting the tears that would give away my lies. I didn’t want him to go. I feared what would happen, but I was determined to help him through perhaps the greatest ordeal of his life.
It was my gift to him as giving me my life was to me.
I turned around so he couldn’t see my tears. “I won’t ask you to return home to me, Hunter. But I will ask and pray that you return alive.”
Why was it that I knew the kiss we’d just shared would be the last?