The Enforcer (Vengeful Empire #3)

Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

C hristos

Death in my world was inevitable.

It was akin to breathing or hungering for food or sex. While the family legacy and our regime had changed over the years, becoming more corporate in structure, that could never mean we lost the value or technique of basic interrogation skills.

Like my brothers, I’d become a master of discovering information traitors did their best to hide.

Yet as I knocked on Valencia’s door, I was filled with unusual reservations. She’d brought such a sense of innocence and humanity into my world that I was finding it difficult to concentrate on the hate and anger normally feeding my psyche.

“Come in.” Her voice still held the haze of lust. I hated leaving her, but when an opportunity such as grilling the photographer responsible for providing the threatening pictures appeared, it was something that I couldn’t allow to pass.

I opened the door to find her curled in a chair by the window. She appeared to be at peace, but I could easily detect an electric vibe that had nothing to do with our previous intimate interactions. She’d changed into jeans and a light sweater, her legs tucked under her. She lifted her head, searching my eyes as if hoping for answers.

Sadly, I wasn’t certain what the questions were.

“I need to handle some business outside the house. I won’t be gone long.” My words felt clipped, almost inappropriate for the level of violence I was prepared to engage in as well as the intimate act that had nearly consumed us only fifteen minutes before.

“Fine. Are you locking me in?”

Her question seemed odd to me, maybe because I hadn’t planned her arrival at my house with any thought but of protecting her. “No, of course not. You have free run of the house and grounds. Just remember the parameters. You are not to attempt to leave. It won’t be safe. Enjoy some wine. I’ll return before dinner. Maybe we’ll go out.” I resisted reminding her that she was required to obey me and my rules.

“Okay. That would be nice.”

Her words were so stilted it concerned me, but it was something I’d need to deal with later. “You have your phone?”

I hadn’t noticed she had it cradled in her hands until she held it into view.

“Call your sister.”

She smirked, even rolling her eyes. “Alright.” She stared at her phone, blinking quickly.

“What is it?”

“My father called. Twice.”

“Did he leave a message?”

“No. He never calls me.” Now her brow was furrowed. “Maybe he read the article.”

“Maybe so. Make the call to your sister.”

As she dialed, I noticed she was as tense as before. Could I blame her? Of course not.

“Hey, Kat. How are you?” Her face instantly lit up when her sister answered. “I know. I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier. I’ve been busy.” She glanced toward me, almost as if looking to see if I approved. “No, I don’t really have time for a Facetime call with my little man.”

I knew differently. Valencia was her own woman and how she handled herself was something she didn’t take lightly. I remained in the doorway, longing for certain aspects of what we’d shared to be different.

“Don’t worry. I’m having a great time. I went to a wedding. That’s why I took a couple extra days.” While she laughed after making the statement, I heard the edge in her voice.

After I took a step closer, she offered me a dirty look. I was clearly invading her space.

“Will you be able to take care of Magnum for a couple more days?” She bit her lower lip, lowering her feet to the floor. Her entire body was tense. “Oh, thank you. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll bring back something from Greece.”

Now I tensed. She was sending a message, although one not likely to be deciphered.

“Yes, it’s a long story,” she continued. “I’ll tell you when I get home. Just know I’m fine. Just dandy.”

I took a step closer. She narrowed her eyes.

“I love you too, sis. Talk soon.” Her abrupt end to the call piqued my curiosity.

“Be careful, Valencia. Any knowledge of our whereabouts could be quite dangerous.”

“So you tell me. My sister doesn’t take kindly to only being given a few details.”

“Maybe so, but I’m just looking out for both of you. Hand me your phone.”

“Why?” Her demanding voice should irritate me, but it did just the opposite. Damn if I wasn’t turned on once again.

“Because I commanded you to do so. You’ll get it back. Don’t worry.”

“You don’t trust me.”

“And you don’t trust me.”

She hesitated before rising to her feet. When he shifted her arm forward, I took a deep breath before approaching her. “I don’t know what to think, Christos. Maybe you can understand why I’m not certain of anything.”

“I do,” I told her as I took the phone from her hand. “We’ll talk. I want you comfortable.”

“Really? Then accept I have a life outside of yours.”

The change in her demeanor was abrupt, even more so than normal. What was the feisty vixen up to?

There was no sense in returning to the earlier discussion. “I’ll be back in less than two hours. Try and relax.”

“I’ll try. I can’t promise anything just like you can’t.”

I pocketed her phone while inhaling the sweet scent of our passion. Even the desire for blood couldn’t erase the desire to remain by her side. “Luca will be just outside if you need anything.”

“And dozens of soldiers guarding the grounds?”

The defiance in her voice allowed me to chuckle. “You won’t notice them, Valencia. They are very skilled at surveillance and recon.”

“You sound like you’re in the military.”

Shrugging, I touched her face and felt thankful when she rubbed her cheek against my hand. “When facing an enemy, you can never be too careful. Having skilled men and in certain cases women highly skilled in weaponry and martial arts does generally allow for a positive outcome.”

“How very well thought out. You’re prepared for anything. Including war.”

She was trying to rile me. I had a feeling she found doing so amusing. “Yes. Think about what you’d like for dinner.”

“Why not?” She folded her arms, her eyes still filled with amusement. Even after experiencing a taste of what my father’s world had been filled with, she didn’t seem to understand the potential danger.

Or perhaps she didn’t care.

I headed downstairs, rolling down my sleeves and buttoning them before I headed into my office, grabbing my jacket. All the while I thought about the calls from her dad. He was obviously troubled about our relationship. I would use that to my advantage at some point.

After selecting additional ammunition, I noticed the katana placed in the center of the safe. Perhaps I could ease my agitation by using it. I yanked the special holster, sliding the sharp blade inside.

I’d already scheduled a meeting with Davit Ajernian for the next day. He’d been cordial on the phone, expressing his sorrow for what had occurred. I hadn’t mentioned the explosive and neither had he. But I’d discover whether or not he’d had any involvement. If he had, he would soon learn crossing my family had been a fatal mistake.

My, my, my. I had several people lined up to punish if necessary. While I hadn’t mentioned it to my brothers, I also had intentions of speaking with Don Coppola given his condition had been downgraded from being in the ICU. The man either knew or suspected more than he’d shared.

When I reached the front door, both Elias and Luca were waiting outside.

“Take care of her, Luca. Beware; the lovely doctor is a handful.”

He grinned. “I can handle her.” His smile faded when he noticed the look on my face. “In a completely professional way, of course.”

“Of course. You’re too smart to handle yourself in any other way,” I told him. He knew exactly what I was getting at. Touch her and die. I didn’t care how long our business relationship had been. She was not to be touched under any circumstances. “Elias, you’re coming with me.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” He moved toward the awaiting SUV. Ordinarily I would drive, but would use the time while he was heading to the lockdown facility to discover some valuable information.

After I started to walk toward the vehicle, I stopped and returned to where Luca was standing. “I will need you to coordinate something in a little while. I’ll send you the needed information. Just get it done as quickly as possible.”

“Absolutely, boss. Whatever you need.”

What I needed was something he couldn’t provide.

A way of creating a world that Valencia could tolerate. I laughed as I climbed into the SUV. We were from two entirely different worlds. Maybe I was fooling myself we could ever make it work. Whether I returned to New York or not, I’d made the final decision with her father’s call.

She would remain in Greece.

At this point, no circumstance and no one would be able to pry her from my life.

“He was carrying a weapon, boss. The serial numbers were filed off.”

One of two soldiers who’d remained at the bunker handed me the piece. It was a Glock, which meant little since so many criminals carried that particular weapon. I pocketed it, giving the man a nod. “Did he give you any trouble?”

“Just the usual.”

“Okay.” I glanced at Elias with a grin on my face as we approached the door. I opened it slowly, hating the fact my father had kept the place. “Kane Jones,” I said by way of introduction when I opened the door to the locked storage room inside the building affectionately called the bunker. While the outer chambers still held a stench of blood and other bodily fluids that had soaked into the walls, the room where Kane had been stored was ripe with the odor of cleaning supplies.

He’d chosen not to sit in the single chair located in the room. But it wasn’t just any chair. The creative design I’d had built reminded me of the old timey school chairs with desks attached I’d been forced to use as a small child. The design worked well when handling incentives for a captured enemy.

My recent captive snapped his head toward me as soon as I walked in. “What the fuck is going on here? I was taken from my hotel room, tossed in the trunk of some huge car, and stuffed inside this fucking room. It’s freezing in here. And who the hell are you? No one told me a damn thing,” Kane barked. Did he really think he was going to get the upper hand by insulting the man who’d had him brought here?

I stood quietly for a full minute while his eyes finally registered recognition.

“Wait. You were in the wedding party. Right?” At least I heard a slight tremor of fear in his voice.

“Very good. You were the photographer hired for the event.” He wasn’t the one who usually handled taking photographs of the family celebrations. Gerald had been our photographer for years, going as far back as handling our college graduation photo sessions. I hadn’t been told a different photographer had been used. Our father had handled making the arrangements. I wondered if he knew.

“Yes. I was a last-minute replacement. It was beautiful right up until…” He scrutinized me to the point where I almost felt self-conscious. “I’m fucking sorry what happened, man. I felt lucky to get out of there alive.”

“And without a scratch too. Very lucky indeed. Your work is excellent, I might add.”

“Thank you.” He had a smile on his face as if I was truly complimenting him.

Elias placed a duffle bag on the floor near me. When Kane looked down, his concern caused sudden surge in how many times he swallowed, I chuckled in such a way most men would be frightened from the tone alone. I followed his trail to the bag. “You’re curious what’s inside? Just some tools I’ve collected over the years. They’re very helpful in extracting information.”

Kane swallowed hard again, backing away a single step. When he ran into some boxes containing cleaning supplies, even toppling a bottle of bleach, he was startled enough to yelp. He shuddered when he noticed my unrelenting and usually off-putting stare. I’d been told more than once my glare could make a man confess even when he had nothing of interest to confess to.

“And I’ll add, you really don’t want me retrieving even a single sharp instrument inside that bag.”

“What do you want from me?” he was brave enough to ask.

“A truthful answer to a simple question. Who hired you?”

He appeared completely confused. “Someone from the agency called to see if I had any extra time.”

“What about Gerald?” I asked.

“Who?”

That was the man’s first mistake. Perhaps I should say agreeing to the gig was the very first one. However, this particular trip-up would be his last. Gerald was the owner of the company. Kane would know his name at minimum.

“I’m curious, Kane. How much money were you paid to snap the photographs while informing the soldiers waiting on the beach when their attack would be most effective?”

After many years of learning the secret to when someone was lying or telling the truth, I noticed a very astute, quick flash in his eyes that would have gone unnoticed by almost everyone else.

“The typical going rate. One thousand dollars. What are you talking about? What soldiers?”

“The ones who initiated the attack, but they had help on the inside.”

“I… I don’t know what you mean.”

Of course he didn’t.

The bleach continued dripping on the floor, the original gush now turning to a trickle. However, the sound was more unnerving, the stench in the small space already overpowering.

Kane coughed, holding his arm across his mouth. That allowed me to notice his hand was shaking. Perhaps he hadn’t been told what would happen if he was caught. Did the bastard who hired him not think we’d go after the photographer?

This dumb fuck hadn’t planned the attack. That much I knew cold.

Elias took the brief opportunity by crouching down, unzipping the bag slowly. All the while, Kane was watching closely. I could tell he was doing everything he’d been trained to do not to draw attention to himself. I also gathered he was nothing more than a low-level operative. What I found more interesting than the fact he’d taken the place of the regular photographer was that he was supposedly American.

Supposedly because once again the coincidence of using someone carrying identification at all let alone from the United States was an amateur move. Or merely a plant to draw us away from the real subject. However, anyone who knew about our reputation was well aware how many decades the family business had been in operation.

Meaning we knew how to handle our enemies and could sense their moves generally before they made them. I wouldn’t say this was baffling as much as irritating as fuck.

“Yes, your payment was typical, I suppose.” Only it wasn’t even close to the figure paid to Gerald. As Elias selected a hammer, I nodded to my lieutenant. “I don’t think I need to explain the rest to a man of your obvious intelligence. Sadly, you make a fatal mistake accepting the job in the first place. I wish I could say I’ll be lenient, but that would be a lie. I vowed to stop lying.”

Kane was becoming even more nervous, already sweating like a pig.

I pulled out the weapon. “Nice piece.”

“You have to protect yourself these days.”

“I’m curious how you managed to take it on the long flight.”

He didn’t seem to have an answer or ignored me by choice. Another mistake. I casually glanced at Elias.

My soldier not only knew the best pressure points on a man but also what caused the most pain.

I’d allow my lieutenant to make the choice. That helped in keeping Elias happy.

Elias took a practice swing, coming within an inch of Kane’s knee.

The bastard screeched, the sound echoing as he jumped to the right.

“I suggest you stay right where you are, Kane. I’m a very busy man and as such, I don’t need to waste time interrogating little more than a human cockroach. I’m certain you didn’t plan the attack. In truth, I doubt you knew what was coming. Unless you were told to bring a weapon in case your tasks were altered. You were hired to take photographs, provide information, and have certain selected photographs couriered to me. Is that not correct?”

“Yes!” The man was definitely afraid of the hammer. He backed up, slipping on the slick floor. “I have no clue what was going to happen. Yes, I was told to carry a gun. They provided it for me. I’ve never shot one in my goddamn life.”

“I believe you. But you haven’t been up front about supplying a name. I have no doubt you were paid in advance. And more after you had the package delivered. How did you get your money?”

“Wire transfers. I have no clue who the people were. I swear to God.”

While the man was acting nervous, he wasn’t being completely honest. “Sit down, Mr. Jones. If that’s what your name really is.” It was obvious to me his ID was a fake, although the forgery was a decent one.

He didn’t budge.

“I said. Sit. Down. Don’t make me ask you again, Mr. Jones.”

Shaking, he eased onto the wooden platform.

“Who hired you?” I asked again.

“I don’t know. I’m just a photographer. I was earning extra money. Nothing more.” He was moving from phase one of complete disgust and denial to a more pleading tone. However, he was acting and nothing more.

“Where are you from?”

“New York!”

“Where in New York?”

He faltered and I shook my head.

I nodded again to my soldier and Elias yanked the man’s hand onto the desk.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Kane moaned, debating whether he would attempt to try to stop what was happening.

“Spread your fucking fingers,” Elias told him.

Kane looked up at me as if I was going to help him. “I suggest you do what he says.”

He finally spread them, taking gasping breaths all while the pulse in the side of his neck remained calm. Not bad. “Let’s try this again. Where are you from, Kane?”

“Just like my license says. New York. I live in Brooklyn.”

Uh-huh. “You’re far from home for a working gig.”

“I was here on vacation. Same agency in New York.”

“Ri-ight. One last time. Who are you working for?”

“I swear to God, I don’t know.”

I’d learned a long time before that if someone was faking their identity, including by pretending to be from another country, complete fear almost always made them swear. In their native language. I nodded and Elias swung down the hammer almost against Kane’s hand.

“ Keghtot khent’! ” His yell was cut off right after blurting out the two words.

Those two words provided me with exactly what I needed to know. “Interesting, Mr. Jones. If I’m not incorrect, you just cursed fucking shit in your native language of Armenian. I speak several languages. I assume your boss is Davit Ajernian?”

Panting, he continued starting at his fingers, tears in his eyes. “I… I just…”

Maybe Elias had scared him too much.

“Very well, Mr. Jones. At this point, I think I have everything I need from you.”

I noticed Elias was debating taking further action. I was forced to touch his arm, shaking my head before he backed away. I could tell the man wasn’t satisfied.

It would need to do. For now.

I wasn’t going to leave Valencia by herself but for so long.

However, I needed relief from the rage that had yet to leave. As soon as I pulled out the katana, Elias grinned and backed away. He’d been the only one to notice I’d slaughtered one of the enemy soldiers at the reception with it.

Now Mr. Jones was nervous as fuck. Good. He should feel the pain of working for a snake. Although as I debated how savage I wanted to be, I reminded myself Davit could have saved time, money, and possible death by sending the gift ahead of time. Unless he’d been worried the happy couple would open it at the wrong time.

I swished the curved knife through the air, catching the man’s eyes. Then again, why not send someone to have the package dropped off on the day of the wedding? That wouldn’t have raised any eyebrows.

There was much too still consider so I wouldn’t be rash.

However, this fucker was going to die.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Jones, but your visa to remain in Greece has expired.” There were several aspects I adored about using the katana, but the curved blade made the kill that much more enjoyable than a traditional knife.

I shoved it into his gut, twisting my wrist only slightly before jerking it up by a few inches. Pulling away, I was immediately handed a rag by Elias. The location was ours, yet I didn’t like having any dead bodies hanging around.

Havros had mentioned our mother had received a concerned call from a member of the Hellenic police. A guest had opened their mouth when every person invited had known better. It was typical though. There was always a leak. That’s why I would command the soldiers guarding the building to dispose of the body and clean up the room.

“What now, boss?” Elias asked as I slipped the katana back into its case.

“Now we put the screws to the Armenian leader. But not until tomorrow.”

Tonight, I had other plans.