The Mercenary and the Mortician (The Silent Hollow #1)

49. Cal Walker

T his mission was going to fucking shit. These dudes were more slippery than goddamn eels.

I wanted to go back to Logan’s trailer and just end shit, but Vox refused to let me after the stunt I pulled last time. He was concerned that because they were now on alert and ready for us, we wouldn’t be so lucky, trying to jump them again, so we’ve been reduced to stalking them from a distance.

Low key, I was grateful Vox was being stubborn about it. If I was being honest with myself, I didn’t want to kill these dudes. I liked what they were doing, and if Damian wasn’t holding the safety of Ryan and my sisters over my head, I would probably fucking help them.

Vox had looked into Ronan Carter. When Ronan was a cop, he worked on several cases involving pedophiles. Some of the judges and lawyers on these cases had connections with Apex. Vox had the idea that we look into the defense attorney responsible for most of Ronan’s targets getting off with minimal or no jail time. His name was Dillan Zanetti, and he seemed like a massive douche canoe.

Looks like Ronan had been busy. He’d already murdered most of the pedophiles the justice system had failed to imprison, so it only made sense that he might go after the defense attorney next.

Again, I hated this. My heart wasn’t in it at all. If I needed to straight up protect one of the pedos this ex-cop had already killed, I would have flat-out refused. However, I supposed I could stomach the defense attorney. He was technically just doing his job, and if it was between that guy and Ryan’s life, I was gonna pick Ryan every time.

Our plan was to wait for them to attack Zanetti, then intercept, save the asshole they were trying to kill, and eliminate them in the process.

But they hadn’t made a move, and I couldn’t figure out why.

Vox gestured to himself and then me and gave me a knowing look.

Indicating that he thought they hadn’t made a move because they knew we were here waiting, but I didn’t understand how. I’d been leaving my phone in the car in case they were somehow using our personal devices to track us.

Which was fucking annoying because it was making it difficult for me to keep my promise to Ryan that I would text him regularly.

My heart broke every time I managed to get back to the G-Wagon and found multiple missed messages from my ginger snap.

He wanted me to come see him.

He was worried about me…

It was so strange and new. Sure, Naomi and Cass cared about me, but it wasn’t the same. Neither of them checked in on me like this when I was on a mission, and it was heartwarming as fuck that Ryan was. It was also making me feel super fucking guilty about not being able to see him.

But as badly as I wanted to just say fuck it and go to him, we couldn’t let these guys murder this fuckhole. Damian was beginning to lose patience with us. Ryan’s texts weren’t the only ones waiting for me whenever I had a chance to check my phone. I often had one or two from Daddy Asshole as well.

Damian:

Don’t disappoint me, Mr. Walker. It would be a shame if I needed to order you back for recalibration.

My eye twitched whenever I got one of these messages. I hadn’t needed to be ‘recalibrated’ since I was a child. I didn’t really have any desire to go through that experience again, so when we hit day four, and these guys still hadn’t made a move, I was feeling all kinds of irritated.

“Maybe we’re wrong. Maybe this dude isn’t actually their mark,” I muttered. Vox and I were sitting in a cafe, watching Defense Attorney Dillan Zanetti order a fucking bagel.

Really riveting stuff.

Vox raised an eyebrow at me and shook his head. He was telling me he disagreed. This guy was definitely our target’s mark.

I groaned and slumped in my chair.

“It’s been four fucking days. I’m sick of this. This dude isn’t even interesting. The closest thing he’s done to anything somewhat questionable was pick his nose in his car the other day. Like, buddy, at least do it in private,” I grumbled.

Vox shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to back down.

I rolled my eyes. “I know, I know. It’s part of the job. But we have to do something . They’re clearly not moving on this guy.”

Vox pinned me with a knowing glare and made that dick-sucking motion again, indicating that he knew exactly why I was being so irritable.

“Well, yeah. I miss him. I haven’t seen him in four days, and I can barely even text him while we’re out here.”

Vox shook his head in warning, and I sighed.

“Come on, Voxy. Maybe we can just swing by Fairview so I can say a quick hi? Maybe while buddy is on his movie date?”

Zanetti was meeting up with his wife after his bagel for a matinee. We’d heard him talking on his phone while we tailed him in here.

Vox pursed his lips, and his silver eyes burned with annoyance. He didn’t think it was a good idea.

“Come on, even for professionals, it would be hard as fuck to off someone in a movie theatre. Especially a grown man. We won’t stay long. I just want to show my face, and then we can go back out.”

Vox just glared at me, and I batted my eyelashes back at him.

“Puh-leaaaaseeeee Voxy? The theater is just around the corner from Fairview. Give me five minutes with him, then we can get back on this guy’s ass.”

Vox let out a silent sigh and shook his head, though this head shake was in resignation.

He held up three fingers and gave me his most stern, sexy vampire look.

I perked up, grinning at him like crazy.

“Ok, sure, three minutes. I’ll take it!”

He rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth lifted up.

“I know. You can’t say no to me. No one can; it’s part of my charm.”

He huffed and gave me the finger, but his heart clearly wasn’t in it, and I didn’t care.

I was going to see my ginger snap, and even if it was only for a few minutes, it was going to be so fucking worth it.