Chapter 44
I don’t dare breathe when the door to Shadow’s office creaks open, and Darrell stands there with an unreadable expression. Through all the noise of the glass shattering and my fucking mind spiraling, I didn’t hear the elevators.
I heard nothing but my damn heart breaking.
Darrell blinks several times, taking in the carnage of the room. His frown deepens.
“The fuck are you doing in here?” he grunts, eyeing me with narrowed eyes. “And what the fuck did you do?” he gestures stiffly to the painting on the ground.
Darrell’s sharp words hang in the air. What the fuck are you doing in here? It was a good question. I could lie my ass off and tell him I got lost and just wandered into this secret office.
Yeah, right.
He'd never believe that. But I was trying to save face. Save myself from the future of Shadow's wrath when he returns.
If he knew I was in here, then he'd hurt Journey. And me. Severely. Hell, even kill us. Us being here still doesn't make sense to me. He can tell me until I'm blue in the face that he wants to marry me off or have me prove my loyalties.
But why now? He didn't give a shit about me before. Still doesn't.
No matter the reason. I have to keep my guard up around Shadow, which means I have to keep myself guarded around Darrell, too. Considering Shadow trusts him so damn much.
Lifting my chin, I exhale all my worries, erasing the emotions from my expression. Facing Darrell, I stand tall, rolling my shoulders back. He stands slightly shorter than me, having to lift his chin to stare coldly into my eyes.
He takes a step back, closing us in the room together. Tension tightens my chest with anticipation. This motherfucker could take me down. Rat me out. One wrong move, and I'm toast, but I'm not the only one.
Not a peep comes from him again as he takes in the status of the room. He wrinkles his nose, almost huffing beneath his breath.
"The fuck you doing in here?" he grunts again, waltzing into the room, shaking his head. "Breaking shit?" He picks up the painting and nods once. "From Grace, huh?" My ears ring from the name he used. “Interesting,” he mumbles. “So, you find anything useful?” His brows raise expectantly when he sets the painting on Shadow's desk.
'What about Grace?' I write out, holding it up for him to see.
He chuckles lowly. "I was hoping you'd get further than this. We've got a lot to discuss, Sheppard." His brows furrow when he looks at the pictures I left on top. "I only saw these a few times. But you get what happened, right?" He scowls, picking it up and reading the back of it. “Damn...” he mutters, trailing off.
'They were in love before Gabriel?'
Darrell snorts, handing the pictures to me. "Bingo. Thomas and Grace were an item throughout high school. They were made to be a match, too.“
‘A match? Like….’
“They were going to be married in June after high school graduation. But never made it. Instead, Grace married Gabriel.”
‘They were forced to.’ Even I know the answer to that.
Nodding to the pictures, he says, “Keep them. I'm sure you'll need them more than Shadow." I snatch them up and shove them into my pocket, pulling the piece of paper I found with the blueprints detailing instructions on the start of the war.
A massive explosion at the hotel where Elias and Jenni will get married.
'What's the meaning of this?' I write out, pointing to the blueprints. I'm almost positive I know what's going to happen . 'He's going to attack Elias at his wedding?' I raise a brow when he reads the pages, rubbing his chin. I'm unsure why he's here and not dragging me back to my room. It makes no sense.
"Ah. It seems you've come across his plans for the day. Fucking wonderful." He shakes his head, reading over the page again until he turns to face me. His jaw tics and his fists curl. "What the fuck is that?" he hisses, snatching something from my pocket. I gape at him. Not remembering I had left the agent's badge from last night in my pocket. I don't even know what happened to him. "Where'd you get this?" he grits, stepping toward me with a menacing look. "Where the fuck is Agent 10?"
I blink several times at him as the badge hangs from a chain in front of my face, taunting me. 'Shadow had him tortured down the hall. Now, I don't know.' I write out, earning a curse.
"I can't fucking take it anymore," he seethes, pulling out his phone while keeping his eyes on me. After a few rings, the phone clicks on, and a familiar female voice comes over the damn phone. "The time is right," Darrell grumbles into the phone. “Send everyone in. Shadow is gone. Secure the premises.”
‘What the fuck is happening?’ I scribble quickly.
“This is where things are going to get so much fun, Shepp. Like I said, we have a lot to discuss. So, sit down and fucking listen.” He gestures to the chairs with impatience, but I don't move.
I roll my wrist, insisting that he continue.
Darrell shoves his phone into his pocket and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I'm Agent Twelve with Veritas. Veritas sent me here a year and a half ago as an undercover agent. I received a call recently from my supervisor, Agent Seven. She was concerned about her cousin's friends, Shepp and Journey.”
‘Olivia.’ I write out with realization. She's the only one who would have called it in. No doubt, Jericho and Arrow went to her first for help, knowing she had the manpower to get to us.
What I didn't expect was secret agents pretending to be in a gang.
“She wanted you two to have an ally of sorts. Although I don't think your wife likes me very much.” An ally? Is that what he called dragging us around?
‘You were rude.’ I write out with a frown.
“Whatever,” he grumbles, running a hand down his face.
‘What's the plan?’ If he's a Veritas agent, there must be an escape plan to get us both to safety.
But what about Journey?
“You're going to grab whatever you need from here, and then we're going to a boat and getting the fuck out of here. Veritas will fully control this place and take Shadow down if all goes well.”
‘Why not do it when he's here?’
Darrell levels me with a look. “We wouldn't have gotten close enough while he was here. There are too many warriors with weapons. We needed him away. Separated from the men here. It's the first part of our plan.”
‘And then you'll take him down?’
This is the most crucial part. I don't trust Shadow. He's a roach, getting cut to bits and coming back to life more powerful than ever.
“We have eyes on him,” Darrell says with a nod. “Now, get your shit together. We need to get out of here before shit hits the fan. Agents have been in place since the Russians took off.”
‘You've been planning this for a while.’
“Yeah. It was all coming to a head. Since Grace and Thomas split their plans, we've had eyes on both of them, trying to figure out what the hell is happening.”
‘So, she's been in on it from the beginning?’
Darrell reads my words repeatedly. “You don't truly understand what happened.”
I shake my head. ‘Enlighten me.’
Darrell huffs, watching me stuff the letters and pictures into my pockets. I’d attempt to take the painting, too. But it won't fit anywhere.
“Grace was the beginning,” Darrell says. “She's the original Shadow. The one who bought and revamped this island and hotel. It was all Grace. She brought Thomas here, and they ruled together. He helped her build their army of dumbasses.” He throws an arm, pointing toward the wall. “So, you understand now? We're not dealing with one person named Shadow. They're an entity. A group. She's off doing…” He shakes his head. “No idea, actually. She never let me sit in on her meetings with Thomas. He kept tight-lipped about their true plans. But ever since she's been gone, he's gone off the fucking rails. Hence, why he's showing his face at a damn wedding.”
Grace is fucking Shadow. No wonder he was talking to Grace on the phone. They're plotting together.
‘Is this where she disappeared to?’
Darrell shrugs. “Grace became a person we kept our eye on the moment she purchased this island under a false company name a few years ago.”
I scowl. ‘Why the fuck hasn't anyone stepped in and arrested them already? You've been here for years?’
“If there's one thing you'll learn about Veritas is that we're thorough in our investigations.” He shrugs.
‘Thorough or stupid?’ I grunt, writing the word as rage burns through me. ‘You could have taken them out by now and stopped them from threatening us. Bringing us here! What about Journey? Sunshine?’
“Journey will be fine at the wedding. Do you think she'll be there with just him? We have Intel that suggests–” I growl when he says that. “Okay, more than suggests. Jericho and Arrow will be in attendance. They've been swayed to take her by any means possible to a safe location, where I will drop you off. My boss has been in constant contact with them.” He shakes his head. “She's lucky she's the big boss,” he mutters.
Something morphs on Darrell's face, twisting into an unreadable expression. The only gesture he makes is putting his finger over his lips.
I roll my eyes. ‘Like I talk.’
He quickly waves me off, moving to stand beside the door. Swallowing hard, he turns to me. “Someone is coming.” I nod.
Great. ‘Burly guy from yesterday?’
Darrell nods when his brows furrow. “Brace yourself.”
As soon as the door opens, Darrell lifts his gun, pointing it at the burly man's face.
“Fuck you doing here?” Darrell grunts out, not lowering his weapon.
“Boss asked me to check on some shit while he was gone. Looks like he was right.” The burly man stands solidly in the doorframe with a frown, reaching for something in his jeans.
Darrell watches him closely, holding his weapon at the ready. “Was right about what?” he asks gruffly, stiffening at burly’s man's movements.
“Right about you fuck–” burly man trails off when his eyes widen a second after two gunshots sound from the hall. He goes to turn but stops dead when he falls onto the ground with a thud and doesn’t move again.
Darrell blows out a breath, moving forward with his gun pointed at a shadowy figure looming in the hallway. He almost blends in with the darkness surrounding him, standing tall and limping a few steps. Darrell hesitates with slow steps and shallow breaths, jerking the gun in his direction.
“Come out, motherfucker,” Darrell hisses, trembling when the figure moves forward, revealing his face to the light of the office. “Before I…”
“Don't worry, he's fucking dead,” his slightly familiar raspy voice says. “Should I light this asshole up next? I’d be glad to rid you of the extra weight.” He gestures to me, not bothering to lift his gun.
“What…” Darrell breathes with disbelief. His eyes widen at the sight of the agent, paling like he’s seen a ghost. The grip on his gun falls, and the small firearm falls to the ground without care. He doesn’t seem to notice. His eyes never stray from the man in front of him. “Zane,” Darrell chokes out, clasping his cheeks. “You…” Before I can blink, Darrell and Zane embrace, kissing for an embarrassingly long time.
“Wow, Big D. Glad to see you, too. Ready to admit your feelings for me?” Zane quips through a pained expression.
How is he even standing after what happened earlier?
“You know I would have. You know…” Darrell trails off.
“Not the time, okay? I’m assuming it was you who called in the brigade?”
Darrell nods. “Agent Seven is on her way with reinforcements. But we need to get out of here before the rest of the compound wakes up and grabs their weapons for the fight of the fucking century.”
Zane hisses. “It's a little too late for that. Big guy here came down here to find you. Veritas is on the island. The fight has begun.”
“Not for you,” Darrell hisses. “You're too injured…”
“You can thank that fuck behind you and his father for all this. Fuck….” Zane trails off, heaving a breath.
Darrell's eyes glare through me. “The fuck you do?”
‘Whatever I had to do to stay the fuck alive.’ I turn the notepad so they can read.
Darrell takes a menacing step toward me, eyeing me with murder in his eyes. I don't blame him. Not at all. If his love for Zane is strong enough, he'd kill for him.
But I truly had no choice. I could have said no. And then? Well, I would have been tossed into the darkness.
Zane reached out, catching Darrell by the scruff of his shirt. “I'll be fine, Big D. Let's just argue about this later. Also, we'll discuss how you put me in the friend zone for three years, and now we're here. It was rude,” Zane trails off, limping down the hall toward the elevators. “Also fucking unnecessary!” he shouts with a huff.
“I should punch you and leave you here,” Darrell snarls, pointing a finger at my chest.
‘But you won't. Because you've had to do shit you didn't want to, too. Do you think I wanted to do that? I had no choice.’ I lift my chin when he reads it with narrowed eyes.
He knows I'm right. I can tell by the slight softening in his eyes. He nods, running a trembling hand down his face.
“We all have to do shit we don't want to do. Even if it's beyond our morals. Even if you're a part of the fucking mafia. After this, I'm asking for desk duty.” He grabs my wrist and pulls me forward until we're all in the elevator, preparing ourselves for the unknown happening above us.
“It's a war zone up there. Be prepared to dodge bullets and shit,” Zane grunts, digging guns out of ripped jeans.
“Where were you?” Darrell asks through a breath. “And how did you get those?”
“Asshole threw me in one of the rooms. He wanted to keep me alive, at least. He came to get me and asked me more questions, but a bomb went off outside. Saved by the bomb,” he quips, wincing again. “Anywho, dumbass, forgot to lock me in, so I followed him down here and picked a few of these up along the way.” He waves the gun a few times with a cocky smirk.
“How the fuck did you get to the lower level without the code?” Darrell asks wide-eyed.
“Oh, there's a code?” Zane grins, exposing his broken smile. “Here you go, asshole. Just don't use it on me. I was your fucking escape, by the way. So thanks for stabbing me a bunch.” He frowns with a huff, wincing with pain.
I don't bother to write anything or acknowledge what I did. He's alive. I had to do it. It is what it is. I can't let the guilt eat me up.
“Big D, I suggest you march out first. They'll know your face and won't shoot. We'll be your backup.” Zane assures him, squeezing his shoulder. “And, Dallas?” he murmurs, obviously using his real name. “When we're back on the mainland, I'm taking you out. No more hiding, you dickbag.”
“No more hiding,” Darrell or Dallas or whatever whispers with a nod.
“Now, don't die. Or I'll kill you myself.” Zane gives him a crooked grin just as the elevator opens.
The sounds of bullets pinging off metal surfaces and the grunts of fighting hit my senses first. Angry shouts echo off the tall ceilings of the lobby. Weapons clink. Bullets fly. It’s pure fucking chaos playing out.
Darrell stops me with a hand on the chest, glaring at me. “We're gonna join him in just a second. Your goal is to get out the fucking door and down to the docks. Olivia should be waiting for you.”
I nod in response.
“That asshole really took your tongue?” I glare at him, and he grins like a psychopath when I nod again. “Interesting… I'm sure we'll torture him nice and slow when we get our hands on him.”
Good. He deserves it, and I’m aching to pay my father back in spades. That motherfucker doesn’t get to walk this earth any longer.
‘Make it fucking hurt,’ I write out messily with a snarl, and he nods, saying nothing further.
With that, we march out of the elevator with our guns raised, ready for action. Uniformed Veritas agents swarm the place, outnumbering Shadow's men by at least a dozen or more. Shadow’s men fight against their hold as they bring them to their knees, handcuffing and hauling them away. Darrell keeps his gun raised, taking out a few of Shadow’s men with direct hits to their chests. The utter shock of betrayal stays on their faces long after they’ve bled out on the ground. Clearly, they recognize Darrell as one of their own. Or so they thought.
“Put your weapons down now!” hollers a familiar female voice, shouting to the men attempting to fight for their lives against them. “Or die being dumbasses!” she shouts, popping off a few rounds and putting them into the legs of several of Shadow's men who hide in the room's darkness. They instantly fall, grunting and cursing her aim. She’s always been good with a weapon—a sniper in the making for the family. Well, until that all fell apart, and she became an agent of the law. “Clear the room! One at a time! Make sure none of these motherfuckers are hanging around.”
Olivia huffs, scanning the room again. An odd sense of silence filters through the air as Shadow’s men drop their weapons and fall to their knees, giving in to her demands. Satisfaction shows on her face when she smiles widely and nods.
“Good choices!” She claps a few times as two lines of agents clear every room. More of them take the elevator and start going through the hotel above us, shouting for people to come out.
Zane wheezes, slowly returning to Olivia as they exchange a few words. Her gaze checks over his wounds and nods at his words before gently clasping his shoulder.
“Go,” she says, nodding toward the door. “You need medical.” That he does; he’s looking worse for the wear. And it’s all because of me.
Zane snorts, passing me on his way out the door, and then stops. “Well, it looks like it’s all under control now. No more dangerous toys for you. You might try to use this on me,” he wheezes, nearly collapsing when he plucks the gun from my hands until Darrell grabs hold of him. “Ah, my savior!” he shouts joyously while flipping me the bird.
“Take him to the main boat for medical assistance,” Olivia instructs, waving a finger at Darrell. “Then, we’ll have a nice debriefing once we get back to headquarters!” she shouts at their backs before they disappear arm in arm out the hotel's front door.
“Sheppard Mondelli, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” she says, smiling at me sincerely. She gently nudges her shoulder into my arm. "Glad to see you made it out okay." Emotions glisten in her eyes. "Jer and Arrow came to me after the fallout in Briar Cove. They're fine. Or as fine as they can be.” She rubs her temple. "After all of this is over, don’t contact me again,” she quips with a groan. “I’m so sick of this mafia and gang shit.” She shakes her head playfully.
I snort, inspecting her more. There’s a tension there in her jaw. Muscles rigid with fucking secrets she’s not saying. I’ve known her since childhood, when her father worked with Gabe. They were brothers. Well, until hers fucked the family over, and he was outcasted to a mission far away to get them out of Gabriel’s hair, taking her out of our sights for good. I guess that’s why she landed in gang territory, forced to work with that douchebag that fucked her, her father, and her mother over. It wasn’t until I had to attend her damn funeral did I understand the severity of it all.
'Did Jer and Arrow tell you where they were going?' I sign, hoping she knows. She’s always kept our secrets for some reason, looking out for us when we needed her most. Of course, we offer her assistance when we can.
"They said you'd know where to go?" she questions, raising a brow.
Ah, the cabin. The space we created as our own personal haven. Somewhere to hide out when everything fell to shit. Like now. I nod.
'And Journey?' My heart sinks at the thought of her. Shadow still has his claws in her. The wedding should be finished by now. He’s either hiding out with her or something terrible has happened.
My heart pounds, overtaking my hearing as the blood rushes there.
Olivia cocks her head. "We had her pinpointed at the wedding earlier." Her face goes blank, raising my hackles.
She was at the wedding—the wedding that apparently everyone was supposed to die at if my father had his way.
'What aren't you saying?' I sign quickly as a boat pulls up to the docks with more agents inside them.
"Go to the mainland, Shepp. Go wherever they are. I promise it will all be okay," she says, squeezing my shoulder affectionately.
'You're holding back,' I sign with frustration. 'If something happened to her...' I let her slip right between my fingers that night of the fight. She was dragged away from me with fear in her eyes. And I just… sat there. Now, she’s somewhere in the wind. Possibly hurt from the plans I saw on Shadow’s desk. But I need to hear her tell me about it.
"Remember this. Journey is so strong. She can make it through anything, okay?" She pinches the bridge of her nose and releases a heavy breath. "I have a feeling I'm going to regret this. But you're the most sensible one of my cousin's friends. She was at Elias' wedding. There was a disturbance there. Loud explosions. We got intel that Shadow was going to show his face. No clue that he was planning an act of terrorism. It's why we're here. Not only to rescue you, but to investigate here and see what we can find before he returns and we can take him down.”
I nod, nausea taking over my stomach . ‘Shadow succeeded? There’s fire?’
Olivia swallows hard at the mention of fire, slightly paling. "Yes. But we have tabs on what is happening there, okay? I'll give Darrell word with updates."
Utter desperation works its way through me. I swear to God, if anything happens to Journey, I'll slowly sink into the darkness that's always been inside me, staying there until death overtakes me.
'I'll hold you to it,' I sign quickly, my fingers shaking with the news . ‘How long have you known that your Aunt Grace was Shadow, too?’ Jericho will lose his shit when he finds out Olivia knew this entire time where his mother was. He’s wondered for years, yet his cousin knew it all.
Olivia’s eyes fall to the ground, and she sighs. “Listen, this was an open investigation. I couldn’t have said anything, even if I knew. Grace's involvement with Thomas was never crystal clear. She hid behind many false names, and her face never surfaced. Even this island is under a corporation. We’ve had our eyes on Thomas since he came onto the scene, watching what he does. But before that? Nada.” Sometimes, I wonder how useful Veritas is. They’ve been watching Shadow for this long and haven’t done anything to prevent him from hurting others. Like their own agent.
I could ask her why she hasn’t intervened until now. But I hold my fingers still, watching the guilt play out on her face.
“We had to build a case, Shepp. Everything they’ve done as Shadow has been under the radar with no physical evidence.”
‘And now?’
“Now, we have enough evidence of their crimes—a trail of papers and eyewitnesses to put them away for eternity.
"Now, get going. We've got an island to take over." She grins at that. "Time to bring this piece of shit down, right? Darrell will accompany you across the waters. Okay?”
'If you find him...' I sign with a deep breath.
"He's all yours, Shepp. Believe me. Even if we cart his ass to Veritas prison, I'll give you all the glory. I fucking promise that." She nods.
'Thank you,' I sign, giving her a soft smile.
"Okay. Off you go. I'll keep Darrell updated with what we know. Go get your girl and your friends. I'm sure they're fucking tearing at the walls."
I'm only concerned about getting back to Journey, Jericho, and Arrow. They're my family. The real reason I do everything. My goddamn world.
Worry gnaws at my mind the entire time we cut through the ocean's waves. The night sky settles, giving way to the bright stars sparkling above us. The moon hangs high in the darkness, offering us little light with its crescent shape. It’s so serene. So peaceful. I want to capture moments like this on my canvas in remembrance of the hell I overcame and the new hell I’m about to walk into without more answers.
But I have a few answers to our questions, but it’s nothing Jericho will want to hear. Telling him that his mom is the final piece of the puzzle he’s been trying to assemble since he was five will be brutal. More than fucking brutal.
We’ll get through it, though. We'll fight until we secure Briar Cove and destroy our monsters. Because we’re family, and no one can ever tear us apart again.
It takes hours to maneuver through the ocean and stop the boat at an abandoned marina on the outskirts of Briar Cove.
“You know where the fuck you’re going?” Darrell asks with a frown as we sit side by side in the boat. Him at the wheel, and me beside him.
I nod, pulling out my notebook. ‘Yes.’
“Such a man of fucking words,” he grumbles, fidgeting in his chair. I smile at that, chuckling softly. Darrell stiffens at the sound of my laugh. “Here,” he says, pulling out a set of keys. “There’s a jeep up there for us. I’m supposed to escort you back to your hiding place. No, I won’t tell anyone. I don’t really give a fuck. The big boss wants to make sure your buddies are still alive. Those are my orders. I have to abide by them.” There’s anguish in his tone when he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. There's a story between him and Zane, and he’s eager to get back to him and ensure he’s okay. Instead, he has to accompany me back to the cabin. A place I’m not necessarily positive his presence will be welcomed.
But it is what it is.
‘Thanks for the help,’ I write with a sigh.
“I don’t understand why she helps you, but just know that when the time comes and we need something, you had better answer,” Darrell grunts, waving a hand and standing.
‘Family is family. No matter what agency they’re in.’ I write, standing from my seat with him as the water rocks us back and forth.
“Family...” he trails off with a nod. “Let’s get this show on the road. The quicker I babysit you and take you back to mafia land, the quicker I can get back to…” he trails off, scoffing at himself.
To Zane. It makes me wonder how they’re going to work out. He’s obviously had repressed feelings for the man he hasn’t seen in years.
Darrell and I leave the marina after securing the boat to the docks toward a jeep sitting in the empty parking lot.
“Hop in,” he grunts, setting a bag in the backseat.
We both jump into the Jeep and take off toward the cabin in the mountains toward my family. My home. My people that I need to hold.
It takes several hours before we reach the remote cabin set in the mountains, several hours away from Briar Cove. It’s a breath of fresh air—a haven I’ve missed after being trapped on an island with a monster.
“This is it?” Darrell grumbles, slumping in the passenger’s seat.
‘You look like hell,’ I write on my notepad with a snort.
“Let’s get this over with. You should know that my boss has advised me on what I can and cannot say. But the most important information I can tell your friend is who his mom is and what she’s done and will do.” He raises a brow, inspecting my tightening face.
‘He’ll want to choke you.’
“Well, he better keep his fucking hands away from me. I’m an agent with Veritas. You best remember that.” He doesn’t give me a second to comprehend the shit storm that’s brewing when he climbs out of the fucking Jeep and starts toward the front door.
I chase him, running in front of him with a sour expression . ‘Let me,’ I write quickly, holding it up so he can see.
“Fine. You knock.” He gestures for me to get to it.
So, I do.
I knock on the door, separating me from the only family that has ever cared for me. I knock until my heart hammers against my ribs, drowning out all other sounds, and the door opens to reveal the woman I have longed for since the night of the fights when she was taken from me.