Chapter 11
11
B ellamy squinted. His hands shook. He squeezed his cell. Un-fucking-believable. Deep down he knew this would happen. “Nova?” He glanced over his shoulder. “Get out here, now.”
“What’s going on?” Octavia lifted her gaze from the book she’d been reading. It had been a quiet morning. They’d woken up early. Long before the sun rose. She’d managed to talk him into a morning soak in his bathtub. It wasn’t half-bad. Of course, she was naked and one thing led to another.
Always a good way to start the day.
He took a second look at the text. He wasn’t sure he wanted to tell her about the news he’d learned yet or not. He’d vowed to be honest. She deserved that, but he also now needed to adjust his plan.
The front door squeaked open. “I was literally on my way.” Nova waved her phone. “What do you want to do?”
“Take a walk with me.” He pushed to a standing position. A million and one things raced through his brain. One of those thoughts was that Claudius Reynolds had played him and he fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
Octavia bolted to her feet. She gripped his forearms. “Nope. You promised me you wouldn’t keep me in the dark. Now tell me, what the hell is going on?”
“I need to speak with Nova about…” About what? Brotherhood Protectors business? DEA Business? FBI stuff? If he lied or made up some bullshit story, Octavia would be all over his ass.
The truth wouldn’t be much better.
He ran a hand over his mouth. “You’re going to find out in fifteen minutes anyway.” He sighed. “Let’s go inside.”
“No, Bellamy,” Nova pleaded. “That’s a mistake. We need to get her away from here before he arrives.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Bellamy opened the door. “He went to great lengths to fly to Hawaii without anyone knowing so he could chat with me. And probably her too.”
“Who are we talking about?” Octavia dug her fingers into his flesh, pausing in the foyer over the compass. Usually, he’d enjoy that .
But not at this moment. Instead, it reminded him that he was about to come face-to-face with someone who could potentially want to wring his neck.
And he’d have a good reason to do so.
“I need more caffeine.” He released her grip, sidestepped both her and Nova, and made a beeline for the kitchen.
“One of you better start talking.” Octavia held his hand, scurrying along at his side. “I’m the one someone wants to kill.”
“I’m going to sit outside and wait for the yelling to stop,” Nova said.
He didn’t blame her for the sentiment. Raising his cell, he shot her a text to make sure she had her weapon and to be ready, just in case they had other company as well, but as soon as Claudius arrived, they were to switch places. He would deal with him, and Nova would stay inside with Octavia.
At least at first.
He also sent a text to the team, including Hawk. He copied Logan and Ramey Sarich, two men from the Aegis Network. The same two men who were responsible for getting Claudius to Hawaii under the radar.
They all should have notified him sooner.
But Logan and Ramey had no idea Octavia was alive and Claudius hadn’t mentioned that he believed she was on Big Island until they landed .
And his team hadn’t known about Claudius until he’d landed in Hawaii and Logan decided he should let Hawk know.
If he hadn’t done that, Bellamy would have been blindsided.
Not that this was much better.
He tucked his phone in his back pocket, snagged a mug, set it under the machine, and hit the tallest coffee setting. Turning, he leaned against the counter and stared into a pair of intense, angry eyes. If looks could kill, he’d be six feet under. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose and let it out with a big swish through his teeth. “Your father is on his way here.”
“Excuse me?” Her voice hit a new high and it wasn’t pleasant. It was more like nails slowly making their way across a chalkboard.
He rubbed his ear. “Remember that other organization he hired a couple of years ago to look for you?”
She nodded.
“He used them to transport him here without anyone the wiser, including me.” Bellamy raked his fingers through his hair. “Only Logan, a man I’ve crossed paths with once or twice, thought he should give me a heads-up.” Bellamy waggled his finger. “Your dad knows I’m up to something and he asked Logan and his brother point-blank if they knew anything about you. Or a mission I was on in Colombia. To make matters worse, my mother called your dad early this morning. There are too many loose ends and that means Eric is only one step behind.”
Octavia slumped in one of the stools and cupped her face. “Your mom has always had a soft spot for my dad.”
“My mom wanted to know what he thought about the chatter regarding you and if I had mentioned it.” Bellamy was shocked that’s what she got hung up on, but for now, he’d run with it. “My mom has always admired your father’s ability as a single parent, especially through those teenage years.”
“According to my dad, I wasn’t a difficult kid; he just didn’t understand me.” She sighed. “I suppose I never made that easy.”
“You could be stubborn when you set your mind to something.” The coffee maker gurgled out the last drop of the bitter brew. He twisted, lifting the mug to his lips, taking a small sip, careful not to burn his mouth.
“I always wanted to make him proud. And my mom. I’ve thought about her so much over these last five years. I was only fifteen when she died.”
“She was incredibly proud of you,” Bellamy said. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have much time, so I will get right to the heart of things. I need you to let me have some time alone with your dad before we reunite you.”
She sat up taller. “You’re going to let me show myself?”
He nodded. “I see no point in you remaining dead to him.” He took another slow draw of the hot liquid before setting it on the counter and moving to the other side of the island. He took her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “I was going to chat with Hawk and Waylen this morning about this, but I think you staying hidden isn’t a good idea anymore.”
“Wait. What? You want me to tell the world I’m alive?”
“And that you’re here in Hawaii. With me.” He traced her lower lip. “I want to bring Eric here and I want to do it on my terms. Not his. You have to trust me and this organization. We can protect you and we will take Eric down.”
“But you don’t even know what?—”
He hushed her with a kiss. “We know enough. Besides, I’ll find out faster once he’s on my turf. He already knows it was me and my team in Colombia. He knows it was us who pulled you out of there. I’m sure that’s pissed him off, but he’s also an arrogant asshole. He loves to flex his muscles and rub dirt in other people’s faces. He’d like nothing more than to tell me all the ways he’s better than me and by doing so, he’ll show his hand. ”
“You sound pretty confident of yourself.”
“Nothing happens in a vacuum.” He arched a brow. “Not of me alone. But of my team and this organization.” His phone vibrated. He yanked it from his back pocket and read the text from Nova. “Your father made the turn by the marina. Promise me you’ll stay out of sight until?—”
“I swear I’ll do this your way on one condition.”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
“When the time comes to haul in Eric, you’ll let me knee him in the balls.”
“That I might be able to get on board with.” He kissed her cheek and hightailed it back to the front of the house, passing Nova in the middle of the family room. “Stay hidden until you get the signal.”
“Understood.” Nova nodded.
Bellamy pushed open the door and jogged down the front steps.
A dark SUV skidded to a stop in his driveway. The driver’s side door flung open and Claudius charged toward him, taking massive strides. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw clenched tight. Deep wrinkles were etched in his skin from years of worry. “Where the hell is she, Bellamy? Where’s my daughter and don’t you dare lie to me.”
Bellamy expected Claudius to come in hot, but not this hot. “Let’s calm down and take a seat.” He raised his hands and stepped between Claudius and the porch .
“Do not patronize me, young man.” Claudius tried to maneuver closer to the house, but Bellamy stretched out his arms. “And don’t put your hands on me. I have half a mind to put my fist through your nose.”
“I understand you’re upset.”
“You don’t understand shit.” Claudius narrowed his stare. Fire flew from his eyes like darts being hurled across a barroom toward their target. His chest puffed out as he sucked in a hearty breath.
“Oh, I get it,” Bellamy said. “Imagine what it was like for me when I was sent to some location with a cryptic message by Tate hours after he was murdered, only to find Octavia.” He dared to chuckle. “With a loaded shotgun aimed right at my heart.”
“We should both be grateful she didn’t pull the trigger. Eric had her—hell, both of us—all turned around.” Claudius pointed toward the house. His facial features drooped, as if he’d given up all his fight. “Is she inside? Is she okay?”
“Can we sit and talk for a few minutes?” His pulse eased a little, but not much. “I think we can both agree that lives are at stake and perhaps we should fill each other in on some things.”
“I’ve spent years wondering what I’d say to her. Sometimes it’s all anger and frustration. Mostly, all I want to do is hug her. Tell her how sorry I am and how much I love her. ”
“Her story isn’t mine to tell.” Bellamy rubbed the back of his neck. “But I’ll be honest. I struggled with all that too.” Over the years, he and Claudius had an interesting relationship. It had its up and downs, especially when it came to Octavia. However, one thing Bellamy could always say about Claudius was that he never held back his opinions. He was sharp-witted and if he didn’t like the path you were headed down, he’d let you know it.
Slowly, Claudius climbed the porch steps. He peered in the window. “Nice place you have here.”
“Thanks. I told myself I bought it because it gave me enough land to work with the dogs and also a view of the water, but that’s not what clinched it for me.”
“Nope. I imagine not.” Claudius eased into one of the chairs and stretched out his legs. “It reminds me of all the houses for sale that Octavia would pull up on that app.” He laughed, shaking his head. “She started doing that her senior year of high school. She’d show me places much like this one and tell me that one day, the two of you would live there and give me grandbabies. Back then, I’d tell her to slow down. Go to college. Live a little.”
Bellamy coughed. He pounded his chest. “That was a long time ago.”
“You and my little girl have loved each other since you were teenagers. I thought you’d last forever, but you took to being a Marine Raider like a fish takes to water.”
“I did and Octavia loved her volunteer work. Unfortunately, I misjudged what she had intended there and I let her slip right through my fingers, pushing her into the arms of that asshole.” Bellamy decided he might as well lead them right down the path of no return.
“I might have helped with that one.” Claudius sighed.
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
Claudius tilted his head. “Because you’re a gentleman and he’s a prick. All he ever wanted was my job. He’s pretty close to getting it too.”
Bellamy sat across from Claudius. “What do you mean?”
“He’s doing his best to make me look like I’m losing my touch. That I’m making poor decisions. He’s undermining me at every turn. I swear, he’s even sabotaged missions I’m in charge of. I have some evidence, but it’s not enough to take him down.” Claudius lifted his chin. “I thought about going to your folks because of how close they were with Tate, but their reach is limited. That’s when I went to the Aegis Network.”
“We work with them a lot. There is no chest-pounding between us and them,” Bellamy said. “I’m a little surprised they never reached out.”
“I asked them not to and I’m regretting that decision,” Claudius said. “I couldn’t believe Roxy, or any of those dogs, had botched that rescue. But I was so distraught and Eric showed me the video from Colombia.”
“The dogs didn’t perform. That’s true.”
“Not just that of the K9s. He showed me the one of you coming at him. It didn’t make you look good.”
“No, sir. It did not.” Bellamy remembered the altercation well. Every last detail and not because that video had haunted his career, but because that footage lacked perspective. “However, that video failed to capture what happened before.”
Claudius nodded. “Cooper, Ethan, and Rusty all testified on your behalf regarding how Eric egged you on. But it was their word against his and his team, plus a video of you hurling fists at Eric.” He waggled his finger. “Not the first time, or the last time, you did that.”
“He deserved it each and every time. I will not apologize.”
“Yeah. You made that clear during your hearing,” Claudius said. “I’m sorry that I put faith in Eric. That I trusted him when I should have been listening to you. But you didn’t make it easy.”
“I’m sure we can both agree that’s all behind us now.”
Claudius ran a hand across his unshaven face. “By the time you sat in front of us for the military K9 Pilot Program, I knew Eric was up to no good. I didn’t know the extent. I had no idea about missing people in South America. However, he was after my job and he was doing anything and everything to get it. But I couldn’t voice my concerns. All I could do was slowly distance myself. But I want you to know, I voted yes for your team.”
Interesting. They had gotten two yeses and five nos. Bellamy had always assumed Claudius had been one of the ones against. “Thank you for that, sir.”
“It was the least I could do, even though I was mad as hell at you for accepting she was dead.” He lowered his chin. “Obviously, she’s not.”
“For the record, I forced my brain to believe that, but my heart and soul never did,” Bellamy admitted. “Sir. I need to know what you have on Eric because he’s coming for her and if I’m going to not only protect her, but end this, I have to know everything.”
Claudius leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He stared intently at Bellamy. “He’s not just coming for her. Not anymore. When he returned from South America, something shifted. He’s always been a vehement man and incredibly high-strung. Did you know that when Octavia disappeared, they weren’t engaged anymore?”
“I didn’t learn that until after I found her,” Bellamy said. “Why did he speak at her memorial service if they weren’t together anymore?” He didn’t know why he asked the question, other than his heart demanded it.
“He wasn’t scheduled to. I didn’t ask him to. But I did open it up to anyone who wanted to.” Claudius sighed. “I appreciated your words more than you could ever know.”
“Eric didn’t.” Bellamy laughed.
“I’m a proud man. I don’t like being made a fool of,” Claudius said, waving his finger at his vehicle. “I don’t have proof he raided that village. What I do have are all his official missions. Everything he was in charge of under me for the last fifteen years. Every task force, case, joint mission. Everything both in and out of this country. Nothing has been redacted, so I could lose my?—”
“No one but me, my boss, Hawk, and our computer experts will need to look at it,” Bellamy said. “We don’t want you to put your career on the line.”
“It already is.” Claudius arched a brow. “Although, I have proof he forged paperwork that I supposedly turned in. It makes me look incompetent and on more than one occasion, Eric has covered for me.” Claudius raised his hands and made air quotes.
“Why didn’t you call him out on it?”
“By the time I knew what he was doing, I had decided the possibility that Octavia was alive was greater than she was dead. I decided me ruffling Eric’s feathers would only cause more trouble. I wanted to watch him. Study his movements. Find out what the hell he’s been up to all these years. The only way to do that was to play his game. In the process, he believes I’m concerned about my memory. That I might have health issues. It’s all bullshit.”
“I’m glad that’s the case, because I had heard that.”
“I’ve gone as far as to see a private doctor and I even confided in Eric about it a year ago. He keeps hounding me and I put him off, hoping to find something substantial about what I thought was strictly a power grab. Something that will put him behind bars, not just give him a slap on the wrist.”
Bellamy stood and stared down at the marina. “My boss believes that what Tate and Octavia stumbled onto with human trafficking is more than a strong theory. So do I. There are some big gaping holes in it and the biggest one is why try to kill O?” He turned and faced Claudius. “When I sit down and think all this through, Eric could have been her knight in shining armor. He could have come in and saved her, especially if he messed with the rescue dogs. He could have made himself look like a damn hero.” Bellamy held up his hand. “Octavia doesn’t know anything. If she did, she would have ended this a long time ago. All she did was bring a few missing persons to his feet and he didn’t do anything with it.”
“Okay, but if Eric is involved in that ring and his ex-fiancée—whom he wanted back desperately—was asking questions, that would be enough to set him off.” Claudius arched a brow. “Especially since she kept telling him they were over. At least that is the message she gave me. It doesn’t matter if he swooped in and saved the day; she wouldn’t have taken him back. The Peace Corps informed me that right before the raid, she’d signed a one-year extended contract. I have a feeling that part of the reason she did that was because she wanted to know what really happened with those missing young people and she was done with Eric. That was her way of driving that point home.”
“She didn’t believe those kids ran those drugs willingly.” Bellamy rubbed the back of his neck. “I still don’t think he had to try to kill her to deal with the situation. Seems over the top. But that brings me to a tough subject I want to discuss before you go inside.”
“What’s that?”
“Please do yourself and her a favor and don’t focus on the physical scars.” Bellamy pursed his lips. Heat flared through his veins, racing toward his fingertips. Every time he thought about what Eric had done, Bellamy knew he was capable of the unthinkable. It was a humbling thought. One he needed to constantly shuffle into the darkest recesses of his brain.
Claudius jumped to his feet. “How bad is it? And don’t you dare sugarcoat it.”
Bellamy touched his cheek. “She has a scar on her face and some burns on her neck, shoulder, and arm. There are some other ones, but those are the ones you’ll see.” He swallowed. “She was in a third world country. I’m sure a plastic surgeon could fix them up, but for right now, she doesn’t like to have attention brought to them.”
“She’s never enjoyed being the center of attention, especially if it has to do with her looks.” Claudius nodded. “Where is she?”
“When I came out, she was in the kitchen.” Bellamy pointed to the door. “Why don’t you go inside. Mind if I collect the information you brought and start going through it while you and O catch up?”
“That’s an interesting way of putting things,” Claudius said. “There’s a computer in the back seat. The passcode is 895276. The files you want are in a folder labeled Operation Hellboy.”
Bellamy arched a brow. That operation meant nothing to him and he suspected it was a code name anyway. “Is it encrypted?”
“I took it off when I landed.” Claudius jerked his thumb over his shoulder as he stood. “Anything else I should know? ”
“She’s scared.”
“Of me?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but she doesn’t know who she can trust.” Bellamy raised his hand. “She questioned my loyalty because of what happened during the rescue and?—”
“She’s worried about how close I was to Eric,” Claudius finished Bellamy’s statement. “I guess I can’t blame her for that. He played me for a fool and I’m not sure I can forgive myself for it.”
“He played us all.” Bellamy swallowed the bile that kicked up from his gut. “Unfortunately, she’s the one who paid the ultimate price. Something we both need to be sensitive to.”
“Fair enough.”
Bellamy stood there and watched as Claudius disappeared into his home. Part of him wanted to race inside and stand by Octavia, but this was a reunion he needed to give some time and space to. He owed that to both of them.
And maybe to himself.