Chapter 18
THOR
I knew it. My instinct for detecting shit rarely failed.
The moment I received that damn call—still at the penthouse with Antonella—I knew that, somehow, I would end up cursing myself over the course of this operation and, in the process, compromising my relationship with Ella.
But I had no choice except to do my job.
A signed contract and a given word were two unbreakable things.
Besides, favors always required repayment when necessary.
And in my line of work, favors and good contacts were worth as much as money. Or more.
Senator Williams was a well-known figure in the state of California for his uncompromising honesty and his fight on behalf of the people, above all his fight against corruption within the senate itself.
He had evidence of a multibillion-dollar corruption scheme involving important names that did not want to be revealed.
Kyle, his team, and I had the mission of keeping Senator Williams and his daughter safe while we tried to find out who had ordered his execution and, in the process, gather evidence before the congressional meeting scheduled a month from now, where the accusation would be made official and all hell would break loose.
“How long, Kyle?” I asked after arriving at the safe house, which served as the center of the entire operation.
Kyle was a retired SEAL commander, but once a SEAL, always a SEAL.
When he retired a few years ago, he put together his own team.
Sometimes, he and his team provided covert services for the FBI and other agencies.
He was the one commanding this operation.
He’d been hired a week after Lisa Williams, the senator’s daughter, had nearly been kidnapped in her own home and the senator had survived an attempted cover-up hit.
“Adam located the tracker on Miss Williams thirty minutes ago. She was followed from home to the restaurant, where she’s having dinner with two friends.
The car circled the restaurant three times, then disappeared into traffic, and he lost it,” Kyle said.
“Now, you know how damn hard it is to lose one of you in traffic?”
It wasn’t hard to imagine why he was so pissed. Like him and me, every man in that room was well trained for any situation.
“There are two agents watching her at the restaurant, and two more are at the private meeting the senator is having at his house,” Stephen said in his usual icy tone.
I looked at Kyle. “Were you able to identify the driver?”
“All we have is a beanie and sunglasses. He was careful to keep his face hidden. We have a few photos, but it’ll take a few hours before we have a clear idea of who we’re looking for.”
“It isn’t Phoenix,” I said. “That kind of maneuver simply isn’t his style.
He would move much more stealthily and smoothly, not like this, not when he knows this operation is ours.
And he does know.” I gave that assurance to the curious looks aimed at me, as soon as all traces of emotion faded from their eyes so fast another person might have wondered whether they had even glimpsed the curiosity in those gazes.
Phoenix was an enigma, invisible and lethal, even to his contractors.
Little was known about him or her. Their real name, sex, or agency, if any.
Phoenix was a mystery still to be unraveled.
We could only assume we were on the same operation when there was a clash of interests with serious money at stake.
That was the case now. Or, in the worst cases, when he left his mark: two shots, one dead center between the eyes and the other in the heart.
His code name was written on his victims’ chests, in perfect calligraphy carved with the tip of a specific dagger, and a lotus flower was always left over the shot to the chest. Which made us consider that Phoenix might be a woman, delicate and very sadistic.
However, that could be nothing more than a false lead.
“Then we have someone else to deal with, gentlemen,” Kyle declared, settling into his chair and making it creak as he leaned back.
Tyler huffed at the comment.
“Whoever it is, they’re the least of our problems.”
I exhaled hard and rubbed my hands over my face, irritated with the discussion and the guesses that kept going nowhere. I looked at the clock and huffed, drawing the men’s attention to me.
“Have a team ready to get into her apartment before she returns home. Check for bugs and cameras. Phoenix, or anyone else in the game, will plant listening devices to locate his targets. Make sure the senator’s house and office are clean, and reinforce security at both.”
“That could expose us,” Ford pointed out.
“Whoever is trying to execute them already knows we’re in the game,” I said severely and stood. “Now, if that was everything, excuse me, because I need to go. I have an appointment, and I’m already late. Good night, everyone.”
I left the room, pissed that I was five minutes late and I wasn’t even properly dressed. I would have to go back to the mansion before meeting Ella.
“Thor, man, you can’t walk out like this in the middle of a meeting,” Kyle growled behind me in the hallway, soon falling into step beside me. “Cancel your appointment or postpone it. It can wait until we’ve resolved this.”
My jaw clenched, and so did my fists. I forced myself to swallow the fury rising through me. I wanted to punch him.
“You’re the boss here, but you certainly aren’t mine,” I snarled harshly as I stopped to face him. “Don’t try to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do, because I’ll warn you right now: we’ll have hell here if you try.”
“You gave your word. You’re in this shit as much as I am.”
“I remember perfectly well, Kyle.” My voice leveled, low and dangerous, as we stared at each other, the tension around us sending adrenaline furiously through my veins, leaving me alert and ready for action.
“I’m not running from my responsibility, and you know it, so don’t come at me with that shit.
That kind of tactic might work on your men, but not on me. ”
“And what does it look like you’re doing when I need you here?”
“I’ll tell you what it looks like. Two days ago, my woman made a fucking dinner for me.
She was waiting for me, and I didn’t show up or call to let her know I couldn’t come, because I was in the crossfire and without a fucking spare battery for my phone.
Now I have a pregnant woman ready to rip off my balls and kick my ass for being one fucking second late, so no, my appointment with her can’t wait.
I shouldn’t even be here today, but I am.
” He opened his mouth to speak, but fell silent when I gave him a warning look.
We had rules between us, and they had to be followed to the letter if we wanted things to work.
“I don’t owe you explanations about my life, but I’ll make an exception today so you understand my position clearly.
I went through hell to win that woman, Kyle.
I only stayed on the job because I had already given you my word, but if I have to choose between this fucking operation and her, don’t doubt for a single second who I’ll choose, because it will be her. ”
He sighed, relaxing his shoulders and resting his hands on his hips.
“Man, you know me better than that. You know I wouldn’t play dirty with you. This damn job is keeping me up at night, and I don’t like it. I just want to finish this job and take a vacation on some Caribbean beach with a hot woman beside me.”
That was the closest he would ever come to apologizing to anyone.
“None of us like it, my friend.” And I added, “You’re the boss, and you know what you need to do. And you also know there’s nothing else we can do tonight unless you pull Miss Williams out of the restaurant and let her know what’s going on so maybe she can cooperate with us to keep herself safe.”
He nodded while scratching the back of his neck.
“We’re going to face one hell of a fucking fight with the senator. He doesn’t want this to reach her. He wants to keep the fucking pink bubble where everything is fine.”
“Taking out the trash is our specialty. Isn’t that one of the SEALs’ mottos? The best thing for her is to know the danger she’s in. That way, we can monitor her better for her own safety.”
Kyle shook his head. “Fine. Be ready early tomorrow morning.”
I smiled slyly. “Forget it. You owe me at least half the day for making me come here today. And that task is yours alone. Good luck.”
I started walking again, hearing him curse behind me.
“Hell, Castellammare. You know working with lovesick idiots is shit, don’t you?”
I gave him the finger.
“Maybe someday you’ll join the team. Who knows, maybe that killer face of yours will soften a little and you’ll look less ugly?
” I mocked when I reached the door and glanced back at him in the hallway.
“Though I seriously doubt that will happen. It’s more likely you’ll end up alone, old, grumpy, and impotent. ”
“Fuck you, Castellammare! And give my regards to Miss Vicenti.”
“In your dreams.”
I drove like a madman toward the mansion, splitting my attention between traffic and the ringing phone. Ella wasn’t answering, so I tried Pietra, catching a quick glimpse of the car clock and cursing myself when I realized I was ten minutes late.
“Pietra, pass the phone to Antonella…”
Damn it.
I focused on traffic, aware that I would face a nervous little lioness ready to unleash a flood of curses on me… it was worse.
My heart froze.
“What do you mean, Antonella?” I asked cautiously, taking a few steps toward her, but stopped when she looked at me with an intense gleam of rage, accusation, pain, and coldness in her eyes, all at once. “What do you mean by that?”
“What it sounds like.”
“Are you dumping me?”