11. Overreactions Can Get Messy
I STALK ACROSS the span of frozen grass separating me from Julieanne’s condo. I don”t bother hiding. I’m not wasting time trying to be stealthy.
And part of me wants them to see me. To know what’s coming and understand there’s nothing they can do to stop it.
But no one even glances out the windows at the back of her unit. That tells me they don”t know I”m here. It means they haven”t been able to get into Julieanne’s system either. It also means they haven”t done their homework and have no clue what’s about to hit them.
Dumbasses.
I only take a second to pause as I decide between starting at the bottom or starting at the top. Bottom up will make it easier for me to catch them all before they try to run. And, based on what I”m seeing, at least one of these idiots is going to try to take the coward”s way out.
I reach her patio and creep across, sticking to the shadows as I take in the scene through her kitchen window. There”s two men on this level. They’re digging through the tables in her living room, backs foolishly both turned my way. Who’s running this team? Who the fuck trained them? Watching each other”s backs is the first goddamned rule of any op, and these two stooges can’t even do that.
Makes me feel less bad they”re about to die. They’ve brought it on themselves.
I decide against shooting them through the window, that just seems wrong at this point. Like shooting fish in a bucket. So I go to the back sliding door, gritting my teeth when it easily opens, proving Julieanne learned fucking nothing from all this. Since I”ve been here before, I know just how to put pressure on the handle so it slides silently. I step into the room, watching the dipshits in front of me a few seconds longer before finally making my presence known.
I clear my throat, because anyone upstairs would mistake it as one of these assholes, but they’ll know the truth. They both spin my way, eyes going wide before they try to pull their weapons.
But they’re too slow, unprepared and poorly trained, so I do feel a little bad as I put a bullet through each of their foreheads. But only a little. They’re fucking touching Julieanne’s things, and I can”t stand by and allow that to happen.
I move to the stairs quickly. While silencers take the edge off, they don”t obscure the sound of a gunshot completely, so if they”re paying attention, the boys upstairs will have heard me taking out their buddies. Sticking to the silent side of the steps, and skipping the sixth one up, I listen for any sign of where the rest of the group is. I would have sent in a four-man team to deal with an op like this, so I have to assume whoever”s in charge of this one would do the same. They can’t be complete idiots. They were able to find Julieanne.
Once I reach the top of the steps, I lean to look into her office. It”s shockingly empty. Given there”s only a handful of reasons for these guys to be here—and all of them relate to her dangerous hobby—I would’ve expected them to zero in on her computers.
A shuffling sound leads me into her bedroom and once again I find myself staring at the back of the man inside. He seems to be the only one up here, and I shake my head, disgusted at how inept these fuckers are.
But then I realize what he”s doing and my disgust turns to pure, uncontrolled rage. ”Get your fucking hands out of that drawer.”
The prick spins to face me, the knit mask that should be covering his face pulled up to his forehead. In his hands is the pink vibrator. And seeing him touch something that’s touched Julieanne’s cunt sends my pulse skyrocketing.
I blow out a long breath, but there”s no reining myself in now. ”You just had to be a fucking pig, didn”t you?” I drop the aim of my pistol and fire a round right into his crotch. I know the fucker’s hard because I know he”s imagining my Angel Face using the vibrator he’s still gripping tight. I shoot his dick again for daring to continue holding onto something that was once against her perfect flesh.
He howls in pain, dropping to the floor, and as much as I want to empty every round into what’s left of his prick, I can”t let him keep screaming like this. The next round goes between his eyes, silencing him for good.
That’s when it hits me that I’ve fucked up. Again.
I should have kept one of them alive so I could find out who sent them and why, but the second I saw him touching that vibrator, I lost it. It’s unfortunately becoming my normal reaction when Julieanne is involved.
A quick sweep of the unit confirms no one else is there. Switching off the lights, I lock all the doors and windows before slipping out the back. Pulling out my phone as I stand on the patio, I listen to make sure none of Julieanne”s neighbors decided to be nosy, but the only sound I hear is the soft flow of water coming from the partly frozen fountain in the middle of the pond.
Amos answers immediately.
”I need a cleanup crew.” I rattle off Julieanne”s address as I move to peek around the side of the building, double checking to make sure it really was only a three-man team. ”I’ve got three units that will need to be extracted, identified, and disposed of.”
”Got it. Anything else?”
Amos’s cool calm helps me regain mine. Helps me find my focus. I”ve done this countless times, but rage has never dictated my actions. Not until today. And I need to get it under control. ”Once the cleanup crew is done, I need the place packed up. I want everything brought to headquarters.”
So much for getting shit under control.
”Done.” Amos doesn”t ask any questions. When he disconnects, I know it’s because he”s going to do exactly as I”ve asked, leaving me to collect Julieanne and get her safely to the airport.
Instead of going directly to where I left her, I move between the buildings, glancing around the parking lot and sidewalks for any sign of the fourth man. I still can”t believe they would send an odd number. It doesn”t make sense. Teams need to be able to pair off to ensure everyone has someone at their back. So no one can do what I just did.
I tuck my gun close, concealing it as much as possible, just in case someone walks out their front door and catches me hunting. I still don”t quite blend in, given I”m geared up and dressed head to toe in black, but I sure look a hell of a lot less threatening when I”m not obviously armed.
Once I reach the end of the row of buildings, I turn the corner and resume my normal stance, just in case. I’m moving quickly, ready to collect Julieanne and get her the fuck out of here, but a muffled sound makes my stomach drop. I take off at a full run, not caring who sees me or what the fallout might be as I race toward Julieanne”s hiding spot. I get my eyes on the overgrown landscaping just as a silenced shot stops my heart.
The fourth man I’ve been searching for stands forty yards away from me and I sprint his direction, ready to rip every appendage from his body.
I shouldn”t have left her. Shouldn”t have gone back. I should have just gotten her out of here. I should have—
The man standing at the edge of the trees sways on his feet. Another silenced shot sends his body jolting back before it finally tips, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Revealing where Julieanne is crouched on the other side of him, the pistol I left her still pointed at the dead man she just took down.
The air rushes from my lungs, relief flooding my veins at the sight of her. I run faster, jumping over her victim before going to my knees and pulling her against my chest as she starts to sob.
”Shh.” I carefully take the gun from her hand, switching on the safety before tucking it into my holster. Once it’s in place, I hold her to me with both arms, resting my cheek against the top of her head. ”It”s okay. Everything is fine.” I smooth circles over her back, trying to calm her down. ”I won”t let anybody hurt you. I promise.”
I say it, but it”s not true. I did almost let someone hurt her. I left a barely armed, completely unprepared woman to fend for herself in a dangerous situation. I was quick to judge whoever sent that team to Julieanne”s condo, but that judgment could be turned right back my way.
”I won’t leave you again. I promise.” Her body shudders with each heaving sob that breaks free, every one of them stabbing into a spot I no longer believed existed.
But it does, and it’s still just as raw as it ever was.
I want to give her time to calm down, but we can”t stay here. The team that came after her is unpredictable. As far as I know there could be four more of them canvassing the complex. Looking for her. And I can’t be trusted to keep my head right now.
I need to remove myself from the situation.
”Come on, Angel Face.” I get to my feet, hauling her with me. ”We”ve gotta go.”
She sniffles, continuing to quietly cry, but nods her head.
I grip her arms, making sure she”s steady before leaning down to meet her watery gaze. ”Don”t move.”
Her eyes widen in terror. ”Don”t leave me.” The words rush out fast as she grabs at me, trying to keep me close.
I have an entire company’s worth of employees that rely on me to help keep them safe, but this is different. No one”s reached for me like that in—maybe ever. And it”s another cut to the part of me I tried to kill.
”I”m not leaving you.” I bring my hands up to cradle her face. ”But I can”t leave him laying out in the open like this. I need to drag him into these bushes so no one will see him before my team can come deal with the mess.”
Julieanne”s eyes move over my face for a second before she gives me a jerky nod. ”Okay. You want me to help you?”
A smile of pride curves my lips. ”No. I don”t want you to help me.” I give her pretty face one last look before turning away and grabbing the piece of shit who tried to hurt her by his coat. He”s heavier than he looks, so it takes a few good pulls to get his fat ass hidden in the brush. Once he’s in place, I grab Julieanne”s hand. ”We”ve got to make one more stop before we go to my car, okay?”
I planned to leave my gear where it sat in the bushes on the other side of the pond, but the cleanup crew is going to have enough to deal with. I don”t need them trying to retrieve my shit too.
I make quick work of leading Julieanne around the pond, pausing at the cluster of landscaping to collect what I abandoned earlier. After loading it all on my shoulders, I direct her toward the business complex across the pond. It was easy enough to use my connections to get a vehicle, but the damn thing doesn”t blend in any better than I do. Rather than leave it in the parking lot between us, where Julieanne would have likely identified it, I parked it here, thinking she wouldn”t be able to figure out I was across the blacktop from her.
It seems I”ve been underestimating my little thorn from the beginning.
I unlock the Suburban as we approach, going to the passenger’s side to help Julieanne get loaded in before throwing all my shit in the backseat and sliding behind the wheel. After starting the engine, I go to work switching on her seat warmer and cranking up the heater. She”s got to be cold. Even though I know part of her shivering is from fear and adrenaline, the rest is from walking around shoeless, and I want to warm her up as quickly as possible. It’s my fault she’s so cold. I should have brought her straight here. Left those asshats to do whatever they planned and dealt with it later.
I just didn’t like them fucking touching her shit.
When everything’s set, I pull out of the lot, heading for the highway. I want to get her as far from here as I can, and I want to do it fast.
Julieanne is quiet for a while, but she eventually starts peeking my way, giving me quick glances as her hands twist in her lap.
”What?” The guilt of almost allowing her to be hurt because of my own fucking stupidity is eating me alive. I”m sure she’s pissed at me. Questioning my capabilities. Wondering if I’m worthy of being where I am.
Might as well join the fucking club.
”Was the man I killed the only one?”
The question surprises me. I was expecting her to lay into me. Say all the things I deserve to hear. ”No. There were three more in your condo.”
Julieanne takes a shaky breath. ”What happened to them?”
”I killed them.” I”ve never been one to mince words. Never shied away from who I am or what I do. Hell, I’ve spent most of my years proud as fuck of it.
Right up until now. Right up until someone like Julieanne is staring at me with big, innocent eyes, her sweet face streaked from tears.
She probably thinks I”m a fucking monster. Soulless. Lacking empathy and a conscience.
”Thank you.”
Again, she surprises me. ”You shouldn”t be thanking me. I fucked up. I shouldn’t have left you. I should have been there to kill the fucker who got close to you.”
”You didn”t know he was coming for me.” Julieanne”s hand crosses the console, slowly inching my way to brush against my arm before pulling back. ”And it”s not like you left me helpless.” She gives me a shaky smile. “I had a gun.”
I glance her way, the loathing brewing in my gut getting worse at her understanding tone. ”Yeah. I should get a fucking award for only almost letting you get killed.”
If my team saw what just happened, they would’ve all quit on the spot. Realize how right they were to question me.
”Vincent.” Julieanne”s voice is surprisingly sharp and it gets my attention, pulling my eyes her way. Whether I deserve it or not, few people have the balls to talk to me like that.
”If this is anyone”s fault, it”s mine. I”m the one who wanted to come work for GHOST. I”m the one who approached other groups. You tried to warn me, and I didn”t listen. I didn”t take it seriously. I thought you were just being an asshole.”
”I am an asshole.”
Julieanne’s full lips tilt in a lopsided smile. ”You”re not an asshole.” This time when her hand reaches across the console to touch my arm, it stays, resting against my forearm in a point of contact that I don’t know how to react to. ”You just want everyone to think you are.”