Chapter 15
15
COLT
Derek stared at me with knowing eyes, but it was easier to ignore him than acknowledge what he wanted me to do. I wasn’t a soft man, but most of the time I was able to keep my hands clean. Well, clean ish . There was a reason we had underlings. This occasion was different, though, because I needed to send a message. More than that, I needed to get rid of Topher for good.
“What are we waiting for?” Quin asked from where he sat beside me on a stool.
“A call.” I curled my hand around the back of his neck and stroked the skin there. He was still in that awful hoodie, and I had half a mind to tell him to go upstairs and change, but we were still waiting for Madam Winters’s people to give us the message that they’d delivered clothes to our room. I’d talked to one of the managers, Landon, about getting Quin a new wardrobe, at least, until it was safe enough for him to go shopping to find his own, and Landon had picked up the phone immediately.
“From who?” Quin pushed.
Derek and I had made the wordless agreement to let Quin in on the basics but nothing more. The less he knew, the better it would be for him if things went south, especially with O’Neill sniffing around.
As if hearing our conversation and the stress in my voice, Landon cleared his throat from behind us, and I turned to look at him. Dressed in an impeccable deep violet suit with a warm expression on his face, Landon was the opposite of his boss, Darcy Winters. While Darcy was cold and direct, Landon’s attitude was down to earth and relaxed. He had sandy blond hair that hung around his shoulders and kind green eyes.
“Our personal shoppers have returned with a month’s worth of clothing for your wife, Mr. Coltrane.” His gaze slid to Quin, and to my surprise, his eyes softened further. Landon didn’t know Quin, so I could only assume he appreciated someone who was confident enough to be true to themselves. “Mr. Kiskadden, they’ve taken your suggestions very seriously, but if there’s anything you don’t like, please return it to the front desk, and we’ll have it sent back immediately. The items are now in your room.”
Quin offered him a kind smile. “Thank you so much. I appreciate it.”
Landon inclined his head. “I’ve also had your Hummer brought to the Courtesan as requested earlier, Mr. Coltrane. We’ve placed the keys you loaned us in your room, on the nightstand.”
“Thanks, Landon. Good job. I’ll be sure to tip you and your people well.”
He smiled before he left us alone again.
“How about you go get dressed in something more comfortable, Baby Girl?” I stroked a finger down his cheek and across his jaw. “Derek and I will wait here.”
His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You’re not going to disappear on me?”
I snorted out a laugh. “No, because if we did, you’d only follow us or do something stupid.”
“Exactly.” He rose and bent down to kiss me on the lips, and I closed my eyes, drinking in his taste and presence. “I won’t take long.”
I turned on my stool to watch him leave, unable to tear my attention from him. My heart expanded, and for a moment, I thought it would burst straight from my chest. I’d never felt the need to be near someone as much as I did Quin, and it was all very new. I fucking loved it.
“Done watching your wife’s ass?” Derek drawled.
I laughed and looked back at him. “Never. It’s a nice ass, and it’s mine.”
He held up his palms to me, grinning. “No plans on stealing it. I like Quin, but he’s yours.”
Despite all the warnings I’d sent Derek, I knew he wouldn’t encroach on Quin in that way. I trusted Derek with my life, and he was my work partner. Outsiders had no idea the shit we’d been through together, including the betrayal of family members. His own cousin went behind his back years ago, which resulted in Derek killing him.
“You know he should stay here, no matter what we do,” Derek said.
I shrugged. “I agree, but you’ve met Quin. He’ll follow wherever I go. He thinks being a good wife means being at my side, even when it gets dangerous.”
“This is different. You’re only asking him to stay here while we handle business. He can’t fight.” Derek stared down at the mug of beer that he had his hand wrapped around and sighed. “He’ll get himself killed.”
The bartender came over, and I stayed silent as he slid two fresh beers in front of us. Derek finished off his old drink and handed him the empty mug before the bartender left us again.
“I might need him tonight.”
“What for?” Derek grasped his new beer and rocked the glass from side to side gently, watching the golden liquid sway with the movement and froth at the top.
“I have a plan, depending on what War tells us.”
Derek made a sound as his phone began to vibrate on the bar. He answered the call. “War, talk to me.”
War was one of Derek’s personal guards, and while we’d strategized for the best thing to do, we’d come up with a plan to send War to check on Royal’s house. War was closer, and he was a former SEAL with experience in hostage crisis response, in case it came to that.
“Mm-hmm. All right. Stand by. I’ll talk to Colt.” He ended the call and placed the phone back in front of himself. “The house is abandoned. The door was broken open, and War went in. There’s fresh blood on the living room floor, but not enough to mean a life-threatening injury. A couple of chairs were out of place, as if they’d been tied up and possibly tortured. No one was there, so they took both Royal and Jackson.” Derek lowered his eyebrows in concern. “They could be anywhere.”
“Fuck.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. Jack pissed me off, but he was my brother. As much as I threatened to bury him six feet under, no one else was allowed to touch him. Between taking Jack and Royal and trying to intimidate me through Quin, Topher was going to regret ever knowing my name.
“What’s your plan now ?” Derek took a long sip.
My fingers clenched the thick mug my beer was in, and I inwardly cursed Topher for making me take the next step. “I’m going to give Topher a taste of his own medicine. He’s brazen, and he threatened my wife twice today. That was a big mistake on his behalf.”
“Are you gonna go after him?” Derek smirked.
“I’m planning to. Rumor is Topher works late at the office. I might pay him a visit.” I glanced at my phone, then raised my gaze to Derek’s.
He grinned and tipped his mug toward me. “Cheers to revenge.” He took another large gulp. “While you do that, I’ll figure out how to get O’Neill off our backs. Call some friends who owe us favors.”
I nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
It took Quin another ten minutes before he returned, and the moment I laid eyes on him I couldn’t tear my attention away. The dress he wore was a watermelon pink as a base color with a light floral design stitched into the material. The skirt flared out from the waist, and when he stopped in front of me and twirled, I caught sight of a large bow on his back. Beneath the bow was an open section that showed off the flawless skin close to his ass, before the dress came together at his hips. With a square neckline, his collarbones were visible for my greedy gaze. His hair was pulled up into a ponytail with another pink bow. Two strands of hair fluttered down to accentuate his cheeks and face. He carried a matching wrap that he whirled out and slid over his shoulders.
I licked my lips. “Fucking hell, Princess. You’re going to make me pop wood here.”
He grinned, obviously pleased, and kicked his foot back to show off his pale pink high heels. “I like this outfit.”
“Me too,” I groaned out, swallowing the saliva that had gathered in my mouth. I palmed my hardening cock and glanced at it. “Down boy.”
Quin chuckled and swooped in for a kiss. His lips were warm and perfect against mine, and I got a pleasant surprise because his gloss tasted like sweet candy. “I’m glad you approve.”
“I do, too, if you care.” Derek winked, winning another laugh from Quin. “You look very pretty.”
“Of course I care, but my husband’s opinion holds more weight.” He practically floated around to Derek and popped a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, D.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Remember, I’m single if you decide you’ve had enough of this asshole.” He pointed at me, and I rolled my eyes, grabbing Quin by the waist and dragging him close. I spun him enough to lift him onto my lap.
“Fuck off,” I growled out, and Derek cackled. The bastard. I rubbed Quin’s bare arms and frowned. “Aren’t you cold, Baby Girl?”
“Not in here. The wrap is enough. It’s nice.” He laid his arms on top of mine, which rested across his middle, and settled farther into my embrace.
“I’m going out soon.” I dropped a kiss on his shoulder where the wrap had slipped and nuzzled his neck.
“What about Royal and Jack?” His eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Have we heard anything yet?”
I exhaled heavily. “Derek sent his man to check out Royal’s house. Someone broke in, and there’s blood on the floor in the living room.”
“Are they dead?” His voice wobbled, and I held him tighter.
“We don’t know yet.”
He nodded and pressed his lips together. “I want to come with you.”
“No.” I rested a hand over his lips when he went to argue. “Listen to me, Princess. I’m not leaving you permanently here this time. I’m going out to do something that I never want you to see. I need you to stay safe because I love you. Better yet, when I get back, I want to see you on the bed, naked, chest to the mattress and ass in the air ready for me to mount you and breed your pretty hole. Please. Do this for me. When it comes to circumstances that don’t involve death, I will bring you along. This is not one of those times.”
He inhaled sharply. “Yes, Husband.”
“Thank you, Baby Girl.” I kissed him again before I helped him stand. “Stay in the room. Derek will be here in the hotel, too, if you need him.” I nodded toward my boss. “If anything worries you, go straight to him. No one should be able to touch you here, but there are always idiots ready to die.”
Quin hugged my neck and nuzzled my cheek. “I love you, Matt. Come home to me.”
“Always, Lovebug.” I cupped his face and kissed him hard enough to have him moaning against my mouth. He rocked onto the tips of his toes, trying to get closer. I grasped his ass, hauling him so there was no more space between us, and he could feel the outline of my cock against his abs. “Be good, and remember how I want you when I return.”
A flush spread across his cheeks and he chuckled. “Yes, Husband.”
With a sharp slap to his right asscheek, I nodded at Derek and gave Quin a final kiss before I left the bar. I was close to the front door of the Courtesan when it opened and Royal and Jack hobbled in, looking like they’d gone a few rounds with a boxing champion. Royal was leaning on Jack, and I realized his knee was at an odd angle, maybe dislocated. Shit, he’d need medical care.
“Fuck.” I rushed forward and grabbed Royal’s shoulder, and he gave me a shaky smile that was out of character for him. “What happened?”
“Your friend.” Royal stared at me from one eye, the other red and swollen. Jackson matched him, but his bruises were deep purple from when I’d punched him. “He sent a couple of bruisers to visit us. Didn’t even deem us important enough to get the good mercenaries. They were supposed to beat us up, then take Jack, but I got loose and put a hurt on them. They ran for their fucking lives when I got out my guns.”
“Why didn’t you call us?” I demanded.
Royal snorted. “Because they smashed our phones. The only option I had was to get us here. Besides, I was busy!”
From our left, Landon appeared, his face pinched in concern, but I doubted it was for Royal or Jack. He was only worried about how they looked —beaten and mangled—in the lobby of his fancy hotel. Warmer than Darcy or not, Landon still had a job to do, which I could appreciate. “Gentlemen, are you?—”
“They’re with us. The third room is for them,” I said.
Landon hummed in acknowledgement. “Shall I call for a doctor?”
“Yes.” I waved at Royal’s banged-up knee. “The best doctor you have. We’ll pay anything.”
He glanced around, smiling kindly at a few patrons who stopped to stare at us. “Very well. It would be best if they go immediately to the room, yes?”
I rolled my eyes. “Jack, take Royal up to his room. I’m sure Landon will call the doctor immediately.”
“ Immediately ,” Landon confirmed without missing a beat. “Actually, let me get you someone to help you there. We’ll use the elevator.” He spun in his expensive Italian loafers and stalked back toward the reception desk.
“I’m going out. Quin’s here and so is Derek. They’re at the bar. Go in there and let them know you’re here. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Where are you going?” Jack asked, and I didn’t miss the hint of worry in his tone. That was new.
“To finish the problem you started.” I crossed my arms. “He threatened Quin by throwing Tyler’s dead body on his car and shooting it up. And he burned down my home. I’m putting an end to this overzealous asshole. You.” I jabbed a finger against his chest, and he winced. I didn’t miss the way Royal’s shoulders went tight and he frowned, almost protectively. “Go to the room and get Royal looked at. I’ll be back later.”
I left them there, not willing to hear any more from Jack. Despite being concerned for my brother, I was still irritated with all the issues he’d caused. Even after I killed Topher, there were other problems to handle as a result of it—like O’Neill. I hadn’t wanted to get back on the detective’s radar, but here we were.
I texted War as soon as I slipped into the driver’s side of the Hummer.
Colt
Meet you at Derek’s house. We’re going to visit this fucker, Topher.
War
Yes
I smiled despite the seriousness of what was happening. War was a gruff man who’d been a SEAL for half his life.
The drive to Derek’s took about twenty minutes, and when I reached the house, War was already waiting out front. I quirked a smile at him when he shoved himself into the Hummer. War was a big man with wide shoulders and a trim waist. He had more muscles than me and Derek combined, and he still wore his brown hair in a short crew cut despite the years he’d been out of the armed services. Weathered from years in the sun, he was a handsome man, but much too masculine for my taste. Not that I looked at any men for sex other than Quin. Still, since being with my beautiful wife, I’d been...intrigued by other guys. Not attracted, exactly, but I checked to see if I would be interested if I didn’t have Quin. It had been a self-discovery process.
“Ready?”
“Yes, sir.”
War didn’t usually come on adventures with me. He was Derek’s head bodyguard and was tasked with keeping Kit safe, but he was the closest to the Courtesan and the best.
“Did you see Kit off?” I teased, aware that I was playing with fire. Derek, the poor soul, had no fucking idea how head over heels his son was for War. While I didn’t know if it was the same the other way around, War had subtle interest in his gaze whenever he looked at Kit in return—but it was clear he made a point of not glancing in Kit’s direction unless he had to.
That went triple if Derek was around.
War cleared his throat and stared straight ahead. “Yes, sir. Nitro took him to his friend’s house.”
I nodded. “Good. It’s best if he’s safe. Did Kit have questions?”
He snorted. “That boy would trust the devil when it comes to his dad. I told him Derek’s going out of town for business, and he agreed to go. Didn’t need anything else. He likes staying at Leland’s anyway.”
“Trust is not a great thing when you’re the son of a mobster in New Gothenburg.”
War made a sound in agreement.
From there, we were silent. War didn’t bullshit much, and neither did I before I had to handle a situation. So, we stayed in comfortable silence until we reached Topher’s office in the middle of the city.
I parked the Hummer on a side street and slid from the vehicle before opening the back. Tugging on the bottom of the cargo area exposed a secret compartment, and I pulled out a black duffel bag. I slipped on gloves before I closed up the Hummer again and met War on the sidewalk.
Grinning, I gestured for him to follow me. We walked toward the parking garage attendant, hiding in his comfy little office. The moment he noticed us, he shot to his feet and touched his hand to his hip, where I supposed there was a gun or Taser.
“I have something for you.” I opened the duffel and yanked out a green tranquilizer gun. The second the muzzle cleared the bag, I shot him in the chest. He grunted, yelled, and fell on the ground, the drugs working already. In situations like this, it was easier to pay someone off, but I didn’t want this guy to have too much information about us. The tranquilizer would fuck him up and leave him with a hole in his memory for the next few hours.
“War, lock down the camera footage while I deal with Topher. Take this in case you need it.” I held out the tranquilizer gun, and he snatched it.
“You know the target has guards waiting for him.” He gave me a sharp look, and I winked.
“I can handle a few of his men. Can you deal with this?”
He grunted in answer and stepped into the small office.
I strode toward the elevator to the right and hit the third-floor button. Royal had sent Nitro to do some research, and what he’d found was very useful. Harris Financial employees parked on the third floor, and Topher had his own special spot. According to employees that Nitro had subtly pumped for info, Topher always finished around midnight, which meant he’d be out soon. I wanted to see his face when I put a bullet in his head.
Simple.
Eloquent.
To the point.
I wasn’t like Topher. I wasn’t trying to make a big deal about how powerful I was. I knew what I had, unlike him. If he’d actually hurt Quin, I would’ve done something a lot more violent.
According to his employees, he always had guards waiting for him—three of them—but like I’d told War, I could handle them.
As soon as I was out of the elevator, I went to the left and found Topher’s car. When I was satisfied he was still here, I leaned on a wall to the right, in the darkness away from the lights directly above his vehicle. I opened the bag again and pulled out my next toy, a Beretta handgun with a suppressor, then closed my eyes.
To my left, a guard exited one of the doors, whistling as he went, completely oblivious that he was about to meet death. He surveyed the garage, forgoing the area where I was currently hiding, and pulled off the radio he had attached to his belt. “All clear. Send the boss out.”
I held in a snort. Lazy guards would get Topher killed. Oh, how sad.
Stalking up behind the guard, I smirked as I raised the gun to the back of his head. One bullet was all it took, his head flying forward under the force. He collapsed, but I grabbed him before he could hit the ground. I dragged his body into the same shadows I’d hidden in. The blood spatter across the cement would alert the other guards, so I needed to move quickly.
The next two guards stalked through the door a few moments later. I raised the gun to blow the brains out of the first one, but the second saw me before I could. He tackled me around the middle, and we barreled to the ground, his heavy weight on top of me.
He landed a punch to my gut and tried to knock my Beretta out of my hand. I managed to avoid him by swinging my hand away and back down, right against his forehead, using enough strength to send him rolling off me with an agonized yowl.
The first guard came at me with his gun, but I aimed my Beretta and shot him twice—in the chest and face. He tumbled to the ground. Dead.
Harsh breaths slipped from between my lips as I rose shakily, the pain from my stomach an ache I could mostly ignore, even though it winded me. I stared down at the second guard as he pressed the heel of his palm to his temple. He raised his other hand when he saw me above him.
“Please. Let me live.” His voice verged on hysterical.
The human part of me—however small it was—hesitated, giving him enough time to go for his gun. I was quicker, though.
I put three bullets in his head.
Silence reigned over the garage.
I rubbed my stomach and sighed before I grabbed a body, hauling him toward the other I’d hidden. I did the same for the second until I was sure all three were well disguised in the darkest area of the garage.
I leaned back against the wall and checked the magazine. Nine bullets left. More than enough to finish Topher off for good.
I didn’t know how long I’d waited before a door to my left opened, but I didn’t have to look to know who it was this time. Every instinct in my body hummed with the sensation of revenge. The hair on my arms stood up and pleasure simmered low in my stomach with the thrill of a soon-to-be kill.
“Monica, I don’t fucking care if it’s midnight. Get the job done.” The sound of him tapping his phone angrily, probably to end a call, filled the quiet space of the garage. “Fucking assistants. Women. They’re good for nothing but their pussies.” The low mutter made me smirk, and I opened my eyes to see him heading toward his car. “Where are those fucking guards? Lazy bastards.”
Amateur hour.
He was too busy on his phone to notice the blood.
I shadowed him from behind. “That’s no way to talk about a lady, Topher. Or the recently deceased.”
He spun, a gun in his hand I assumed he’d pulled from his suit jacket, but I was too quick for him, knocking it out of his grasp. The Glock went flying and clattered to the ground, too far away for him to reach.
His eyes widened and his mouth pursed. “You don’t want to do this. You don’t know the kind of men I’m allies with.” He stood taller—or tried to. He was much shorter than me, barely coming to my shoulders, and it seemed he had a wrinkle somewhere on his face for every year he’d been alive, well into his sixties. His gray hair was short, and yet, in a strange way, he looked just as I remembered him.
“Hmm.” I raised the Beretta to his forehead, and he froze. “You know who I’m second in charge to.”
He frowned, mouth twitching. “Derek Uhlig.”
“Uhlig, yes.” I smirked. “See, you were quick to make me your enemy, Topher, and you grew overconfident. You thought you were unstoppable. You started a predictable routine and why? Because you thought your hired guards would protect you.” I laughed and waved in the direction of the bodies. “One against three. I won. You were stupid for taking me on.”
I pressed the muzzle of the gun tighter against his forehead, and he was caught between trembling and trying to raise his chin in defiance. The terror defeated his pride. The smell of piss rose, and I crinkled my nose, not surprised. All the “tough” men were the first to panic. They thought they were untouchable. Until they weren’t.
“I would’ve let it go, you know. All the threats. I would’ve forgotten about them, but then you had to go and shoot up my wife’s car. Throw Tyler’s dead body on it. But you weren’t done, you set our house on fire and tried to kidnap Jackson.” I tsked . “Not a smart move.”
“There are cameras here,” Topher blurted out, searching for the security tech. “They’ll know it was you.”
I laughed. “See, I have men, too, but instead of sending them to do the real job, I get them to wipe the footage for me while I finish you off.”
“I have money.” Sweat beaded at his temples and his hands shook. Of course he was a coward. If I didn’t hate him so much, I might’ve sent him to one of Derek’s survival games as a punishment, but I wanted to end this here and now. “I’ll apologize to your wife. She was gorgeous. That brunette woman, right?”
I laughed. “No. That was Morgan, my wife’s best friend. My wife is the man.”
He froze, and I could see the calculations happening in his eyes. His face twisted and his mouth opened, no doubt to say something awful.
I squeezed the trigger, and Topher’s head cracked back. Blood splattered across his red Cadillac and his body collapsed to the ground. I raised my chin. “My wife is ten times the man you are.”
With that, I turned on my heel. All I had to do now was pick up my gear and War, then go back to the Courtesan.
War could protect Kit and Derek.
Me? I was going to have so much fun with Quin.