33. Reath
33
REATH
I woke when Frankie rolled over, threw a leg over me, and snuggled in. It was still nighttime, the room dark except for the sliver of light from the bathroom.
She loved close contact when she was sleeping. I ran a hand down her bare back, and she let out a cute, soft sigh.
I’d never liked close contact with a woman. I’d grown up without it, prided myself on being self-contained.
It had made me a good soldier, a good Delta Force operator, and an excellent CIA agent.
But I liked Frankie right where she was.
Fuck . My brothers were right. I had feelings for this woman.
For my best friend’s sister.
I stared up at the ceiling. I realized I hadn’t thought about Jack these last few days. Frankie had stopped being Jack’s sister and just become mine .
And damn if that didn’t spook me a bit.
I gently shifted Frankie and slipped out of the bed.
In the bathroom, I gripped the sink. I couldn’t think of feelings and emotions right now. I looked into the mirror. I had to stay focused on Auclair.
On keeping Frankie safe.
I tugged on my pajama pants. I felt too awake and wired now.
In the kitchen, I navigated the familiar darkness and poured myself a glass of whiskey. As I sipped, I looked out the window.
You can’t run forever, Auclair.
This was my city, my home.
And Frankie was mine now.
I needed a way to track my foe down, once and for all. It was time to end this.
I knew Frankie was champing at the bit to get back in the lab. I wouldn’t be able to hold her off forever. She’d told me that she’d been emailing with some of her DARPA contacts. They were keen for her to get back to work as well. They were talking about setting up a temporary, secure lab for her.
There was nowhere secure enough for me.
I wanted her where I could see her.
Restless, I headed to my office. I left the lights off and sat in my chair. It was time to hit up some of my…darker contacts.
Whatever it took.
I logged onto the dark web and sent out a couple of messages. With these guys, they could respond in a few hours, or a few weeks.
But they were some of the best hackers and information gatherers in the business. If anyone could track Auclair down in New Orleans, it was these guys.
I needed a location. Now.
I felt my cellphone vibrate and frowned. It was the middle of the night, so a late-night call usually meant a problem.
I pulled out the phone and saw the call wasn’t from PSS.
It was a blocked number.
I frowned. I shouldn’t be getting a blocked call. They weren’t allowed through to any PSS phones, and very few people had this number.
I pressed the phone to my ear. “Fury.”
“Ah, Reath Fury.”
Auclair’s French accented voice came across the line.
My jaw tightened. “Auclair.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t get to chat the other night at the Hotel Monteleone. It’s such a pleasure to talk after all these years.”
I didn’t respond. I wasn’t playing his game.
“Typical,” Auclair said. “No demands, no cursing. You always were a cool customer, Fury. Very disappointing.”
“I will find you, Auclair. You’d better be ready.”
I tapped the keyboard and activated my tracking program.
“Oh, I’m ready, but we’re having so much fun.”
“I will find you. And I’ll kill you. I’ll put all your men in jail. You’re not getting the ADAPT project.”
A low laugh. “You and I both know it’s not just about the project anymore.”
My muscles tensed. “Bullshit. You’ve always been about the payday.”
“Perhaps, but this is more than that for me now.”
Dread seeped into my veins.
“It took me a little while to put the pieces together. First, I just thought it was a coincidence you were involved. Then I saw you with Francesca Parker. I discovered she is the sister of your best friend from the Army.”
I stared at the screen. The signal was bouncing around all over the world. He was scrambling his location well.
“But more than that, I saw you carrying her out of your brother’s bar.”
My hand tightened on the phone. He’d been there. Watching.
“And I saw you punch the wall today when you saw her photo.”
Motherfucker . He’d clearly had a camera somewhere when we raided his last hidey hole.
“So, this is very personal now, Reath. I will get my payday when I sell ADAPT to the highest bidder. And I will enjoy watching Frankie Parker suffer, and in turn, you.”
“Fuck you, asshole,” I clipped out.
Auclair laughed. “Ah, not so cool anymore.” The laughter leached away, leaving ice. “You killed the only person I’ve ever cared about. I’d never felt anything before Maurelle. I’d always considered it an advantage.”
I checked the trace again, willing it to lock his location down.
“Then I met Maurelle. My brilliant, cunning Maurelle.” His voice changed. “Then you killed her. You killed my love.” He paused. “And now I will make you watch while I kill yours.”
The line went dead.
I had no trace. I kicked the leg of the table.
I wasn’t in love with Frankie. My chest felt tight as fuck, and I rubbed it with a fist. I couldn’t.
Auclair talked of feeling nothing, of caring about no one.
That was what I could have become, thanks to my upbringing.
“No.”
I wasn’t a sociopath, and I wasn’t Auclair.
I had my brothers. I had Daisy. I had the women my brothers loved.
And I had Frankie.