Chapter 9 Jacques
I obviously wasn’t about to shoot up a little hotel room with an FBI agent in front of me and another behind me—although from the looks of him, he was not prepared for this.
The agent let me take Ezra, my little kitten, and he clung to me like a life raft.
And that’s exactly what I was right now, because if he stayed any longer, I knew those fucking rich dickwads would be all over the location with their mercs—and fingers crossed they weren’t from Sanctum.
Ezra’s big eyes stared at me the entire time we were in the car leaving the city. He hugged the teddy I’d found for him, which seemed to be the biggest thing he’d been worried about. He’d had tears in his eyes when he thanked me for the seventh time.
“I need to know more about you,” he whispered.
“I’ve never lied to you,” I said. “So just know that everything I’ve said has been the complete truth.”
Runa was in my ear again. “That’s the Reaper I know, although you do lie on occasion.
” It was a little jarring, since I’d forgotten she was there after an hour of driving through New York City’s rush-hour traffic—she wasn’t able to help me through it, but I was thankful for all her help regardless, because I didn’t want Mercy finding out.
“I haven’t lied to you, Ezra,” I said, and he looked at me funny.
“Are you speaking to the voice in your head again?” he asked with a big smirk. “I know you said you haven’t, and maybe that’s why I’m worried. Because you’ve—you’ve done a lot of bad things.”
“Kitten,” I said, glancing at him. The roads were a little clearer now, although it was getting dark. “How much of me do you want to know?”
“I guess I’ll leave for this one,” Runa said.
I pulled the comms piece from my ear, and the space it occupied felt strange now. “I’ll tell you absolutely anything. Any question you’ve got, I’ll have an answer for it.”
He wrapped his arm around mine as my hand rested on the gear stick. “Do you like killing people?”
Right out of the gate with that type of question.
“Sometimes,” I said. It was the truth and I’d already told him I couldn’t lie.
Not to him. “It all depends on who it is, and how I’m able to do it.
I prefer to kill with a gun to the head.
But if they’re being . . . difficult, I’ll play with them.
I’m a sharpshooter, so I’ll get their feet, their hands, and just put them in a world of pain before I end it all.
” My heart raced, revealing this formation to him. “I’m not a bad person, though.”
“And you did that because you got paid, or why?” he continued, almost unfazed by what I’d said.
“Yes, most of the time I got paid, and I got paid well,” I said.
“I work hard on making myself a machine, someone whose muscles actually work rather than someone who only performs for a camera.” I smirked at myself, knowing some of the guys in Sanctum where that type—bodybuilders, pretty bodies, but not practical in the slightest.
He snorted a laugh. “Okay, now what about your family?”
“Okay,” I let out, sucking in a big breath. “Family.”
“Yeah, you know I don’t have a relationship with mine,” he said. “So what’s your like?”
“Give me a second on that one,” I said, gritting my teeth.
“My family is from New York, Upstate. Not where we’re going, though.
Don’t worry. My father was an alcoholic who hit me, my mom died from addiction when I was six, and I have a sister who lives in New Mexico.
She’s younger than me. I send her money weekly, it’s like on autopay.
She thinks I’m abroad working on big rigs or something.
” There was a smile that touched the corners of my lips and I couldn’t help it.
“My sister is light and pure. I stood in front of every abusive outburst, and shielded her as much as I could.”
Ezra cooed, squeezing my arm a little tighter. “Do you still speak to her? I bet she’d love to see you.”
I nodded. “I know she would,” I grumbled. “In fact, one day I will. I have a nephew too. He’s probably ten or something now. She’s not with the father, but I make sure she’s able to get by.”
He was looking at me, staring, and I could see those big eyes turn watery. “I wish I had a sibling sometimes, someone to tell things to, and someone who could relate to me.” As he snorted a fake laugh, the tears slipped down his cheeks.
There wasn’t much I could do but let him cry. I had a small tear in my waterline, and with a blink it vanished. “It’s okay,” I told him. “We’re bonded now. You’ve got me to tell things to.”
“Trauma bonded,” he laughed, wiping his tears. “Or whatever Dina said.”
“If I’m going to be your protector, we need some rules,” I said. “Okay, kitten?”
Sitting up straight in the passenger seat, he nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
“Good, I want you to follow every instruction I give you,” I began. “You’re going to follow a protocol of health, that means self-care, and make sure your body is always clean.”
He nodded. “Of course,” he said.
“As my kitten, you’re also to be sheltered from any shit that comes our way, and because of that, we’re going somewhere isolated,” I said. “You’ve got to give me your full trust and control.”
Ezra gestured with open palms pushed towards me. “It’s all yours,” he said. “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
After a moment, I glanced at him. His brows were doing this strange dance on his forehead. “Be kind to yourself,” I said. “That’s another rule. I’m not letting you think about the past now, unless it’s for the investigation.”
“I promise.”
I took his hand and kissed the back of it, followed by him kissing my bushy facial hair and all the way up to my exposed cheek.
It was nice to feel someone touch me like this, someone so pure, someone not tainted by the darkness that always surrounded billionaires—unethical billionaires anyway.
And my sweet Ezra had the proof he needed to take one of them down a peg or two, but maybe not into the ground, though.
* * *
We found a small gas station on the way up north. We couldn’t go anywhere with too many cameras, so big box stores were off the list. I wasn’t telling him the exact place we were going, but he was clever and could see the road signs.
“Will they be able to find us there?” he asked after a string of questions.
“Maybe,” I told him. “But I have contingencies.”
The roads toward Canada were quiet, but that’s not where we were going. Well, not exactly. We were heading to an island, which it would take a boat ride to get to, and if anyone decided to descend on us, they’d have a hell of time getting past the security.
Ezra had slept a little since, and we were right past a cute little place named Watertown. We headed right through it, no stopping, the sky becoming an even more intense dark. The thread of thunder wasn’t quite there, but the clouds loomed.
“Okay, kitten,” I whispered, waking Ezra. His teddy was clutched to his chest, and he almost yanked its head right off when I woke him. “It’s okay, baby. We’re just going to take a boat ride now.”
He grumbled and stretched. “Okay.” He looked at me funny, eyes narrowed in on me. “So, you own a boat?”
I chuckled, pulling up into Millen Bay. There was certainly a boat in the dock with my name on it—not literally, but The Sweet Delilah, my small yet decked out with tech boat, was in the bay, docked and ready for me whenever I needed her.
“I own a lot of things,” I told him. “Like the house we’re about to go to. ”
“An island,” he grumbled. “How long will we be there?”
After I parked up, I bunched up his adorable cheeks. “Until this is over or I decide it’s time to leave.”
He nodded with a big sleepy smile. “Okay. Do you think we have enough food?”
“Don’t worry about that,” I told him. “Let me take care of it, and of you.”
At the door, a lumberjack-looking man was standing, and he would’ve startled me like he did Ezra, who had fear in his eyes. It was Arnie, who worked the docks and took care of things. Not an official Sanctum asset, but if he wanted to go in for training, he could.
Out of the car, we stood level with each other. He was just as muscular in his fisherman’s overalls and no T-shirt.
“You should’ve called,” he said, barely moving his lips. He could’ve been made from stone. “I’ve just repaired part of the jetty—some rich asshole rammed his yacht into it. You’re going to ruin my work.”
I looked around, and the smell of fresh air was a delight, considering the last time we were out of the car, it had stunk of gasoline.
“Sometimes things happen,” I said, pulling out my wallet and the clip of notes.
I handed him a couple of hundred as Ezra walked around the back of the car, staring at us.
“This is my . . . boyfriend.” I gestured. “Now, if anyone asks, we weren’t here.”
Arnie grumbled and nodded. “What about your car?”
“I’ll need it parked somewhere discreet. Maybe you could take it to your place,” I said, handing him another couple of notes. “I know it’ll be worth your time.”
He nodded, clicking his tongue. “If anyone asks, you’re a ghost, the pair of you,” he said. “And let me know if you need anything shipped over. I’m guessing this is long term?”
I shrugged, pulling Ezra into a hug as he looked up at me like a lost pup.
“It’ll last as long as it lasts,” I said.
“And if you see anyone from Sanctum, call me immediately.” I already had Runa as my insider, but this was an extra precaution.
“And if you wanna help bring some stuff from the car to the boat, I’ll throw you a little more cash. ”
Arnie flexed his muscles. “Absolutely,” he said. “And please, be careful on the wood. There’s varnish setting on parts toward the end.
My boat was inconspicuous. It was a fishing trawler, except it was mostly used for ferrying me to and from my house on the island.
It was equipped with underwater sonar, and above-water security measures with an alarm that went directly to me—or Sanctum.
I had to be careful of it. It was a nice sturdy boat with an interior cabin, s an older model boat with a patchwork wood aesthetic on the exterior.
Once the light was on in the cabin, Ezra finally stepped down into it and took a look around. “You ever sleep here?” he asked, grabbing the thick blanket on the worn leather chair.
“I have,” I said.
Arnie appeared with the large bag of snacks we’d bought at the gas station, and it was around that point I think Ezra realized we’d be going into hiding of sorts. “The water’s pretty chill right now,” he said, placing the bag on the table. “I reckon you’ll get to the island in a couple of hours.”
“Perfect. You know if anyone’s been by my place?”
He shook his head. “I’ve not seen anyone go to the island in a while.”
Ezra’s head went back and forth like a tennis ball, looking between us as we talked. Arnie left with another hundred bucks in his pocket. “Is it safe?” Ezra finally asked, so softly. “And why did you give him so much money? If they call him in as a witness, they’ll call it a bribe.”
“Sweet little kitten,” I said, with a finger hooked under his chin, I pushed slightly until our lips connected.
“That’s not going to happen. I promise you.
Nobody is going to bring him into this. We’ll talk about your legal team tomorrow—” And before he could tell me he didn’t have one now, I kissed him to keep him quiet.