Chapter 9
Declan
I roll my eyes at Silas as he nearly doubles over at the sight of the fresh blood oozing into large crimson puddles under the bodies that this she-devil just divested of their souls. She makes Hayden look sane in comparison to her methods, but I can’t deny that she is a sight before us. Her creamy skin is flecked with blood spatter and her hair disheveled and tangled in knots.
“Well damn,” she quips lightly and disappears her blade back under her tight dress. “I thought these three were my problem patrons of the night, but here you stand.” Her sarcasm knows no bounds it seems.
My lips tighten as I grind my teeth together. “Sorry to disappoint,” I retort with just as much venom.
Hayden takes a hesitant step forward with his arms outstretched and palms out. He looks like he’s approaching a wild animal, and by the way her eyes flash in his direction, that might be a true statement. “Can we keep her?” he practically whispers to us.
“She is not a stray cat, asshole,” Silas mutters and shifts on his feet. My brother has always hated the sight of copious amounts of blood and violence. “Give her some space. She’s been through a lot. She’s probably ready to collapse after all that.”
“She can hear you,” she calls lightly and folds her arms across her chest. “And I can assure you that I am fine. I’ve had worse. You can save the chivalry act.” Her hand waves us off and she starts to turn just as the door crashes open and one of the bouncers from the casino appears. He looks menacing standing in the doorway, backlit by the white, fluorescent light of the kitchen.
“What the actual fuck are you doing?” he snarls at her, and I see his hands twitch like he wants to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. I don’t blame him. If she were mine, I’d wear her ass out for being in the dark alley alone. His eyes dart from the three bodies on the ground to the three of us standing in the dim light. “For fuck’s sake, Emelia.”
She waves him off and turns back to us. “The three on the ground were no better than the scum on that dumpster over there. They were intent on raping me and breaking my spirit. Jokes on them though, right, Hector?” She smiles brightly up at him.
This girl is a different breed entirely. She’s just a little over five feet tall and took out three grown men like they were nothing more than target dummies. She is all smiles and jokes despite the horror that she has just been through. She is strong-willed and dangerous, and my cock is starting to ache in my slacks. I want her and I know that I shouldn’t, but I can’t stop the image of her on her knees, still covered in blood, taking me deep into her throat.
Her voice pulls me back to reality. “The three still standing are the reason that I was in the alley in the first place looking for a place to decompress.” Her smile turns wicked as she looks me up and down. “Mr. Smith here seems to frown upon my selection of the liquor tonight. We had a run in and then I came here. They were just leaving,” Emelia says sweetly as Hector turns his glare to us.
Hector pulls Emelia into a half hug, his eyes never leaving our forms. I can take the hint, buddy. Off-limits. Got it. I tip my head in his direction in acknowledgment. “Go get cleaned up. Em is asking for you,” he says quietly and nearly shoves her back through the doors. “I’ll take care of this mess.” The door closes on her retreating form and just like that, the angel of death is gone.
“What the hell… Who the hell… How the hell…” Hayden is at a loss for words and can’t seem to form any coherent thoughts. I don’t blame him. I’m still reeling too.
Hector smirks knowingly and removes his leather jacket, hanging it on the edge of a nearby pallet along the brick wall. “Time to go, gentlemen. I’ve got a mess to clean up.”
“Let’s make a deal,” I state and step closer to him. “This is a big task for just one man. Let us help and you tell us who she is.”
Hector rolls his eyes and moves to the bundle of black chemical barrels that are nestled beside one of the green dumpsters. He rolls a barrel into the middle of the alley and picks up the first body like it weighs nothing. It goes into the empty barrel headfirst and hits the bottom with a dull thump. “I’d hate for you to ruin your Prada suits,” he sneers and seals the lid on the first barrel with a hard slam of his fist.
“Tom Ford,” Silas mutters from beside the empty barrels. He must have snuck over there while Hector was lifting the first body. “They’re Tom Ford suits,” he explains as Hector looks at him curiously. Silas walks an empty barrel over to the second body and turns his face to Hayden expectantly. He is the brains of the operation and will not, under any circumstances, be lifting bloody, dead bodies. His words exactly.
Hayden huffs out a sigh and stalks forward, rolling his sleeves up. He grips the body by the jacket and one pant leg and tosses it deftly into the barrel. Hector nods once but keeps a wary eye on us as they seal the lid and move to the last body.
“She was the bartender,” Silas says quietly after the barrels are covered with a black tarp and bungee cords. “She made us our drinks.” It sounds like he is in shock and having trouble processing the events of the night.
“Pull yourself together, brother, you sound like a rookie,” I snap and punch him in the bicep, earning an eye roll and a glare I’m sure.
“It’s different when it’s an innocent woman,” he admits and drops his head into his hands. Our masks are still firmly in place, but I can imagine the haunted look in his eyes.
“She’s hardly innocent,” Hector mutters under his breath and pulls on his jacket. “Her name is Emelia and since you’ve already met her once tonight you know that she works in the bar.” His tone is dismissive and it is clear that he is not giving up any details willingly. Maybe he can conveniently go missing and end up on an interrogation table.
“How does a bartender learn to fight like that?” Hayden asks reverently, still staring at the covered barrels. I can practically feel the lust radiating off his tense body. “That was impressive. I haven’t seen that style in a long time.”
Hector presses his lips into a hard line and levels a glare at Hayden. “She’s Em’s secretary. She’s been trained for various… situations,” he says vaguely and wipes his palms on his pants before pulling open the heavy metal door. “And she’s off limits,” he adds icily before slamming the door loudly.
“What the actual fuck did we just watch?” Silas shoves his hands into his pockets and turns on his heels, heading back to the main road where the car is waiting. We both fall into step on either side of him and say nothing. My mind is weaving in and out of ideas and theories.
Once we are securely hidden by the tinted windows, I pull my mask and black covering off my face and run my fingers through my sweaty hair. Hayden and Silas do the same and we all share a knowing look.
“I don’t care what either of you two fuckwads think,” Hayden starts, his voice quiet and deadly. “That woman is…” His voice trails off and his eyes flash. I know that look all too well. It’s the same look that I’m fighting to keep out of my own eyes.
“I think we need to see what else Em has been hiding in the casino business,” Silas says from the backseat as I pull out and speed toward home.
“I think you’re both right,” I state and push my damp hair out of my eyes with a dark grin. “Let’s see what the tycoon is hiding behind those card tables.” They both grin back, their teeth flashing menacingly in the flashing streetlights. “Starting with that secretary.”
*****
Silas slams his hands down on the kitchen island and mutters his sixth “fuck” of the hour. His fingers glide across the keypad of his laptop, filling the kitchen with the quiet clicking that is beginning to make my eye twitch. It is only nine in the morning, and I am already considering homicide. “Almost… almost… Dammit!” He shouts and slams his palms down on the granite countertop.
If I wasn’t a trained killer, that outburst might have made me jump. But I am. So I didn’t. “If you start typing again right now, I just might punch you in the face,” I say and clench my jaw, my fingers flexing in my pockets.
“This firewall is practically impossible to get through. I haven’t seen anything so complex since we were in Ghana three years ago,” Silas says and drops his face into his hands, defeated.
“Well now I’m even more intrigued,” Hayden chuckles and bites into a ripe apple. My eyes flick to Silas, who is tracking the juice running down Hayden’s chin, and my stomach tightens. At some point, this tension is going to come to a head, and it very well may tear us apart, but I can’t think about that right now.
I shake my head to dislodge those thoughts and pull an image of Emelia to the forefront of my mind. It’s her standing in front of me in the bar with her hands on her hips and her nostrils flaring in defiance just like they had when I insulted her liquor selection. My teeth sink into the inside of my lip as I fight a smile and erection at the same time.
Hayden arches an eyebrow at Silas, who looks away before he can see his cheeks turn red. Silas clears his throat and closes the laptop softly. “This is beyond professional business protection. I haven’t seen a wall like this from anyone other than myself and my mentor.”
“So we are no closer to any answers?” Hayden mumbles around another bite of the apple.
Silas doesn’t look up, but I see his throat bob as he swallows hard. “There are some holes that I can try to skate through, but no promises.”
“I think it’s time for the old-fashioned approach,” I say and down the rest of my now cold coffee. “But it has to be discreet.”
“We cannot go in there guns blazing and try to nab a hostage,” Silas snaps coldly.
“What?” I turn around and lean back against the edge of the sink. “What do you think old fashioned means? I’m not staging a hold-up!” Silas shrugs and Hayden coughs once to hide a laugh. “We’re going to send ONE PERSON in to talk to Em and to do some recon. No guns.” I level Silas with a withering glare. “And no hostages.”
“Shall I go get the straws?” Hayden tosses his apple core in the trash and wipes his hands on the back of his pants.
“No. I have a better idea.” I smirk at the two of them and shove my hands back into the pockets of my sweatpants.
“Are you pausing for dramatic effect?” Hayden asks and rolls his eyes. “Because I really hate it when you do that.”
“I’m not pausing for effect. I’m finalizing my ideas. It’s part of my thought process,” I retort and close my eyes. Sometimes it is too much living with these two idiots.
“He’s totally doing it for the dramatics,” Silas whisper shouts behind his hand. “He did it all the time when we were kids.”
“Will you two shut up for two fucking seconds. I can’t even hear myself think.” I open my eyes and narrow them at Hayden and then Silas. “I’ll find an excuse to meet with Em and get in there to get more information.”
“Why does it get to be you?” Hayden nearly roars and takes a step toward me. He’s possessive already and he hasn’t even properly met the girl yet. This is going to be bad.
“Because you can’t keep a level head!” I shout back and throw my hands up. “You can’t even get through this conversation without yelling at me!”
“She’s mine! I called her!” he responds indignantly and his dark eyes flash dangerously.
“You can’t just call dibs!” Silas blurts out suddenly and we both look at him in shock. “She’s not going to be treated like someone’s property,” he adds quietly like that’s what he meant all along.
“No one is calling dibs. She is fair game for everyone at this point.” I meet both their glares with a challenging expression. Hayden shrugs off with a scowl and Silas collects his electronics. Before I can make another snarky comment my phone rings on the counter. The number is blocked, which means it’s work. I pull the phone to my ear and exhale slowly. “Kennedy.”
There is static on the other end of the line that is broken only by a distorted robotic voice giving an address and a time. “1094 Pike Sail Avenue. 11am. We require the presence of all three.” I end the call, drop the phone in my pocket, and head down the hallway to break the bad news to the guys.
It’s time to go to work.