Chapter 21
Noah follows me to my apartment, his knowing smirk never leaving his lips.
“What?” I bark as we reach the entrance to my building.
“Does the boss know what you do for a living?”
“Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.”
“Fair. Does he know the real thing you’ve tasked me with?”
That’s a much better question, but I’m reluctant to answer. “No.”
Noah’s smile widens. “Oh, the irony. He hires me to protect you, but you hire me to guard him and save his ass. What a tangled web you find yourself in.”
I stop before the door of the building and put my hands on my hips. “I didn’t hire you for your opinions, so do you have something actually useful for me?”
Noah chuckles. “Your man seems to have two main groups targeting him. We don’t think they’re working together, but I can’t confirm that.”
“Have you caught anyone?”
Noah looks around as people walk by, heading home from work or headed to a bar for happy hour. “We should take this conversation to another location.”
“A ploy to get me to invite you up?”
Noah smirks. “Is it working?”
I roll my eyes. “Come on, asshole.”
I take out my keycard and let us into the building. We don’t say anything until the door closes behind me.
“We haven’t caught anyone, but we’ve intercepted some messages.” Noah pauses, and I wave my hand, encouraging him to go on. “Two private assassins have been hired.”
“Hired by whom?”
“You know they wouldn’t just announce that, Nova.”
I huff, frustrated. “When?”
“Tomorrow. The gala.”
“But they wouldn’t murder him in front of everyone.”
“Maybe they plan on poisoning him.”
I know Noah is joking. Poison seems like something only kings and queens do on TV shows. But I also know that the three owners of the other companies were murdered that way.
Maybe it wasn’t Owen who killed them. Maybe he’s the next target on someone’s list. But whose list? And why?
“I need you to beef up security,” I say. “Can you do that? I need eyes and ears everywhere.”
“Already done.”
I take a deep breath and pace back and forth.
“Nova?” Noah asks hesitantly. “Who are the bad guys here?”
Isn’t that the question of the century?
“Honestly, I don’t even know.”
“Have you told Dec?”
I nod. Well, I haven’t told him everything.
“What does he advise?”
“You know I can’t tell you.”
“I also know you will.”
I sigh. He’s right. He’s about the only person, aside from Ella and Declan, that I fully trust.
“He wants me to do the job I came here to do.”
I know Declan hasn’t heard the whole story, but I’ve never questioned his guidance until now. He’s trying to protect me. He’s trying to help me win my trial. But at what cost? He knows me better than that. Or he should.
“And you want to lock 'em all up? Every single asshole?” Noah winks as he says it.
“Something like that,” I mumble.
“I take it this Owen guy isn’t one of the assholes?”
“Honestly?”
Noah nods.
“I don’t know.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, assholes don’t tend to put themselves in danger to get someone their favorite pastry.”
I stop pacing and stare at him. I must look shocked because Noah laughs and pats me on the shoulder.
“Get some rest,” he says. “I’ll take care of the security for tomorrow. Get your CIA team ready. Nothing will happen to your man.”
“He’s not my man.”
Noah laughs and shakes his head. “Sure. Whatever you say. Want to know what I think?”
“No.”
Noah ignores me. “I’ve known you since you were a gangly teenager at the races, and I’ve never seen you so wound up and protective of any guy. Even the ones you dated.”
When I don’t respond, Noah gives my shoulder one more pat and closes the door behind him.
He’s right. Damn him.
“Eagan found the info about the last company, and the whistleblower’s testimony lines up. Nova, this company is, or was, in bed with the black snake underground syndicate.” Ella speaks like there’s a bomb about to go off.
“You’re kidding? The largest underground drug operation in the world?” I’m pretty sure my mouth is in my lap. I’ve been taking out big players in their operation for years. No one has been able to take them out completely.
“Eagan had to dig, but he found anonymous calls, texts, and emails. He traced them to the IP addresses the underground uses.”
“Shit. This is bad. Really bad. This has to be who’s going after Owen. They are the only ones with the money and resources to risk killing someone as large and influential as Owen.”
I run my hands through my hair, my bare feet still pacing back and forth across my apartment. “Human trafficking, rape, and the biggest drug syndicate in the world. None of this was coincidental. Owen must have done it on purpose. He must have killed them.”
“But he’s smart. He must have known they would go after him?”
“Oh, he knows. And I’m pretty sure he’s been preparing for his own death.”
“What?” Ella practically shouts into the phone.
“He’s slowly signing everything over to his brother. He knows he’s not going to be around long. I’d put my money on it.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Stop the bastards trying to kill him, then take them all down.”
“The whole underground operation?”
“Yes. It’s about damn time someone does.”
“What about Owen?”
“What about him?”
“Are you going to put him behind bars with the rest of them?”
“No. I’m going to save him.”
There is a long silence on the other end of the phone.
“But, Nova… Your trial. Your assignment. What will Dec say?” Ella sounds genuinely worried.
“Fuck my trial. Fuck Dec. I’m not going to sit here and let these fuckers get away. Not this time. I refuse to put Owen behind bars, so I’m gonna go down swinging and take them all with me.”
I hear Ella suck in a breath. “Nova.” Her voice is wavering, and I know she’s about to lose her composure.
“Ella, I’m taking you off my communications. If there’s another trial, I don’t want caught up in it.”
“You can’t do that!” she shouts on the other end of the phone, and my heart breaks at the desperation in her voice.
“Ella, you have been the best assistant and, more importantly, the friend I never knew I needed. I refuse to take you down with me. I’m going to recommend to Dec that you be promoted so it doesn’t look suspicious and so I don’t have to fire you.”
“Nova, no. I don’t want this! I want to help you!”
“You already have. More than you know.” This time, I can’t help the waver in my own voice as tears fill my eyes.
This isn’t what I want, but I don’t know how else to protect her.
Things are going to get worse, and I’m likely going to jail for a very long time.
I can’t have her, or anyone else I love, go down with me.
This is something I need to do on my own.
I end the call before she can talk me out of it and text Dec.
Nova: I think you need to promote or reassign Ella. She’s fantastic, and I don’t want my trial reflecting poorly on her future at the CIA.
The text bubble pops up instantly but disappears before popping up again.
Dec: Ok. I won’t fight you on that, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to find you anyone near as good as she is.
Nova: I know. But my mistakes aren’t fair to her.
Dec: When do you want her reassignment?
Nova: Immediately.
Dec: Have you told her?
Nova: Yes.
Dec: Ok, then it’s done.
Nova: Thank you.
I stop typing and throw my phone on the bed and tunnel under the covers in my work outfit and let myself cry until I fall asleep.
The screaming—I can’t get it out of my head. Everything happens so fast. The jewelry stand is now knocked over, and the colorful trinkets are scattered across the street. I look behind the stand to find a frightened child, but there’s nothing I can do to help him.
I glance at the building behind the child, and an open door catches my eye.
“Go!” I shout in Italian and point to the door.
The child looks behind him and back at me, shaking his head vigorously.
A series of shots brings me back to my goal: get to the rendezvous spot.
Reluctantly, I leave the child.
I wake drenched in my usual sweat. This time, though, something sparks in my brain—the door in my dream. The boy was more afraid of that door than the bullets flying all around him.
The sign above the door is blurry in my vision, but I recognize the word. Vivario—or Vivarium in English. A reptile store.