19. Aiden
Aiden
What I’m about to do is risky as fuck, which is why I lied to Isabel about where I was going and with whom I was meeting.
When Silas’s name appeared on my phone, I answered it. It was time to stop ignoring him and deal with this shit.
Only it wasn’t him. It was Rurik. His tone made it clear this wasn’t a friendly chat—he demanded a meeting. And he’d used Silas’s phone to make sure I picked up. How? Not sure. When I questioned him about it, he ended the call.
I immediately texted Zander, asking if he was with Silas. Once he confirmed he was, I told him what happened. I needed to know if Rurik and Silas were working together. And for now, it seems they aren’t, but I’ll know for sure soon enough.
During that conversation, Silas invited himself to the meeting. I can’t blame Zander for selling me out. If he’d tried to dodge the question, the warlord would’ve found another way to get answers.
And that’s how I ended up with two other extras at my meeting with Rurik. I wanted to tell Silas to fuck off, but I’m already in enough trouble with Trent. No need to give them one more reason to start digging.
Having Zander here takes some of the risk out. As a fellow undercover agent, I trust him. Not only to help me pull this off, but to have my back when we report back to both bosses.
Teddy’s here, too, but there’s only so much he can do while flying our getaway helicopter.
It’s hard to shoot at the bad guys while you’re dodging bullets and keeping them away from the fuel tank.
He’s the only pilot I trust to get me in and out alive.
I’ve seen him in action and know what he can do.
Silas, on the other hand, is a problem. He’ll be a colossal pain in my arse, aiming to take charge because of who he is.
I’m unclear what Rurik’s reaction will be when he discovers him gate-crashing this party.
If he works for who I think he does, this could quickly turn into a bloodbath and restart the war between the Doyles and Del Markovs.
It’s only a matter of time before that happens, but I’d rather not be standing in the middle when it does.
As we near the designated field, Teddy repeats the question he’s asked me five times since I revealed my plan. “You sure about this? I don’t have to land. We can call—”
“Land the chopper. Don’t wait around once I’m clear.
I’ll meet you at the rendezvous point. If I’m not there in ninety minutes, leave without me.
Have Isabel call it in. Don’t come looking for me.
Understand?” I fix him with a stern look to show him I’m serious.
“She comes first, no matter what. Keep her safe.”
“Roger. But Aiden,” he holds my gaze, “don’t think for one second the boys and I will sit back and not come find you. We’ll get her safe first, then, like we’ve done a thousand times before, we’ll rally. No man left behind.”
Doesn’t surprise me. I’d do the same. As long as they get her safe first.
The second we land, I’m out, gear in hand, jogging toward the black car parked a hundred yards away. Zander’s propped against the door, a dark bruise under his eye. Up close, it’s worse than it looked from a distance, dark and spreading, purple and blue bleeding together.
I slow to a brisk walk. “How’d you get that?”
“During a sparring session with Drake.” Pushing off the car, he swings the backdoor open, then digs into his pocket and hands me a phone.
I don’t need to ask what I’m supposed to do with it. This is standard. One number. One call. As I climb in, I pass him the black bag, then hit the call button and wait.
Silas is sitting in the seat across from me, his back to the front. I never understood why he always picks that seat. I hate having my back to the driver, but he sticks to it every time. His weapon is resting on his lap. I don’t react. Just roll my eyes and settle in opposite him.
By the third ring, the guy I thought would invite himself finally answers.
“Explain. If I don’t like your answers, my son will shoot you.” Trent’s tone is about as dark as I’ve heard it, but that doesn’t faze me. I’m not worried.
“No need for that.” I lower the phone and put him on speaker, then walk him through the night we rescued Isabel from her kidnapper. I keep to the version of truth that leaves Zander out of it.
“As you might imagine, she was shaken up. Bringing her to Soulcombe didn’t seem like the best move, not after everything she’d been through.
So, I took her somewhere safe, where she could recover in peace.
Didn’t think you’d want her brother showing up, because once he learned where she was, he would have. And that would be shit for business.”
Zander turns in his seat and looks at me. “Meeting still at the slaughterhouse?”
I nod, then elaborate. “Back of the property. Said there’s a red barn. Take the service road just past the main entrance.”
He shifts the vehicle into gear and starts driving.
My attention is now back on the man I hear breathing heavily through the speaker.
“What I’d like to know is how Rurik got your son’s phone.” Shifting my eyes to the man across from me, I ask, “Lose your phone?”
Silas pats his chest and glares at me. “No.”
“No?” I don’t believe him. He has a history of misplacing it. “How did Rurik ring me from your number, then?”
“Fuck if I know. My phone’s right here.” He pats his chest again like that settles it, tapping the gun against his knee.
I know Silas well enough to read him. He might have his phone now, but it disappeared sometime in the last several days.
Could’ve been for a few hours or just minutes.
That’s all it takes for a good hacker to clone your phone and use it without your knowledge.
I’ve seen Pauly do it with the person sitting right there. All he needs is a minor distraction.
I have a pretty good idea of how Rurik distracted Silas. Wouldn’t take much, just a beautiful woman.
My theory is confirmed when Zander catches my eye in the rearview. He knows when it happened. I can see it. But he’s not saying a word. Not with Silas sitting right here, who would shoot him without a second thought.
“Enough about the damn phone.” Trent clears his throat, the sound cutting through the silence in the cab. “What’s done is done. We’ll deal with that later.”
Silas yanks his phone from his pocket, unlocks it, and tosses it my way. “There’s nothing to deal with. That’s my phone. The same one I’ve had for the last two years. As you can see, the last text I sent was to my father, not you.”
It is.
But that’s not the text that grabs my attention. It’s the one at the bottom of his screen. I tap it, pulling up the full thread. It’s a string of texts between him and Katerina.
Silas has no shortage of conversations with random women. Normally, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. But the name sticks, enough to make me take a closer look.
KATERINA:
My client’s eager to see the Goncharova. It’ll be a fine addition to his collection. A perfect addition to his new gallery. He’s looking forward to meeting you.
SILAS:
The Goncharova isn’t for sale. I said this. Don’t like repeating myself.
My client doesn’t care. He’s bent on changing your mind.
Give me his name.
Can’t. You know this. What harm could come from a meeting with him?
Invite him to your gallery where he can truly admire it.
He tosses out an outrageous number that you laugh at, thinking he’s kidding.
When you realize he’s not, you roar with laughter for another reason.
The last person who refused to take his meeting lost everything.
Is that a threat? Do you know who I am?
I do. So does he. Take the meeting.
Before I can read more, Silas makes a grab for his phone. I taunt him by moving it just out of his reach, buying myself time to close the message before giving it back.
“Stop acting like children. You’re both getting on my last nerve.” Trent’s voice slices through the tension then refocuses us on the reason we’re here. “Tell me what you know about this Rurik. Why did you agree to meet with him?”
I turn away from Silas’s glare, suspicion written all over his face, and lock in on Trent.
His voice is calm, and that isn’t something to take lightly.
It might fool others, but not me. I know him.
The calmer he appears, the more his internal frustration simmers and boils.
Not a great combination with a man like Trent.
I’ve watched him put a bullet in a man without altering his expression. I’d much rather deal with him pissed than like this. He doesn’t need to be here to make it happen. One word, and Silas will pull the trigger for him.
I usually bend the truth with him, but today, only honesty will suffice. “There’s not much to tell. I know nothing about him. Didn’t even know the man existed until Isabel named him as her abductor.”
The only sound coming through the line is one I’m familiar with. The steady hum of tires against pavement—the same thing he’s hearing from us when we fall quiet.
“What does he want?”
“What does he want?” I repeat the question, knowing he damn well knows what this man wants. “Isabel. He wants Isabel.”
His breathing picks up slightly. Most wouldn’t notice, but I do.
“Why?”
The line between the truth that I know and the version I’m about to give him blurs. “Hell if I know. He didn’t exactly say during our less than five-minute conversation. He told me his name. Demanded I meet with him. Advised me to bring her with me.”
A light chuckle crackles through the line. “At least you’re consistent where she is concerned. Where is she?”
“Safe.” He’s not getting more from me.
His tone shifts again, turning harsh. “And where is that exactly?”
We veer off the main road onto a bumpy dirt service track, the ride turning uneven before coming to a stop.
“I’m not telling.” My voice stays level. “Like I said earlier, her being at your little club would be shit for business. She’s safe. Knows nothing about her grandfather’s business dealings. She can’t help you buy the Botticelli now that it’s gone missing. She’s no concern of yours.”
“I’m the one who will decide who’s my concern and who isn’t, not you,” Trent tells me before shifting back to the problem at hand. “You realize this meeting could be a trap, right? If he’s the man I suspect, he won’t let you walk out of there alive.”
That thought has crossed my mind. I took Isabel from him while he was gone. It shouldn’t have been that easy, which makes me think he expected it.
Why would he take her and then let someone else get her back so easily? I haven’t figured that out yet.
Maybe he didn’t expect it. Thought he’d covered his tracks well enough to keep anyone from finding her. My team is the best. It would have taken me longer without them.
If Trent knows something, I want it. “And who is that? Who do you believe Rurik is?”
He dodges my questions. “A man with a death wish. One I trust you will grant him for assuming he can outthink a Doyle.”
The rest he keeps locked down. By holding onto that information, he ensures that if he’s mistaken, nobody will be the wiser.
“You want me to kill him.” It’s not a question, and I say it like I already knew he would, because I did. Messing with a Doyle family member undoubtedly brings consequences.
“I do.” There’s a devilish edge to his voice. “Get the information you need from him first. Then have Silas hand him the envelope I sent. Once he’s read it, put a bullet in his head before he can put one in yours.”
Interesting.
Now I want to know what’s in that envelope. Might have to grab it, after I’ve killed him.
Killing him won’t hurt my feelings, not after what he did to Izzy.
If anything, it will be my pleasure.
I pull out my dark aviator sunglasses and slip them on. “Any other requests?”
“Don’t get my son killed. If he dies, you die. Then who will look after the princess?”
If he were here, I’d be tempted to shoot him for bringing her into this.
“Now go, you’re wasting daylight.” The line goes dead.
Silas can’t hide the damn smirk on his face.
If he’s not careful, I’ll wipe his pretty face off with my fist. Maybe knock out a few teeth.
Leave his arse behind when we hightail it out of here and head to where Teddy is waiting.
He can walk his arse back to civilization or try to hitch a ride. I don’t care.
If he gets on my nerves, I could shoot him and blame Rurik. No witnesses. No one to say otherwise. Trent knew the risk when he sent his son. It has me wondering if maybe that was his plan all along.
Which now makes me want to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Goddammit. I hate doing the right thing, ruining all my bad guy plans.