Chapter 5 #2
Bring it on
From Slash.
We’ll fill their veins with the venom of a million snakes, then slit their throats
Teddy chuffed out a laugh. He adored Slash. She was one of the baddest badasses he’d ever met. With the dessert platter in hand, Teddy returned to his office and resumed working, until a text interrupted his concentration.
Trick or treat?
It was from Sydney. Every cell in his body came alive. With his fingers flying over the small keypad, he typed out his response.
Tricks THEN treats
LOL
He stared at his phone like he was waiting for the winning lotto numbers.
Don’t be late. Fun awaits
Tension gripped his shoulders.
Fun? How in the hell can I have fun when this mission hangs over me?
His phone binged with a text from Greystone.
DON’T back out. Twenty guards at club. ThunderStrike drones. One night, fratello.
He replied to Greystone.
Then we fly
Teddy wasn’t afraid. He just wasn’t. He’d been trained by the best—his brothers and his cousin, Carrera. Now, he’d been tasked with taking down a group of mass murderers who lived to wreak havoc.
I might die trying, but I will not fail.
He was a Santini, from a line of Santinis born with vengeance in their bones. Those before him had forged the path, leaving trails of blood in their wake.
And he would be no different.
SYDNEY
Sydney pushed out of the rideshare car and strode into Hotel Dillinger dressed in a leather dominatrix costume. She was showing just enough skin to make her dangerous, but not enough to give it all away.
In her hand, she held a black leather whip.
Her compact SIG Sauer was tucked inside her moto boots, a dagger sheathed at her waist. She’d blown her long hair out, darkened her masked eyes, reddened her lips, and walked with a swagger that had heads turning as she strutted through the stunning hotel lobby.
She dressed like a badass because she was a badass.
On her way to the Bohemian room, she appreciated the twelve-foot-tall skeleton perched in the lobby of DC’s popular boutique hotel, his red-glowing eyes following her.
A woman dressed as Catwoman approached. “Happy Halloween! Are you Caroline Austin’s sister?”
“Depends.”
The woman stepped into her personal space. On instinct, Sydney placed her hand over the sheathed knife. The woman’s gaze dropped, then she laughed. “Caroline’s a close friend of mine. I’m Britain Dillinger, and this is my husband’s hotel.”
“How do you know my sis?”
“I know her fiancé, Grey, too,” Brit replied. “They had a dinner party while you were out of town, and I saw pics of you and Caroline. Are you meeting her here?”
“No, a friend. It’s my first time here.”
“Welcome!” Brit said with a smile.
A man with blond hair and a slender, muscular build walked over. “Hey, baby.”
“Honey, this is Caroline’s sister,” Brit said. “This is my husband, Rebel.”
“Welcome to Hotel Dillinger,” he said. “You must be Sydney Austin.”
“Guilty.”
“Caroline mentioned you—” Rebel said.
“Like a thousand times,” Brit added. “You two are like me and my sister.”
“Who’s that?” Sydney asked.
“Addison Skye Hawk.”
Sydney had no idea who these people were, but she had her suspicions they all worked together. While she shouldn’t know ALPHA existed, she did.
“My husband, Rebel, and I are headed over to Lost Souls later.”
“That’s where I’m going,” Sydney said. “I grabbed a rideshare here. Any chance I can beg a ride to the club?”
“Of course,” Brit said. “Are you having dinner?”
“No. Drinks in the Bohemian room.”
“We’ll swing by around eight forty-five.”
“Thanks for introducing yourself,” Sydney said.
“I have to check on my bartenders,” Rebel said. “We’ll walk you over.”
“Where’s your weapon?” Sydney whispered to Brit.
Brit bit back a smile. “What makes you think I carry?”
Sydney smiled. “Mine’s in my boot.”
“Same,” Brit replied. “Caroline never mentioned where you work.”
“Probably on purpose,” Sydney said as she stopped outside the lounge. “Whoa, baby, this is amazing.”
Even with a full house, she couldn’t miss the sexy rose sconces that lit up the walls or the two crystal chandeliers dangling from the ceiling.
She especially loved the purple sofas and bright orange velvet chairs, packed with costumed guests.
Several tables filled the cozy room, the bar took up the left wall where four tenders worked lightning-fast. The dance floor was packed, but it was the hundreds of vinyl albums housed in custom cases—like the ones used in record stores—that stole her attention.
“This has definitely got a sexy vibe goin’ on.”
Pride shone on Rebel’s face. He pulled out a few tickets. “Lemme comp your drinks.”
“Thanks, but you don’t—”
“I got you,” he said.
Sydney took the coupons as her friend—seated nearby—caught her eye.
“Have fun,” Brit said before she and Rebel disappeared into the crowded room.
Sydney hurried over to Naomi and hugged her. Naomi was a long-time coworker and Sydney’s closest friend at the CIA. Her ebony skin sparkled with a light dusting of glitter while a beautiful array of gold necklaces rested gently against her chest.
Naomi eyed her costume and laughed. “Only you could pull this off. Can you crack the whip?”
“Hell, yeah,” Sydney said with a laugh.
The women sat as their server—dressed as a Dalmatian—greeted them with a friendly smile. “Ruff ruff, and happy Halloween. What can I get you?”
After the women placed their drink orders, they leaned forward so they wouldn’t have to shout. “When’d you get back?” Sydney asked.
“A week ago,” Naomi said. “My leads all dead-ended. Crafty Lamar has earned his alias. He’s too damn crafty.”
“You’ll find him,” Sydney said. “You always do. You’re the best of the best.”
“No, babe, you’re the best,” Naomi said with a smile. “How ‘bout you?”
“I found Petersen in Milan.”
Naomi’s eyes grew large. “Tell me something good.”
“Adios motherfucker,” Sydney said.
“Nice work.”
“Doing that always leaves me feeling sick to my stomach,” Sydney confided.
“I would hope so. It’s violent, vile, and final. Even if they do deserve it.” After a pause, Naomi added, “And then, there were two.”
“Crafty Lamar and the man himself, King A,” Sydney whispered.
The server returned and set down their drinks. Sydney handed him the coupon from Rebel. “I don’t have cash, so how can I tip you?”
“I’ve got the tip.” Naomi handed him cash.
The server thanked her before scurrying to another table.
“You know the owner?” Naomi asked.
“His wife is a friend of Caroline’s,” Sydney lifted her drink and the two women toasted. “Here’s to us.”
“And a great friendship.”
“It’s too crowded in here,” Sydney said. “Let’s go sit in the lobby. There’s a table near the skeleton that was empty.”
With their drinks in hand, the two women relocated to a quieter area of the beautiful lobby, and their conversation resumed. Sydney had been working overseas for so long, chilling with her friend over a glass of wine felt surreal.
“Do you love your job?” Sydney asked.
“Love? I think I’d love a dog,” Naomi replied, “or a vacation.”
As Naomi spoke, Sydney’s gaze jumped from her friend to the people in the lobby. A habit long-ingrained in her, she was always searching, always on the lookout for her targets.
During her early days at The Farm, the CIA trainers taught them how to be super vigilant, how to ensure they weren’t followed, how to check and recheck if a CI was on the up-and-up or was leading them down a dead-end path where the only thing awaiting them was the Grim Reaper.
“I can’t remember the last time I was on a vacation,” Sydney said. “Where would you go?”
“I don’t know, but I’d get an adorable little dog that looked like Chewbacca.”
Sydney laughed. “I love that.”
Naomi sipped her chilled wine. “How ‘bout you? Do you love your job?”
“It’s all I’ve ever known, or done, so yeah, I guess I love it. I love chasing them down, closing in on the hunt.”
“Spoken like a true assassin,” Naomi murmured. “You know what I think?”
Sydney tossed back a mouthful of wine. “What?”
“I think you love your weapons.”
Sydney smiled. “I do have a lot of them.” After a beat, she asked about Naomi’s boyfriend.
“We broke up a while ago. I thought I’d miss him, but I don’t. When is someone gonna snag your heart?”
Tank popped into her head. “Actually, I’m meeting someone tonight. I met him a while ago and gave him the wrong number. He’d been texting me, but thought I wasn’t interested.”
Naomi hitched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “I would like to meet the man who snags my girl’s heart.”
Sydney chuckled. “I don’t think we can do what we do and have a heart, do you?”
“All the more reason to have a heart. Gotta balance out all the darkness and hate.”
Sydney clasped Naomi’s hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze. “You always know exactly what to say.”
“Maybe I’ll quit the insanity, move to a quiet town, and write down all my missions as fiction.” Naomi smiled. “That would be something I’d love.”
The time with Naomi flew by. At 8:50, she spotted Rebel and Brit heading toward the lounge.
“That’s my ride.” Sydney rose. “Do you want to meet the hotel owner?”
“Sure, I’m actually having dinner here with an old friend from college. Remind me, what’s your cover?”
“I keep it vague, say I’m an analyst,” Sydney replied. “I’m on the road so much, I don’t meet new people anymore.”
“What do you say when you’re traveling?” Naomi asked.
Sydney shrugged a shoulder “My convos are with CIs. I don’t talk to strangers. What’s your cover?”
“I’m a travel advisor, which is kinda true. I travel the world, so I know where to stay, where to eat. I can speak broadly, then change the subject.”
“How do you handle someone asking for your card?” Sydney asked.
“I tell them I book trips for billionaires. That’s only come back to bite me once.”
They returned to the Bohemian lounge where Sydney introduced Naomi to Brit and Rebel.
“I’m so happy we got to see each other,” Sydney said before hugging her friend goodbye. “Take care of yourself.”
“You too,” Naomi said. “Love you, Syd.”
“Love you, Nao.”
One more hug before Sydney exited the hotel with Brit and Rebel.
En route to Lost Souls, Brit said, “Caroline said you travel a lot for work. Are you back for a while?”
“I hope so,” Sydney replied. “I’ve missed her and my parents.” Needing to change the subject away from her, she said, “Tell me about you guys. Have you been married long? Do you have children?”
They’d been married for two years, and they did have children—fraternal twins—a little boy and a little girl, so the conversation easily shifted from her career.
Sydney liked Brit, Rebel too. She wanted to ask about their jobs, but she kept quiet.
They wouldn’t be able to tell her the truth any more than she could tell them.
Lies, lies, and more lies. And secrets… so many secrets.
But it had to be that way.
They pulled into the parking lot of the swanky nightclub, the neon sign LOST SOULS beckoning like the marquee on a Broadway theatre. Before Rebel could park, they were stopped by a tall, strapping man—wearing full-on SWAT gear—and his German Shepherd.
“Good to see you, Maverick,” Rebel said.
“You too, brother.”
As Rebel parked, Sydney asked, “What’s going on?”
“Just being super cautious,” Brit replied.
“I’m carrying a handgun and a dagger,” Sydney said. “That’s being cautious. This is insane.”
Once inside, the music pulsed through her, the Halloween decorations made her smile.
A ten-foot Grim Reaper stood near the photo booth.
Orange string lights dangled like icicles from the ceiling, and flameless black candles accented each table.
Small, plastic orange pumpkins, filled with individually-wrapped Halloween chocolates, lined the bar.
After thanking Brit and Rebel for the ride, Sydney ordered a Chianti. When on assignment, she never drank. Tonight, however, she wasn’t working. As she picked up the glass from the bar, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a night off and been on her home turf.
Time to let loose and have some fun… with a man. A gorgeous, sexy Tank of a man.
Her insides warmed. It had been forever since she’d gone out—or even chilled—with a guy. With her stemless wine glass in hand, she swept the room in search of her target.
Tank, Tank, where are you handsome?
And that’s when her heart jumped into her throat.
Tank was surrounded by too many women. They were gazing up at him, like he was a freaking Adonis. Even in the dimly-lit room, she couldn’t miss their flushed faces, doe-eyed stares. One had her hands all over him, like an octopus.
Caroline hurried over, a huge smile on her beautiful face. “Sissy, you made it!”
Sydney eyed her costume and laughed. “You’re Belle from Beauty and the Beast. You look totally adorbs!”
Grey walked over, and Sydney just shook her head. “You’ve lost it, you know that?”
Her future brother-in-law was dressed as Rambo.
“I couldn’t agree more.” He pointed at Caroline. “She made me do it.”
Grey pulled Caroline close and kissed the top of her head. When she peered up at him, he leaned down and kissed her. There was something so intimate about that moment that Sydney knew—with complete certainty—these two gaga idiots would be together forever.
“Well, you both look great.” Sydney glanced over at the gaggle of Tank’s admirers.
Only, no Tank.
Where’d he go?
“I gotta say, Sydney, I’m not surprised by your costume,” Grey said.
“I’m a Dominatrix.” Sydney glanced around. She had room, so she snapped the whip.
CRACK!
That made her smile.
“Badass,” Caroline said with a smile.
“What’s with the SWAT guard?” Sydney asked.
“Just makin’ sure everyone’s safe,” Grey replied.
Sydney gestured toward the group of women. “How’d they get in? I thought this was a private party.”
“It is,” Caroline said. “One of the women is marrying someone at our office. I don’t know who because I don’t work at HQ.”
“Babe, I’ll grab us sparkling water,” Grey said to Caroline. “Sydney, refill?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
After he left, Sydney stepped close. “Preggers?”
“No. I’m working,” Caroline whispered. “Plus, you know I don’t drink.”
“What’s with the guards?”
“We’ve got targets on our back. The D of D terrorists are coming after us.”
Sydney’s eyes widened. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at your hideout? What’s it called? Creepy Secret Zone?”
Caroline chuckled. “We might have to stay there, but for now, we’re watching our sixes.”
“Not enough,” Sydney said shaking her head. “You need snipers on the rooftop and drones with missiles.”
A man loomed into view and Sydney flicked her gaze in his direction. Streams of energy flitted through her and her heart skipped a beat.
There he is.
Ohmygod, he’s too much. That man is just too much.