Chapter 4
Chapter four
Gage
Rage brews inside me as Don Farrelli dumps a half-naked woman off his lap like she doesn’t matter one bit.
What a fucker.
As soon as his safety came into question, the big, bad mafia Don ran toward the exit like his ass was on fire. If this were a real threat, these women could end up dead... or worse. Grinding my teeth, I wait for the minute that asshole disappears with his cronies.
They flee down the hall, and I’m struck by the unkind hope that some of those men will die in the false breach. Not Domino, dude seemed pretty solid, and being in on The Tigress’s plan definitely earns him a pass in my book. But any of the rest can go up in flames.
The world would be better for it.
Honestly, given the very short amount of time I had to prepare for this extraction, I’m pretty pleased with the way it’s come together.
Don Farrelli has so many enemies, it was easy to fabricate a threat.
Now I just need the mercenaries the “cartel” paid, to distract him long enough for me to abscond with Aurelia.
And maybe this other little beauty.
While I hadn’t planned for an additional fugitive, there’s no way I’m leaving this stunning mystery woman behind, even if it’s what a smart man would do. Her sad, innocent amber eyes pull at my heartstrings, and I have a hard time looking away.
Who is she? A mistress? Prostitute? Spy?
I quickly dismiss that idea as she shuffles her shirt around to cover herself. Every line of her body pulses with fear, and I have the strangest urge to wrap myself around her and promise her she’ll be all right.
Pop. Pop.
POP.
Rapid gunshots crackle in the distance, pulling me out of my musings. “We need to move. Now.”
Both women clamor over to me.
“Move? I thought we were going to find a safe room in here?” Aurelia, the petite blond, asks.
Unable to pull my eyes from the brunette, I haven’t even given her a glance, but now that I do, I notice she’s clad in only a bra and panties—not at all the little kid I remember from the days before her mother’s demise.
When I spot the arm of a silky robe, I grab it and toss it her way. “Here. Get dressed. Follow me and keep your heads down. I’m getting you out of here.” Aurelia’s eyes flash with discomfort.
“What about the safe room? Domino said...”
I don’t have time for this bullshit.
“If you don’t want to be married off to the most sadistic asshole, you’ll come with me right now, Aurelia,” I scold before adding the phrase from The Tigress’s note. “Toadstools and fairy gardens will save you.”
Her bright blue eyes widen, and she stares at me in shock. “The Tigress is watching. We need to get out of here before we lose our window.”
Now satisfied, she falls in line behind me, reaching for the brunette’s hand. “On one condition. I’m not leaving Olive. You need to save us both.”
Olive. The name is perfect, sweet, and unique, just like the woman before me. At Aurelia’s insistence, her face turns stark white, and she shakes her head, stepping back.
The operation clock ticking in my mind starts to chime with warning bells. We need to move now, or the extraction is going to fail.
We. Need. To. Move.
“Aurelia, I can’t. My mother...” It’s clear she has worries, and I don’t have time to baby her through them at the moment.
The syringe pre-filled with sedative sits heavily in my pocket.
Though I hoped not to do it, all my years of missions have taught me that it’s better to be prepared for all options.
Unable to wait a moment longer, I palm the syringe and slide it smoothly into Olive’s arm. She gasps in horror, but her slow reflexes help me. Before she has a chance to object, the delicate woman is up and over my shoulder.
“As soon as we’re clear, I’ll send a team for your mom.
She won’t get caught in the crossfire.” One of the greatest things about being part of HPG is that we never need to go it alone.
It’s kind of like the MC in that way. Help is only a phone call—or encrypted message—away.
Olive fights for a second before she becomes lax—the potent drugs taking effect. “Now, follow me.”
When I step out of the door, I peer down the hallway. Thankfully, it’s still clear. Aurelia grips the back of my suit jacket and follows closely as we dart from shadow to shadow, mindful not to be seen.
The blueprint holds true, and we find the back stairs easily.
“Stay close,” I tell Aurelia, who doesn’t answer. Her grip tightens, and I know she won’t be going anywhere. More gunfire rings out around us, tension growing underneath my skin.
As adrenaline pumps through my veins, I appreciate the high of a real mission. The danger. The intrigue. Olive shifts slightly on my shoulder, but it’s nothing I can’t handle as we descend the stairs and head for the back of the building, where a car is stashed, ready to whisk us away to safety.
Kat and Domino have done an amazing job of keeping everyone out of the area.
Although I keep my weapon ready for action, it’s almost too easy to slip out of the building.
But I guess that’s the way when you work with an assassin as professional as The Tigress.
Why she hasn’t taken out her murderous bastard of a father yet is beyond me.
But hey, I guess there’s no accounting for family.
The door to freedom looms up ahead. Ten steps and we’ll be there.
Eight.
Five.
One.
Just before I go to slam the exit open, a figure emerges from the darkness.
“That took longer than I expected,” Katarina Farrelli chirps, a smirk twisting her lips. “Maybe you’re losing your touch.”
“Got someone extra,” I gasp out, hefting Olive higher on my shoulder. She’s a tiny thing, but she’s completely limp now the sedative has knocked her out. Stepping forward, Kat drops something into my pocket.
“Your boon, for anything you need.” It’s heavy, but I dare not look too closely at whatever she’s given me. We still have an escape to make.
“Thank you. We need to leave,” I remind her gently, unsure why she’s even here.
This better not have been a setup.
“I know.” She turns to Aurelia and embraces her, passing her something I barely make out and whispering words I dare not overhear. “Go. Keep her safe.”
With a final order, The Tigress disappears into the darkness, but not before I see the shiny tear track down her cheek.
“You all right?” I check in with Aurelia, whose bright blue eyes now hold desolation.
“Yeah. Let’s do this.”
And away we go.