Chapter 8
Slipping a hand in his pocket, Ike da Costa removed the folded note written on the finest linen stationary, which was now marred by dirt stains and frayed at the edges. He’d lost count of how many times a day he’d pull it out, staring at the words written that had brought him back to life. Yanked him from misery and propelled him toward a new path. One that had given him a reason to live … again.
He flipped the note open and stared at the words etched into his memory.
If He used a drunkard, an adulterer, a liar, a coward, a deceiver, a criminal, a trickster, and a prostitute to bless others, surely He can use you to do good in this world. Believe in this.
Ike ran a finger along the name signed at the bottom of the note—Pastor Peter da Costa. The man who’d given him life had been the same one to infuse him with the will to live it again at the perfect time. At a time when one of his oldest and closest friends needed him the most?—
“Ike! Ike!” A woman’s shrill voice pierced through the clatter of construction and the distant murmur of the ocean.
Ike tensed and stuffed the note into his back pocket. He turned to see a woman wearing a t-shirt dress that stopped mid-thigh and hugged all of her assets, which she had many. Tatiana Williams, a force to be reckoned with, stalked across the construction site, followed closely by Adonis Williams and Bobby Zaniewski. He’d invited the men to view the progress on the Stingray Security headquarters and training facility. Tati, as she was affectionately called by her cousin Adonis and everyone else except for Ike, had not been on his guest list.
Tucker, the white Labrador laconically resting next to Ike’s feet, jumped up and barked at Tatiana in a foolish attempt to defend him. Before he could stop him, Tucker raced toward the woman in full attack mode.
Ike hated the damn dog.
Taking off, he caught Tucker before he got to Tati, yanking him back.
“Tati, good to see you. How’d you like the tour?” Ike began, then raised an eyebrow at Adonis, who gave him a sheepish smile.
Bobby chuckled, then wasted no time allowing his gaze to linger on Tati’s round ass. He made a crude hand gesture that mimicked squeezing her butt cheeks from behind her. The man was a bonafide pervert, but they all loved him anyway.
“Keep your mutt away from me,” Tatiana warned, pointing a long, bright pink nail toward Tucker.
“He’s not my dog,” Ike muttered, not that it mattered. Tucker had been following him for years. Despite every attempt he’d made to get rid of him, the dog was surprisingly persistent.
“I didn’t come here to do the tour. I came to get Kane.” Tati’s voice dripped with annoyance.
“Kane?” Ike repeated. “Why would you think he was here?” Ike hadn’t talked to him in a couple of days and hadn’t seen him in a few more.
In response, she grabbed his arm and jerked him toward the opposite side of the Stingray Security construction site, overlooking rolling hills that led to a rocky cliffside overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
“That’s why …” She pointed in the distance.
Ike frowned as he stared at Kane Ambrose, one of his oldest friends, swiping a device over the earth in methodical arcs. “What the fuck is he doing?”
“Looking for buried treasure,” Adonis said with a chuckle.
“You’re joking.” Ike turned to Adonis.
“You know Palmchat Islands folklore. The old story that pirates stole from a Spanish ship carrying a shit ton of gold, raced up this mountain and lost most of the loot along the way,” Adonis said. “There are still folks who believe that’s how your family got rich. Billions of pirates gold.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Ike laughed.
A series of shrill beeps from the metal detector pierced the air. Fueled by curiosity, Tucker raced across the grass as Kane stopped to dig into the earth. Ike rolled his eyes as the stupid dog joined in, digging frantically next to Kane until the man lifted an object toward the sky. Seemingly pleased with what he found, Kane dropped it into his bag.
“Is it bad that I feel like he’s stealing from me?” asked Ike.
Adonis said, “Thieves gotta thieve, Ike. You can’t ask that man to walk away from his criminal activities and not provide something that satisfies that itch he has to loot and plunder.”
“I knew this sudden desire to change was your fault!” Tatiana seethed through gritted teeth. “You brainwashed him, waving that black metal card in his face. He’s walking away from a lucrative business because of you.”
Kane had been Ike’s latest recruit onto the Stingray Security team. Years ago, his childhood friend had taken the opposite fork in the road from Ike. While Ike went to the Palmchat Islands Military Academy, Kane chose to become a petty thief. Over the years, Kane became one of the world”s most skilled, sophisticated, and sought-after burglars. Capabilities that would prove useful in helping Ike to identify weaknesses in his client’s security systems. Convincing Kane to give up stealing had been easier than he’d expected. Ike didn’t know why, and that still bothered him.
“Business?” Ike scoffed. “Stealing from people doesn’t constitute a business, Tatiana.”
Tatiana’s eyes narrowed as she glared at him. “No one cares what you think, Ike. You may have convinced Kane, for now, but you won’t get Adonis to join your merry band of bodyguards.” Tatiana turned on her heels and jogged across the field toward Kane.
Ike glanced at Adonis. “Is she right?”
“I’m my own boss, you know that,” Adonis said. “Business is too good, and I love what I do. Not looking for a change, even though I admire what you’re trying to create here.”
While Ike wanted all his friends to be part of his new security team, he had no plans of using their friendship to goad them into coming aboard. The decision for each of them had to be based on whether they could believe in and support the mission of Stingray Security.
So far, he’d gotten Sebastian Luttrell, a former PISCO, Lachlan Ritchie, a former US Air Force pilot, Everett Gilliam, a former DEA agent, and Kane Ambrose, a stealthy thief, to accept the dark metal cards etched with the stingray logo. It was a sign of membership into the exclusive union of operatives that would provide threat protection detail to an elite clientele.
Adonis and Bobby were the last holdouts. He needed both men, and they knew it. Bobby was an IT genius and critical to have on the team. Adonis owned a business that specialized in cleaning crime scenes and was used exclusively by most of the law enforcement agencies in the Palmchat Islands. They were the perfect combination to ensure any evidence of Stingray Security activity could be erased at a moment”s notice, whether online or in real life.
A combination that Ike had utilized only a few months ago when the DEA had stranded Everett on an undercover operation. A Jamaican cartel was hours away from ensuring they’d never see Everett again if Ike hadn’t received the S-O-S from Everett through a system they’d perfected as kids.
As a former PISCO, Ike had ample skillsets to extract his friend from the clutches of the cartel. But the operation required more than an exfiltration. He had to make sure the cartel had no way of detecting how Everett got out and erase any chance they had of figuring out Everett’s real identity from his undercover persona. It was the only way to ensure his friend wouldn’t need to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life. Especially after everything that undercover op had already taken away from him.
Bobby and Adonis had been the keys to making that happen. Ike needed them to become permanent members of the Stingray Security team.
Adonis continued, “I have a counteroffer for you.”
“Okay, lay it on me,” Ike said, glancing at Bobby to see if he knew what Adonis was about to pitch. But the cyber genius looked bored with the conversation, focusing on Tatiana’s jiggling assets as she ran across the field.
“You become one of my clients,” Adonis said, giving him a grin that made it clear this was an offer Ike shouldn’t refuse because he wouldn’t get another.
He had to admit it was a suitable solution. But Ike needed access to the very best Adonis was offering. “A top priority client? Drop everything when we need you kind of client?”
“Damn, Ike! You drive a hard bargain.” Adonis chuckled.
“I got the money to back it up. I don’t need a discount. I need preferential treatment. Charge what you like. How about that?”
Adonis grabbed Ike’s hand, forcing him into a handshake. “I say you got a deal. I don’t want you changing your mind once you see what that level of service will cost you.”
Ike handed him a dark metal card etched with a stingray. “You’re worth it.”
“Damn right, I am,” Adonis said.
“But we need to be off the books. Can’t have a record of your services to Stingray Security in any of your files.”
“Done,” Adonis agreed.
Ike gave Adonis a hearty smile, recognizing that they’d both gotten what they wanted. He turned to Bobby.
“Give me my fucking black card so I can get back to St. Basil.” Bobby shoved an open palm toward Ike.
“That was easy,” Ike said, slapping the card onto Bobby’s palm.
“No other man I respect more,” Bobby said, gracing Ike with a rare moment of sincerity. “I’m honored to work with you.”
And with that, Ike’s team was complete.