Chapter 17 #2
“No, she isn’t. I?—”
My phone chimed with an incoming call from an unknown number. Hoping it was Natasha, who used a different number every time she texted me, I accepted the call.
“Hello?”
“Mr. O’Donnell,” a woman said. “We have business to discuss.”
“Who am I speaking to?” Saoirse frowned and gestured to me to put the phone on speaker. “And how did you get my number?”
“I’m the OG deus ex machina, baby,” the woman replied. “I know all the things, but what I do not know is what your wife has done with my general.”
“I’m afraid you have the wrong person,” I said. “I’m no longer married.”
“And yet you still dance to Natasha’s tune,” she taunted, making me straighten in my chair. “I’m estimating at least ten million in donations.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
“My friends call me Ella. You can call me The Goat.”
My blood iced, then heated until I felt like my brain was about to boil. The Goat was not someone to cross. She was powerful and absolutely brutal, but I would take her ass down if she laid a hand on Natasha. “If you touch her… I don’t give a fuck who you are. I will?—”
“Here’s the deal. Find your wife and discover what she’s done with Daniel Petersen.”
“Or what?”
“I’ll start sending you pieces of Finn O’Connor. When I run out of Finn bits, you’ll start getting Jerome Marshall’s. Then Chelsea Duncan’s, then maybe you’d like your pretty sister’s fingers and toes. Too bad about Chelsea. I hear she’s a great cook.”
Her hands shaking, Saoirse paled and pressed her lips together. Without a sound, I moved to stand behind her and massaged her tense shoulders. As much as I wanted to comfort her verbally and tell her I’d never let anything happen to her, I couldn’t let The Goat know she’d gotten to me.
“I don’t believe you. Finn was killed by?—”
“That’s where you’re going with this?” Ella asked. “We captured Finn because he was stepping on my toes with Steve Ashland’s guards. So far, I’ve given him a pass because he was following orders, and Natasha cleaned up the three we weren’t able to reach. It’s your turn to follow orders now.”
“I don’t follow orders from anyone,” I snapped. “Least of all from someone who wants to harm Natasha.”
“I didn’t say I would harm her.” Ella sighed audibly. “Look. I should be pissed beyond reason at her, but?—”
“Why are you angry with her?”
“She cost me almost a million dollars when she killed Steve Ashland, but it was too fucking brilliant.”
“You were after him too?”
“Have been for months,” she replied. “But I suppose it wasn’t as long as your twelve years.”
“Or Natasha’s lifetime,” I muttered under my breath, although I didn’t question how she knew about my history with my brother’s murderer. Finn might have told her, but it wasn’t a great secret.
Softening my touch on Saoirse’s shoulders, I relaxed and let out a breath of relief. I might not want Natasha anywhere near Ella or Italy, but The Goat was known for truthfulness. If she said someone was on her list , they were already dead and didn’t know it. The opposite was also true.
“Yeah, that too,” she said, letting me know she’d heard my comment. “Anyway, I’ve changed my mind about Natasha.”
I heard male laughter in the background, then Ella said, “Shut it, Moretti.”
“Changed your mind?” I asked.
“Yeah. Because of Natasha’s absolute badassery using your own dog to kill her literal cunt of a father, plus certain other activities, I’ve decided to give her a job.”
“An offer she can’t refuse?”
“Haha, funny, but also sort of yes. Do you know what your wife is doing these days?”
I found it interesting that Ella referred to Natasha as my wife, as if she knew I still thought of her that way.
“Aside from extorting charitable donations from me, I assume she’s walking her dog and adding to her Tae Kwon Do belt collection.”
“Yeah.” Ella chuckled. “In fact, I’ll match whatever you give to the Caroline. It’s a great cause.”
“How did you know?”
“OG deus ex machina, remember? Anyway, not sure you’ve watched the news, but little Natasha has been a busy girl.”
“How so?”
“She’s been adding to her collection of bodies,” Ella replied. “In the last year, she’s taken out sixteen men who have assaulted women and children, and one couple who were pimping out their underage foster daughter.”
Saoirse gasped and put a hand over her mouth. Hoping Ella hadn’t heard her, I said, “Holy shit.”
“Right? Anyway, the police haven’t connected the dots and come up with serial killer yet, but it’s only a matter of time before it happens. I would prefer to have her on my payroll where I can protect her.”
“I see.” I hesitated, wondering if I really wanted to know, but asked, “Why do you care what happens to her?”
“Because she’s a bloody brilliant assassin,” Ella replied. “She’s clean, careful, and does her research. At first, she was leaving evidence with the bodies, but it’s just missing persons reports now. I don’t just want her on my payroll, Lachlan. I need her.”
“And if she refuses? I won’t force her to accept your offer.”
Ella paused and I heard a baby whimper. “Sorry. Nursing the crotch fruit.”
“No problem,” I said, trying to wrap my head around the idea of someone like The Goat breastfeeding an infant. Then again, like many working mothers, she was probably an expert multitasker.
“Anyway, I don’t expect you to. As long as she returns Daniel Petersen in the same condition she found him, I’ll accept her refusal, but I also won’t step in when she’s finally caught.
Considering she’s crossed state lines into jurisdictions that have the death penalty, it’s in neither of our best interest to let that happen. ”
“I agree. Have you tried to contact her yourself?”
Ella hissed out a curse. “Yeah. I sent Daniel, and she took out the messenger. I need you to call her and pass along the message. She might believe it if it comes from you.”
“And what about Finn?”
“He’ll be returned when I get Daniel back.”
“Fair enough.” Although I was still concerned about my best friend, I trusted Ella to keep her word. “What about the rest of my staff and my sister?”
“I won’t harm any of them as long as you don’t push me.”
“All right. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good boy.” The call dropped, and Saoirse let out a shuddering breath.
“I can try,” she murmured. “Maybe Natasha will listen to me.”
“No.” I brought up the number Natasha had used most recently and typed out a text.
Lachlan
Do you still protect Saoirse?
To my surprise, she answered quickly.
Natasha
I shouldn’t, but yes.
Lachlan
Good. The Goat will come for her if you don’t return Daniel Petersen unharmed.
I watched three dots skate across the phone screen while she typed her reply.
Natasha
Fine. Tell Ella I want her autograph.
Autograph?
And how had she known Ella’s name?
Deciding I didn’t want to know, I texted a screenshot of the conversation to Ella, then scowled as I read her reply.
Ella
I want you in Elba tomorrow. Call me when you hit Marina di Campo. Bring Saoirse.