Cruel Love Page 2

  “What we need?” I repeat. “You... and them?”

  “Yes,” he says with a nod.

  “You and the Harts?”

  He cringes. “Yeah, I kind of started dating Lilah...”

  I raise a brow. “Seriously?”

  “It’s a long story, mate.”

  “It’s been like three weeks!”

  He gestures behind me. “Could you maybe talk her down, please?”

  I turn around and see Caleb standing there in jeans and a shirt with a white-knuckle grip on her revolver. “Cal,” I say. “Hang on.”

  “Where are they?” she asks him.

  “They didn’t come to hurt him or you or anyone,” Archer says. “They’ve come to ask for his help.”

  “Bullshit,” she says. “They wanted to kill him before. What changed?”

  His eyes soften. “A lot has changed. Enough for them to put aside the petty shit and call a truce. You should, too.”

  I shake my head. “Oh, yeah. Sure. I’ll just forget all about how they poisoned my wife and shot me in the back. Bygones away.”

  He shrugs. “I didn’t say it would be easy, mate…”

  Caleb makes eye contact with me. Without a word, I know we’re both on the same page. Fox needs help. The Harts can’t be trusted. Archer, whom I would otherwise have no issue trusting, is now in the gray column and — holy shit — I’m going to be a father.

  “They’re probably with Fox now,” he says, pulling me out of that thought. “I’m supposed to pick up Boxcar and meet them. We should go now before Myra picks up our scent.”

  A chill fires down my spine. “Myra?” I repeat.

  Archer studies my reaction. “You know her?”

  “Yeah.” I ignore the heavy rock in my stomach. “We’ve met.”

  Caleb frowns. “Who’s Myra?”

  “The Boss’ mouthpiece,” Archer says. “She found Fox and sent a team to kill him. They’re on their way to LA, assuming they aren’t already here.”

  She turns to me. “How do you know the Boss’ mouthpiece?”

  Archer presses his lips together, looking just as curious as she is.

  I exhale and scratch the bridge of my nose beneath my glasses. “So, honey... you remember that two-year hiatus we took?” I ask slowly.

  “Yeah...”

  “I might have met her during that time.”

  Her eyes narrow. “Oh, really?”

  “In Paris.”

  “What were you doing in Paris with some girl named Myra?”

  Archer clears his throat. “Should I wait outside for this?”

  “No,” I answer. I turn to Caleb. “I’ll tell you everything, just... not now. All right?”

  She swallows her questions. “What do they want Boxcar for?” she asks Archer.

  His eyes shift. “His hacking and tracking skills will come in handy. I’m quite adept at tooting my own horn but even I know when I’m out of my depth. Also, we’re hoping he can map out a family tree for us. Myra Black, sister. Mercer Black, brother.”

  Fuck.

  “Marilyn Black,” I say. “Mother.”

  Archer pauses in surprise.

  “Wait, wait.” Caleb looks at me. “The woman who sent you to Afghanistan?”

  I nod. “Yeah, she’s...” I sigh. “She’s the Boss. She runs Snake Eyes.”

  She blinks. “How do you know that, Boxcar?”

  I glance between them, feeling their hard stares boring down on me, and let out a light chuckle.

  “Guess I’m telling that Paris story a little earlier than I thought...”

  Chapter 4

  Dante

  Fox Fitzpatrick.

  It’s been a long time.

  He hasn’t changed much. He’s let his dark hair grow out a little. He always kept it buzzed before, no doubt a habit from his Army days. The scar along his cheek stands out as we ride beneath the streetlights. Each time the lights flash on his face, I can’t help but glance back at him in the rearview mirror. His eyes are still dark and distant, but he keeps them wide-open, focused mostly on Lilah in the front seat beside me.

  I look at the gun in her lap. She’s still got that white-knuckle grip on it as if Fox will lash out at any moment. Honestly, he could, and we probably wouldn’t see it coming. I’d be nervous about it if his girl weren’t in the car with us but he’s not going to inspire a crash on the 405 with her in the backseat.

  He looks at Dani and I witness a hidden gaze between them. She’s an actress but even she can’t hide the fact that she’s terrified. But not him. Not Fox Fitzpatrick. He’s been through more stressful things than this and I know that because I was right beside him when they happened.

  I hit the gas as we continue toward the edge of the city, constantly checking the side mirrors to watch for tails. Lilah’s more than got that covered for me, though. She barely blinks. A few days on the road with her and I hardly saw her even rest her eyes. Archer confirmed that as well. She’s in mission mode. I’ve seen it before. Lilah won’t rest until it’s over but the longer it goes on, the sloppier she’ll get.

  We reach our motel on the outskirts of Los Angeles. I turn off the highway and roll into the parking space just outside of our room. I catch the curtains slightly shifting in the window ahead. Lucy. She knows not to look outside but I suppose she just couldn’t help herself.

  I steal another glance at Fox and Dani in the rearview mirror just in time to see his lips twitch into a smile. She nods once, feeling a little comfort. He really loves her. I’d say that I never figured Fox capable of it but, then again, I used to say the same about myself.

  Lilah throws open her door and steps outside as I do. Fox follows slowly, bending over and reaching in to take Dani’s hand. She slides along the seat to exit on his side rather than hopping out to stand beside Lilah. Don’t really blame her.

  We walk to the room and I pause to knock three times in rapid succession, followed by another duller tap. The chain slides free and the door opens on Lucy’s relieved eyes.

  “How’d it go?” she asks, stepping aside.

  I gently take her arm and guide her away from the door. I have little reason to suspect that Fox will try and hurt Lucy, but the instinct would be there no matter who I brought in through that door.

  She squints with confusion, her head twisted back to watch as the rest of them come in through the door. Her eyes widen and her jaw drops. “Holy shit. Is that Roxie Roberts?!”

  “Shh,” I whisper, leading her into the corner.

  She lowers her voice. “Why did you bring Roxie Roberts here? Do I look okay?”

  I tilt my head. “Luce, come on. You’re gorgeous.”

  “Not Roxie Roberts gorgeous,” she argues, staring over my shoulders at her.

  I grip her chin and force her to look at me. “I need you to keep your cool. Okay? She’s just a—”

  Lucy gasps. “Are you bleeding?” She leans closer and nudges my jacket collar to the side. “You’re bleeding...”

  “I’m fine.”

  “What happened?”

  Lilah appears near the sink beside us. “Found them in the nick of time,” she answers for me. She flicks the sink on to wash her hands and the water spins down the drain with a subtle pink hue. “Myra’s team is already here.”

  Lucy grabs a cloth off the counter, her eyes still locked on the edge of my neck. “Let me see it...”

  I brush her hand away. “Later,” I tell her. “Right now...”

  I glance across the room at Fox. He had the same instincts as I did. Put the girl in the corner farthest away from your potential enemy. Stand between them with one hand within reach of your weapon.

  “Just stay right here,” I say. “Don’t move.”

  Lilah shifts forward and I hold up a hand.

  “Both of you.”

  She glares at me in annoyance but stays next to Lucy.

  I reach behind me to withdraw my gun from my belt. Fox stiffens instantly but I present it muzzle-down.

&
nbsp; “We’re just talking here, Fox...” I say, tossing it onto the bed several feet away. “No guns needed.”

  “Last I remember, guns weren’t really your thing,” he says.

  I step forward as I roll my jacket off. He eyes me as I lay it along the edge of the bed and turn out my pants pockets, removing nothing but a cell phone.

  “See?” I say. “No knives, no wires.”

  His trained eyes look at Lilah, as they should.

  I make a half-turn in her direction and extend my hand for her gun.

  “Oh, come on,” she says.

  “If we want his help, he has to trust us. Give it to me.”

  She scoffs and drops it into my open palm.

  Fox furrows his brow. “And Elijah?” he asks.

  My gut churns as I let the gun slip onto the bed. I instinctively glance at Elijah’s red medkit sitting on the floor next to my suitcase.

  “He’s dead,” I say, forcing nausea down.

  Fox blinks, signaling a stark change in his expression. He takes a moment, letting the words sink in, and after a slow exhale, he steps forward and places his own gun on the bed next to mine.

  “This is Dani,” he says with a quick look back at the girl.

  I recall the times Fox used to mention her, usually over a drink or two or three. Nothing concrete. Just a passing comment whenever something reminded him of her. For a moment, I feel a little closure. I never thought for a second he’d make it home to her. But I’m glad he did.

  “I’m Dante,” I say to her. “This is my sister, Lilah, and my girlfriend, Lucy.”

  Dani’s eyes shift behind her black bangs, landing on each of us. “Hey,” she says.

  Lucy smiles from the corner, her face red and starstruck. “Hi,” she squeaks.

  Lilah stays quiet.

  The tension in Fox’s shoulders dips. “Need my help with what?” he asks.

  “Finish what you started, mostly,” I say.

  “What I started?”

  “The end of Snake Eyes,” I say. “You weakened it. Now, we want to cut off its head.”

  “You mean the Boss?” he asks.

  “The Boss. Myra. All of them. Every single squad leader, if needed. None of us can really move on until we do.”

  He shakes his head. “No, it’s not possible.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “No, it’s not. If it were, I would have done it on my way out.”

  “By yourself, sure,” I say. “But working together, we have a fighting chance.”

  He flexes his jaw. “No.”

  “You need us, Fox.” I look between him and Dani. “Tonight was just the beginning. She sent a team to track you down. They know you’re here and they won’t stop until you’re dead.”

  “How big of a team?”

  “Not sure. But considering you killed her son, I’d say pretty big.”

  He pauses. “What?”

  “Mercer,” I answer.

  Dani shifts uncomfortably.

  “Mercer?” Fox mutters. “The Boss’ son?”

  I nod. “You did kill him, right?”

  He looks at Dani’s downturn face. “Yes,” he answers.

  “And the others in our squad?”

  “Them, too.” He glances at Lilah. “Are you sure he and the Boss were related?”

  “It’s a theory, but yes,” I answer. “We’re sure.”

  “Myra, too,” Lilah adds.

  “Shouldn’t be too difficult to confirm with the right person looking,” I say. “They’ll be here soon.”

  Fox furrows his brow. “What do you need me for?” he asks.

  “Do you really need to ask after confirming you killed our whole squad on our own?”

  He exhales. “Mercer went after my family. He made it personal. I did what I had to do.”

  “And Myra made it personal when she shot my brother,” I say, fighting through the words. “We need soldiers, Fox. You need back-up. Sure, you can run off-grid and hide out but how long before they start cutting up Dani on live TV again? And you know Myra won’t stop there like Mercer did.”

  Three knocks strike the door, followed by a fourth duller thud.

  Fox pivots into a defensive stance with one hand back on Dani’s arm.

  Lilah pushes off the sink. “It’s just Archer,” she says as she walks to the door.

  I look back at Lucy. She flashes a quick smile before breathing out. She’s tense but still strong. Still my Lucy.

  Lilah opens the door and her head tilts with annoyance. “You were just supposed to bring him.”

  Archer walks inside, followed closely by a man with thick, black-rimmed glasses and a brunette woman who takes a long, hard look at Lilah.

  “Sorry,” the woman says, her voice void of sympathy. “We come as a pair.”

  Lilah rolls her eyes and kicks the door closed behind them.

  This must be Boxcar. The hacker. And she, given Lilah’s obvious disdain, should be his wife, Caleb. I size them up quickly. She’s tough as nails, like my sister. Him, not-so-much, but it’s not physical prowess we require him for.

  Fox takes a step forward. “And what the hell do you need with them?”

  Archer lingers over Boxcar’s shoulder as he sits down in the chair by the window. “Mr. Carson is going to connect some dots for us,” he says.

  “Like hell he is.”

  Boxcar gestures at Fox. “It’s okay, Fox. I’m actually... kind of the only person who can do this.”

  “Why?”

  Caleb joins Dani by the wall and crosses her arms. “Because he’s met the Boss before.”

  I squint at Boxcar. “You have?”

  “Yeah,” he answers.

  “When?”

  “About three years back.” He nervously cracks his knuckles in his lap. “It’s a long story but I did a little freelance work for her in Afghanistan, so to speak.”

  “So, you know what she looks like?”

  He nods. “And her name and where she lives... and judging by the looks on your faces right now, I guess I’m a valuable commodity, so… please don’t shoot me again.”

  Archer pats his shoulder. “No one’s gonna shoot you, Sparky. Just tell them what you told me.”

  “I ran into her a few years ago,” Boxcar says. “I broke into her house. That was kind of my thing back then. Instead of busting and killing me, she made me work for her instead.”

  I nod. “We used to bring in freelance intelligence,” I say. “They were usually a bit on the morally-gray side.”

  “An apt description,” Boxcar says. “Anyway, I did some work for her. At the end of it, her men nearly killed me, but I got away. That’s how I met Fox and Caleb. They saved my life.”

  I glance at Fox and he gives a quick nod. Not that I have any reason to doubt what the kid says. That’s just always how we’ve done things. Strange how even the smallest of habits come rushing back.

  “After Fox was recruited, Caleb and I were sent home to the States,” Boxcar says, pausing. “But I went back to Europe.”

  “Why?” I ask.

  He shrugs. “I’m not really sure. Just had a name, a face, a few dead dudes with the same snake tattoo, and a whole lot of missing pieces to a puzzle. I became obsessed.”

  Lilah leans forward. “What name?” she asks.

  Boxcar eyes her and I sense a bit of hatred lingering beneath it. “Marilyn Black,” he answers. “Found it by backtracking the owners of her property all the way back to her father, Marlow. A few super classified government documents later and…”

  “Snake Eyes,” I say.

  “Your one-stop-shop for murder and mayhem done quick and quietly,” he quips. “Shortly after that, I was sitting at a bar, minding my own business, when this girl walked up and sat beside me.”

  “Myra?”

  He nods. “Don’t quite remember much about the encounter,” he adds. “I woke up the next day in my hotel room. All my stuff had been taken. My laptop, my notes, and journals… everything. I too
k the hint, ran back to the States, and I never said a word about it to anyone until now.”

  “You got lucky,” I say. “She’s killed for much less.”

  “I figured as much. Been living low ever since.”

  Lilah squints. “Do you think you can find the house again?” she asks him. “Get us inside?”

  He sighs. “Do I have a choice?”

  “Yes, you do.” Fox shakes his head at me. “You’re putting guns to my friends’ heads as incentive for me to play along, is that it?”

  “No,” I answer. “I’m asking your friends for help because they’re talented. Same reason I came to you. If we all want to come out of this alive, then we have to work together.”

  “Okay, Box tracks down the Boss for you. Then, what?” he asks.

  Lilah shrugs. “Pretty obvious, I’d say.”

  “There will be dozens of agents between you and her,” he argues. “Probably more.”

  “That’s why we need you,” I say. “Lilah and I won’t hesitate to do what’s necessary… just like you did.”

  Fox looks down and swallows. “I’m not that guy anymore.”

  I glance at Dani in the corner behind him. We make eye contact for a brief second before she looks away, but I catch the objection behind her long lashes.

  Fox stands taller and crosses his arms. “If your goal is killing agents then you’re recruiting the wrong person,” he says. “But I know someone who might be willing to lend a hand.”

  “Who?” Lilah asks.

  “Luka Lutrova,” he answers.

  She scoffs. “Surprise, surprise. Fox Fitzpatrick is bosom buddies with the Russian mob.”

  “He’s your best shot,” he says. “He has the resources you need to finish this quickly. It’s a personal fight for him, too.”

  I nod. “You really think he’d help us?”

  He pauses with downcast eyes, like a tired animal trapped in a cage. “Only if I go with you. He’s not exactly trusting.”

  “Wait,” Caleb says. “You’re friends with a Russian mobster?”

  Fox tilts his head. “Friend is kind of a strong word.”

  “Does he call you comrade?”

  “Yes.”

  “We are so fucked.” She runs her fingers over her scalp and exhales. “Okay… I’m not letting you go alone with these people, Fox. I’m going with you.”