Unexpected Destiny (Assassins and Sweethearts Book 3) (9 page)

“I’m getting to it, Romeo.” Clair arched her eyebrow and tapped her fingers on the table. “The Martins have a home in Tuscany. It’s where the girls were headed.”

“Have the Martins been seen there with the slavers?” Aidan narrowed his eyes. He may not know a lot about Liz but he didn’t see her as a willing participant in human trafficking.

“It’s their home,” Gavin muttered.

“You know as well as I do second homes can be stolen and the owners know nothing about it.” Aidan put down his bottle before he threw it across the room.

“You don’t even know this girl.” Gavin closed his eyes. “For all you know, she’s in the middle of a turf war with her husband.”

“She has no idea her husband has been using her vacation home for human trafficking.” Aidan put his hands flat on the table.

“And you know this how? Because she likes riding your cock?” Gavin sat back. “Tell us, what did she take from her apartment?” Gavin waited only a heartbeat. “She grabbed cash and her passport, right?” He shook his head. “Once you’ve saved her from whoever wants her out of the picture, she’ll make her escape and leave you behind. Tell me it’s not a possibility?”

All eyes turned on Aidan.

“Just think about it, brother. Slavers turn on each other all the time. She probably tried to have her husband killed last year, so she didn’t have to split the profits.”

Clair sat forward, blocking his path to Gavin. “What we suspect is Ethan taking out their U.S. contact last month sparked this recent challenge for power. It’s weird though because it’s usually when these organizations go underground but it’s also when things can change quickly.”

Aidan picked at the label on his beer. None of this was sitting right. Liz couldn’t be a slaver. Not his Liz. He rubbed the loose bit of label on the bottle back and forth and wracked his brain for the missing pieces. She’d been planning to sell the villa. It would certainly be motive to take her out. “Maybe they would have gone into hiding, but something else changed. You said it yourself. You really don’t know what’s going on.”

“True. Well, we’ve confirmed the second contract on Elizabeth Martin’s life was contracted two nights ago by Viktor Kotov. He’s the man running their home in Italy. He’s the name that keeps coming up in my investigations. Taking Viktor out would be a huge victory.” Clair tucked her hair behind her ear.

Shit. If he was asking them to reconsider things, he’d have to do the same. She had taken her passport. Was this all a play for her to exit unscathed? These slavers were ruthless and cunning. He rolled his shoulders and tilted his head. But she was sending her friend there for her honeymoon. He picked up his beer and gulped the rest of it down. Maybe the appearance of innocence was all she needed. He could hear the suspect now.
Why would I offer the place to my girlfriend and her new husband if I knew what was going on there?
If she had tried to take out her husband last year, it would explain why he’s trying to take her out now.

No, it didn’t sit right. There had to be another explanation. He scratched where his collar irritated his neck. “My guy seems to think the contract I have was bought by Reese Martin.” He looked directly at Clair. “Have you confirmed he’s alive?”

“We haven’t seen him yet, but I find it highly suspect that he’s dead. It’s quite common for these traffickers to fake their own death to get out of the country.” She nodded to Gavin. “Or his wife no longer wanted to share and she really did have him killed last year. It’s possible this Kotov is using Reese’s name to cast doubt, take Elizabeth out, or throw her under the bus. There’s so much we don’t know. We can’t just cast Elizabeth as innocent.” Clair got quiet before she added, “We need you to work her, Aidan.”

He stood. “I’m not playing your games.” He slammed his fist on the table.

“Aidan, be reasonable. If she’s in any way involved—”

“Gavin, she’s not.” Aidan took a deep breath.

“We just want the truth.” Gavin stared at his hands.

“Fine.” Aidan’s pulse pounded in his throat. “I’ll ask your questions and then take her back to her apartment and see what we can find.” He prayed Sam tracked the two attackers somewhere. If he was going to get Liz out of this mess, he’d need answers fast.

“Relay anything you find to Gavin,” Clair said. “My team will be waiting.”

“Good.” Aidan stepped back from the table.

“We’re not done here,” Gavin spat out.

“What now?” Aidan crossed his arms.

“Do you plan on handling those other two contracts you were so kind to pick up last night?” Gavin shook his head.

Aidan blew out a long breath, then reached to his inside coat pocket and pulled out the paperwork. “Max, do you mind?”

“Not at all.” Max took the paperwork. “Check-in when you’re done at Liz’s?”

“Sounds good and you do the same. You have about thirty hours before the contracts revert to my head instead of theirs.” It would be nice to know if more assassins were headed his way. “I’m taking Liz out through the back. If you don’t want to be seen, I suggest you leave.”

All four men tapped their knuckles on the table.

Chapter
Nine

Liz wrapped her fingers around the cool beer bottle. She couldn’t make out any of the words on the label, even after narrowing her gaze. Nothing came into focus. Not that she had any intention of reading it. It just seemed the normal thing to do. Sitting here and contemplating Reese still being alive didn’t seem normal or being jealous of some woman named Clair. She had no right to claim Aidan as hers. She’d be crazy to actually. He was a murderer.

She was definitely crazy.

None of this was making any sense. She rubbed her forehead. Reese had been killed. The police told her so. She had the death certificate. Her stomach twisted around. All she’d known to be true was crashing down around her. She tapped the bottle against her forehead and fought the need to shut down.

“Sorry about this morning.” Nadia leaned into her peripheral vision.

“What?”

“I’m sorry I walked into Aidan’s place this morning.”

“That was this morning?”

“Yes.” Nadia cracked a smile. “You look like you’ve had quite the day.”

“I don’t even know.” She felt like she was losing her mind. “So, you work for Aidan?” Heat flushed across Liz’s face and to the tips of her ears.

“Yes, I work for Aidan. I’m dating an acquaintance of his, Ethan.” Nadia nudged her shoulder. “I shouldn’t have let myself into Aidan’s place. I’ve let myself get too comfortable and I’m just so used to him being alone.”

“He doesn’t usually have a woman over?”

“No, I’ve never seen Aidan with a woman. I’ve heard rumors of the trail of broken hearts he leaves behind though. He doesn’t let many into his life.”

“Oh.” She prayed she wasn’t one of those broken hearts as soon as he saved her from whatever was chasing her. She took a long sip of her beer.

“Aidan’s been a hard one for me to get to know but he takes his work seriously. He’s the type of guy you can rely on. From what I can see, he also works hard to hide what he’s feeling. If I want to know something, I have to ask him.”

“Thanks. I’ll remember that.” She had more of her beer and searched for a new topic. “Is Ethan in the same line of work?” She reminded herself to stay on guard. Someone could be watching her right now. She looked around the restaurant. Most of the tables were full of folks focusing on their plates or the people at their table.

“It’s probably best if we don’t talk about what they do.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Believe me, we’re both better off not knowing.”

“I see.”

“I will say, I’m proud of what they do. I’m proud of what they all do.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but you are better off not knowing the details.” Nadia sat silently for a minute. “I don’t ask anymore. I just make him promise to not take too much risk. These guys know the line. They know how to get themselves out of situations we can’t even imagine.”

“You’re braver than I am.” Something caught her attention across the room, but she found nothing when she glanced up. Her stomach was a quivering mess.

“I don’t think you know what you can handle until you’re faced with the choice. If I were you, I’d trust Aidan to get you out of whatever you’re in the middle of.”

“I feel that. I mean, I hardly know him but after…”

“I know.” Nadia held up her hands. “I don’t know what you’re dealing with, but Ethan helped me once and then again more recently.” She looked up to the ceiling. “These men will do whatever is needed to keep you safe. I’d trust them with anything.” She took a deep breath.

“Do you know this Clair they’re meeting with?”

“They’re meeting with Clair?” Nadia pressed her lips together.

“Yes. So, you know her?” A hollow burning fluttered across her chest.

“She’s beautiful.”

“Of course she is.”

“Oh. It’s not like that.” Nadia patted Liz’s hand. “I don’t believe she’s gotten involved with any of them. Anyways, don’t let Aidan push you away, if it’s not what you want.”

“Everything okay here?” Aidan questioned from right next to her.

“Where did you come from?” Liz pressed her hand over her racing heart. “Yes.” She blew out a breath. “We were having a nice chat.”

“Good. Thanks, Nadia. Come on. We’re going out the back.”

She scrambled off the stool. Took a step to follow him and then turned back. “Thanks for sitting with me.”

“You’re welcome and I hope we see each other again.” Nadia shrugged.

“Me too.” She took one last sip of her beer and turned back to find Aidan gone. “Where did he go?” She turned in a circle, not finding him anywhere. The creepy feeling of being watched returned. A cold damp chill ran down her back.

“There’s a door in the back corner,” Nadia said.

“Thanks.” She waved to her new friend. At least the meeting hadn’t taken long. She didn’t feel safe without Aidan around. A shiver rocked down her body when she reached the door. She pushed it open. “Aidan, are you back here?”

“In here,” came his voice from inside.

She stepped through the doorway to find Aidan and Gavin watching each other. “Everything okay?”

“We’re fine,” Aidan said.

“What’s back here?” A round table sat in the middle of the space. “The room seems like it’s bigger from the outside.”

“The space is split in two. You should show her the other room, Aidan.”

“I think it’s time for you to go.” He pushed his brother out into the restaurant. “We’ll travel on our own from now on.”

“Call me after you go through her place.”

“Fine. Out.” Aidan closed the door behind Gavin.

“Was that Clair woman in here?” Liz crossed her arms over her chest.

“She’s just a colleague. No one you need to be concerned about.”

She turned from him and took a deep breath. “Sorry.” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt the ugly pangs of jealousy, but the unreasonable emotion was coursing through her veins.

“Pick a door.” His cold tone rattled her nerves.

She took in his stern expression and examined her options. “Okay.” There were two at the back of the room. The one on the left appeared to be an exterior door. She took the one on the right. “I’m not sure why I’m picking, but let’s see what’s in here.”

The room opened to a small sink, a set of lockers, and a bench. Then she noticed the rings secured to different positions on the wall. She turned around and caught sight of a different looking bench in the opposite corner and a large wooden cross she thought was called a St. Andrew's Cross.

“What is this room?” She hoped it was simply a private dungeon for dominance and submission. That was something she could understand, something she craved, but she suspected it was used for other purposes too.

“We use it for various things.” What little noise she could hear from the restaurant snuffed out when he closed the door behind him. He stalked toward her with his dark gaze daring her to escape.

“Have you brought Clair back here?”

“She has nothing to do with this.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Gavin shouldn’t have mentioned her.” He shook his head.

“What do you intend to use it for tonight?” She shifted back a couple steps until her back hit the wall. A gasp pushed past her lips.

“I need to ask you some questions.” His stern expression set the tone. From his strong eye contact to his furrowed browed, this was an Aidan she didn’t want to mess with.

“You can ask me anything.” She tugged on the edge of her shirt.

He took a deep breath. “Tell me about the house in Italy?”

“Our vacation home? Or it was supposed to be.” She shrugged. “We never went back there after we bought it.”

“Who lives there now?” He stepped in close. His feet bumped against hers and she flattened herself on the wall.

“An acquaintance of Reese’s agreed to live there and take care of things. Shit, I totally forgot.” She looked around while she tried to sort out what to do. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of him for weeks now.” She rubbed her hands where the cold had settled. “I need to figure out how to hire someone.” She had no idea how to hire a cleaning lady in a foreign country. Viktor was supposed to take care of everything. She could add it to the pile of things Reese had been wrong about. “I don’t want the place full of cobwebs when Emily arrives.” She widened her eyes.

“Look at me.”

“I … ah, I am.” She caught his gaze and looked away. “Are you interrogating me?” Her breathing increased. He had her in a back room where no one would hear her screams. She transferred her weight back and forth.

“Who was this acquaintance?” He grabbed her shoulders.

“Ouch. You’re holding me too tight.” She forced herself to stare at him. Maybe if he looked into her eyes, he’d remember who he was talking to. “I don’t understand what’s going on here.”

“I told you I’d figure this all out.” His jaw clenched. The visible strength from his expression to his stance did little to booster her confidence. He loosened his hold but didn’t let her go. “Please, Liz. You need to tell me his name.”

She rubbed her chin with her shaky hand. “Viktor, okay. His name was Viktor. I don’t know his last name.”

Aidan lowered his gaze. He let her go, smacked the wall and then turned from her.

“Does Viktor have something to do with all this?”

“I’d say so.”

“I never met him.” Her whole body shook.

“What?”

“I remember Reese was pissed. Viktor was part of the deal. He was going to take care of the villa, but he wanted to meet with us first.” She was talking fast but her thoughts raged through her. “We extended our vacation and everything, but he never showed. Finally, we just came home. Viktor promised Reese he would move in and take care of everything. Last I heard, everything was fine. Why are you asking me about the place in Italy? Did something happen there?”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “I need a minute.” He turned from her and took a couple steps away. “You never met Viktor?”

“No, never talked to him either. Couldn’t even tell you what he looks like.” It figured Reese would find a way to fuck up her last peaceful option, her escape plan. “We sunk all of my inheritance into the place and I’ve never even been back there.” She covered her face with her hands. The verbal diarrhea wouldn’t stop. “Was Viktor his bookie or something? If it’s not safe I need to call Emily. I don’t want them getting hurt.”

He turned back around. “Liz, if you’ve gotten yourself mixed up in something that’s gotten out of control, you need to tell me. You need to tell me everything.” The anger etched into his expression put her on guard. “Just tell me the truth. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Aidan, you’re scaring me.” She swallowed hard. “I don’t know what you want me to tell you.” God help her, the hopeless state he’d cornered her into had her pulse rising. This Aidan was so damned determined. She was quite possibly losing her mind because it was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.

“Tell me everything you know about the house. I can’t help you get out of this if I don’t know everything.” He leaned on the wall behind her and pressed his forehead to hers.

“If it has something to do with Reese’s gambling, I told you, I don’t know anything. I didn’t even know he gambled.”

“It’s not about the gambling, Liz.” He pushed away from her again.

With everything in her, she wanted him back beside her. She could get through anything if he stood with her.

“Come on now. Think.” He crossed his arms. “Why did you buy the house?”

“It’s all a blur now.” She shook her head. “We were in Florence and Reese spotted the ad for the villa. It all happened fast from that point. We decided to use my inheritance. He’d said it was a deal we couldn’t pass up.”

“It was Reese’s idea?” He took a deep breath.

“Will you tell me what all this is about?” She stepped forward and tugged on his shirt.

“Answer another question first.”

“I’ll try to answer whatever you want to ask me. Just don’t look at me like I’ve killed your cat or something.”

“Sorry. I need to hear the whole story.”

“So you can decide what to believe, you mean.” She tilted her head. “Who do you think I am?”

“I’m the one putting everything on the line for you and—”

“And what? I haven’t hurt anyone, Aidan. Someone is trying to kill me, remember?”

“What about your husband?”

“I have no idea what happened to him.”

“Is that true?”

“Of course it is. Just who the hell do you think I am?” She pushed on his chest. “Tell me right now. Who do you think I am?”

“Did you pay to have him killed?”

“What?” She wanted to spit. “I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to hire a murderer. I don’t even know how to hire a cleaning lady for that damn house.” She shook her head. “I should ask you these crazy questions.” She pounded on his chest.

“Okay.” He grabbed her upper arms.

“I need you to believe me. You…” She hit him again with what little mobility he left her with. “You need to believe me.”