A Blued Steel Wolfe (3 page)

The sounds of a quick struggle ensued behind him, and then a dreadful sound filled the tunnel.

CLICK-CLACK

Antonio turned towards the sound, his eyes narrowing as he saw Salvatore. The men helping him were on the ground holding their heads and rubbing their jaws. Meanwhile, Salvatore had backed up a few steps to keep them in his line of sight. The gun, however, was trained on Antonio’s chest. Salvatore sneered at them, as he held the gun unwaveringly.

“Why couldn’t you just die, brother?” he asked in a snarl. “Then I wouldn’t even have to get my hands dirty. Actually, now that I think about it, I
prefer
it this way! Now I get to pay you back for a lifetime of being second-“

Antonio didn’t wait for his brother to finish, as his gun came up and he put two rounds into Salvatore’s chest. The traitor’s face showed surprise, and then the turncoat’s body fell backward and hit the tunnel floor with a thud. Antonio looked at his inert brother with a stony expression for a moment. Then he turned to Tommy, and his eyes burned into those of the Irishman.

“We have to get out of here
now
!”

The last survivors reached the end of the tunnel, and Tommy pulled the detonator out of his pocket. He switched it on and pressed the red button, and muffled explosions caused the ground to shake as the other end of the tunnel collapsed.

When they found everyone, the team told them about what went down after they evacuated. Antonio, as de facto head of the Lupo Family, gave orders to his men to serve the O’Hara clan as they’d served him. He told Linda that they needed to get as far away as possible and start over. She agreed, saddened by the loss of her father and several brothers in the firefight.

Siobhan calmed her daughter down, and told her that they would be fine once they returned to Boston. They’d keep in touch, of course. Antonio knew what he had to do, though. He sincerely hoped that by disappearing completely, he could protect the woman he loved and her family as well.

They said their goodbyes to everyone, and with hugs all around, departed in their new Mercedes. A stop at the bank cleared out their personal accounts and any Family accounts to which he had access. He collected the funds in money orders, to avoid lugging a suitcase of money with them. The bank accommodated them, and Antonio thanked them for their loyal service.

When Linda asked him where they were going, he smiled and said, “California. An old friend lives there, and he’ll give us new names. The Lupo Family is gone. Your family is safe. We have to make sure we stay safe too. If the Russians believe that we’re still a threat, they’ll come after us.”

“I understand, my love,” she replied, kissing him tenderly. “What will we do once we get there, though?”

“I hear that California is a good place to settle down, raise a family, and invest in real estate,” Antonio replied with a sad smile.

“I’m glad you’re thinking of family, honey,” Linda said, a tear escaping her eye even as she smiled. “I’m pregnant.”

In spite of the gloom that happened that morning, Antonio smiled and hugged his bride close. They kissed lovingly, if a bit sadly. It would be a long trip to California, but they would make it.

Antonio cashed in one of the money orders to buy new clothing and luggage, and a new car. The Mercedes was registered to Kevin O’Hara, after all. After wiping it down and abandoning it, they loaded up their new Chevrolet Blazer and headed across the country to their new home.

Seven months after the wedding, Linda Wolfe, wife of Anthony Wolfe, gave birth to a healthy baby boy. They named him Justinian, a reminder of Anthony’s proud Roman heritage. The Lupo Family could trace their lineage back almost two thousand years to the time when Rome was the greatest empire in the world. They gave Justinian his name to remind them of how much they’d lost, but also of how the Lupo Family would endure, even under the name of Wolfe.

Anthony Wolfe invested in real estate, but also invested in gun running and protection. He gathered honorable men to his new organization, and ruled through respect rather than fear. He paid his men well for their loyalty, and his new empire grew. Gentlemen’s Clubs became his chief moneymaker, while he also invested in suburban subdivisions. One thing he would never tolerate was drugs, though. He steadfastly refused to become a drug kingpin. Through sheer force of will and personality, he engendered loyalty. He showed loyalty to his clients and employees, and most of them showed him the same loyalty and respect. There were a few, over the years, that wanted more. However, greed in the face of generosity never ended well for the greedy employee or client.

Anthony disliked those drastic measures, though. He preferred simply to fire an employee who showed disloyalty. Nonetheless, he knew that a more permanent measure was required on some occasions.

He also took an active hand in raising Justinian. Linda appreciated her husband’s role in raising their son into the man he would become. Justinian Wolfe excelled in school, taking his father’s wisdom to heart. In both academics and sports, the boy took on each new challenge as a soldier facing a new enemy to defeat. He grew to appreciate honor in life, as others noticed how he dealt with friends and adversaries alike. He was gracious in victory, as well as his rare defeats. He saw them as learning experiences, and took that knowledge for use in his future endeavors.

When he graduated from High School, Justin, as he preferred to be called, applied to the U.S. Army Military Academy at West Point. He wrote a letter to his senator, and the man approved his appointment. During his first summer after his plebe year, he went through Airborne and Ranger Schools at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

Four years later, he graduated near the top of his class, and assumed command of First Platoon, Alpha Company, Second Ranger Battalion. When 9/11 happened, the Second Rangers were put on Alert, and in March of 2002, they deployed to Afghanistan with 2LT Anthony Wolfe leading his platoon into battle against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

For two years, they fought against the terrorists and their Taliban sympathizers. Every time Justin asked for an extension on his tour, refusing promotion to stay with his platoon, his superiors acquiesced to his requests.

He actually became friends with his soldiers, who recognized that he wasn’t just another “Butterbar” Second Lieutenant. They quickly came to respect him as a soldier and like him as a friend.

During one joint mission with a team of Green Berets known as the Crusaders or “Death Walkers” as the other soldiers called them, they even bagged one of the Al Qaeda commanders. When Captain Drake and his men stayed behind to investigate the compound further, Wolfe’s Hunters took the prisoner back to base and handed him over to the CIA interrogators there.

Two years after that, the Army promoted Justin to the rank of First Lieutenant, but at his request, left him in command of his platoon. That was his condition for accepting promotion, and they acquiesced to his request.

His men congratulated him, but his second squad leader, Staff Sergeant Juan Delgado, seemed worried. After the party was over, Justin went to find his squad leader with a worried expression.

After talking for a bit, Juan finally told his Ell Tee what was wrong. His wife and their son back home in L.A. were in dire straits financially. She was a legal secretary, but couldn’t find work that paid well enough to cover daycare for their infant son. His salary as an E-6 barely paid the bills as it was.

Justin knew that Jared, his father’s attorney, needed a legal secretary, so he called him up that night and gave him the name Camille Delgado as a probable candidate. Juan was ecstatic at the news, when the week after Justin placed the call to Jared; Camille called him and told him that she got the job!

Six months after receiving the news, Staff Sergeant Juan Delgado gave his life in service to his country, distinguishing himself in combat against the Taliban.

The losses of his friends took their toll on Justinian, and every time he went home on Leave, he saw more and more of Cammie. They became friends, and Justin made a silent vow that he would always look out for her. He couldn’t do that from the battlefield.

But for two more years, they fought on. Finally, Justin had had enough of war. After a promotion to Captain and command of the company, he served one more abbreviated four month tour before heading home for the last time. He resigned his commission and took the honorable discharge. He said his goodbyes to the soldiers he’d fought alongside for the past four years, and left Afghanistan for the last time.

Chapter 1

A New Love Blooms

Anthony Wolfe sat stoically, but with a slight smile on his face as Royce Carter and Tamara Jenkins said their vows to each other. His son, Justin served as Royce’s Best Man, which made him proud. The two men, who couldn’t have been more different, became fast friends after they joined forces to rescue Tamara.

He had to admire California State Senator Lisa Keen, though. She had a beautiful home and a lovely family. She’d run on her own merits as a Democrat on an Anti-Crime and Anti-Domestic Violence platform, and she always listened to her constituents. Now, here he was. Once part of the largest crime syndicate in New York, he now sat at a wedding held in Senator Keen’s backyard. Her son was a cat burglar and vigilante known as the Steel Cat, and she herself had dealt with street gangs in her attempts to clean up her district. The irony didn’t escape Mr. Wolfe.

It also didn’t escape Mr. Wolfe’s notice when Justin and Cammie glanced at each other during the ceremony. He saw the smiles on their lips, the glances reserved only for each other. As Best Man and Maid of Honor, they stood in view of each other as each stood as second to groom and bride.

So it begins
, Anthony thought with a slightly wider smile. Justin had grown into a good man. Cammie was a good woman.
Fate, please be kind to them. After what they’ve been through, they deserve to love again.

He thought about the men he had stationed out front. They knew that if
anyone
tried to gain entry into the house or backyard, they had orders to shoot to kill. He would not risk it again. After his wedding reception after marrying Linda,
nothing
like that would happen at these nuptials.

The vows barely registered on Justin, as his eyes couldn’t stay off of Cammie for long.
She’s so beautiful
, he thought to himself. He felt a slight pang of guilt for his thoughts at that moment.
She’s my friend, though. Her husband was a good soldier and a great man. What am I thinking?

Oh God, he’s so handsome
, Cammie’s thought echoed his. She was enraptured by the Captain in his Armani tuxedo. Not only that, but she’d had thoughts about him before this. When he’d gone with Royce to rescue her sister, he’d done so without a second thought.
I wonder if he’s even interested in me, though. He’s only a friend, after all!

They were brought back to reality by Tam saying, “I do.”

Royce echoed those words when the Priest asked him the same question, and he pronounced them Husband and Wife. Royce brought Tam into his arms and kissed her with a passion rarely seen at these events.

The reception began when the workers rearranged the backyard, and the festivities began in earnest. The traditional dances took place, with Father and Bride, Mother and Groom, and Best Man and Maid of Honor.

As he led Cammie onto the dance floor that they’d hastily laid down for the dancing, Justin drew her into a close embrace for their slow dance.

“You look beautiful, Cammie,” he whispered in her ear.

“Thank you,” she whispered back, a slight blush darkening her cheeks. “You look very dashing too, Justin.”

“Thanks, Cammie,” he replied with a smile, blushing slightly as he felt her arms tighten around his neck to bring his body closer to hers. The feel of her supple form against his muscled torso caused an involuntary response, especially when she molded her body to his. He tried to move his hips back a little, but she only moved hers forward in response as they swayed to the music.

His arms feel wonderful
, she thought as he held her close while they danced. She couldn’t help the image that came to her mind. She looked up into his turquoise eyes, his blue-green gaze looking back into hers dark orbs. She saw something in his eyes in that moment. Several conflicting emotions danced across his face, but she focused on one in particular.

Desire. She knew in that moment that Justin Wolfe desired her. She felt a thrill go through her, even as she thought about Juan.
He would want me to be happy, though
.

Two years after her husband’s death, she hadn’t so much as looked at another man this way. Now here she was, looking at her dearest friend, her husband’s former commanding officer, with new eyes.

Justin saw the new look in Cammie’s eyes too. Maybe it was just the wedding, and what it implied, but maybe it was something more too.
Does she feel the same way about me
? He asked himself silently.
What am I thinking? Do I really feel that way about her?

He had to answer himself honestly, though. He did indeed feel that way for Cammie. He found himself falling in love with her. Over the past few years, he knew that he felt something for her. That promise to protect her wasn’t just because of what happened to Juan. It went deeper than that.