Arielle Immortal Fury (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 6) (32 page)

A few other customers were enjoying their breakfast and
carrying
on private conversations. A girl sitting behind the counter close to
the
register was staring out the window while another girl walked
around with a coffee pot, filling customers' cups with fresh coffee. A sudden,
loud throat clearing attracted everyone’s attention, including the girl
with the coffee pot. She approached the booth with the two men,
seemingly ready to take their order.

They immediately turned their eyes on her, staring her up and down with lust plain on their faces. They placed their order and followed with chauvinistic remarks. The girl appeared upset. She
turned slowly and
sent a concerned look to the girl behind the counter. She then
lowered her gaze and walked away with her pressed her lips together.

The men laughed revoltingly, slapping each other’s hands and appearing amused that they had embarrassed the young girl.
Sebastian cursed under his breath, and it took all the strength he had to stay in
his seat. He would have loved to shove the disgusting laughter
down their throats.

Nathan and Troy clenched their teeth, seeming just as angry at witnessing the interaction between the thugs and an innocent girl. The rest of the patrons glared at the two goons. Nathan and Troy shifted in their seats. Sebastian’s brows lifted, letting Nathan and
Troy know that they needed to relax. This wasn’t the time to draw attention to their table. They listened in on the men's conversations and heard them discuss bets, women, and cars, but nothing about their activities for the day. When the breakfast plates were served, silence fell at their
table as the men stuffed their faces. Sebastian, Nathan, and Troy ordered coffee and sipped slowly. They waited patiently for Frans and Gustaaf to finish eating. Their poor manners had created a
spectacle in
the small restaurant. They held their faces only inches from their plates while they shoved the food into their mouths as fast as they could.

Disgusting groans of satisfaction escaped their mouths. They
rapidly scraped their plates with the forks, trying to get every last
morsel. When they finished, they belched loud enough for everyone to hear and then laughed disrespectfully.

They pushed their plates back and pulled the coffee cups closer.
Nearly in unison, Gustaaf and Frans lit cigarettes and sat back,
leaning their heads against the vinyl.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Frans whispered. This is exactly what the guys were waiting for.

“We'll meet with Daniel Tarasov and discuss the assignment,” Gustaaf replied, keeping their conversation to a whisper.

“Why Daniel?” Frans asked curiously. “I thought we were in
charge of the assignment. At least that is what Jorrit said.”

“Daniel is working with Vitorio and Mauritsio right now,”
Gustaaf explained. “They’ve been in Brighton for a couple of days, and they
have already made contact with the person we need. They are
handling the initial requirements to help us step in and finish this.”

“Have they provided any updates to Daniel?” Frans insisted.

“That’s what we’re going to find out.” They drained their cups and then pushed away from the booth before walking up to the counter. They handed the ticket to the girl behind the cash register.
She rang the total silently, painfully enduring additional explicit remarks. They dropped their money on the counter, and with vulgar laughter, they walked out the door.

The guys turned their gaze to the young girl’s face. Her eyes
were dark as she watched the two thugs crossing the street. Her lips were pressed together in disgust, but she remained silent.

Chapter 20

THE GUYS PUSHED
their chairs away from the table and stood up.
Troy walked to the counter to pay for the coffee while Sebastian and Nathan walked out the front door, keeping the goons within their eyesight.

The girl smiled. “Thank you, sir. Have a good day.”

“You too,” Troy replied politely as he left.

They were just getting into the car when they saw the red Mazda pulling away from the curb. Nathan pressed on the gas and followed them, holding a safe distance.

The thirty-minute ride through the narrow lanes of the city was nerve racking. The streets were crowded with pedestrians, making it difficult to move safely and keep the Mazda in sight. Nathan cursed out loud. “Why don’t we just forget about the damn car and go after them on foot?”

“Nathan,” Troy snorted. “We can’t go charging all over Brussels on foot.” Silence fell, and there was nothing to do but tolerate the
drive.

Soon they were outside the city with nothing ahead but a long stretch of road.

Troy shook his head. “Where the devil are they heading?”

Sebastian shrugged his shoulders. “Wherever it is, we have no
choice but to follow.”

After another long, boring twenty minutes, they finally arrived at a smaller town. It appeared relatively quiet. They drove past several nice apartment buildings and a few gated communities with
few people on
the sidewalks. The Mazda kept moving until it reached a lightly
populated area.

They turned off the main road onto a narrow street and slowed down, avoiding being noticed. The street led into a tight lane filled with potholes. It was sort of like driving in a minefield or an obstacle course. The concrete surface had worn away, creating craters and cracks. The goons never slowed down. The guys watched the Mazda as it bounced wildly. Before long, it stopped. Nathan drove slowly and cursed inwardly every time they hit a bump.

“This forsaken road makes the narrow streets of the city look like open highways,” Nathan observed. Several oaths escaped the lips of
Sebastian and Troy as they hit another deep bump, and the car
became airborne. Their bodies lost their stability, swaying from one side of the car to the other.

 Eventually, the Mazda came to a full stop. They saw Frans and
Gustaaf jump out of the car, making their way through a small yard
that surrounded a two-story home. The men quickly disappeared
behind a brown door. Sebastian assumed the door was unlocked, because he didn't see the men use a key or knock.

Nathan drove on until he reached the next street. He rounded the corner and stopped behind a large building.

They moved quickly, reaching the dilapidated structure that was engulfed in wilted hedges and drowning in dead vines.

“What the devil is this?” Nathan said.

“Just an eyesore, I’m sure,” Troy chuckled.

Sebastian cringed, and his hands curled into tight fists. “It’s appropriate for the type of scum living here.”

Regardless of the house's appearance, it seemed to be the place the goons were meeting their contact to discuss their plans.

The guys looked around, using their immortal speed to avoid
being seen by any human eye. In a matter of milliseconds, they had crossed
the yard, and as they drew closer, they rounded the corner to the
back and crouched below the windows.

The back of the house bordered a field covered by a thick stand of trees and bushes that extended into the distance to small hills that
disappeared into the heavy clouds. The surroundings provided
concealment for their movements. They gazed out over the treetops and up to the cloudy sky with narrowed eyes, scanning the area and
hoping that they could avoid a downpour. A mild wind moved
through
the trees, and a curtain flapped against the open window on the
second
floor. They lapsed into silence, patiently waiting to gather the
information they needed before they moved to eliminate the thugs.

Gustaaf and Frans opened the front door without knocking and crossed the threshold quickly, shutting the door behind them.

“Daniel!” Frans called out. “Where are you, man?”

“I’m upstairs; come on up.” Daniel’s voice, thick with a Russian accent, gave off waves of authority. Frans and Gustaaf quickly
ascended the small staircase leading to the second floor. They walked into the only room with the open door on the top of the landing. Daniel was bent over a long bench, working diligently on something. He lifted his head briefly and smiled widely at the two newcomers.

“It’s good to see you both,” he said with a laugh.

“Yeah…you too,” Gustaaf replied. They both curiously
approached the bench. “What are you working on?”

Daniel laughed. “Just an experiment of mine.”

“What kind of experiment?” Frans asked, eyes narrowed.

“I’m getting ready for tonight’s assignment,” he added, giving them a meaningful look.

Frans and Gustaaf ran their hands over the various items on the
bench. There were small copper pipes, gunpowder, duct tape,
electrical tape, a couple of galvanized steel boxes, and some liquids. Wires were spread all over the place. There were a few jars filled with nails.

“Good God!” said Frans. “What the devil are you making?” He
swallowed hard, eyes wide open. “Whatever you’re making is going to be pretty powerful.”

“I’m counting on that,” he said coolly.

“Have you heard from Vitorio or Mauritsio?” Gustaaf asked.

Sebastian tensed and made a face. Turning, he glanced at Nathan and Troy. They moved closer to the wall and stood below the second floor window.

“Yes, I spoke with Vitorio this morning,” Daniel said and
paused.

After a pregnant moment, Frans pressed on. “Well?”

Daniel coughed, clearing his throat. His long fingers curled around the glass that was sitting on the bench, and lifting it to his mouth, he took a long sip. Setting the glass down, he bent over and
continued working. He didn’t seem to be a man of many words. “They made contact with the target and one of her best friends,” he finally said.

“For God’s sake. And…?” Frans asked again anxiously.

Daniel looked up. A wry smile spread across his face. “Vitorio
actually said...” He paused again.

The man was beyond frustrating. Gustaaf and Frans stood there
a moment, cursing inwardly and sending glares in Daniel’s direction. “What the devil did he say?” they both barked simultaneously.

Daniel threw his head back and laughed out loud. He loved
keeping
them on their toes. He glared over his shoulder at them. “They are
going to love this assignment! The girls are absolutely beautiful. They’ll make sure they spend some stimulating time with them, if you know what I mean.” He snorted.

Nausea threatened to sink into Sebastian's body at the
insinuation
of his revolting statement. He saw that Troy was having the same
reaction. Their stomachs swirled in disgust, and anger built up to a dangerous level. Sebastian drew deep breaths, but it didn’t mollify his anxiety.

“Really?” Gustaaf asked. “Why in hell don’t I ever get a good
assignment like that? All I ever get to work with are ugly guys like you two,” he said and laughed.

Silence followed. “I’d love to have a taste of those girls,” Frans added in a husky voice.

Gustaaf scoffed. “You may get your chance.”

Anger flashed across Sebastian’s eyes, and waves of rage
engulfed every muscle in his body. Glancing at Troy, he saw his frown deepen
and his teeth clench tightly, trying to control his emotions. Nathan studied their faces. He clapped both men on their shoulders, snorting in disbelief at their discomfort. “They’re never going to touch the girls,” he said calmly, patting his friends on their backs. “You both need to remain focused, so we can get what we need,” he furthered. Sebastian and Troy didn’t quite relax, but Nathan was right. They nodded in agreement.

“How long do they plan to stay there?” Gustaaf asked Daniel.

“They’ll remain for at least a few more days or through next
week.
We have to provide validated documentation, such as close-up
photos,
to Gaulle. He needs to understand that we mean business and that we can get as close to his loved ones as we want,” Daniel replied
blankly.

“Jorrit said that she’s not to be hurt,” Gustaaf said as he leaned
forward and picked up one of the metal boxes from the counter.
Turning it slowly in his hands, he examined each side closely.
Placing it back on the counter, he turned to Daniel and whispered, “How are you going to convince Gaulle that you mean business without anyone getting hurt? Do you really believe that Gaulle will give up the documents?”

Daniel scoffed. “He’ll have no choice in the matter.”

Troy raised a surprised brow. “They don’t have a clue who
they’re dealing with?”