Motown Showdown (8 page)

“It was you,” I say instead of my usual
what the fuck do you want
. “You dick.”

“Camo,” he says angrily. “I thought he was hurting you! I had a clean shot. Why the fuck did you cover him? Better yet, why the fuck were you wrestling with him?”

“You wouldn’t know a clean shot if it bit you in the ass,” I point out. Now I’ve got Gage prowling in and out of the shadows which let me say, is sneaky. And if I wasn’t so focused on my call, I’d even find it cute. “How many times do I have to tell you to stick to what you’re good at? In case your memory has failed you it is
not
long range targets.” Which was totally true. Any shots up to fifty yards, Digger was on point. Anything after that? I’m living proof he
sucks
.

“I thought he was hurting
you
,” he repeats. “He had his hands all over you,”
Momma remembers…

“Moving on,” I say getting comfy. “You left the wire, so you’re playing this game then?”

“I left the wire after clipping my woman,” he growls. Okay first, I wasn’t his woman, and second he’s delusional. “I was watching him yeah because I wanted to see for myself if he went off the grid. Then you show up, and he fucking pushed you. I was on the fence until he did that.”

“And without the facts you also nearly killed me in the process.” I point out as I felt it needed pointing out. “Because the fact is, I pushed him first, pay attention.”

“
Why
were you with him and where are you now?”

“Nunya.” I say sipping my coffee enjoying Gage getting his cardio in.

“Nunya?” he asks confused.

“Nunya business,” I tell him. “Let’s wrap this up. Which team are you playing for, Digger?”

“Yours,” he says without hesitation. “You know that.”

“I’m counting on you to keep your word because if you don’t, I’ll keep your Beatles Anthology Collection as a souvenir after I kill you. As in dead, Digger. You do not want me to make an example out of you because I will.”

“Camo…”

“What?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, Digger,” I reminded him. “You’re lucky.”

Then disconnecting, I drop my phone to sip my coffee again, but even that was cut short because Gage was all up in my business. Seriously, is this what mothers of children feel like? No wonder they drink…

“Can you even apply the term ‘on my jock’ to a woman?”

“You like it,” not that I could blame her. “Having these guys wrapped around your trigger finger. Don’t deny it.”

“It’s not a matter of liking it, Gadget,” she says quietly. She was perched in a tree somewhere watching me, as always. “It’s a matter of control, which we both know I need to have.”

“You’ll never control me, Camo. If that’s your aim, stop while you’re ahead. I could care less about impressing you.” A lie, I lived for it, but she didn’t need to know that.

“You are so cute when you pull the alpha card,” she laughs. “Target approaching, tsk tsk, Gadget, as far as impressing me goes, you suck.”

Hanging up, I search for the target utterly furious at her. I was impressive dammit; she was just better at this and that chapped my ass. This particular job was hands on, no weapons. The client wanted to send a message; I was the messenger. Watching the male approach, I was a shadow like always. He was too busy staring at his phone to notice a threat. Giving up my position, I was about to drag him behind the building when a shot rang out. I could identify Camo’s rifle anywhere. Stopping and turning, I let the target continue on unaware, for now. When my phone buzzes, I answer ready to give her hell for her interference.

“The thing about control is it’s not an absolute,” she says with a rustle in the background. She was climbing back down while she spoke. “Sometimes there are situations that are out of our control, Gadget, but this wasn’t one of them.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You almost killed the wrong man,” she didn’t yell, just stated fact.

“You fucking said my target was approaching,” I growl in frustration. Pilgrim sent me the intel yesterday; I knew what I was doing.

“And he was,” she says simply. “But he wasn’t alone and the man tailing him had you dialed in. Matthew Brinkley, your target, is a hacker, Gadget. A very good one too. Had you followed through, you’d have created a chain of events that even our government couldn’t stop. The kid with his face stuck in his phone saves lives. His safety is a matter of national security.”

“I had good intel.” Maybe if I said it enough I’d believe it.

“Clearly you didn’t,” she says low. “If I were you, I would look into the man feeding you intel. The man who holds your life in his hands. If I were you, I’d start asking questions.”

“Camo,” I growl again. “Stop playing games and just fucking spit it out.”

“You were sent to kill him; I was sent to save him,” she says in a tone I’ve yet to hear. “And you too.” Before I could put a thought let alone words together, there was screaming. Someone just found the body. “You’re welcome,” she says then disconnects and just like that she disappeared.

While they were getting the place next door ready, I had planned to spend that time enjoying Camo but then her phone rang. Needless to say I caught the gist of the call, and I did not like it. Ignoring me, she speaks to some fuck named Digger, not caring that I’m getting worked up. I was also able to surmise that he was the shooter. A shooter that could have killed her, yet here she was having a fucking convo while drinking coffee with her feet up.

This kind of shit is why I should have stayed on the wire but honestly, all these motherfuckers fangirling over her drove me nuts. They did too, every last one of them. They couldn’t take a shit without talking to her about it and I hated that she gave them so much of her time.

This guy Digger, she only threatened though, that’s rare. I know for a fact if Camo threatens anybody they toe the line after they clean up the piss left in their pants. What ticked me off was that it was a threat not a promise, and it makes me wonder why she’s letting this piece of shit off the hook.

“No, Digger,” she says in a tone that says
don’t push me
. “You’re lucky.”

Hanging up, she tosses her phone and goes for her coffee. I was already edgy, and this shit was sending me over in a hurry. “Explain,” I demand hovering over her. Looking her over I noticed her toes had sparkly polish on them.
Jesus, that was cute
.

“That was Digger,” she says sweetly and the woman does sweet really well. Honestly, I’ve never heard her
unhappy
at least not for long. “He says he’s sorry and that he’s team Camo, which, of course, was the right answer.”

“That motherfucker shot you.”

“Actually that motherfucker was shooting at
you;
I just got in the way.”

“If he’s team Camo then why the fuck did he take the shot at all?” I all but scream at her.

“Because, he thought you were hurting me,” she says simply.

“Hurting you?” What the fuck? I would die before hurting her. “Who is this guy to you?”

“We have bigger things to worry about than Digger. He’s handled, let’s move on.”

“Oh fuck that,” I growl. “No one takes a shot at you and then we just let that shit go.”

“Pretty sure I just did,” she counters.

“Why was he watching you?”

“He was watching you, trying to decide if the hit was justified. Then he saw me, saw you touch me, the wrestling match that followed and reacted. He said he was sorry; I’m over it.”

“Just like that?” I shout at her.

“Just like that,” she smiles.

“I’m going next door,” I tell her moving away.

“Hey Gage?” she calls out. “One down five to go, you’re welcome.” When I can do nothing but glare, she smiles wide and taunts me. “Twenty bucks says you’re thinking of me naked.”

Slamming the door behind me I didn’t go next door, I sat down on the porch and stewed instead.
While thinking of her naked
… I wasn’t out there a full minute before my sister came to sit next to me.
Here it comes, the voice of reason
.

“You know, getting a woman to like you work better when you don’t scream at her.”

“Kandace don't…”

“I can’t speak for all women, but personally I don’t like being yelled at. She’s pretty amazing, Gage, she’s followed you, watched out for you and I know you’re upset she was wounded, but she did that for you too.”

“Fuck,” I groan. “Kandace,
not now
.”

“She cares about my big brother,” she says softly and dammit, I knew she did, I just didn’t know
why
she did. I always gave her the brush off, acted annoyed like she was a pest knowing she wasn’t. I drew her in, made her laugh, then pushed her away. She was the beginning and end to each day. My sun and my moon. Bottom line was I’ve wanted her for years, a woman I’ve never even seen up close, and now she’s hurt, because of
me
. “You care for her too, so knock it off. Take this time to get to know her because I have a feeling once she’s mobile that window will close.”

Fuck, she was right about that too. Nothing slowed Camo down; she was always moving at warp speed and in six years I’ve never caught up with her. “I think she’s seeing someone,” I mumble not liking the thought of her seeing
anyone
. She’s supposed to only see me, follow me.

“Instead of thinking, try
asking
.” She says leaning into me before heading back in. Taking a deep breath and casing the street, I tune in for anything out of place, finding nothing.
Yet
.

“Hey brother,” says Rome sharing the step with me. Great, now I’m getting brotherly advice too. “I spent a lot of time pushing Kandace away thinking it was best for her. I did a lot of damage that I’ll never be able to fix but I’m trying to. You’ve got a woman in there who spent her free time keeping you out of harm’s way and I can relate to that because even when I was a dick, I was doing that for your sister.”

“You got a point?”

“Sure do,” he says on a laugh. “Ten years I wished I’d done things different. Then she found me, and you know the rest. Six years Camo has watched out for you. Maybe you should ask yourself if she did that for anyone else.”
I didn’t need to ask, I already knew the answer
. “I’m only going to say this once, though. Take a good look at me, Gage. You hated me for what I put your sister through. But from where I’m sitting, you’re doing the same thing. Maybe Camo’s like Kandace, willing to see past the bullshit to the man under it or… maybe she isn’t.” Then slapping me on the back, he heads back in too.

A half-hour later, the place was ready, and while they moved things around, bringing food back and forth, setting up the TV, I realized we were about to live together. And I was scared shitless.

What if she didn’t like me?

Gadget was spending time with his family. Watching him interact with them normally settles me, but today it didn’t. Lately, I’ve had to ask myself if my guardian detail was worth it. He doesn’t
listen; he takes unnecessary risks and every time I see him with another woman, I die a little. The truth was, if Gadget were anyone else, I would have eliminated him by now. My chest hurt just thinking about it. His handler, Pilgrim, was dirty. If the jobs he’s sending Gadget out on are an indicator, he’s trying to get him killed.

I couldn’t tell him what to do because to spite me, he does the opposite. Gadget had to come up with the idea himself; he was stubborn like that. If I could locate Pilgrim, I could put an end to this; however; the guy was a ghost. Why was his handler sending him out on bullshit jobs? And why was Gadget taking them? If I didn’t get answers soon, the only play I had left was removing the threat. Right now, the threat was Gadget. He was being tasked with killing innocents and didn’t even know it. Pilgrim had nothing without his best assassin. Rubbing my hand over my heart; I knew the answer. I couldn’t take him out because Gadget would never willingly hurt an innocent, he was a protector. That left me only one option. To draw Pilgrim out, I had to use Gadget to do it.

Using the guy I love as bait, naw… this won’t blow up in my face...

Gage was mad at me.