The Talented Mr. Rivers (14 page)

Will didn't blink. “We'll know soon enough.”

They'd just finished walking through the plan for the third time when Will asked to be able to take a stroll. Of course the answer was no, but they opened the wall between the two apartments for a little more stretching room.

Fisher followed Will around as he burned off some energy. Hunter watched every move from the far side of the main apartment, right next to the bed. Had to smile when Will told Fisher to “sod off” for the second time.

Seth walked over to stand next to Hunter. “You ready for this?”

“No.”

Why lie? The truth sucked, but it sucked for all of them. Especially for Will. The next few hours wouldn't be easy. He had to be “on” and convincing. With limited prep, he had to keep Gatt interested in an alliance and believing every word uttered. Not an easy task even for a seasoned veteran.

The whole time Hunter would be standing there, playing the role of bodyguard. In this case it would be partially real, because his duties would include keeping Will safe.

“Sometimes your honesty is off-putting,” Seth joked.

“That's a shame because it's really important to me that you like me.” Hunter made sure his voice dripped with sarcasm. “Like, I'm brokenhearted you don't.”

“I think I'm growing on you.”

“Not even a little.” Hunter was sticking to that story even if it did become less true each day.

He and Fisher continued to have problems, but those were really about more than the job and said something about how much they both admired and liked Zach. It wasn't a jealousy thing. More of an are-you-good-enough question.

But when it came to Seth, while Hunter wasn't exactly a fan, he liked most things about him. The work ethic. The dedication. The ability to both literally and figuratively move the team and get them thinking where he needed them to go.

“But I do appreciate your focus.” That was all Hunter needed to say. No reason to have Seth thinking he was the smartest man in the room when he might not be. “When I first met you…well, you're a smartass. It's annoying as hell.”

“I provide levity.”

That was one way of putting it. “If you say so.”

“I also take the work very seriously.”

“Understood.” Hunter watched Fisher and Will argue about something. Will mostly shook his head, but he wore a smile, so Hunter figured the problem wasn't all that serious.

“Do you really get this?” Seth asked.

The tone and comment had Hunter reluctantly pulling his attention away from Will to look at Seth. Not a hardship, but not where Hunter's interest lay at all. “Clearly you're trying to tell me something.”

Seth shifted so that his back faced the other apartment. “Are you sure when the guns are aimed and everyone is together, fighting for power, that Will is going to side with you?”

He'd dropped his voice to almost a whisper, so Hunter matched it. “He's going to do what we tell him.”

“Look, I want him to be the submissive type, but I'm not convinced he is.”

The word felt coded to Hunter, and not in any kind of good way. “If you're making a sex reference, I'm going to knife you right now.”

Seth rolled his eyes. “I'm saying there's rage in there. There has to be. If there's not, I'm not convinced he's human.”

That part Hunter couldn't deny. Will dealt with violence and lies. He'd only recently found out the truth about his mother. With that ruthless family, no wonder his urge to bolt rose up now and then. But right now, when they needed him to step up, he'd all but volunteered. Hunter refused to see that as anything other than a genuine offer to help.

“He's got reason to be pissed off, don't you think?” Hunter asked without completely betraying Will's confidence.

Truth was, he and the team knew an awful lot about Will's personal life. If he wanted to, and he didn't, Hunter could call up a lot of facts from memory just from the mission briefing file. Everything from grades to injuries to dating history. Lately the middle one had taken on more significance. The kid who fell down a lot likely had had help, and that made the rage inside Hunter bubble up and over.

“But at whom? That's the question.” Seth shrugged. “Which side is he on?”

“Just say whatever you're trying to say.” Though Hunter was pretty sure Seth had just said it.

“I kind of just did. The point is you have feelings for this guy.”

The defense mechanism clicked into place and the automatic answer popped out of Hunter's mouth. “It was sex.”

He failed to whisper that part. For some reason the words bounced off the walls. Both Fisher and Will turned around and looked at Hunter.

“Don't do that. Don't dismiss it.” After a quick glance over his shoulder, Seth leaned in even closer. “I mean, think it if you need to in order to survive this mission, but we both know that's bullshit.”

“I barely know you.” Hunter wasn't sure if that was true anymore, but he said it anyway.

“Wrong.” This was usually the point where Seth fell back on jokes and sarcasm. Not this time. His intensity didn't let up. “I know what fucked-up-and-can't-see-straight looks like.”

“Are you describing yourself?”

“No.” Seth's voice grew even more serious. “Because unlike the rest of you idiots, I've been smart enough not to get mixed up with someone while on case.”

The conversation had something twisting in Hunter's gut. He shifted around, trying to shake off the feeling. “Like a woman would want you anyway.”

Seth frowned hard enough for his forehead to wrinkle. “Interesting that you assume it would be a woman.”

The comment stopped Hunter cold. He searched his memory for any evidence that Seth might be gay. Not that it mattered, because it didn't. Hell, the rest of the SAD team, at least most of the members he'd met, were gay. He didn't get it. Didn't question it.

Still, it was a shock. “Wait, what are you—”

“My point is this. If it comes down to this mission or Will's life, the mission wins. It's not even a close call for me.” Seth visibly swallowed. “I will shoot him and not experience an ounce of regret.”

“No one touches him.” And that was not a practiced line. It took all of the control Hunter had not to shout the order and knock Seth into the wall and keep him there until he agreed.

Seth was already shaking his head. “If he tries to warn his brother, or if it turns out he's really just like Stacia, or whatever else could go wrong, then there's no question what happens next. There are a lot of variables here and a lot of ways he can fuck us, and I will be looking for any sign that it's happening.”

“No.” God, there was no other answer. Hunter would slice and shoot anyone who tried to end this mess another way.

“I gotta tell you, that answer is problematic.”

Hunter wanted to say
fuck you
but he sensed it was better to drop the topic and move on. They were never going to agree and he couldn't risk having Seth revise the mission to cut him out. “I hate when you talk like that.”

“And I'd hate to break you by killing him, but I will. You won't be able to pull the trigger, right?”

“Never.”

“About time you admitted that, but I need you to know that I will.”

Seth would not let it go. He had a directive and he intended to follow it. Fine, but Hunter had a vow of his own that he intended to honor. In the hopes of driving that point home, Hunter tried one more time. “He's on our side.”

“He better be.”

Hunter walked away then. He had to. Not because Seth was wrong in terms of the mission, but because he needed to touch Will. Just put a hand on him.

Ever since Will found out the truth about the BND job they'd been on this roller coaster, careening toward this big showdown. They'd talked about their fathers and family stuff. But nothing about the right now. Not one word about them.

Hunter couldn't even believe he thought in terms of
them
.

He kept going until he caught up with Will in the living room of the connecting apartment. He spared Fisher one quick glance. “Get out.”

The tone, the look—something worked because Fisher left without his usual stupid comment. That left Hunter standing in the middle of the room, staring at Will.

Will frowned. “You okay?”

No, that was the point. He wasn't okay. He was starting to wonder if he'd ever be okay again. “I don't want you to get hurt tonight.”

Will's frown eased. “You're a good bodyguard. I doubt that—”

“That's not what I mean.” He didn't know how to say what he meant. The other men buzzed around. A room away, sure, but they were still there. But the real problem was that he sucked at this. He could shoot, blow things up, and escape most traps. Feelings, emotions…what the fuck.

Will just stood there. His chest lifted on heavy breaths. “What are you trying to tell me?”

God, didn't he just know? When Will didn't say anything, Hunter guessed he didn't and pushed the words out of his mouth. “This isn't about the BND or the mission.”

Will's eyebrow lifted but he stayed quiet.

“You're making this difficult.” Hunter swore under his breath as he stared at the floor.

Then he felt it. Will's palm on the side of his face, slipping through his hair. It landed on the back of Hunter's neck and he tugged Hunter in close. “I care about you, too.”

That sentence.
“That word feels…stupid. Not enough. Something.”

“Pick another.”

No fucking way. All the other words were too big. Too scary.

But he could say the one thought that kept rolling through his mind. “I want there to be an
after
for us.”

“Ah.” Will smiled then. “The undercover agent and the criminal dynasty heir. Quite the romance.”

“Well, it sounds ridiculous when you say it like that.”

Will leaned in and kissed him. Didn't hold back. Didn't try to hide what they were doing from the other men in the room. He crossed his mouth over Hunter's again and again until Hunter grabbed his arms and held on.

A few seconds later Will lifted his head. “We'll get an after. We deserve one and we'll work for it.”

“Promise?” Hunter couldn't believe he'd asked the question. He'd never felt this open. It was as if he hovered right on the edge of a killing blow.

Will squeezed his fingers, then dropped his hand. “Trust me.”

The distant thumping of music from the club upstairs made Will's head pound. He had so much rattling around up there, so many worries about how the next hour could go wrong. He shoved them all down. Kept them to himself because he knew that if he showed any doubt about the plan, Hunter would call it all off.

Well, it was too late for that. Will paced around private room number five of the club. With its couches and thick walls, it looked more like a place for heavy-duty sex than a meeting with a killer. Or two.

Just when Will didn't think his life could get weirder, it did.

But they were on schedule. The right people had been paid and handled. He'd passed right by Ed on the way to the club. Seth had been following Ed, knew where he'd be, and directed Will right in front of him. Will handled the rest. Made eye contact.

Video equipment would capture every word and every frame. The downstairs area stayed cleared. Seth had men upstairs so the club looked like it held the usual Tuesday night crowd; Will didn't want to know who they were or where they came from. He didn't hear a sound, but then the door to the room was closed, trapping them inside. At least it felt that way.

Will glanced around the small space. Hunter leaned against the back of the couch and stared at the floor. Seth buttoned his jacket, looking every inch the not-able-to-blend-in security guard he was supposed to be tonight. Right down to the earpiece that kept Zach and Fisher in the loop even as they waited outside, capturing the comings and goings of people at the club.

“This is real simple.” Seth finished tucking and primping and whatever else he was doing. “You're here with the boyfriend and I'm playing bodyguard.”

It wasn't exactly a hard plan and they'd all insisted that he repeat it back, so Will was good on this. “Got it.”

Seth frowned. “Do you?”

The guy was just annoying. “Do you want me to show you how good a shot I am?”

Will toyed with the idea of taking the gun out. He had one tucked by his side and another by his ankle. The second one was Hunter's idea. A precaution, he said. Will didn't care. He could hit a target without trouble and in the confines of this room he wouldn't miss. But he did have one personal rule and he didn't plan to violate it—he wouldn't touch the gun unless he was prepared to use it or ready to practice with it. He hoped neither would become relevant tonight.

Seth glanced at Hunter. “Remind me why we gave him a weapon.”

Not in the mood to be talked about and around, Will answered, “Because I refused to be an unarmed target.”

Hunter finally looked up. “There you go.”

“I'm starting to see why you like him.” Some of the hardness left Seth's face. He switched from stoic and lethal back to his lighter side. “He's no pushover.”

“Why does everyone on your team assume I'm such a fucking loser?” Normally Will ignored comments like that, but with the danger closing in, he needed them to know he could take care of himself. “Is it the glasses?”

Seth shrugged. “Maybe it's because you're dating him.”

“Shut up.” Hunter scowled at Seth, then turned to Will. “I've told you before. The glasses are hot.”

“Objectively speaking, they are.” Seth smiled when Hunter and Will stared at him, but the expression faded as fast as it appeared. He glanced at his watch. “We have movement.”

The entire team was spooky when it came to knowing what was happening outside and on the other side of closed doors. Will blamed the black watches they all wore. They looked simple but clearly weren't. “What does that mean?”

“You're about to meet the man who secretly wants to kill you,” Hunter said.

If only it were that easy. Will wished there wasn't a line of people ready to claim that right. “One of them, anyway.”

“Huh.” Seth nodded. “Good point.”

When Will turned toward the door, Hunter stepped in front of him. He didn't say a word or threaten or try to coach. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around Will's neck and tugged him in close. The next second their mouths met.

The kiss burned through Will. Wiped out every doubt and reminded him about whose side he was really on.

If Hunter wanted to stake a claim, this did it. His mouth was hot and his lips firm. Will could feel the determination. Could feel a mix of something else, too. Something that had been growing between them. The only thing he knew for sure was that they needed to add more kissing to their foreplay from now on. It seemed a shame to waste that.

When Hunter lifted his head Will couldn't help but smile at his dazed expression. “Was that for luck?”

Hunter's hand dropped to his side. “Sure. Whatever.”

The poor guy looked confused. Good. Will liked Hunter best when his control faltered. Of course, now was not the time for that.

Will nodded to Seth to open the door to the hallway. Will half expected a firing squad to greet them. When the hail of bullets didn't come, Will forced his shoulders to relax. The only way through this was to play it like it was real. Make Gatt believe. Their lives literally depended on it.

Gatt waited in the hall with Ed, who stood tall and wore his usual blank expression. From the bulge that pushed out his jacket pocket just a bit, Will assumed he had another gun hidden. Probably one that matched the weapon in his hand.

Nothing subtle about that.

Then again, neither was Gatt. He stood well over six feet, wearing an expensive dark suit. Not flashy. Not overboard. Attractive, maybe forty, with dark brown hair. He had a bit of a smoldering thing about him. And dead eyes. Yeah, Will picked up on that right away. This guy wore the same expression Stacia had perfected—a smile without any warmth or one touch of genuine feeling.

Gatt nodded at Hunter and then Seth. “I see you brought two men. I only have one. I hope I don't regret the uneven playing field.”

American, or so he sounded. Will now knew that meant nothing. Everyone in this group seemed to be pretending to be something they weren't.

“Why do I think you've never come up short in that sort of battle?” In fact, Will would stake his life on it.

“Very true.” Gatt glanced at Hunter. “One of my guards does not like your man here. Apparently they had a run-in in this very club.”

“I don't care,” Will answered, drawing Gatt's attention back to him.

“That's the right attitude.” Gatt waved his hand. “We need privacy.”

This was a man accustomed to having his orders followed immediately. Will wondered how he ever pulled off the bodyguard routine. He practically dripped with entitlement. Another quality he shared with Stacia.

“Hunter stays.” Not wanting any controversy, Will glanced at the man who had nearly knocked him down a staircase a few days ago. “Ed may as well.”

Gatt nodded. “Agreed.”

With one look, Will dismissed Seth. He stepped outside but didn't look happy about it. With the door closed, they each took a position in the room. He and Gatt sat on couches opposite each other. Hunter stood beside the armrest at one end and Ed stood beside Gatt's. All in all, it might look friendly to someone glancing in, but the meeting carried the tension of a high-powered showdown.

Adrenaline zipped through Will. He had to take a few deep breaths to bring his body back under control. He crossed one leg over the other, hoping to telegraph a sense of security, even indifference. “So, I assume I call you Gatt or Reynard.”

Gatt smiled again. “And I assume you've done your research.”

Will was beginning to doubt Gatt knew why normal people smiled. “You deal in weapons and use any means necessary to get them where they need to go, providing the price is right.”

“Exactly. I'm a businessman.” He folded his hands on his lap. “You can call me Rey or Gatt, but I'm hoping we can refer to each other in another way.”

He didn't reach out to shake hands. Will didn't offer.

But he did want Gatt to get right to the point. “Meaning?”

“Your sister and I were very close.”

It was the way he said it. For the first time, there was a note in his voice. Maybe sadness. Hell, it could be boredom. But Will suspected Stacia and Gatt had indeed had some sort of connection. Twisted and fucked-up, probably built on a mutual love of killing things, but a connection nonetheless.

He took a guess. “You were sleeping together.”

“More than that.” Gatt ran a hand up and down his leg. “In her I found a like-minded partner. She was extraordinary and we were hoping to build a life together.”

“Marriage?” Will couldn't even imagine Stacia doing something as mundane as getting married. Not unless the reception's entertainment included a public hanging. The thought of her having kids was enough to send a chill spiking through him.

“Together both personally and professionally, yes.” For a second Gatt's composure slipped. “For her to be cut down like that was a waste.” He barely got the words out through clenched teeth.

“You sound like you want revenge.”

“Your brother and his weakness led to her death.” That fast, Gatt's voice returned to normal. The brief show of emotion, in this case wild fury, vanished.

“Interesting theory.” Except that it didn't make any sense. Peter hadn't killed Stacia. Never mind that she'd been the one to invite Zach into her inner circle. Doing that, she'd inadvertently welcomed the CIA into her life, and that was what had eventually ended her.

“He views Pentasus as his birthright. He never listened to her plans for expansion. Didn't believe her when she said Pentasus had been infiltrated and more protection was needed.” The soulless smile returned. “She had a vision.”

As long-winded introductions went, that one wasn't bad. Gatt had managed to sell Stacia, or the version he wanted Will to grab on to. But Will knew better. “As do you.”

“I'm hoping you do as well.” Gatt shifted in his seat and stretched an arm along the top of the couch cushion.

And there it was. The enticement. Will waded in slowly. “You understand that Peter has stepped into the void caused by Stacia's death and believes he's in charge.”

Gatt frowned as he shrugged off the concern. “That's small thinking. You are also an heir. Your sister believed you would be the one to lead by her side. With her gone, you should be the one to take over. Now is the time to rebuild and restructure.”

“With your help, I assume.” Despite all the big talk, Will was pretty clear that Gatt's grand scheme wouldn't include keeping him alive long. There wasn't any way this guy intended to share power.

Gatt nodded. “That would be my hope. Of course.”

The guy couldn't even nail down a second of believable deference. He tried and failed. Will had to fight the urge to glance up at Hunter. They'd made it this far without Hunter jumping in and Will knew that was a miracle. It also spoke to just how serious it was that they stop Gatt and grab Peter.

“What do you get out of this arrangement?” Will asked. “Other than piles of money, of course.”

“A seat at the table.” Gatt dropped his arm and sat up facing Will head-on. “I supply firepower and resources, and I help carve out a new direction for Pentasus. I'd, let's say, bring in the backbone of the organization.”

“You'd provide me with an army.” Men without conscience, all secretly beholden to Gatt and no one else. The perfect security for an already near-perfect killing machine. A very scary proposition.

“You'll need loyal foot soldiers.”

Interesting use of the word loyal
. “Bodies.”

Gatt shrugged. “Let's call them employees.”

Hunter shifted, but Will ignored it. If he wanted to end the questioning, that was too damned bad. Will only intended to take this risk once, so he'd collect as much intel as possible. “What else do you get?”

“A percentage, as you smartly pointed out. Then there's revenge. Peter out of the picture, just as Stacia wanted.” Gatt leaned forward as he counted off the benefits. “Look, I respect your family. Building Pentasus from nothing was an act of pure genius. But there are other players in the game now and the CIA is sniffing around. You can't afford to be lazy or complacent.”

The last part grabbed Will's attention. “You can eliminate the CIA threat?”

“Absolutely.”

This might be information worth knowing. “How?”

“I'll explain once we have a deal.”

Was this a test? Would someone who was really interested in taking over his family's business at any cost jump on the deal that quickly? Will doubted it.

“You are taking a lot for granted. Peter is blood, after all.” Will said that mostly because Peter had promised he'd be lurking nearby at all times. The plan to grab him and Gatt at the same time depended on that fact. Grab them both so neither would be tipped off and run. “What's to say I don't already have a deal with him? That you're not being set up as we speak?”

Ed flinched. His hand shifted and his gun came up just a bit.

In a flash Hunter stepped in front of Will. “Don't even think about it.”

Will could almost smell the impending bloodbath. To prevent Hunter from acting like a human shield, Will stood up. The move had Hunter stepping back…just as Will wanted.

“Hunter is very protective.” Will didn't sit. Not when the opportunity to show strength loomed right in front of him. “It's mutual. No matter what, he stays with me.”

Gatt smiled. “Understood.”

Will took one step. He grabbed Ed's wrist and slammed it against the wall. Hit it a second time to send the gun falling to the floor. Before Ed could get his balance Will had him pinned with a hand wrapped around his neck.

“Don't ever touch your gun in my presence again. And no one goes after Hunter but me.” Will didn't break eye contact with Ed. “If you want to work for me, you need to learn to obey.”