The Talented Mr. Rivers (7 page)

“You weren't in the tunnel because I was.”

“You were in one of them.” Will swallowed a yawn. “Mine was family only, but Ed and Donald followed me in. Gatt showed up but disappeared after telling me about Stacia.”

Hunter had worked at the Rivers estate and gathered information on all of the players. When possible, took secret photos of the men and women who roamed the grounds. He'd made it his business to know names and faces, and neither Ed nor Gatt was familiar to him. That made them all the more mysterious and crucial to figuring out what was happening with Peter and the future of Pentasus.

Those two had popped up out of nowhere for a specific reason. Hunter was suddenly very interested in finding out what that was. “Gatt never showed up again?”

“Peter set up the apartment I was in. We were supposed to meet there in case of an emergency. He never showed up. Ed and Donald did, but no Gatt.”

“Then you waited it out until you went to the club last night.”

“To see you. That was the only reason. I figured if you were around, you'd show up.” Will spun around and leaned against the pillows again. “Then we got attacked and ran, and Ed and Donald are gone. Thanks for helping to lose them, by the way.”

Hunter also refused to be derailed by Will's lighter tone or his words. He blocked the thoughts about Will taking a risk just to see him. Blocked them for now. “Why is that a good thing?”

“You ever get a sense that something is not right? That you have part of the story but the other part is seriously not good? That's the vibe Ed gave off. He claimed he worked for Peter but I don't remember him being with Peter.”

“Maybe he really worked for Stacia.” That was the only thing that made sense in Hunter's mind. Who the hell knew in that family? They played games over even the most mundane things.

“Possibly. As you've pointed out, Peter and Stacia took sides. They forced others to do the same. I could never tell who was spying or double-crossing whom, but Ed knew about the safe house Peter had set up. That's how I tested him and he passed.”

“You need to get away from all of them.” Hunter didn't even want to give Will a choice on this point. The idea of him getting wrapped up in the family business and becoming Peter's main target made Hunter's head pound. That would not fucking happen.

“That's the plan, yes.”

“And you can forget the part of your scheme where you sneak out and leave me behind.” Hunter didn't have to ask because he knew. He could sense the plotting and the assessing. It thrummed off Will.

“Why?”

“It's not safe.” And it went against his BND orders, or the CIA orders…whoever was in charge these days.

But that wasn't really why Hunter hated the fucking plan so much. The idea of being apart, of Will being on the run and living a life somewhere without them ever seeing each other again, rubbed Hunter raw.

Not that he could admit that. Hell, he'd already been too open about his feelings, messed up as they were. With Will he had this open wound. This constant source of potential debilitating pain. And he despised the vulnerability.

All of the amusement drained from Will's face. “I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet, but I'm not going to be a Rivers anymore.”

That was the real shot to the stomach. Hunter worried about losing Will and what his future plans might be, but there were no real choices here. Pain and disappointment were inevitable. Will was supposed to be nothing more than a mission. The CIA and BND intended to use him. Suck him dry of all the intel, then likely abandon him.

Even if he did get away, and maybe Hunter would even let him do it once he got the information he needed, nothing would ever be the same. Will would know, at least on some level, that Hunter was the one who'd flipped his life upside down.

Hunter fought to keep his voice steady. “I wonder what the deciding factor will be.”

“Good question.”

When Hunter left the next afternoon for supplies, Will suspected a trap. Hunter had delivered his usual
do-not-leave-or-else
threat before stepping into the hall and locking the door behind him. Will pretended to listen but had no intention of actually doing it. After a lifetime in the Rivers family stronghold, Will was done with blindly obeying or going along only because it sounded better than getting shot.

And he needed to go outside. Fresh air would be good. Walking around in more than a guarded small space proved hard to resist. But the real reason it had to be right now was that Ed stood across the street.

Will spotted him five minutes after Hunter left the apartment. Leaning against a wall of fruit. Right next to the stand holding all the oranges. Ed didn't bother with subtlety. He kept staring up at the apartment. Never flinched or looked away when they made eye contact.

Will had no idea how the man found them, but Ed wanted his attention, and Will intended to give it to him. He released the lock and looked up and down the empty hallway. When no one jumped out and Hunter didn't come racing in, Will kept moving. Slid down the long hall, pausing before each apartment door. When the path appeared clear, he took off for the staircase. Wound down as his sneakers thudded against each step.

Just as he got to the last landing, someone started up the staircase from below. Came barreling through, head down and quiet. Will shifted to the side, plastered his back against the wall, but it wasn't enough. The body rammed into Will's stomach. The blow vibrated through his entire body.

One second he was on his feet. The next, doubled over. Another shot had him crashing into the rail next to him. Momentum drove him sideways but he regained his balance. If the attacker thought he'd go down easily, Will was happy to disappoint.

He ducked and pivoted at the same time. Nailed the attacker with a sharp double-fisted whack to the back. Right before Will could land a second hit the guy turned around. Raised his hands and stood there with his chest rising and falling on heavy breaths.

“Stop!”

Will fought back the urge to plow a fist into the guy's chin. “Ed, what the fuck?”

“Steady.”

Not in the mood to be talked to like a kid, Will kept his voice even while every muscle shook with anger. “What are you doing?”

“I was coming to talk with you.” Ed stretched, then winced as his hand went to his back. “When did you learn to fight like that?”

“From birth.” Will ignored the pain in his side as he conducted a quick look around the area above and below them. “How did you find me?”

“Your boyfriend's a talker.”

The unexpected response had Will's mind blinking out on him. “What?”

“The new guy. Hunter. Though I guess he's not new since you had him around before.” Ed rolled his shoulders back and regained every ounce of his usual control. “Either way, he's not exactly savvy about keeping his location quiet.”

That didn't make any sense. Hunter was all about secrecy and safety. They'd been together since the club except for the few times Hunter had left the apartment for food, which could mean…Hell, Will didn't know what that meant. “Explain.”

“We don't have time.” Ed grabbed Will's elbow and pulled him down the steps. Didn't talk until they were out on the street and around the corner. There Ed shoved him into the narrow space between two buildings. “You can't trust him.”

That much Will knew. He didn't trust anyone associated with his family, and right now that included Ed and, unfortunately, Hunter.

Will pulled out of Ed's grasp. Shoved him away to get a bit of breathing room between them. “Tell me why you're sneaking around and exactly how you tracked Hunter.”

“Peter is on his way.”

The verbal shots kept coming. Will tried to hide his reaction but was pretty sure he blinked that time. “What?”

“He's not dead and he can't afford to let you live, not if he wants sole power over Pentasus.”

Hunter had tried to sell the same story. Peter couldn't afford competition, which Hunter insisted made Will a target. “You're supposed to work for Peter.”

“I work for Gatt. He worked with Stacia. With her dead, we work with you.” Ed's expression never changed. He remained stoic, unbending. If there was an emotion pinging around inside him, he hid it well.

Emotionless and always looking for a new strategy. That described everyone involved with his family. No one cared that Stacia was gone except for what it meant in the parrying for power and position. Will had his own combination of relief and guilt and sadness. But there was something else, too. Frustration about what might have been if the family had been different. If he'd been able to grow up around Stacia and Peter and know them before Pentasus.

But there was a bottom line for Will. No matter how people felt about Stacia or Peter, he refused to get involved in Pentasus. He certainly wasn't Stacia's successor. “I'm not hiring.”

“Listen.” Ed moved in closer again. Pitched his voice lower. “I get that you're sleeping with Hunter. I don't give a shit about that.”

The comment made Will wonder exactly what vibe he and Hunter had thrown off back at the club. “How did you—”

“Stacia saw it coming and prepared.”

“For what? What the hell are you even talking about?” No question. He'd walked right into the life he never wanted.

Ed shook his head. “None of that matters. The point is she made arrangements. Her choice to lead Pentasus in her absence was you. She laid out a contingency plan and reinforcements are coming to help you in your fight against Peter. Be ready.”

The plotting brought back so many memories. When he was younger his family had assumed he didn't listen in or didn't understand all their scheming. They would talk with him in the room. More than once he'd been outside, right there at the table, while his father and uncle talked. They'd whisper about a grand plan and danger. About the need for guards and protection. Computer systems and ways to cover their tracks, making it clear that danger lurked.

Will knew now that they had been building Pentasus. He also knew that when he'd run and told his mother all that he'd heard he'd likely set off the chain of events that led to her death. She'd become frantic right around then. He was twelve and his father would talk about his mother needing rest and pills. But when he thought she was sleeping, she'd really sneak into Will's room. She'd ramble about a secret trip and getting help from one of her bodyguards. Then she'd warn him not to tell his father. She'd even set a date—April 11. Packed bags and given him money to hide.

The day before they were supposed to leave, she fell down a flight of stairs and broke her neck. The same stairs she walked every day to her room. Even back then Will had known she'd been killed to ensure her silence. As he got older he thought about Peter and Stacia's mother, also dead. The women in his family lacked longevity.

The family's legacy consisted of a pile of dead and broken bodies and one very sick criminal enterprise—Pentasus. Through it all, the family had accumulated vast wealth but not one ounce of conscience.

That was his birthright. Stacks of money washed in blood.

“You want this to be over, but it's just beginning,” Ed said.

And this was why he had to leave. Will didn't care about the timing, but he needed to literally vanish. “No, it's over.”

Anger pounded off Ed. It showed in the sudden stiffness of his muscles and flat line of his mouth. “Not even close.”

“So, you're the messenger? For what exactly?” Despite what Ed said, Will still wasn't sure what side Ed played on or who the players in this sick game even were.

“I'm here to protect you.”

No fucking thank you
. “I have a bodyguard.”

One word and Will's mind flipped to Hunter. Tall, blond, and brooding. When he eased up on his control, he was almost a different man. A lightness crept in. Back before the explosion Will would catch Hunter staring. See the appreciation. The hunger. But since they'd met up again, Hunter had changed. Unrelenting fury seemed to fuel him. He wanted to have sex and he hated that he wanted it.

Will didn't understand what was going on in Hunter's head and sensed he'd never break through the barriers and find out. That meant enjoying the sex while it lasted and being prepared to stumble through whatever came next without Hunter.

“Your new boyfriend can't be trusted. Stacia knew that in the end. Peter is counting on that fact being true. On being able to use Hunter against you.” Ed stopped talking and glanced around the corner of the building before looking back at Will again. “For all I know, Hunter works for Peter.”

Will didn't want to dwell on that thought. Hell, he wasn't even convinced Peter was still alive. Where was he? “Get to your point.”

“Stacia's people will back you.” When neither of them said anything, Ed spoke again. “In the takeover attempt.”

“Yeah, I got that much. But I'm not running Pentasus.” He could pretend to be interested. Maybe that would make slipping away unscathed more practical. Will doubted it because nothing about dealing with his family had ever been easy or made sense.

Ed frowned. “Don't be an idiot. You were born to take over this position.”

“You've got the wrong Rivers sibling.” Damn, but Will wanted that to be true. He needed to be different from his siblings. “If Peter is alive, he's in charge now. He can fight Stacia's minions for all I care. Let them rip each other apart and grab all the money.”

Ed's eyes widened. “No one would forfeit that much power.”

“Watch me.”

Ed leaned in closer as people walked by on the street. “When the time comes, we'll take out Hunter. Before that, be careful. I've never had any sex worth dying for, and I doubt you have either.”

“That's debatable.” Will ignored the way Ed ran right over reality and fell back on his original message. But he couldn't ignore the demanding tone. “I thought you were supposed to work for me.”

“Yes.”

Will moved then. Turned and had Ed pinned to the wall with a hand wrapped around his throat. Tightened his fingers until Ed's jaw clenched and the muscles on his neck strained.

“Then stand the fuck down and stay away from Hunter.” That was one threat Will vowed to see through until the end.

“It's good to see you angry.” Ed visibly swallowed but didn't raise his arms. Didn't even try to break away from Will's hold. “I knew you were more than the smartass spoiled kid you pretended to be.”

“I'm more than happy to show you how ruthless I can be.”

“You are a Rivers after all.”

Will hated those words, but they served a purpose. No matter what happened next, Hunter lived. Ed needed to understand that. “You might want to remember that.”

“He'll be here and—”

Will forced his fingers to move and let go. His arm dropped to his side. “Who?”

“Reynard Gatt,” Ed said on a gasp.

That didn't mean anything to Will, except that Hunter had just asked about the same guy. Will doubted that was a coincidence. “And?”

“You just need to be ready. He will want to talk to you. Until then, we'll be watching.” Ed reached into his pocket and held out a small thin box no more than an inch square. He turned it on its side. “Hit this button if you need assistance.”

Will didn't want it. Didn't know what it really was, but he'd bet there was a tracker or GPS or something very problematic contained in it. “I can handle myself.”

“You're about to get your chance to prove that.”

Hunter waited outside the door. Stood there with his fingers tightening on the trim as he leaned in. No doorbell. No peephole. Nothing would give away his presence except for one thing. And if this was the right apartment, waiting there for a few minutes was all it would take.

He listened for footsteps. Watched for a shadow to break the light under the door. Nothing happened.

After a beat the door opened and Seth stood there. “Oh, hell.”

It had only taken three tries for him to find out where the SAD team was hiding. He knew they'd be nearby. Guessed they'd be on the floor above or below the safe house and not too many rooms away. Either that or directly across the street, and he'd started there. And of course they'd have cameras set up by the door.

It was almost too easy.

He tried to look around Seth and into the room behind him, but the guy managed to fill the doorway. Hunter decided to talk to him first. “You literally are stationed right above us.”

“You shouldn't be here.”

Hunter refused to argue about something that had already happened. “Yet I am.”

“Fine.” Seth moved back and gestured for Hunter to step inside.

“We went with the whole we-could-get-to-you-fast thing.”

Hunter knew that deep voice. His gaze skipped around the room and over the impressive array of tech equipment and stacks of what looked like bread and sandwiches and forgotten paper bags on the counter in the kitchen area. Stopped on the guy sitting at the desk with his hands still hovering over a keyboard. “Zach.”

Zachary Allen. Tall, lean, with dark hair and bright green eyes. Sexy as hell and a fucking wild man in bed. Hunter knew all about Zach because they'd spent some time together after a particularly rough assignment that threw them together, Zach from the CIA and him with the BND. The nights had been about release and burning off adrenaline. Neither had looked for more and they went their separate ways. Nothing lingered except a few decent memories.

Now Zach was with Fisher.
Really
with him. Hunter didn't quite get the attraction because Fisher could be a dick, but he did know those two had something. Whatever it was flashed like a warning sign. Hunter had watched them fight for each other, risk everything. Lose their common sense and focus.