Unleash Me, Vol. 2 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (19 page)

“
Explosive?
”
George said.

“
If you would please stand across the room?
”

We did, and from where we stood, I watched Tank gingerly
remove the black ribbon.
 
When it
was free of the box, he lifted his fingers under the lid, gave it a little tug,
and then pulled it off completely.

I
’
d been holding my breath the entire time, and I let it out
as quietly as possible so as not to concern Tank more than he already was for
me.
 

“
What
’
s inside?
”
I asked.

He looked into the box and frowned.
 
“
A rose
—
and
another note.
”

I crossed the lobby with George close behind.
 
“
A rose?
”
I asked.

He lifted it from the box.
 
“
A black one.
”

Death
…
.

When I spoke to Tank, I kept my voice as steady as possible.
 
“
What does the note say?
”

“
Before you answer,
”
George said,
“
tell me if you would you like some
privacy.
 
I can step into the
restroom for a moment.
 
When you
’
re
ready, tell me when to come back out.
”

“
I
’
d appreciate that, George,
”
Tank said.
 
“
Thank
you.
”

When George was gone, Tank removed the note from the
envelope.
 
It was written in the
same style as the first letter
—
clippings from newspapers and
magazines to comprise the words.
 
“
What
does it say?
”
I
asked.

“
Why don
’
t you let me and my men
—”

“
I want to know what it says.
 
I have a right to know.
”

He paused for a moment, and then, with reluctance, turned
it around so it faced me.
 
“
It
says
‘
At
least stop and smell this rose, Lisa.
 
But do it quickly, because right now, the scent of death is all over
you.
’”

CHAPTER TWELVE

As we rode the elevator to the apartment I shared with
Jennifer, I was bordering on panic, but I somehow stifled my emotions and
managed to keep them in check.
 
Panic would get me nowhere.
 
Panic is where this person
—
whoever the hell he was
—
wanted
me to be.
 
If it was at all
possible, I planned to deny him of that.
 
I planned to work through this with Tank, and discuss the options we had
in front of us to end this now.

When we stepped into the foyer, he dropped the flower box
to the floor, helped me out of my coat, and then took off his.
 
Rather than hanging them up in the
closet
—
I couldn
’
t be bothered
—
I
folded them neatly over the chair that was just inside the door.
 

“
Drink?
”
I asked.

“
Do you want one?
”

“
Oh, I think I could use one.
”

“
A Guinness would be great, but I
’
ll
do it.
 
Why don
’
t
you go into the living room and relax?
 
I
’
ll take care of it.
”

“
Let me,
”
I said with a kiss on his cheek.
 
“
You
’
ve been wonderful
tonight.
 
Have a seat in the living
room.
 
I
’
ll
join you in a second.
”

“
Are you sure?
”

“
Absolutely.
”

When I was alone in the kitchen, I sagged against a wall
and put my hands over my face.
 
I
needed to get it together
—
I needed to be strong.
 
But after tonight?
 
That was a tall order.
 

Still, I had to meet it.

I went through the motions of getting Tank his beer and
pouring it into a tall, chilled glass, only to spill some of it onto the
countertop.
 
My hands were trembling
so badly that it was ridiculous.
 
I
reached for a paper towel and cleaned up the mess, and then started to make
myself a martini.

Enjoy your last drink.

I tried to ignore the memory of those threats, but it was
difficult.
 
As I started to shake
the vodka with the ice, another reminder came.

The scent of death is all over you.

I poured the cocktail into a martini glass and felt my
heart quicken.
 
I was terrified, I
was incredulous that this was happening, and I was angry because of all of
it.
 
I didn
’
t
know what was going on, or who was behind this.
 
Was it Kevin or Marco?
 
Which one?
 
And how would we ever find out?
 
Kevin had lived two years on the streets
—
at
this point, he knew them so well that, if he wanted to, he could just disappear
within them.
 
I doubted that Tank
knew those streets as well as Kevin did.
 
Kevin slept on them.
 
When he
was high on meth, he knew exactly where to go to hide from the cops.
 
He lived there and he ate there, and
because of that, he knew them better than most did.
 

But did Tank know them as well?
 
Tank was a former SEAL and while he
likely had ideas about how to root Kevin out, there was no way that he knew the
streets of New York as well as Kevin did.
 
I loved my boyfriend with all of my heart, but neither he nor anyone
else could possibly convince me that he was as knowledgeable as Kevin was about
places to conceal himself within the maze of New York
’
s
streets and alleys.
 
Kevin was
intimate with the streets in ways that none of us
—
God
forbid
—
ever would be.
 
I felt that, because of this, we were at a disadvantage of finding him.

And what about Marco?
 
I was the key reason that Wenn let him go. If he wanted to get back at
me and was behind what took place tonight, he was too smart to get involved in
any it on his own.
 
He was too tall,
too noticeable
—
people would remember him in a hot second if they were
questioned about him, and he knew it.
 
He wouldn
’
t take such a risk.
 
And because he wouldn
’
t, he likely would have just hired
this out.

But does he really want to kill me?
  
Over a mere firing that he brought
on himself?
 

I recalled our last exchange.

“
See you
soon, Ward.
 
Don
’
t think I
’
ll forget this.
 
You
’
ll pay for it.
”

“
Is that a
threat?
”

“
Let
’
s just say that it
’
s been added to one of the
facts I listed earlier.
 
And when I
come after you, you won
’
t
see it coming.
 
But it
’
ll hurt.
”

Who knew the depth of his rage?
 
Had Alex blackballed him, as Blackwell
suggested he might?
 
I didn
’
t
know, but it would be easy enough to find out.
 
Had Boss found a new job yet?
 
Again, simple to find out.
 
But if he hadn
’
t,
he had the motive to be at the root of this.

I took our drinks into the living room.
 
Tank was sitting on the far end of one
of the sofas.
 
He had removed his
jacket and tie and had placed them on the sofa opposite him.
 
I walked over to him.
 
He looked at me with concern when I
handed him his beer and sat next to him.
 

I lifted my martini to him and took a sip.
 
“
Here
’
s to my survival,
”
I said.

“
Lisa
—”

I put my drink down on the coffee table.
 
“
You know it
’
s
in my nature to make stupid jokes in situations such as this.
 
It
’
s just who I am.
 
My humor
—
as
dark as it can be
—
actually helps to keep me sane.
 
I can
’
t let whoever is
behind this get the best of me, Tank.
 
I can
’
t
—
and I won
’
t.
 
What keeps going through my head is what
happened to Jennifer and Alex.
 
Both
almost lost their lives.
 
Will that
happen to me?
 
It sure as hell looks
as if it might.
”

“
That was a completely different situation.
”

“
Was it?
 
I don
’
t
agree.
 
Yes, the circumstances were
different, but Kobus still tried to kill Alex, and then aggressively went after
Jennifer.
 
He nearly killed her.
 
He nearly won.
 
He came this close to taking her life
before taking his own.
”

“
Here
’
s what you don
’
t
know,
”
he said.

“
There
’
s something I don
’
t
know?
”

“
I
’
m already working on Kevin.
”

“
How?
 
When?
 
Why haven
’
t you told me this?
”

“
Because so far, it
’
s been minor compared to what I
’
m
putting in place tomorrow.
”

“
What does that mean?
”

“
I have two men undercover in Times Square looking to score
meth.
 
They
’
re
doing it right now.
 
And here
’
s
how they
’
re playing it
—
they
’
ve heard of someone
named Kevin, who can potentially hook them up with what they
’
re
seeking.
 
They need a fix, they
’
re
asking around for a guy named Kevin, and they
’
re offering to pay
someone to make the introduction.
 
If Kevin is as entrenched in Times Square and the vicinity as we think
he is, this is one way to get to him.
 
After spending two years on the streets, he
’
s
known there.
 
Tomorrow, I
’
ll
deploy more men on the ground
—
all of whom will look as strung out
as my other men
—
and they
’
ll use this method to find him.
 
I think we have a solid chance of
finding him.
 
I think it will happen
quickly.
”