Page 55 of Deadly Storms (Sunrise Lake #3)

Shabina rarely looked at her messages while she was working, but with Rainier gone, she couldn’t help herself.

Just got home, Qadri. Will come to the café after I rest.

She wanted to close the café immediately and rush home to him, but she knew if he said he needed rest, he did.

So happy you’re home. Can’t wait to see you. Get sleep. ?

Raine entered, waving at her, indicating she needed to talk to her immediately.

She pointed to the corner table in the back.

Shabina hurried to take Raine’s laptop so she could concentrate on walking through the café and not worry about dropping the backpack she carried her laptop in. It was surprisingly heavy.

“You didn’t drive yourself here, did you?” Shabina asked.

“Zahra and Harlow are working. Vienna had a meeting this morning. I had to get here.” Raine settled into the chair and reached for her case.

“You should have called me, Raine. I would have gone to get you myself. I thought you had strict instructions not to drive a car.”

Raine shrugged. “This was important, and I didn’t want it to wait. The information is for your eyes only, not even one of our friends can see this.”

Shabina’s heart jumped. Rainier had come home. The assassin, Deadly Storms, must have completed his assignment. She couldn’t imagine what other information Raine would have that she couldn’t show to their friends.

“Besides, I can’t keep relying on everyone else for rides. I’m kind of losing my mind without my independence,” Raine admitted.

Tyrone hurried up to the table. “Ladies? Do you know what you want this morning?”

“I’d like my usual order, tea included,” Raine said.

“I’ll have a cup of tea as well,” Shabina added. “Thanks, Tyrone.” She slid into the chair beside Raine’s seat so she could easily see the screen on the laptop. It would be impossible for anyone else to see what Raine shared with her.

“This information came in late last night,” Raine whispered. “I have alerts on anything to do with Lefebre or the men he works with. The government of Jordan announced that four Canadian men were found killed by the elusive assassin Deadly Storms.”

“They’re really dead?”

Raine nodded. “Proof was left behind that these men went on killing sprees with Scorpion. This is the second time that men working closely with Lefebre have been accused and condemned. If the governments of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria, as well as several other countries Scorpion murdered in, all put out contracts on Scorpion and have sought proof of his identity, this will point the finger straight at Lefebre. He’ll have alibis, but they will be looking closely at him now. ”

“How do you know they’re dead? Just because an announcement is made doesn’t mean it’s true.” Shabina’s palm shaped her suddenly aching thigh muscle.

“The bodies were unmistakable proof. Each had died hard with the same wounds that covered your body. The brand of the assassin Deadly Storms was on each of their left arms. His work is distinctive, very unique. I believe that any government contracting with him to hunt down Scorpion and his men insisted he provide proof of their crimes. The US government won’t admit it, but they have used him more than once, and I believe they also have put out a contract on Scorpion and his men. ”

Shabina knew her hands were shaking so she folded them together in her lap. “No wonder he has money. If he does a job like this one, he gets paid from several different sources.” She just wanted to get home and ensure there wasn’t a scratch on him.

“No doubt he has money,” Raine confirmed. “You do realize only Lefebre and one other of the men Scorpion referred to as his cabinet are still alive.”

“Do you have any idea where those men are at the moment?”

“We think Lefebre has been playing it safe, staying in the embassy in Jordan. If he is, Owen Pelletier is most likely with him.”

“Where were these men killed?” Shabina pressed her fingertips deep into the muscle of her thigh. It ached. Throbbed painfully.

Raine hesitated before answering. “Two of them were guests of one of the prince’s sons, and they were in the palace.”

Shabina felt the color draining from her face. “He broke into the palace and killed two men, right under the noses of the guards? And won’t the prince be just a little angry?”

“That’s what I find the most interesting about Deadly Storms. He has better intel than even I can get.

Where are his sources? Who are they? And you know he must have allies to get into a heavily guarded palace with the prince in residence.

Is the prince his ally? Someone very high up is.

Maybe more than one person. Deadly Storms couldn’t possibly operate the way he does without having a ton of resources. ”

“He grew up in that country,” Shabina murmured.

Rainier had gone into a palace with fully armed guards—guards renowned to be some of the best in the world.

She knew he did dangerous work. She’d always known.

He’d come to her at her worst hour in the middle of a violent sandstorm.

Scorpion had left behind a small army of men, and Rainier had dispatched every single one of them.

“Was there evidence of the assassin being injured? Was there an incident reported?” It took every ounce of discipline she had not to text him. Not to rush home. This was going to be her life with Rainier. He would leave, and she wouldn’t know if he was coming home in one piece—or at all.

“He was in and out without a trace,” Raine assured. “That’s why he’s considered so extraordinary, and his services are sought after by several governments. He epitomizes the term ghost .” Raine slowly closed the laptop. “You need to take a deep breath. Everything is good.”

“Were you able to look into my father’s financials?” She uttered the question in a low whisper, guilt sliding over her like a familiar cloak.

“Yes. He transferred a great deal of money into the accounts of Emar Salhi and Jamal Talbi.”

“They admitted that they were working for him. I’m talking about when I was sixteen. Were you able to find out if he had contracted with Deadly Storms to kill me?” She said it aloud. Rainier had stopped short of confirming it, but she knew she was right.

“I’m so sorry,” Raine murmured. “I detest being the one to give you bad news.”

Strangely, instead of feeling abandoned and hurt by her father’s decision to terminate her life, she felt freer. That heavy cloak of constant guilt she wore lifted. “I would rather know the truth, Raine. I’m grateful I have two people in my life I can count on to give it to me when I ask for it.”

“I know what it’s like to have your family abandon you.”

“This wasn’t a decision my mother would make.

I can guarantee you without a trace of doubt that my mother has no idea.

He did it for her. Just the way he’s trying to force me to come home.

She’s upset because she doesn’t believe I’m safe.

He’ll do anything, including forcing me into a hospital to keep her from being upset.

It doesn’t make sense, but there is no room for anyone else in his world.

Not even me. She loves me, so he will do whatever it takes to get me home with her. In his mind, that’s perfectly logical.”

“How is contracting with an assassin to kill his daughter logical?” Raine asked.

Shabina shrugged. The more she knew of her father and talked about him and what he’d done, the more the weight of guilt lifted.

“I had been held for six months, and the videos going to my parents had to have been brutal to see. You’ve seen photographs of what I looked like when I came home.”

“I’ve seen the videos of the ransom demands.” Raine’s voice was tight. For the first time, she appeared emotional. “If anyone needs killing, it would be Scorpion. Your father should have put out a contract on him, not his own daughter.”

“He obviously didn’t believe I would ever be returned.

If my mother was distressed, his logic would have been if I were dead, she could eventually accept that.

If I were to guess, she probably wanted to give into Scorpion’s demand for an exchange, her for me.

Jack would never have allowed that. Viewing the videos, he probably convinced himself he was being merciful to me. ”

“I think that’s bullshit, but that’s my opinion,” Raine said.

“I’m grateful you wouldn’t hire a killer to come after me. I’ve got the FBI and Rafferty breathing down my neck, and I have a terrible feeling Deniz Kaplan wants to take me home to his mother. Then there’s Bale. Who knows what he’s going to do?”

Raine was silent as Tyrone delivered the food and drinks to the table. She smiled up at the man. “Thank you, Tyrone. I see you’re wearing a new ring.”

Shabina was shocked that she hadn’t noticed. “Did you and Vaughn go to the courthouse? Did you? I’m going to strangle you both if you did and then didn’t even let me throw you two a reception.”

Tyrone’s smile grew wider, his teeth flashing white with his boyish grin. “Vaughn said if you knew, you’d insist on throwing a party for us.”

“Well, now I know. You tell that knothead husband of yours that he’s in so much trouble. And I am going to throw a party. We need to celebrate every chance we get.”

Raine nodded. “I agree totally with that. I’ll help too.”

The grin faded from Tyrone’s face. For a moment he looked as if he might be choked up. He shook his head. “I have my brother, but Vaughn’s family is totally against our marriage. They refuse to speak to Vaughn. No one will come.”

“Vaughn and you have a family in us, Tyrone,” Shabina corrected. “And I know Vaughn has a sister, who will be so happy for the two of you. His parents aren’t there yet, but they’ll come around.”

Raine smiled up at him. “We have a bit of an odd family, Tyrone. We all come from different backgrounds and have had difficulties in our lives, but we’re choosing to make our friends our family. You and Vaughn are part of that.”