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4

KAVANAUGH

The clock ticked in the corner as I swirled the ice in my glass, waiting for the right moment to make my move. Shadows moved throughout the room, each one taunting me with memories of my father. I was never more grateful than at this moment that my relationship with Isla didn’t work out.

The door at the back of the house opened and I turned my head slightly, recognizing the footsteps instantly. I took another drink, not bothering to pick up the gun on my thigh.

“Do you always sit alone in your house drinking whiskey?” Eli asked.

“Is there something else I should be doing?”

He took the seat across from me, his eyes flicking to the gun on my thigh. “Expecting company?”

I saw the worry in his eyes. He thought I had finally lost it and was ready to pull the trigger. Yeah, I was pissed over the situation with Isla, but I wasn’t suicidal. No woman could do that to me.

“You heard what happened to Leah.”

He gave a slight nod. “They won’t get past our security.”

“No, but they’ll come for me.”

“And what’s your plan?”

“Well, it’s not to sit around here and wait for them to make their move.”

“I don’t suppose you thought to include the rest of us in this scheme of yours.”

I smirked at him. Of course he was pissed at me. It came with the territory. “God forbid I leave you out of the fun. You know I was just trying to protect you.”

“Like I need protection. Just wait until Red hears that line of bullshit.”

“You already called him, didn’t you?”

“He’s outside right now. Kind of figured with the lights out and the depressing as fuck atmosphere that something was going down. Glad it was just you plotting.”

“And not me planning to off myself,” I grinned. “You can relax. I have no plans to ever do anything like that.”

“So, if you’re not waiting around here for them, what exactly were you planning?”

“Hit ‘em hard.”

“Just you,” he deadpanned. “Good plan. I know that’s what I would do.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance, adding to the atmosphere of the evening. It was actually the perfect cover for the night. With what I had planned, we didn’t need to wake the whole goddamn town.

I set my glass on the table and stood. “It’s time to move.”

“Now?”

“Yep.”

“And…was there a bat signal or something?”

“Nope.”

“So, you just know they’re here.”

“Yep.”

“Because you’re such a fucking genius.”

“Yep.”

“Wow, you’re really not going to tell us a damn thing, are you?”

I turned my watch to him, showing him the perimeter data that I had sent to my screen. “They’re at the border. Good enough for you?”

He rolled his eyes at me. “You could have just told me, asshole.”

“But this was so much more fun.”

I strode out the front door, down the sidewalk to the end of the street. Red joined us, giving me a slight nod.

“So, are you planning on telling us?—”

“Nope.”

“Don’t try. I already asked all the same questions,” Eli muttered. “Didn’t get a damn thing out of him.”

“So, we’re just going to follow him and hope for the best?” Red asked.

“Well, if he was going to get us killed, I wouldn’t be following him. Then again, he didn’t include us in his plans, so maybe he does plan on us getting killed. Maybe we’re going to screw everything up.”

“We’re the third wheel,” Red grunted.

“Speak for yourself. I was with him first. That makes you the third wheel.”

I pulled out my gun, checking it over as I cut across the property toward the fence line as they continued to bicker. I cracked my neck, wincing when the skin pulled. Fuck, I really hated the fact that I got hit by that fucking sniper.

I glanced at the sky and hoped the weather held for the most part. I didn’t mind a storm, but I didn’t want to get soaked while I worked.

“I’m just saying, there are only two wheels. You’re the third wheel,” Eli snapped.

“Most vehicles have four wheels,” Red argued. “That means we’re actually down a wheel.”

“But that’s not the saying. It doesn’t work that way!”

“Not to interrupt this fascinating debate, but if you keep shouting, you’ll let our friends know they have company, which would totally defeat the purpose of us sneaking up on them.”

“You’re walking right across the property. You’re not even ducking down,” Eli pointed out. “Frankly, at this point, I’m not sure stealth is a priority.”

“I have it all worked out.”

“It would be nice if we knew how you had it all worked out.”

“I just told you I did.”

“Seriously,” Red huffed. “Give us something. You knew these guys were coming for you. How? How do they know you’re alive?”

“I may have let it slip.”

“Are you fucking stupid?” Eli snapped, grabbing my arm and yanking me to a stop. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

“Because I’ve been in hiding for too fucking long. My mother has feared for her life since my father was shot.” My father. The senator. Fuck, I couldn’t believe I was calling him my father again.

“Still, you could have come to us. You could have told us.”

“And you would have told me to give you more time. That’s the same song and dance I get from Lock. Give it time. That’s all we need. Well, I’ve given it time. I waited to recover, but I won’t wait around for the other shoe to drop.”

“You don’t even know what the other shoe is,” Red pointed out.

“Exactly. I’m bringing the fight to my home turf.”

“And you should have let us in on that.”

“I’m prepared this way,” I said, stalking forward. “I laid the breadcrumbs perfectly. Trust me.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because I had Rae do it,” I grinned at Eli.

“Fuck,” Red huffed. “You told Rae, but not us? What are we? Chopped liver?”

Something rustled in the grass to the right, and all three of us pulled our weapons, ready to fire just as Fox popped up, grinning at us. “Chopped liver is actually an excellent meal. Though I can see why you wouldn’t like it. You weren’t too fond of some of the other meals I suggested. I could make you Qarta, but I doubt you’d eat it.”

“Do I want to know what that is?” Red asked, holstering his weapon.

“It’s the rectum of a horse. Don’t worry. It’s boiled first. Or pan-fried, if you prefer. It’s rather delicious with the right combination of spices.”

I tried not to picture Fox cutting out a horse’s rectum and boiling it with one of his victims, but it was hard to do. “Fox, why aren’t you in position?”

“In position?” Eli said incredulously. “You told him, but not us.”

“Whoa, no need to get feisty,” Fox chuckled. “We’re all pals. I just happen to have a certain skill set that Kavanaugh required for this particular job.”

“Yeah? And what was that?” Red asked.

“Well… I’m crazy,” Fox answered plainly.

I looked at both of them, hoping that was a good enough answer. “So, are we good?”

“Can’t really argue with that,” Eli muttered, holstering his weapon. “Though you still could have told us.”

“So, where do we stand on Qarta?” Fox asked. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had it, and I would really love to?—”

“Fox, we’re more interested in neutralizing the threat,” I snapped, continuing toward the fence line.

“Right, the baddies. Gotcha.” He shuffled ahead of us, whistling and dancing as he always did.

“Did you ever consider that maybe he’s too crazy for the job?” Red asked. “Seriously, a horse’s rectum? Who eats that shit?”

“Pun intended?”

“Not even a little.”

“The point is that we’re more likely to end up singing a show tune than killing anyone with him around,” Red pointed out.

“That’s not true. Consider all the men he’s boiled over the years. I’d say we’re in good hands.”

Red snorted. “Yeah, as long as we don’t end up on his bad side.”

“He would never boil us. We’re his friends.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Of course.” But then I thought about it. “Mostly.”

We were getting closer to the fence line now. It wouldn’t be long before these assholes would be out of my life for good.

“How can you be sure that killing these guys will remove the threat from your life?” Eli asked. “They’ll just keep coming back for you.”

“I’m going to send a message.”

“And you think that’ll get them to back off?”

I wasn’t positive it would, but I had to try. Anything else just wasn’t acceptable. “It’s time,” I whispered, getting down low and running to catch up to Fox. I knelt beside him, waiting for his signal.

We only had to wait a few minutes before he chuckled, and with a single nod, we were off.

“What was that nod?” Eli hissed.

A pained cry tore through the night just as the thunder rolled.

“What the fuck was that?” Red asked.

“That, gentlemen, is our nightly entertainment,” Fox chuckled. “It’s time to play.”

“Aw, fuck. I hate it when he says shit like that,” Eli sighed. “You could have told us. I would have stayed behind.”

“I didn’t ask you to come,” I reminded him. “You can leave at any time.”

“Yeah, but I’m already here,” he grumbled.

I glanced to my left, wondering what Red thought. “And what about you?”

“I’m in.”

We stalked across the property to where Fox set his trap, the three of us silent as Fox started getting in the mood by singing his favorite songs from West Side Story. With the storm clouds looming overhead, it almost felt like it was some kind of sign that this was meant to be.

“Shit,” Red muttered as we reached the clearing. “A bear trap?”

“That’s just the beginning.”

Three men laid on the ground, each of them caught, wriggling on the ground to escape the metal traps around their ankles. Fox strode over to them, his voice jolly as he continued singing. One by one, he tore off their masks, revealing the assassins who came for me. They were most likely nothing but hit men, but the message would be clear enough, and that was all I needed.

I stared down at them, letting the gravity of the situation wash over me. “It’s time to begin.”

* * *

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to do here,” Eli said, staring at me as I tried to get into work mode. It was difficult with him questioning every single move I made.

“I’m doing what I have to.”

“Which is?”

“Sending a message.”

Red chuckled at that. “Fox sends a message. Hell, even FNG sends a message. You’re too pretty.”

Okay, I was slightly offended by that. “Don’t let the hair fool you. I may look like a senator’s son, but I can still kick your ass.”

“I know that,” Eli muttered. “Red knows that, but whoever the fuck these guys are, they don’t give a shit. They’ll see you as fresh meat. You shouldn’t have fucking come out of hiding.”

“And just sat back to let everyone else do all the hunting for me? No thanks.”

I picked up my knife, taking a deep breath and I focused on my task.

“Seriously, let Fox do it,” Eli reiterated.

Speaking of which, Fox came sauntering over, a grin on his face as he slapped me on the back. “Man, it’s a great night to be alive. The night air is crisp. The smell of acid is in the air. Can you smell the blood boiling over an open fire?”

“Fox, stop turning Christmas songs into demented versions of…whatever the hell that is,” I snapped. “This is a job.”

“Oh, I know,” he grinned. “Which is why I’m in such a good mood. This is gonna be good. I’ve already got them pissing themselves. Man, you should have seen them when I strung them up over the acid. The big guy actually started crying. I haven’t seen anything like that in the past two years at least. God, it’s great to be back!”

I pulled out the proffered bag of Funyuns, remembering his list of demands. “As requested.”

“Ooh, Flamin’ Hot! You know what I like. This is perfect for tonight.” He popped the bag open and set the first one on his tongue, letting the spices burn into his taste buds. “Say, you didn’t happen to bring any music, did you?”

I had anticipated this. “Actually, I considered it. I weighed the pros and cons. Somehow, playing musicals didn’t seem all that threatening.”

His shoulders slumped in disappointment.

“But then I considered what the fuckers on the other end would think when they saw us happily boiling people to death while singing and dancing. If anyone is fucked up enough to do that, maybe they’ll think twice about fucking with us.”

A huge smile broke out over his face. “That’s all I’m sayin’, man! Everyone underestimates the power of the musical number. Hey, would you consider doing a dance with me? Maybe a ‘Tango de Roxanne?’ I’ll make it very sexy. Very tasteful.”

He looked so damn hopeful, but there was no way in hell I was doing a tango with him.

“That’s not gonna happen.”

“Thank fuck,” Red muttered. “And here I was, thinking this was getting weird.”

“It’s okay,” Fox nodded, his shoulders slumped as he kicked the ground. “I get it. It’s not for everyone. I mean, Scottie would have done it.”

“I’m not Scottie.”

“Right. I get it. I mean, not everyone can do the tango anyway. It’s a tough dance.”

He wasn’t going to twist his words to make me do it. “Sorry, it’s still not happening.”

“No, I know that. I wasn’t trying to get you to do something you don’t want to. I was just saying that Scottie didn’t want to do it either, but then he tried it and he was a natural. Honestly, I don’t think you would be. You’re much taller than him, and not quite as light on your feet. And really, it wouldn’t be the same.” He leaned in and whispered, “He’s been practicing his ballet moves. He wouldn’t admit that, but the last time we danced, you should have seen his pirouette. It was on point. It just wouldn’t be the same with you. I’m not really up for working with amateurs anymore.”

It shouldn’t have bothered me. Prickles shouldn’t have erupted under my skin, but they did. I found myself clenching my jaw at the blatant observation. Never in my life had I been called an amateur, and I found it really rankled me.

But I would not rise to the bait.

“Let’s get this shit over with,” I growled, sheathing my knife as I stomped toward the barrels of acid. “Is Rae ready on the other end?”

“I’m always ready,” she said from some unknown location. Her voice echoed in the dark, and I spun to find her. I hated that she could see me, but I couldn’t see her.

“It’s rude to spy on people.”

“It’s not spying. You asked me to help.”

I narrowed my eyes, looking in the trees for the cameras that I knew I wouldn’t find. “You know, I could ask you to leave. I can do this on my own.”

“Sure,” she snorted. “I’m sure you know all about laying breadcrumbs for these assholes to find the videos we’re about to upload. I’ll walk away and leave this in your capable hands.”

“Alright!” I sighed. “Fine. I get it. I can’t do this without you.”

“I know,” she said smugly.

“Are we finishing this tonight, or can I go home?” Eli asked. “Boiling people was not on my list of things to do tonight.”

“It’s always on my list of things to do,” Fox chuckled. “It’s a tension reliever. Maybe you’re not doing it right.” He strode past us to the men hanging over the barrels. “Now, do you need a few pointers before we get started?”

“Why would I need pointers?” I asked, glancing at the men. They looked absolutely petrified as the acid boiled, popping at their bare feet.

“Well, I am the expert. You haven’t exactly done this before. I want to make sure you get the right tone.”

“There’s a tone I need to use?”

Red snorted.

“Of course there’s a tone. Everyone has a style. Mine is quirky and a bit happy-slash-sadistic.”

“He means crazy,” Eli nodded.

“What will yours be?” Fox asked. “Because you have to decide that before you start. You can’t just drop them in all willy nilly. Not if you want to make these guys scared of you.”

“I think the fact that they’re hanging over vats of boiling acid is scary enough.”

Fox stared at me, then tossed his head back and guffawed. “Man, you crack me up. No, I mean the guys you’re trying to scare off. The baddies. You know, the ones we’re filming this for.”

Shit, I kinda forgot about that part. “Right, I knew that.”

“So, style is everything. Are you all mad ranger hell bent on killing and murder? Or perhaps you’re the Twizzler killer? Huh?” he grinned. “That’d be pretty cool.” Then he frowned. “Better yet, better leave that one for me. I like that.”

“Twizzler killer? Is he fucking serious?” Red muttered.

“It’s Fox. Of course he is,” I hissed.

“Maybe you should let him do this. He’s got this all mapped out in his head already,” Eli said, leaning in closer. “Besides, he’s pretty on edge. I’m not sure you’ll even get a chance to do anything. You’d be lucky if he didn’t drop you in there with them.”

He did seem a little on edge today, but it was hard to tell with Fox. He always seemed a little on edge. Did anyone ever really know when Fox was about to snap?

“So, what’ll it be, pal?”

“I think I’ll just play it serious and pissed off.”

Fox’s face fell as he took in my words. “Yeah, okay. I mean, it’s your kill. I guess we can do it that way.”

“You’ll be okay. I promise.”

He actually looked like he wanted to cry, and for a second, I thought about giving in, but sanity won out. My eyes slid closed and I went back to that day in the bar. I remembered the look on my old man’s face when he was about to tell me who was behind The Syndicate.

Shadow.

The smell of blood washed over me. The dead look in the senator’s eyes, as I held him in my arms, filled my mind. His casket sinking into the ground, and the final words I spoke to him ran through my head on repeat. The glint of the sniper rifle just before that final shot was fired that nearly took my life…

I let it all fill me up with rage, and then I opened my eyes and stared at the assassins in front of me.

I was no longer the senator’s son.

I wasn’t the happy-go-lucky guy at OPS.

I had nearly lost everything because of the men in the shadows, and it was time to send my own message.

“Oh, shit,” I heard Red mutter as I stepped forward.

I slid my knife from my sheath as a slightly sadistic grin made my lips twitch.

I finally understood it all.

The acid barrels.

The need to kill.

The songs and the Funyuns.

The throwing knives—and all the women he adopted.

Those things shaped Fox into the man he was—a fierce and loyal protector and friend. Yes, he was a crazy bastard, but he was our crazy bastard.

But as much as I appreciated his help, this was my kill—my message to send, and I would relish every second of it.

And I’d do a fucking dance with Fox at the end of it.