Page 22 of Justified Lies (TFH Team Bravo #3)

Twelve

Eden walked down the hallway to Ian’s apartment. The area was quiet as most of the people in the condo were probably at work. She knew there was only one other person who lived on this floor because Ian liked his privacy.

As she neared the door, it struck her how odd it was that this had happened during the day, but, then again, it made sense in a way.

She was at a safe house at night. There would be no way to get her away from there without her protection detail.

If this were David Scott, it made a lot of sense.

He had been a talented spy, according to her mother and father.

He would make sure that no detail was overlooked.

At this moment, she wasn’t even sure Ian was still alive.

Eden knew it was a little reckless not to get proof of life, but she couldn’t have done that without looking suspicious.

She had made sure to look into the camera when she left.

She’d left her phone on for as long as he had let her.

The oversight was intentional, but Eden didn’t know what it was about.

More mind games. David Scott had always been a man who thrived on them.

She just hoped that she would be able to deal with whatever happened and that she could hold off the kidnapper until Kap and TFH arrived.

Her fear climbed with each step, leaving her almost breathless. She couldn’t give in to that because she knew what she had to do. Maybe it would be like when El had been taken. Then, the kidnappers had been inept. She knew she had surprised them thanks to Sam’s help.

She hesitated at the door, regret holding her still for a moment. Why hadn’t she told Kap she loved him? She knew with every fiber of her being that she would probably love him until the day she died. He might never find out if she fucked this up.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she tried the doorknob and wasn’t surprised when it turned easily. With a deep breath, Eden opened the door and stepped inside Ian’s apartment.

As they neared the apartment building, the sirens went silent.

Kap’s gut was tight with anxiety. He had done more than his fair share of rescues from kidnappers.

He had worked with a K his whole expression reeked of irritation. “Why? That’s such a boring discussion.”

It took everything in her power not to scream at him. She just hoped that Kap and TFH had picked up on her location, or at least where she had been headed. Holding out until they showed up was key.

But she knew this man. Maybe not as well as she thought she had, but she did know his need for recognition. Trying her best to act nonchalant, she crossed her arms across her chest.

“Okay, don’t tell me why you’re a traitor. Doesn’t really matter in the end.”

His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”

“You could kill me and Ian, but everyone will know.”

He snorted. “Doesn’t matter with the amount of money I have. I’m disappearing after this.”

“Oh, are you? Interesting. I mean, I get that you would want to hide since you’re a traitor.”

“I am not a traitor!”

“You killed agents. You are a traitor.” Yeah, she was poking the bear, but she wanted him mad and distracted. If he were a true sociopath, she knew that it would take a lot to rock his foundation, at least at the moment. Many of them preferred to be in control of the situation.

“You always did have your mother’s mouth on you. Maybe if she had learned to control it, I would have married her.”

She threw her head back and laughed. Nothing was amusing in this conversation, but she needed to keep him engaged. The idea that her mother would ever have married this asshole was actually funny. From what her parents had told her, it was her mother who had proposed, not her father.

“Shut up,” he said.

Eden stopped laughing, but she didn’t hide her amusement. “You think my mother would have anything to do with you? Not when she could have a man like my father.”

“She wanted his money. I didn’t have anything other than my regular pay. Your mother is a gold digger.”

“Funny that their marriage has lasted over thirty years.”

He blinked.

“Oh, you didn’t think about that, did you? Is that why you were killing agents? Because a woman hurt your little man feelings?”

“Shut it.” Spittle flew from his mouth. He was solely concentrating on her now, and that’s the way she wanted it. “I didn’t just kill for the fun of it.”

“No?”

“No.” His lips curved up into a smile that chilled her blood. “I got fucking rich doing it.”

The hits. He had sold out his fellow agents for the money.

But there was something else in his voice.

His need for power was dripping from every word, and she was betting on that to help her distract him until TFH could get here.

Still, she read the implication in his eyes that now looked crazed.

Was he really crazy, or was she imagining it?

“I get that. You’re a traitor and a whore for money.”

He moved closer to the window, closer to her and Ian. It also made it harder for him to see down the hallway.

“I guess it takes one to know one.”

She would have laughed at his idiotic taunt. Instead, she cocked her head as she studied him. “How so?”

“That NCIS agent, Hanson. You were crazy about him.”

“Oh, so you being paid to kill your fellow agents because some girl rejected you years ago is the same as a consensual relationship? You really have lost your mind.”

“He never told you he was an asset?”

They had managed to get inside the apartment with the help of the management. He heard someone talking in what he assumed was the bedroom. El was behind him, along with the rest of TFH. Somewhere, standing guard in the hallway outside and in the stairwell. They had all their bases covered.

He got close enough to hear a man talking.

“He never told you he was an asset?”

He was talking about Kap. He wasn’t sure how Marvin knew, but he could tell by the tone in his voice that he did. El tapped him on the shoulder. He glanced back, and El was holding up his phone. He had typed out Uncle Marv on a note app.

Kap nodded in acknowledgement.

“More lies,” Eden said, her voice strong. “I’m wondering now if you can even tell the truth.”

He fucking loved that woman. He knew she wasn’t stupid, so she had to be worried about what Marv was going to do to her. But she didn’t show it. Even though Kap couldn’t see her, he knew she was standing with her spine straight and her gaze direct.

“How do you think he got approval so fast?”

Approval? He would have to ask about that later.

“He was an NCIS agent with top security clearance and a proven track record.” There was a beat of silence. “I’m assuming you started to kill for the money, but we weren’t the only ones who had hits taken out on us. I’m also assuming it was our connection to the CIA. Being legacies?”

“Always getting ahead without much work.” Marv spat out the words, violence dripping from every syllable. This man had a grudge and a chip on his shoulder the size of the Diamond Head crater.

“There was one thing different about El and me. We were more assets, not agents. So our attempted murder was personal.”

Again, silence filled the room.

“Oh, come on, Uncle Marv. You wanted any reminder of our mother’s rejection to be extinguished.”

“Like I said, you always did have a nasty mouth.”

She might not have heard it, but what Kap heard in the other man’s voice chilled his blood. He inched closer, keeping his chest tight against the wall. It would be the easiest way to see what was going on in that room. He couldn’t look behind him, hoping that El kept his calm.

“Well, Marv, I say this with all due respect, fuck off.”

Kap got a look at the other man’s face. It was mottled with rage, his hand fairly shaking with it.

He knew from the look in his eyes that he was going to shoot Eden.

Fear shot through him as he rushed forward in the direction of her voice.

He tackled her just as the gun went off.

He felt a white-hot sting hit him on his side just as they fell to the floor.

“No!” Marv screamed as he pointed the gun at both him and Eden. She was pushing against him, trying to get him off of her, but he refused to budge.

“Drop it, Marv,” El ordered.

“Fucking Carlyles,” Marv said. But before he could shoot again, two shots rang out.

He heard someone fall to the ground. Kap lifted his head and found Ian holding a gun, even with his hands still zip-tied, and El keeping his weapon trained on Marv as he moved forward.

He kicked the gun away from their old boss, even though Kap knew the man was dead.

There were two shots in his chest. No one could survive that or the blood loss he was going through.

“Let me up, Kap.”

He rolled off her, so she could see what was going on. When he rose, he felt another sting. Fucker got him with that shot, hitting his side. It didn’t feel too bad.

“Is everyone all right?”

That was Adam striding into the room. Their earpieces were buzzing with a demand for answers.

“Yeah,” he said as nausea rose up.

He heard everyone start talking at once, but he couldn’t concentrate on anything. There was more buzzing, and it had nothing to do with his earpiece. Instead, he felt as if his head was swimming and the entire room was spinning. El and Eden helped Ian up, then she turned back to him.

He smiled…or he thought he did.

“Kap?” Worry filled her voice as her eyes widened with alarm. She rushed forward as he felt his knees give way.

Stumbling, he fell toward her. She caught him and tried to keep him upright.

“El, I need help.”

“Shit,” El said, running over. The twins laid Kap down, and that’s when he felt the dampness on his back.

Why was he so weak? Why was the world seemingly going dark?”

“Kapone, do not do this! Do you hear me?”

He lifted his hand to her face. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him. Always would be. Like now, when she was crying and a blubbering mess, she should look horrible, but she was still stunning.

He opened his mouth to say something, to tell her she was beautiful, but he couldn’t seem to talk.

“There is so much blood. Why is there blood?” Hysteria edged her voice up another octave.

“Hey, everything is okay, babe,” he said, finally able to speak.

“Stop talking. Save your strength. Get the fucking EMTs up here now!”

He smiled. “I love you.”

Her eyes widened, and a fresh set of tears filled them. “Don’t say things like that in that voice. You will be okay.”

He felt his smile fade as the entire world around him went dark.