Page 40 of Storm and Tempest

“Revenge isn’t going to satisfy you. It won’t get you your life back. And you know that because you’re building a life, and it has nothing to do with what he did to you.”

“Maybe not, but it’ll feel good when I kill him for it.”

Jax could argue with that, but not right now. The tone in Bruce’s voice made him hold off. The guy didn’t sound angry. He sounded resigned. “We could hand him over to the government with evidence he was selling secrets to enemies of the United States. Do you have any evidence?”

“I’d like to see his face when they slap cuffs on him, but I have no proof. It’s all hearsay.”

“Did he build that company from the ground up?”

“Sure did,” Bruce said. “Since he got back.”

“Why don’t we take it apart. Give all his money to kids’ nonprofits.”

Bruce chuckled. “That would also be satisfying.”

“Revenge doesn’t have to involve bloodshed.” Jax watched his boss, who was currently moving into Jax’s office and undermining his role at the FBI, laugh at something Samuel Chistane said. “Sometimes it’s better with a careful plan that ends up with their life in pieces and you walking away still a whole person.”

“Remind me not to underestimate you.”

Jax smiled. It wasDominatuswho needed to watch out, because he was coming for Kenna, and then he was coming for them. Forget what Ramon had said about walking away and living a quiet life.

Right now, he wanted to burn it all down.

Chapter Twelve

“Where is he going now?” Jax shook his head.

They’d followed Samuel from the lunch with Hadley to a local community park where he was now wandering the network of paths between wide stretches of grass where people played ultimate Frisbee or tossed footballs. The whole place had been manicured to within an inch of its life, but kids on the playground and splash pad seemed happy enough with the setup.

Bruce huffed beside him. “Clandestine meeting?”

“Or he knows we’re following him and he’s stringing us along.” Jax hung back. “Going for a stroll to clear his head.”

Between his federally ingrained skills and Bruce’s former life as a spy, Samuel Chistane shouldn’t know they were behind him. Except for the fact he was from the same line of work as Bruce—and maybe he’d never left. After all, he could still be working for whoever wanted to pay off his debts.

Jax palmed his phone and dialed Maizie. As soon as she picked up, he said, “Everything good?”

“Yeah,” she said on a sigh, sounding tired—or something else he couldn’t figure out. Had she been crying? “Ramon dropped off the laptop, so I’ve got a program going through the files,indexing everything. Local police are looking for gangbangers who shot up a restaurant yesterday morning. There’s nothing in any of the reports about you being a fed, and the footage from inside the place was lost. The police never got their hands on it.”

“Any fatalities?” Jax scratched his nose under his sunglasses, keeping an eye on both Bruce and Samuel—and the two dogs playing on the grass to his right.

“A few of the customers in the restaurant had bumps and bruises. A guy with a preexisting heart condition was taken to the hospital, but it was just to check him over. He’s already been discharged.”

“Thanks, Maze.” That matched his hunch. “Did you get much sleep last night?”

“A little. I’m going to talk to Elizabeth later. We have an appointment scheduled.”

“Good. Keep yourself safe, yeah?” He meant that in all ways.

“You, too.” She hung up.

He’d be surprised if there turned out to be anything on Elliot Adams’ computer. Seemed more like he was an innocent bystander in all this, but it never hurt to be careful.

Up ahead, Samuel took a path that disappeared into the trees. A shaded running trail that would likely be popular in the afternoon heat.

Jax glanced at Bruce. “You good?”

The older man wiped sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. “Been in hotter places than this.”