Cliff couldn’t answer, unable to form the right words, but launched himself out of the chair, leaving it spinning in his wake. Glancing over his shoulder, Cliff watched as Dylan leaned closer toward the screen, reading the name on the list. His friend’s back straightened in alarm as the information sank in.
“No. No fucking way.”
“What? What is it?” Alexis’ startled voice rang around the room as Cliff hauled her out of her chair, lifting her arm in the process.
He knew that the scar looked familiar, but now that he had more information on her father, he knew precisely why he’d branded his daughter. It wasn’t for a family marking as she had assumed. No, her father burned her skin for future payment. He planned to use her if he was ever in deep shit.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Cliff repeated as he held her arm in the air, her pink scarring visible just over the stitching of her dress. “Dylan, look.” As his friend moved to get a closer look, Cliff explained, “It is her symbol, just upside down.”
“Harposia,” they say in unison.
“Son of a bitch, that demonic woman tried to kill my wife.” Dylan’s hands thrusted through his short hair.
“Harposia?” Alexis inquired. “The same Harposia I helped move into a maximum-security prison?”
“One in the same,” Cliff said through gritted teeth as he relaxed her arm back down at her side. Harposia was known in many criminal circles. With the face of a grandmother, that woman could bring world leaders to their knees. And she had, numerous times. There was no telling how many small countries and rulers gain their weapons and drugs from her businesses. She was a nasty woman that always got what she wanted.
“And you think my father works with her? There is no way. We infiltrated her entire system,” Alexis explained, the octaves of her voice rising in panic.
“Leaders like Harposia never show all of their cards. They have their fingers in multiple side groups with multiple upper management. You have to think of her as the head of a major international corporation; even if you dismantle one branch the rest will still flourish. Someone like Harposia will have her business running for decades,” Dylan explained, his words clipped and filled with anger.
Alexis curled her good arm across her chest, almost as if shielding herself. “So, what you’re saying is, that I’ll never be safe. Someone somewhere will always have a hit out on my head.”
The growl came quickly, reverberating from deep in his chest as he bellowed, “No.”
Alexis pinned him with a stare he’d never seen from her before and if he were in any other situation, he might get a bit turned on by her dominance. Unfortunately, he was too unsettled to take pleasure in her change of mood.
“I don’t think you get a say in this,” she stated.
Cliff approached her until he stood only a few inches away, the top of her head grazing his chin, causing her to look up at him. “I get every say in this. I agreed to protect you and I will do so with my life. Do you understand?” he harshly whispered, each word enunciated as if it
would be his last.
The worry about the bounty on Alexis sent shivers down his spine. Her father was using her to make a statement and proving to Harposia that he could tie up loose ends. And by selling her to the highest bidder, he’s ensuring that he got money as well.
And if Cliff failed her, his life wouldn’t be worth living.
Their eyes pinned each other in place, each one waiting for the other to break their stare, but this was a game Cliff was all too familiar with. The technique of intimidation weighed in his favor.
A cough sounded from behind them and they pulled their gazes away. “Not to intrude, but I need to go get in touch with the local FBI branch and let them know what’s going on,” Dylan began, but Cliff immediately shot him down. “No. We don’t want there to be any knowledge of Alexis being here. None. There is no doubt a mole somewhere working under Harposia’s payroll. She’s powerful, Dylan, you know this. Reach out to Heath and let him get some intel under the radar. He can play it off as an investigation on his team’s mission.”
“And what do you suggest we do in the meantime? Wait like sitting ducks?”
“Absolutely not. We make sure Lev’s picture is seen by everyone in the town. We use the town chat and the Lady Busy Bees to our advantage to share information. You know that nothing in this town was kept quiet.
“Lev could strike one day from now, or one month, there isn’t much information on his MO, but we know he’s going to want to get rid of the situation sooner rather than later, especially if he is afraid of word getting back to Harposia. She may be in jail, but she is certainly fed information.”
Chiming in, Alexis asked, “And what am I going to do?”
Smirking at the feisty woman, Cliff said, “You’re going to rest up and get ready for the biggest fight of your life.”
***
God, it was so hot, Alexis thought to herself as she rolled over again, wincing as she put too much pressure on her shoulder. Logan had said earlier that she was healing well, and after a few more days and some shoulder exercises, she would be back to normal. She had almost kissed the man; she was so thankful. Alexis had been more than ready to get a gun in her hand and target practice. It was her favorite way to relieve stress, and after everything she learned that evening, she needed to get her head on straight sooner rather than later.
Flipping around to rest on her back again, Alexis huffed as she stared up at the ceiling. Even in the mountains of North Carolina, it could be sweltering at night. Cliff explained that he had central air installed in the cabin, but as a precaution wanted to leave it turned off so that he could hear better. Alexis understood, she really did, but damn it was so freaking hot she was certain she had soaked through the mattress.
An idea formulated in the back of her mind, a dip in the lake would be a dream in this heat. She wondered if she could get Cliff to join her; even in the darkness Alexis was sure she’d be able to make out every hard muscle of his body.