His suit jacket strains against his shoulders as he leans against the doorframe. I won’t look at his face. I won’t give him that satisfaction of seeing me at my worst. I know he enjoys it too much.
“I need you to behave, Savannah.”
“And I need to not be chained to the wall,” I mutter darkly.
“Do you how long I have been watching you?”
A shiver races across my skin. I’ve been wanting to know this answer for so long now, but I’m also nervous to know the truth.
“Remember when you and Lynn were visiting friends in Texas? You had on a light blue dress with yellow heels. Your hair was swept up on one side, and you had these dangly earrings that sparkled from the streetlamps.”
He pauses a moment while I break out in a sweat. That was over two years ago!
“I was there having dinner with a client, and your laugh pulled my attention away. You scribbled something on one of those paper wishing lanterns and kissed the side of it before you pushed it into the water and watched as it floated away.”
A tear slips down my cheek. That was such an intimate moment between my mother and me, and now it has been tainted by his story.
“I followed you all the way back to your hotel, and I paid a staff member off and gained all your personal information.”
I jam my hands between my knees to stop the shaking.
“I watched for a year, and just when I went to make my move, you vanished.” He pushes to his feet, and I press my back into the cold wall. “Again, Savannah, everyone has a price. So here we are, right where we should be. You can either run your mouth and fight me or understand that this day was coming whether you wanted it or not.” He starts to leave but stops. “Your choice.”
I can hear his footsteps as he heavily descends the steps. I lose all self-control, tucking myself into a ball, and pour my pain out through my tears.
I. Am. Done.
Cole
Cole shimmies himself to the edge of the roof, raising the binoculars and trying to get a visual on his target. The Red Door market is busy, so it’s perfect for his men to blend in with the rest of the locals. Frank’s Eagle Eye team of four is on the ground, while Blackstone is established on the rooftops. John and Paul have the entrance. Keith and Daniel have the exit, and Cole and Mark have the center.
He slides a fresh piece of cinnamon gum in his mouth as he scans the crowds. It isn’t easy looking for someone they’ve never met before. Mike worked his magic with his contacts, and they finally came up with a name, Tim Powers. His father is heavily involved with the Cartel.Of course.There was even some talk thatTimkilled his own wife after his son was born. Nice…not exactly the boy next door type. Cole glances down at the picture, studying Tim’s tattoos. Most of them represent prison gangs. He has an angel on his neck and three sixes along his collarbone.
“Blackbird One to Raven One,” his father’s voice cracks over the radio.
“Go ahead, Blackbird.” Cole raises his binoculars and scans the crowd.
“I have a visual on our subject entering from the west gate and heading toward you. Cream shirt, black hat, black pants.”
“Copy that, Blackbird.”
“Eagle Eye Two to Raven One. I also confirm visual on our subject. He’s heading my way,” one of Frank’s team members adds to the radio waves.
Cole clicks his radio. “Copy that, stay in position. We follow him from here.” After everyone confirms their visual on the target, they hold tight and watch his every movement, studying his mannerisms and surveying the crowd to see if he’s alone.
They soon discover Tim travels in a group of four. They each carry two weapons in plain sight in the waist of their pants. Definitely not professionals, all smoking like chimneys, and one even polished off several beers and is now showing signs of being tired. Two of the four men look to be brothers and are more interested in playing on their phones than anything else. After three long hours of watching them, something finally seems to be happening. Tim’s back is to Cole, and he seems to be angry.
“Raven Two, are you getting this?” Cole asks Mark.
“Affirmative, the drunk is angry, saying the girl set them up, and it’s a waste having her handcuffed to a wall when she should be spread out…” Mark’s voice trails off for a moment, making Cole blink back the idea of popping a bullet into the fucker’s skull. Where the hell is she handcuffed? “Subject is yelling back, saying to go get the car.”
“Be ready to move. Fox One and Two, let’s go.” He orders Paul and John down to the SUV so they can be ready when the time comes.
Rushing to get to the car before the men get there, Daniel signals at Cole to cover him as he drops to the ground and slips a tiny tracking device onto the 1993 Honda Civic that Tim arrived in. Moments later, they’re following the low-riding car down a busy street. Mark is in the back seat, tracking the car to make sure they have a good signal in case they lose them.
They settle into what becomes a long drive. An older couple who seems to be on a Sunday drive, as well as two other cars, are between them and the Honda, so it’s an easy job to tail them without being obvious. Finally, after about two hours, the Honda pulls into a small driveway of a rundown home.
“Mijo!” An elderly lady comes hurrying out, kissing one of the brothers on the cheek and slapping the other upside his head.