“Yes, you do. She told you as much. I know she did. You just have to figure it out. Your woman is smart, Lorenzo. She believes in you. Don’t give up on her now, because if you do, you might as well put this bullet in your head.” He said, throwing the bullet at me. Reaching up, I caught it as he walked out of the room.
The long brass bullet had a bit of weight to it and when I really looked at it, I saw my name engraved on it.
Not Reaper’s as I thought...but mine.
Sitting up, I looked at the door he just walked through, then back at the bullet in my hands. He marked me for death. He wanted to kill me because I helped save him that day. I remembered what Reggie said. That anyone who was involved would be marked.
He could have killed me.
Instead, he gave me my own bullet.
The weight of what it meant wasn’t lost on me.
He was giving me an option.
To do the right thing or put my own bullet in my head, because a life without Donatella wasn’t worth living.
He knew that.
Now I knew it too.
He was right.
As long as I had breath in my body, I would never stop looking for her. No matter where she was, I would never give up. She trusted me when no one else did. She believed in me.
Now it was my time to believe in her.
Getting up, I found clothes on a nearby table. Dressing quickly, I tried to ignore all the aches and pains I had. Leaving the room, I went in search of the rest of them, when I heard Gideon's voice say, “The extraction team will be there in five hours.”
There were five men and a woman I never saw before all sitting at a large table, surrounding a phone. A few looked familiar and if it wasn’t for Bullseye sitting in the corner, I wouldn’t know what to think. The only one missing was Gideon, which I quickly figured was on the phone. “Jonathon Savage is with his team and he has assured me that by the time you all arrive everything will be set up. Any word on Nico?”
The one called Merc spotted me and said, “He’s still in surgery but Doc is saying he will recover.”
“Good.
“What about security protocols?”
“The island is completely off the world radar. The only way in or out is by plane. It’s completely self-sustainable. Anything and everything you could possibly need is already there. I’ve been preparing for this moment for years. I’ve left nothing to chance. The island is fully staffed and everyone there has been vetted specifically by me and Jonathon Savage. If you need something and it isn’t there, let Griffin know and he will get it for you.”
Taking a seat at the table, no one said anything to me.
“Now, as for the young lady.”
“She isn’t going anywhere,” Merc growled.
“I agree,” Gideon quickly said, then asked. “But before she gets on that plane, I need answers. So, tell me Reagan Jessop, what were you really doing in Guatemala?”
The woman sitting next to Merc flinched. Everyone stopped moving and looked at the pretty girl. She was young. She couldn’t be more than twenty. She looked like a young schoolgirl with her glasses and hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was a tiny thing but I could see the knowledge in her eyes. She reminded me a lot of my Donatella. When Merc turned to look at her, she smirked. “Don’t look at me that way Hannibal. It’s creepy.”
“Jessop?” Merc questioned, as the rest of the men around the table snapped to attention, even Bullseye, who slowly stood. Whatever was going on, the men around me didn’t seem happy with what they heard. I had no clue myself. All I wanted to know was where my own woman was. She needed me and whatever these men seemed worried about, could wait. I didn’t care. I wanted my woman back.
“Got a problem with my name. Take it up with my parents.”
“Reagan Jessop, born May 27, 2001, at Balboa Naval Hospital, in San Diego, California to Patricia and Brian Jessop. That’s Colonel Brian John Jessop to be exact. Your team’s former commanding officer.”
“Fuck,” Merc sighed, getting to his feet and was about to say something when I interrupted. “Sorry to interfere with whatever reunion you all have going on but unless it helps me find my woman, then I don’t give a shit. Family reunion can wait. My woman can’t.”
“The Italian is right, Merc,” a muscular man said, turning to me. “I’m Declan. John Declan but you can call me Declan, Bravo leader and former USMC. That brooding bomb over there is Jason ‘Merc’ Collins, Alpha leader and former Captain, USN. That lazy bastard over there is Phillip Jonas, designation Charlie and former Warrant Officer, ARMY.”