Unexpected Destiny (Assassins and Sweethearts Book 3) Page 8

  “I did, but maybe you should help her to sit first,” Sam said.

  Aidan turned to her but he seemed to be getting farther away. A fog floated over the room. She rubbed her forehead and, the next thing she knew, Aidan was holding her. His warm strength wrapped around her.

  “Baby, are you okay?”

  Was she? Her mouth had gone dry and her muscles seemed to have lost their ability to function. No, she wasn’t okay. The reality of her situation seemed to be mounting by the minute and if she didn’t get out of there, she’d be jeopardizing Aidan’s life too. She couldn’t process the thought of him dying because of her. Her vision turned gray and a shiver ran up her spine. “Aidan?”

  Chapter Eight

  He brushed the hair from her face. The dampness of her skin concerned him. He gave a pleading look up to the heavens and then pressed his lips to her damp forehead. She’d lost her coloring awfully fast.

  It was a crushing reminder. Liz wasn’t made for his life. He closed his eyes and rocked her. Considering walking away from her once she was safe was one thing, knowing he’d have to see it through was quite another. The fucking curse was shining bright.

  He’d bet all he had his Grandma was right about the curse, half right anyway. Even now that he’d found his one, he wasn’t going to get to keep her. He’d known all along he wouldn’t have a happy ending. The proof was sitting on his lap.

  The best he could do now was to bring her contract to a quiet end and disappear from her life. His muscles contracted. She’d walked into his life less than a day ago and somehow he couldn’t imagine a future without her in it. His heart hurt, but he prayed he’d always sense her hold on him.

  “Elizabeth,” he whispered in her ear.

  Her eyelashes fluttered.

  “There you are.” He took a deep breath.

  She struggled in his arms.

  “I’ve got you. You’re just a little pale right now. How about sitting on the couch over here and I’ll get you a glass of water.”

  “Here you go.” Gavin handed him a full glass. “She’s not cut out for this.”

  “I know.”

  “She’s not the one.”

  “That’s your opinion. Not mine.” Aidan raised the glass to her lips and she took a sip. “Stop pushing her buttons and mine, okay? Let’s get through this and I’ll get out.”

  “It’s the only option. I don’t think you could handle being responsible for her demise.”

  “Agreed,” Aidan ground out. “She deserves a nice life.” The pain in the back of his throat did little to center him. He needed a target. “Sam, tell me what you’ve found.”

  “The two you tagged finally got up and left. They’re still on the move. I’ll let you know if they settle somewhere. Oh and I’ve confirmed it was the husband who bought the contract you won.”

  “Reese is dead.” Liz pushed back on the couch and scooted to a half sitting position on the opposite end of the couch. “I should tell you my hearing is fine.” She rubbed her forehead and then looked directly at him.

  A whole conversation passed between them. He drank in her loathing. Her hatred didn’t matter. He’d see she got through it all.

  “It can’t be Reese. The police said there’s no way anyone could live with that much blood loss,” she said.

  He got up and walked to Sam. “What else?”

  “I followed the call pattern on Reese’s old cell.” Two lists of numbers appeared on the largest screen. “The calls on the right are almost the exact same as the list on the left except for a few numbers. I’ve highlighted them.”

  “That’s my number at the top,” Liz said.

  “Do you recognize the others?” Aidan asked.

  “I’m not sure. They look like his work numbers though.” She squinted at the screen.

  “Berk and Warner International?” Sam tapped away and the screen changed.

  “Yes.” She blinked a few times.

  “The second phone started making calls the night your husband disappeared. Your number hasn’t been called on the new phone or the Berk and Warner numbers from the previous phone. However.” Sam tapped away again. “I am still finding Berk and Warner numbers on the new phone. They’re just different. Most of these are overseas.”

  “Those fuckers. His bosses brought me flowers after the cops found the blood.” She pushed off the couch and stomped to the screen. “They knew he was alive all along.”

  Aidan looked to Sam, who caught his nod and turned the screen off.

  “Pull that back up.” She turned around and glared at Sam.

  “Elizabeth, come back over here and sit down.” Aidan came toward her and stopped when she backed up. “Until Sam analyzes the data, we don’t know what it means.”

  “I will not sit down.” She turned back to the screen and crossed her arms. “Sam.”

  “I have more,” Sam said. “Is it okay if I show you what else I found?”

  “Yes,” they all said at the same time.

  Liz widened her stance and cleared her throat.

  “Reese Martin bought a new life insurance policy two days ago.” The document appeared before them. Liz’s name was listed as the insured and Reece’s name was listed as the beneficiary.

  “Son of a bitch.” She turned, eyes wide. “That’s his fucking signature.” She pointed back at the screen.

  Aidan came up in front of her and rubbed up and down her arms. “Did he buy the second contract on Liz, too?”

  “No, it looks like it was purchased by an offshore company. I’m not finding much information about them.”

  “Are they connected in any way to Berk and Warner?” Aidan squeezed her shoulders.

  “Not that I can see yet but I have several more channels to explore before I’ll know for sure. I can tell you they appear to be some sort of gambling outfit.”

  “Maybe he’s got this all wrong.” Liz said. She looked up at him. “Reese made a few bad trades but he didn’t gamble, and Berk and Warner only handle real estate.”

  “That you know of.” Aidan pointed out.

  “This is all about gambling?” Gavin scoffed.

  “Gavin,” Aidan cleared his throat.

  He held up his hands. “This could be good news.”

  “How?” Liz snapped. “None of this is good news.”

  “Gavin’s right. Money leaves a trail and Sam can follow it.” Aidan took hold of her hands and squeezed.

  “I doubt it will be that easy.” Gavin turned and made his way to the kitchen.

  Aidan kissed her knuckles. “Give us a minute.”

  “Fine.” She turned back to stare at the screens.

  He followed Gavin and stopped once he was a few feet away. “You don’t have to be so hard on her.”

  “No, it should be your job.” Gavin poured himself another cup of coffee. “We don’t know enough about this situation to know anything for sure.”

  “I was thinking about Grandmother today.” Aidan turned and checked on Liz. She hadn’t moved.

  “That old kook? You have lost your mind.” Gavin turned and leaned against the counter.

  “Do you remember the brownstone she lived in when we were in high school?”

  “The one by the mansions with the yards, sure.” Gavin sipped his coffee.

  “It’s where Liz grew up. She could have met me back then. Instead she met me last night. How do you explain it?” Aidan crossed his arms.

  “I don’t explain it by throwing around words like fate.”

  “I’m not sure she would have liked the Aidan from back then.” Aidan leaned on the counter and noticed his brother was watching Liz too. As gruff as Gavin could be, he wasn’t the type to ignore a person in danger. He’d always respected his brother for that and it was one of the reasons he’d followed him into this life.

  “And if she fell for young Aidan the jackass, I don’t think you would have liked her much either.” Gavin chuckled. “I thought you didn’t believe in happy endings?”

 
“I don’t.” Whatever time he had with Liz, he was going to make the most of it. He’d only get a few days with his one and it would last him a lifetime. No way would he consider risking her life over and over. “All good things are worth waiting for, even if they can’t last. I’m not sure Grandmother was a kook.”

  “It sounds nice, but then how…” Gavin stared at his coffee.

  “How would we explain Vivian?”

  “Our time expired like yours will with Liz or she’s not the one.” Gavin shook his head and turned away. “That’s how.”

  “I don’t think your story with Vivian is done yet.”

  Gavin stayed put, didn’t turn around. “Then where is she?”

  “I’m not sure, Gavin, but I promise to help you find her. I need to get Liz out of this mess and then I’ll help. We’ll find her together.”

  Gavin faced him, the lonely strain evident in his gaze. “We better get going to Evanston. They’ll be waiting for us.”

  Aidan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. A quick look at the phone revealed a text from Ethan. Nadia would wait for them at the bar. He and Gavin made their way back to the bank of computers. “Sam, follow the money and see what you can come up with.”

  “Will do,” Sam answered.

  “Liz.” When she turned to him he added, “Let’s go.” He held out his hand. With each piece of news, he only wanted to keep her closer.

  “We’re going to the meeting?” She put her hand in his.

  “I have a meeting. You’re going to sit with Nadia.”

  He kept Liz close to his side during the ride in one of Gavin’s town cars.

  “Did you hear Clair’s coming to this meeting?” Gavin said without turning from the window.

  “She is?” He’d hoped she wouldn’t need their help again. “I was starting to think we’d never hear from her after last month.”

  “Who’s Clair?” Liz asked.

  “No one you need to concern yourself with, sweetheart,” Gavin said.

  Aidan cleared his throat. Gavin and his perfect timing. Damn it if his big brother wasn’t trying to cause him extra trouble.

  Thankfully, when they arrived, Nadia was waiting for Liz at the bar. He properly introduced them.

  “Ethan is already in the back,” Nadia said.

  “Thanks.” He flagged Terry, the bartender. “Liz is a fellow beer lover. Take care of her.” He rubbed across her upper back as she positioned herself on the stool. The staff, Terry especially, had a particular talent for catching things out of the ordinary. He still didn’t like having her out of his line of sight. “I’ll be in the back room. The staff here knows what to look for. You’ll be safe and I won’t be long.” He said for her benefit and to remind himself. “You okay?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  He noticed her necklace. “It is beautiful.”

  “I know.” She rubbed the locket between her fingers. “Go ahead. I’ll be right here when you’re done.” Liz leaned on the bar.

  He nodded to Nadia and took a quick pace to their meeting room. The sooner this meeting was over, the sooner he could get Liz out of there. Ethan, Max, and Gavin were sitting at their round table when he entered. His beer of choice waited for him at the last empty seat.

  “Thanks for coming.” Aidan sat and grabbed his beer, taking a quick sip. “I know we weren’t supposed to meet again until next week.”

  “Aidan, if you need us, we’ll be here.” Ethan picked up his glass and tapped Aidan’s bottle.

  “Did you boys start without me?” Clair sauntered into the room. “Thanks for telling me about the meeting, Gavin.” She pulled a chair from the corner to their table.

  “Gavin invited you?” Aidan watched is brother.

  “Sure. Well, I requested the invite since you guys are here talking about my case, right?” She sat down. “You didn’t invite me back after Ethan took care of that nasty madam. But I’m thankful you were all so eager to help again. I figured you’d want to continue working the leads.” Clair nudged her chair forward.

  “Your case?” Aidan moved sideways to avoid her. Gavin still wasn’t looking at him.

  “Sure. The Martins are involved somehow.” She turned to look at Gavin. “You didn’t tell them?”

  Gavin tossed back his whiskey. “If we have to be involved, I think we’re better off knowing as little as possible about your cases.”

  “That’s not your decision to make, Gavin.” Heat licked up Aidan’s back.

  “And you know better than getting involved with clients.” Gavin glared at Aidan.

  “Hold up.” Max’s deep tone cut through the dead silence in the room. “What client, Aidan? Is this the poor wife whose husband is trying to kill her?”

  “She’s the one,” Ethan said.

  “Hey.” Aidan tugged on his ear.

  “Sorry, Nadia can’t stop talking about it.”

  “Finally.” Max picked up his beer. “It’s about time you made a move on someone. Before you get yourself in a snit, I don’t count the subs you’ve played with at Keller’s place since you never play with them twice.” He took a long swig.

  “Whatever. Look, can we get off the playground please?” Aidan rubbed the back of his neck. “Clair, what do you mean the Martins are involved? What does Ethan’s case have to do with Liz and Reese Martin?”

  “It’s a new development. Sorry I didn’t have this information sooner. But this could be good.”

  “Tell us what you know and we’ll be the judge,” Ethan said.

  “Fine. The job from last month came in at the last minute and we’re just now starting to understand it all.”

  “Are the girls starting to talk?” Ethan sat up.

  “Yes.” She took a deep breath. “Thanks again for acting so quickly. A few of the girls are remembering details that have been quite helpful.”

  “Well, I’m glad you came to us. Glad this relationship or, whatever it is, is producing some good.” Ethan swirled the remains of his drink.

  She nodded.

  “How does this involve the Martins?” Aidan’s head felt like it was about to explode if someone didn’t tell him something.

  “I’m getting to it, Romeo.” Clair arched her eyebrow and tapped her fingers on the table. “The Martins have a home in Tuscany. It’s where the girls were headed.”

  “Have the Martins been seen there with the slavers?” Aidan narrowed his eyes. He may not know a lot about Liz but he didn’t see her as a willing participant in human trafficking.

  “It’s their home,” Gavin muttered.

  “You know as well as I do second homes can be stolen and the owners know nothing about it.” Aidan put down his bottle before he threw it across the room.

  “You don’t even know this girl.” Gavin closed his eyes. “For all you know, she’s in the middle of a turf war with her husband.”

  “She has no idea her husband has been using her vacation home for human trafficking.” Aidan put his hands flat on the table.

  “And you know this how? Because she likes riding your cock?” Gavin sat back. “Tell us, what did she take from her apartment?” Gavin waited only a heartbeat. “She grabbed cash and her passport, right?” He shook his head. “Once you’ve saved her from whoever wants her out of the picture, she’ll make her escape and leave you behind. Tell me it’s not a possibility?”

  All eyes turned on Aidan.

  “Just think about it, brother. Slavers turn on each other all the time. She probably tried to have her husband killed last year, so she didn’t have to split the profits.”

  Clair sat forward, blocking his path to Gavin. “What we suspect is Ethan taking out their U.S. contact last month sparked this recent challenge for power. It’s weird though because it’s usually when these organizations go underground but it’s also when things can change quickly.”

  Aidan picked at the label on his beer. None of this was sitting right. Liz couldn’t be a slaver. Not his Liz. He rubbed the loose bit of label on the bottle back and for
th and wracked his brain for the missing pieces. She’d been planning to sell the villa. It would certainly be motive to take her out. “Maybe they would have gone into hiding, but something else changed. You said it yourself. You really don’t know what’s going on.”

  “True. Well, we’ve confirmed the second contract on Elizabeth Martin’s life was contracted two nights ago by Viktor Kotov. He’s the man running their home in Italy. He’s the name that keeps coming up in my investigations. Taking Viktor out would be a huge victory.” Clair tucked her hair behind her ear.

  Shit. If he was asking them to reconsider things, he’d have to do the same. She had taken her passport. Was this all a play for her to exit unscathed? These slavers were ruthless and cunning. He rolled his shoulders and tilted his head. But she was sending her friend there for her honeymoon. He picked up his beer and gulped the rest of it down. Maybe the appearance of innocence was all she needed. He could hear the suspect now. Why would I offer the place to my girlfriend and her new husband if I knew what was going on there? If she had tried to take out her husband last year, it would explain why he’s trying to take her out now.

  No, it didn’t sit right. There had to be another explanation. He scratched where his collar irritated his neck. “My guy seems to think the contract I have was bought by Reese Martin.” He looked directly at Clair. “Have you confirmed he’s alive?”

  “We haven’t seen him yet, but I find it highly suspect that he’s dead. It’s quite common for these traffickers to fake their own death to get out of the country.” She nodded to Gavin. “Or his wife no longer wanted to share and she really did have him killed last year. It’s possible this Kotov is using Reese’s name to cast doubt, take Elizabeth out, or throw her under the bus. There’s so much we don’t know. We can’t just cast Elizabeth as innocent.” Clair got quiet before she added, “We need you to work her, Aidan.”

  He stood. “I’m not playing your games.” He slammed his fist on the table.

  “Aidan, be reasonable. If she’s in any way involved—”

  “Gavin, she’s not.” Aidan took a deep breath.

  “We just want the truth.” Gavin stared at his hands.