“Someone inside just tried to activate a radio transmitter,” Cal reports. “Didn’t connect. They know we’re jamming.”
Fuck.
“Element of surprise is gone,” Charles says, his voice tight with the kind of controlled fury that means someone’s about to die badly.
I adjust position, scanning for a shot. If I can get Ryan Matthews in my crosshairs, this ends. One bullet. Clean kill. Extract Parker before anyone realizes what happened.
But I need to see the target first.
Movement.
A figure steps into view behind Parker.
Ryan Matthews. Tall. Over six feet. Tactical gear that won’t save him from what I’m about to do.
He’s holding a gun.
He presses it to Parker’s temple.
Everything in me goes cold and white-hot at the same time. The kind of rage that doesn’t make you stupid. Makes you surgical.
“Contact,” I breathe. “Ryan Matthews. Weapon drawn. Gun to Parker’s head.”
I’m already doing the math. Distance: 150 meters, give or take. Wind: minimal, maybe two miles per hour from the west. Angle: elevated, I’m higher than target by approximately fifteen degrees. Window glass: standard residential, not ballistic. Won’t slow the bullet enough to matter.
The problem is positioning.
Ryan’s standing directly behind Parker. Using her as a human shield. His head is visible above hers but the angle’s wrong. Too close. If I take the shot and he moves, if the bullet fragments on glass, if anything goes wrong by even a centimeter, I hit her instead of him.
Can’t risk her.
Won’t risk her.
“No clear shot,” I report, and the words taste like failure. “Target’s using Parker as cover.”
“Hold position,” Jace says.
I keep scanning, looking for other hostiles. Looking for Aria, who should be here if intel is right.
But I don’t see her. Just Ryan and Parker.
Maybe she’s hiding. Smart enough to let Ryan be visible while she pulls strings from somewhere safer.
Four fucking years. That’s how long Aria and I fucked around after Parker left. Started maybe a year after California swallowed the only woman I’ve ever loved. After Dominic ordered us to cut all surveillance, all contact, all connection to Parker Carter.
After I was grieving someone who was still alive but completely unreachable.
Aria was there. Available. Willing to keep her mouth shut and swallow, a warm body.
It was physical. Nothing more. I didn’t take her on dates. Didn’t bring her flowers. Didn’t pretend it was something it wasn’t. She came over, we fucked, she left. Simple. Transactional. Empty. Of course out of me, Cal, and Jace I’d end up with the messsy situationship shit. Cal’s had women walk in on him fucking their best friends only to join in after the initial shock.
Dominic knew. Told me I was doing him a favor, keeping his young wife occupied so she didn’t get bored and cause problems. Some fucking favor. Woman’s clingier than saran wrap andapparently capable of orchestrating kidnappings when benefits get cancelled.
If she’s in there, she’s mine. I’ll put her down clean and quick. Not because I hate her. Because she’s a threat to Parker.
And threats to Parker don’t get to breathe.
“Where’s Aria?” Cal asks. “Thermal showed multiple bodies but I only see Ryan.”
